Class presents ‘Paco Project’ at Mango’s

On Oct. 31, Jana Craft’s MK360 Consumer Behavior class traveled down the hill to present their “Paco Project” to the owners of Mango’s Mexican American Grill.

Based on the book by Paco Underhill titled “Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping,” students are assigned to one of six local businesses. Working together with the owners/managers of the businesses, student groups determine project goals and areas to be studied to improve some aspect of the business.

Over the course of six visits, the group observes and records information on the shopping behavior of customers. Examples of specific information from these areas include traffic patterns, eye placement, what they touch and pick up, how long they linger in a certain area, etc. This data is recorded, analyzed and presented to the merchants. Participating merchants included Mugby Junction, Habitat ReStore, Grace Place, Fitzgerald Library and Mango’s. This is the fourth year for the project.