Paco Underhill

Paco Underhill is regarded as the godfather of retail anthropology. The son of a diplomat who grew up around the world, Paco brings a unique global perspective to his work which has transformed how we understand consumer behavior today. Paco founded Envirosell Inc. in 1986, growing it into a consultancy that has worked across 53 countries and with more than a third of the Fortune 100. His recent client roster includes Google, Samsung, and other major technology companies, reflecting his continued relevance at the cutting edge of retail and consumer science. He is the author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, published in 27 languages and used in MBA and retail training programs worldwide. His most recent book, How We Eat, reveals the changing ways we produce, get, and consume our food. Drawing on over four decades of fieldwork inside stores, restaurants, airports, and homes, Paco translates raw consumer data into decisions that move the needle. His work spans retail and banking through to healthcare, professional sports, and technology, and he is currently undertaking a series of audits for the National Park Service, assessing points of service, signage, and gift stores across Western parks for diverse visitor types. Audiences who attend Paco's sessions leave with a clearer picture of how physical and digital environments shape purchasing decisions, practical tools for applying consumer behavior research to their own markets, and methods for reading customer intent that have been tested across cultures and industries. He also offers retail tours as a practical follow-up to his keynotes. Paco has delivered presentations in over 50 countries using his signature "edutainment" style, making audiences laugh in order to make them think. His track record of turning complex behavioral research into actionable strategies, tailored for different cultures and markets, makes him one of the most consistently in-demand voices in retail and consumer science.