Streetlights reduce nighttime crime by 36% and reduce “serious offending” by 4%. This is roughly the same reduction in crime you would expect from a 10% increase in policing.
Products of our environment
Our behaviour is shaped by forces outside our control.
Some supermarket sections, like the bakery, are visited by almost every shopper, while others, like greeting cards have few visitors. According to shopper scientist Herb Sorensen, 85% of in store behaviour can be accounted for by shoppers’ location, rather than the products in front of them.
In New York public hospitals, vegan meals are now offered as an option by default – a policy which has generated 36% fewer emissions since being introduced. It offers an important lesson for behaviour change: people tend to accept the status quo.
Weather is not just for small talk – it has a greater impact on a store’s sales than either inflation or unemployment. Interestingly, of the four weather conditions assessed, wind is most likely to influence shopping.