The article starts with a long description of the use of psychology to determine why people buy, the use of smells such as baked bread and clean sheets to make people more eager to buy, and the use of video and computer technology to study how long people spend in each area of the store.

Then the article says:

Despite all the new technology, simply talking to consumers remains one of the most effective ways to improve the “customer experience”.

Duh!

But then I thought, how long has it been since you talked to a customer or hired someone to talk to your customers?

During the holiday season, when you just might have time to think, this is a question to ask.

Another question to ask: how efficient is your sales process?

The article concludes with this comment:

But the checkout in this Sainsbury’s comes to a halt because the teenager at the till is not old enough to sell alcohol and can’t attract the attention of a supervisor for permission to ring up a multi-pack of beer, which is therefore left behind on the counter. The science of shopping is a marvellously sophisticated business; the practice is still a little more primitive.