Columnist Muriel Stevens: A look at personal shoppers

Wednesday, March 7, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping column appears Wednesdays. Her dining column appears Fridays. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

Ever wonder what it takes to become a personal shopper? Imagine being paid to shop.

Sound too good to be true? It probably is, even with the aid of "Get Paid to Shop: Be a Personal Shopper For Corporate America" by Emily Lumpkin (Forte, $29.95).

Lumpkin's book does not tell you how to become a personal shopper at a fine store such as Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue. This is instead a "How To" guide for people who have a passion to shop and would like to turn that passion into income. It's not as easy as it sounds.

Take seriously what Lumpkin says on the warning-disclaimer page. She and the publisher offer a full refund if "you do not wish to be bound by the above."

I've never seen an offer like this in any other self-help volume.

So what's the point of this book? The author says: "The purpose of this manual is to educate and entertain."

Having waded through most of it, I can assure you that unless you're interested in this kind of information, it's hardly entertaining.

The author cautions that her "manual" is not the final word. She urges readers to expand their knowledge by using "the many references" supplied in the appendix.

Take this book for what it is and the reader will not be disappointed. It is a decent guide for learning what's required to set up a home-based business, but hardly one that instructs how to develop a personal shopping service for corporate America.

If it were only as easy as the cover implies.

Personal shoppers: Personal shopping is an important service offered by upscale stores. It takes more than a passion for shopping to become this kind of personal shopper.

Personal shoppers (men and women) at fine stores are themselves high-fashion, savvy types who know well the world of high fashion and style. Many have worked in the finest stores before becoming a personal shopper.

Nice work if you qualify.

Why we shop: "Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping," by Paco Underhill is a fascinating read (Simon & Schuster, $25).

Underhill, an urban anthropologist and founder of Envirosell, specializes in consumer shopping behavior. For 20 years he and his staff have been "tracking shoppers in stores and public spaces." He calls it "shopping science." No matter what Underhill calls it (it's his invention), it's the coolest kind of information gathering.

This is my kind of book, written with humor and wit. Who could resist such sections as: "Walk Like An Egyptian: The Mechanics of Shopping"; "Men Are From Sears Hardware, Women are From Bloomingdale's: The Demographics of Shopping"; and "See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Buy Me: The Dynamics of Shopping."

Learn why men's shopping patterns are different from women's, why the Internet cannot replace the shopping mall, and many more shopping gems.

Envirosell's clients include Estee Lauder, Blockbuster, McDonald's, Starbucks, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Levi Strauss and the U.S. Postal Service.

Reading "Why We Buy" might not change anyone's shopping habits, but it certainly gave this reader insight into hers.