How Do People Choose Where to Stop in a Street Market?
A market stall wins by stealing a second, not an hour.
Most visitors walk past more stalls than they examine.
Movement stops when something interrupts expectations: unusual colors, visible preparation, laughter, or a crowd gathered around a small space. Attention changes direction before purchasing does.
The hidden mechanism is attention interruption. Markets reward whatever breaks routine without creating confusion.
People think they choose stalls. Often, stalls choose the moments when people hesitate.
