Consumers: The Pawns of Retail When I think of the term “shopping”, I think of endless lines, big crowds and more money spent than planned. I am one, it seems of very few women, whom does not enjoy this so called enjoyable past time. While browsing the aisles in various stores, whether it be a grocery or retail clothing store, I always felt they were pushing certain items on me. The “Big Weekend Sale” or the “10 for 10 Sale” makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside but I still walk out spending an exuberant amount of money. I have visited and analyzed three different stores based on the views of Paco Underhill: Kohl’s, Meijer and Sally Beauty Supply. I have discovered that the consumer is just a pawn in the retailers’ game of shopping. The first store I went to was Kohl’s ®. As I walked through the doors, I entered what Paco Underhill referred to as the “Decompression Chamber”. It was a very small vestibule separating the outside from the main area of the store. I have noticed that on much warmer days the a/c unit is pumping cool air or on a cooler day warm air to help transition from the outside. On the doors were big bright posters advertising their Columbus Weekend Sale. When I entered the main store area, I thought of the Invariable Right and immediately looked to the right. There were clothes displays and table’s and to the left were the shopping carts. I started in the athletic clothes to see what kind of sales they were having on sweatshirts. The little electronic sign next to the Nike hooded sweatshirts was advertising 25% off. Without even realizing what I was doing, I had the fabric of the sweatshirt in my hand, being caressed with my fingers….as Paco Underhill put it, I was “petting”. I looked at the price tag and it read $68. Seeming a little pricey for a sweatshirt to begin with I applied the 25% sale discount and I would still be paying roughly $50