Decoding the New Consumer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy

Praise for Decoding the New ConsumerMind

When I read the past is no longer prologue in the opening chapter, I knew Kit Yarrow was on to something.Flexibility is more important than strategies grounded in pastconsumer experience. Kit illustrates this with fine research andstories of real people coping in our world of overload,overindulgence, and isolation. A must–read if you are a marketer, aretailer, a manufacturer, or a consumer trying to understand howthe rules have changed.
Peter Stringham, chairman and CEO, Young& Rubicam Group

The pace of change at retail is breathtaking and nowhereis that more evident than in ecommerce. Kit s emphasis on themajor drivers of this change, including the need for authenticity,continuous innovation, and building community, is right on themoney. Decoding the New Consumer Mind is full of greatinsights, fascinating cases, and actionable ideas.
Susan Feldman, cofounder and chiefmerchandising officer, One Kings Lane

Yarrow s concept of the radical individualism ofconsumers is inspiring but challenging. Her solution of promotingtrust through connection is absolutely on target.
Richard Edelman, president and CEO,Edelman

Kit digs deeply into how and why people shop, perfectlyputting into perspective how time has changed today s shopperand how retailers must adjust to those changes. Decoding theNew Consumer Mind is entertaining, insightful, and chock–fullof recommendations for retailers.
Matthew Shay, president and CEO, NationalRetail Federation

Kit brings a unique combination of academic prowess andkeen contemporary insight to all her work. With her trademarkfrankness and humor, she documents three major psychological shiftsthat have profoundly impacted how consumers shop and buy.Decoding the New Consumer Mind is an absolute must–readfor any business that intends on thriving in the new consumerreality.
Doug Stephens, founder, Retail Prophet, andauthor, The Retail Revival

Foreword by Paco Underhilll ix

Introduction 1

Part One THe New Consumer MInd

1 Rewired Brains 11

2 Isolation and Individualism 45

3 Intensified Emotions 79

Part Two Strategies to connect with today s Newconsumer

4 Technovation 123

5 The Real Deal 137

6 Involvement 153

7 Intensity 167

Conclusion 177

Notes 179

Acknowledgments and Gratitude 199

About the Author 203

Index 205

KIT YARROW, Ph.D., is an award–winning consumerresearch psychologist, professor, consultant, and keynote speaker.She chairs the psychology department at Golden Gate University,with a joint appointment as a professor of psychology andmarketing, and was recognized as the university s 2012Outstanding Scholar. Kit writes for Time andPsychology Today. She is also the coauthor of Gen BuY:How Tweens, Teens, and Twenty–Somethings Are RevolutionizingRetail (Jossey–Bass, 2009). Kit is regularly quoted in avariety of media, including the New York Times, theWall Street Journal, Marketplace, USA Today, and Good MorningAmerica. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For more information, please visit kityarrow.com.

In the world of shopping, Decoding the New ConsumerMind will make waves. This important book explains it all,uncovering where we are going and showing how individuals andcompanies can advance their offerings as well as their bottomlines.
from the foreword by Paco Underhill, CEO, Envirosell, andauthor, Why We Buy

When I read the past is no longer prologue in the opening chapter, I knew Kit Yarrow was on to something.Flexibility is more important than strategies grounded in pastconsumer experience. Kit illustrates this with fine research andstories of real people coping in our world of overload,overindulgence, and isolation. A must–read if you are a marketer, aretailer, a manufacturer, or a consumer trying to understand howthe rules have changed.
Peter Stringham, chairman and CEO, Young & RubicamGroup

The pace of change at retail is breathtaking and nowhereis that more evident than in ecommerce. Kit s emphasis on themajor drivers of this change, including the need for authenticity,continuous innovation, and building community, is right on themoney. Decoding the New Consumer Mind is full of greatinsights, fascinating cases, and actionable ideas.
Susan Feldman, cofounder and chief merchandising officer,One Kings Lane

Yarrow s concept of the radical individualism ofconsumers is inspiring but challenging. Her solution of promotingtrust through connection is absolutely on target.
Richard Edelman, president and CEO, Edelman

Kit digs deeply into how and why people shop, perfectlyputting into perspective how time has changed today s shopperand how retailers must adjust to those changes. Decoding the NewConsumer Mind is entertaining, insightful, and chock–full ofrecommendations for retailers.
Matthew Shay, president and CEO, National RetailFederation

Kit brings a unique combination of academic prowess andkeen contemporary insight to all her work. With her trademarkfrankness and humor, she documents three major psychological shiftsthat have profoundly impacted how consumers shop and buy.Decoding the New Consumer Mind is an absolute must–read forany business that intends on thriving in the new consumerreality.
Doug Stephens, founder, Retail Prophet, and author,The Retail Revival