Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense

by Rory Sutherland

Relatively small businesses that might not be able to afford to advertise in any conventional sense, could transform their fortunes by paying a little attention to the workings of psycho-logic. The trick involves simply understanding the wider behavioural system within which they operate. Cafés could boost sales by improving their menu design. Many small shops are inadequately lit, and so passers-by assume they are closed – how much business do they lose as a result?fn4 Pubs are often needlessly intimidating because their windows are made of frosted glass, preventing people from looking inside before entering. Pizza delivery firms could differentiate themselves in a crowded market by agreeing to deliver tea, coffee, milk and toilet paper alongside a pizza. Restaurants might increase sales by allowing the kerbside collection of take-away meals – or by adding a sign which says ‘parking at rear’.