Topic: Malcolm Gladwell's discussion of retail anthropology studies the behaviors of consumers and important implications for retailers. The science behind making and improving retail sales seems simple; video footage is taken in stores to determine consumer habits and tendencies, analyzed, and then reported to stores. Yet there seems to be so many subjective factors that influence the study of the data. For example, Underhill, a retail anthropologist, often bases his judgments and advice off of stereotyping men or fathers as the "wallet carrier" and "women being more sensitive back there [their behind]" (Gladwell 94; 91). Such stereotyping often proves effective for sales in many cases, but Underhill's occupation involves a unique blend of tested theory, objective data, and sometimes-subjective analysis. Perhaps, the "science" of retail is always a matter of personal observation and verifiable data.

Assignment Guidelines: Your response should be in 12-point, Times New Roman font and be at least one page, double-spaced. Please consider your views of marketing and include at least two quotations from the article.

Writing Task:

Pick ONE of the following questions to answer:

Describe a time you bought or rented an expensive item (computer, furniture, car, housing, etc). Did you do any research like comparison-shopping, analysis of reviews, or a trial of the product?

OR

Did you act on impulse when you bought an expensive item? Explain.