Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping by the Author of Why We Buy

by Paco Underhill

Book Overview

The author of the international bestseller Why We Buy--praised by The New York Times as "a book that gives this underrated skill the respect it deserves"--now takes us to the mall, a place every... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743235924
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 1.4" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A Fun Read

Paco Underhill does a wonderful job of capturing the world we retailers have known for years. From the mall's uninspiring architecture to running the perfume gauntlet in department store, Paco takes us on a guided tour of American's new downtowns. Trained to see what others don't see, we learn what works and what doesn't work in malls today.For retailers it's a great refresher to remind us how every element the customer sees, hears, smells, and experiences impacts the overall customer experience. If you're looking for a book to give you answers, this isn't it. But rather it's a great book to stimulate your thinking and for you to question yourself on how you can improve your store. Every store owner should first read and apply Mr. Underhill's book, Why We Buy and then you'll appreciate Call of the Mall even more.For non-retailers, Call of the Mall is a great study in human behavior. You'll be amazed at how many times you see yourself described; from how you walk in the mall to shopping in stores like Victoria's Secret. I recommend Call of the Mall; it's a fun read that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

For the shopper and retailer alike

Much like Paco Underhill's first book, Why We Buy, this book states what seems so obvious, but really isn't until he talks about it. I must say that my only complaint about the book is that it starts out pretty slow. Even though the first couple of chapters are short, if I didn't have the faith that the rest of the book was going to be worth it, or hadn't read Why We Buy, I doubt that I would have had the persistence to endure the slow beginning.However, that said, once he starts making certain observations and recommendations, the points are one after another and I found myself needing to highlight almost entire passages or would skim over a passage and find myself needing to go back and read because I would miss the significance of certain passages. At this point, Paco Underhill is at his best. He also shops with various other folks to emphasize the socializing aspect of the mall as the "new town square" that only suburbia is able to provide.Reading it from a retailer perspective, this book was so full of little tidbits and advice, I found the time spent reading it as worthwhile as any book I have read for purely a work related purpose. I do not want to give too much of the book away but some of the issues covered are parking in the malls, the location of the malls, the maps in malls, the location of certain departments in department stores or individual stores in the mall and how they fail or succeed in various marketing methods. I would recommend this book to those who need to see their stores (or mall) with "fresh eyes" but also to anyone interested in the phenomenon of shopping itself.

Even Better the Second Time

Whether a retailer, past retailer, shopaholic or simply someone looking for an entertaining view on consumer behavior... Call of the Mall is a must read. Do you all remember Paco Underhill? Well, he is at it again. I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book! Perhaps it was the topic and Mr. Underhill's ability to simplify what so many of us have spent our careers making difficult, or perhaps it is the humor I have grown to adore in Mr. Underhill, but regardless it was entertaining, compelling and of course insightful. I found myself again thinking "why didn't I know that or see that myself" which is a testament as to how the most basic concepts and observations usually go unnoticed until someone like Mr. Underhill make it blatently obvious and impossible to ignore.

Fascinating and good advice, too

I work in a retail-related business, so part of my interest in this is professional. For that purpose this was an extremely useful book, an eye-opening examination of how exactly consumers and malls coexist. I'll make actual changes in how I do my job as a result of reading it. But as a former mall rat myself, I also found it to be a terrific, entertaining, sometimes even funny read. Underhill has a smooth and absorbing way of telling his stories, and he's saying things about malls here that no one, to my knowledge, has ever said. Highly recommended, especially for anyone in retail or store design.

Not A Second Too Soon

One someimes looks on with trepidation when we hear of a sequel. While I initially felt that way about Call of thh Mall, that feeeling was quickly dispelled as I became engaged in Paco Underhill's latest work. It is an enticing and thoughtful survey of not only current retail trends, but a statement about society. Call of the Mall is very much in the spirit of William Whyte, one of the folks who had a large influence on Underhill's approach.The informal style is deceptive at first, then you become increasingly engrossed by what you're reading. The discussion of the role of the mall, the history and future of the mall as well as numerous examples international examples all made for reading that educated and entertained. A must read for the student of retail and American culture.Call of the Mall so piqued my interest that I also purchased and read James Farrel's One Nation Under Goods. It is a good complement to Underhill's lastest success!