Abstract

Predicting human behaviour is a complex process dependent in part on instinctive, physiological, rational and emotional
considerations. Arguably, all of these are just chemistry – think of the adrenalin fight or flight reflex. But why does brain chemistry affect our actions? According to evolutionary psychologists, the answer lies in the axiom of the survival of the
fittest.
Retailers are no strangers to this Darwinian notion. But to fully understand its retailing significance we need to move away from city analysts and like-for-like sales to four million years ago when an ice age caused the African forest to retreat and tree dwelling apes were forced to adapt to living on the open savannah or face extinction. For males, survival and finding a mate meant becoming good hunters while the females needed to excel at gathering the best food for the family.
The Savannah Hypothesis, made explicit by Richard Broom back in 1933, holds that human psychology has been shaped by the need to evolve and adapt in order to survive. And no wonder that this behaviour has become ingrained: of the
continuum that represents the evolution of the human race ninety eight per cent sees humans as hunter-gatherers.