Did you realize that men and women shop differently? It was years after I was married that I finally put it together and understood what was going on. In fact, I analyzed it just yesterday when I was writing my new women’s fiction book, When Sisters Talk.
When the children were little, I thought it was boredom that made the boys whine and fuss. I realize now that this was not the case. They found no reason to go to shops to see things. When my youngest became a teen, I told him that the three pairs of socks he had not used for working on his car or lost the mates to were not enough. He had to go buy more.
I took him to the first store. He practically ran down the aisles to the men’s department, grabbed the first package of socks he saw and said, “Let’s go.”
“Hold it.” I said. “Is that the style you want? Do you want long tops or short because you have medium tops in your hands. “
“These are fine.”
“Are you sure those are the right size? Do you want that color?”
“Mom. Enough of the questions. Let’s go.”
He was done shopping. No looking.
My husband said he didn’t mind going shopping with me. So when I would go to the store and look at something, he assumed I wanted it. “Get it, if you want.”
I was looking at it because it was interesting, not because I wanted it.
If I did put something in the shopping cart, he would say, “Get two.”
I assumed he was being generous. Not so. If I bought two I wouldn't drag him back again.
I go shopping to get what I need now and to look at everything, catalog it in my head in case I may need it later, and to get everything I need for a project. My brain is a warehouse for information.
Hubby goes after a specific item. When he gets home and is working on the project,and hasn’t thought it through or is missing a tool, he goes back to the store and buys the next item he needs. It may take him fourteen trips to the store, and he will be grumbling under his breath, but he will have conquered the project.
Hubby shops like a tiger procuring food. Go, conquer, take home to lair, and eat.
I shop as if I am taking a stroll in the park. I like that, that is interesting, oh, look at that. We are evaluating everything and putting it into categories: needed now for sure, might need in the future for ___ project, don’t like that, might be useful sometime in the future, so this is where they sell _____, I like these colors, that’s interesting, I might try that when I get brave enough.
Store owners have figured this out many years ago. In the men’s department, the selection of socks, for instance, is limited to white, brown, black and navy. Three styles of white, one of each of the others, and a smattering of dress socks in the above colors. Pants have four types, blue jeans, khaki, brown, black, navy and camouflage.
In the women’s department, there are a peacock of colors of pants, socks, and shirts, even underwear. The styling is important, the fabrics are varied. It can literally take hours to examine the details. The women’s department takes up three times the space of the men's.
On the way to the women’s department are aisle displays, neatly arranged with colorful items to entice women to stop and look. The men's department has no aisle displays, and is on a main thoroughfare through the store, often on the way to food, electronics, or tools.
Even the dressing rooms are convenient to the women’s department. Here's why.
Last week my hubby and I went to the store after jeans, he looked at the size and put it in the cart.
I stopped him and said, “Are you sure that is the right size?”
He held them up to himself. “Yup.” And put them back in the cart.
“Try them on. I think you might have changed sizes.”
Grudgingly he went into the dressing room and came back out. “See, I told you they fit.” He rolled his eyes.
Then he rolled his eyes and stood looking bored while I looked for a pair of socks for me.
So when you go shopping, if at all possible, go with your own gender. It will be less frustrating.
When the children were little, I thought it was boredom that made the boys whine and fuss. I realize now that this was not the case. They found no reason to go to shops to see things. When my youngest became a teen, I told him that the three pairs of socks he had not used for working on his car or lost the mates to were not enough. He had to go buy more.
I took him to the first store. He practically ran down the aisles to the men’s department, grabbed the first package of socks he saw and said, “Let’s go.”
“Hold it.” I said. “Is that the style you want? Do you want long tops or short because you have medium tops in your hands. “
“These are fine.”
“Are you sure those are the right size? Do you want that color?”
“Mom. Enough of the questions. Let’s go.”
He was done shopping. No looking.
My husband said he didn’t mind going shopping with me. So when I would go to the store and look at something, he assumed I wanted it. “Get it, if you want.”
I was looking at it because it was interesting, not because I wanted it.
If I did put something in the shopping cart, he would say, “Get two.”
I assumed he was being generous. Not so. If I bought two I wouldn't drag him back again.
I go shopping to get what I need now and to look at everything, catalog it in my head in case I may need it later, and to get everything I need for a project. My brain is a warehouse for information.
Hubby goes after a specific item. When he gets home and is working on the project,and hasn’t thought it through or is missing a tool, he goes back to the store and buys the next item he needs. It may take him fourteen trips to the store, and he will be grumbling under his breath, but he will have conquered the project.
Hubby shops like a tiger procuring food. Go, conquer, take home to lair, and eat.
I shop as if I am taking a stroll in the park. I like that, that is interesting, oh, look at that. We are evaluating everything and putting it into categories: needed now for sure, might need in the future for ___ project, don’t like that, might be useful sometime in the future, so this is where they sell _____, I like these colors, that’s interesting, I might try that when I get brave enough.
Store owners have figured this out many years ago. In the men’s department, the selection of socks, for instance, is limited to white, brown, black and navy. Three styles of white, one of each of the others, and a smattering of dress socks in the above colors. Pants have four types, blue jeans, khaki, brown, black, navy and camouflage.
In the women’s department, there are a peacock of colors of pants, socks, and shirts, even underwear. The styling is important, the fabrics are varied. It can literally take hours to examine the details. The women’s department takes up three times the space of the men's.
On the way to the women’s department are aisle displays, neatly arranged with colorful items to entice women to stop and look. The men's department has no aisle displays, and is on a main thoroughfare through the store, often on the way to food, electronics, or tools.
Even the dressing rooms are convenient to the women’s department. Here's why.
Last week my hubby and I went to the store after jeans, he looked at the size and put it in the cart.
I stopped him and said, “Are you sure that is the right size?”
He held them up to himself. “Yup.” And put them back in the cart.
“Try them on. I think you might have changed sizes.”
Grudgingly he went into the dressing room and came back out. “See, I told you they fit.” He rolled his eyes.
Then he rolled his eyes and stood looking bored while I looked for a pair of socks for me.
So when you go shopping, if at all possible, go with your own gender. It will be less frustrating.