【一起听英语】购物的哲学

为什么我们本来去超市打算只买一样东西的，最后回来的时候却发现多买了好多东西呢？

Dan: Hello, I'm Dan.

Alice: And I'm Alice.

Dan: And this is 6 Minute English! Today we're talking about shopping. Alice have

you ever gone into a shop to buy one thing and come out with several other

things as well?

Alice: Yes, I have. It happens quite often. And I even bring my own bag, and then

find I haven't got enough space in it when I leave the shop.

Dan: Because you've just bought so many things. Well, it's quite a common thing,

apparently¹. A lot of people find that they've bought a lot more than they

wanted to, and that's often because of the layout² of the store.

Alice: The layout – that's the way that something's arranged. So because the shop is

laid out in a certain way, people buy more?

Dan: That's the theory. The layout of a shop has a large impact³ on what we buy and

how much money we spend. Shops, supermarkets and shopping malls are

designed to give shoppers a pleasant experience while they shop, and they use

specific colours, lighting⁵ and designs to get us to buy more.

Alice: Shopping malls – that's a very American phrase Dan! These are the large

buildings with lots of shops and restaurants inside them – what we call in

Britain shopping centres. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 2 of 6

Dan: And today's question is all about shopping centres Alice. The South China

Mall in China is the world's largest shopping centre. But how many shops does

it have? Is it:

a) 800

b) 1,200

c) 1,500

Alice: Oh, I'll go for the big one. 1,500 shops

Dan: OK, we'll see if you are right at the end of the programme. Now, as I

mentioned before, the layout of a shop has a direct influence on how we shop.

Apparently if you're in a shopping mall or department store, the more

disorienting it is, the longer you're there, and the more likely you are to spend.

Alice: The more disorienting it is - that is, it's very confusing, it's difficult to find

things in. And a department store is a large shop with lots of different

departments – different areas – which sell different types of goods.

Dan: And if the shopper⁴ is confused, or disoriented, they're more likely to forget

what they came in for, and might start buying more items. It's what's called

retail⁶ anthropology⁷.

Alice: Retail anthropology. Retail is anything to do with shopping – it means selling

goods to the general public. And anthropology is the study of humans and

human behaviour. So I suppose retail anthropology is the study of how humans

go shopping.

 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 3 of 6

Dan: That's exactly it. Professor Alan Penn, from University College London,

specialises in designing retail spaces. He says a lot of shops have designed

their layouts⁸ to encourage us to spend more. Here is a clip⁹ of him talking about

supermarkets; he says they usually keep essential items, such as milk and

bread, as far away from the entrance as possible. Why do you think this is?

Professor Alan Penn, University College London

 

The milk and the bread are usually at the far end of the supermarket. That's not by chance;

that's in order to get people to travel the full distance through the store. On the way

through, they'll see other things that they may have forgotten they needed and put them

into the trolley¹⁰.

Dan: So, according to Alan Penn, milk and bread are usually as far away from the

entrance as possible, so shoppers have to travel the full length of the store.

Alice: And on their way they'll see other items they might like and put them in their

trolley. Very clever! What other techniques do shops use to encourage people

to spend more Dan?

Dan: Ah, now, here's an interesting one: most supermarkets have the section for fruit

and vegetables near the entrance. Why do you think that is Alice?

Alice: Mm, I don't know. Does it look nice?

Dan: Well, let's have a listen to Alan Penn again and we will see if you're right.

Professor Alan Penn, University College London

Fresh fruits are very interesting aspects of the supermarket. It's often near the front; near

the entrance. It provides you with a very positive, healthy feeling, atmosphere as you step in

through the door. 

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 4 of 6

Dan: Well, you were part right there, Alice. Apparently the fresh fruit provides a

positive, healthy atmosphere as you step into the shop – it's more welcoming.

So, Alice, it's time to return to today's question: I asked you about The South

China Mall which is the world's largest shopping centre. But how many shops

does it have? Is it:

a) 800

b) 1,200

c) 1,500

Alice: And I made the guess of 1,500.

Dan: And you are right, yes. The answer is 1,500 shops. But here is the interesting

part; most of these shops are empty! In 2008 over 99 per cent of the shops in

the South China Mall were unoccupied which is just bizarre¹¹. And there are a

few more facts for you about shopping malls. Although the South China Mall

is the world's largest shopping mall in terms of shops, the largest mall by area

is the Dubai Mall, which over 12 million square feet – around the size of 50

football pitches. It's absolutely huge. Also, eight out of the ten largest shopping

malls in the world are in Asia, and there are a lot more 'mega-malls' under

construction in China and the United Arab Emirates.

Alice: Well, those are very, very big malls, mega malls.

Dan: Exactly. Alice, before we go, could you just remind us of some of the

vocabulary we've heard in today's programme?

6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011

Page 5 of 6

Alice: Sure, we had:

Layout

Shopping mall

Shopping centre

Department store

Disorienting

Retail

Anthropology

Dan: Thanks Alice. I hope you've enjoyed today's programme, and you'll join us

again for more 6 Minute English next time.

Both: Bye! 

1 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

2 layout   

n.布局，安排，设计

参考例句：

• The robbers studied the layout of the bank.这伙强盗研究了银行的布局。
• This map shows the layout of the plant.这张图展示了工厂的布局。

3 impact   

n.冲击，碰撞；影响；vt.装紧，压紧

参考例句：

• The computer had made a great impact on modern life.计算机对现代生活产生了巨大的影响.
• How will the war impact on such a poet?战争对这样一个诗人会产生什么影响？

4 shopper   

n.购物者，顾客

参考例句：

• Hong Kong is a shopper's paradise.香港是购物者的天堂。
• She is one shopper who takes responsibility in bagging her own goods.她是一名承担责任把食品装进袋子的顾客。

5 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

6 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

7 anthropology   

n.人类学

参考例句：

• I believe he has started reading up anthropology.我相信他已开始深入研究人类学。
• Social anthropology is centrally concerned with the diversity of culture.社会人类学主要关于文化多样性。

8 layouts   

n.布局( layout的名词复数 )；设计图；陈设；展开

参考例句：

• The book designer will have to redo the masterpieces layouts. 图书设计者将不得不重做这部名著的版面设计。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The book designer will have to redo the page layouts. 书籍设计者得重新编排版面。 来自辞典例句

9 clip   

n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪

参考例句：

• May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
• She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。

10 trolley   

n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车

参考例句：

• The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
• In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆，书籍是放在台车上搬动的。

11 bizarre   

adj.奇形怪状的，怪诞的

参考例句：

• They saw a bizarre animal in the lake.他们在湖中看见一个奇怪的动物。
• The building was of bizarre construction.这建筑构造奇异。