This article from 1996 gave me some of my earliest knowledge of the retail anthropology idea and began my exploration of it, using it in the next few retail stores I managed and/or helped to design. I had already found Jane Jacobs and William Whyte by this date, whose groundbreaking studies on public spaces led to Paco’s work in the retail sector. Whyte’s work of course is also the basis for Projects for Public Spaces excellent design and analysis that continues still, and includes their Public Market work. Gladwell (the author of the piece) became known for his “The Tipping Point” book and other research of crowd behavior.
gladwell