These days, Underhill's observations take on added poignancy, to use one of his favorite words. For a while, he has been telling merchants that there are no new customers, which is his way of saying that stores must get better at persuading existing customers to purchase more. He has also noticed that people more often make decisions about what to buy when they're out shopping, not before. This gives stores an opportunity: If they can compellingly present information about merchandise—following Underhill's rules, of course—they might exert greater influence on consumers. "It's all about in-store marketing," he says. "It's making things occur to the shopper."
There are opportunities to market to your guests.
