THE REAL REASON WOMEN SHOP MORE THAN MEN

Many people hold beliefs that revolve around the stereotype that women have an insatiable appetite for shoes, handbags and sparkly things. It’s not that simple. The real reason women shop so much is more complicated and understanding why women buy is the first step to gaining their business. The real reason is that in nearly every society in the world, women have primary care-giving responsibilities for both children and the elderly. In this role, women buy on behalf of everyone else in their lives. In addition to buying for themselves, women buy on behalf of husbands, partners, kids, colleagues, adult children, friends, relatives, elderly parents, in-laws, their businesses and even their kids’ friends, to name just a few. What does this mean to you? If you’re in a consumer business, it means that women are multiple markets in one. They lead to everyone else and are very important to study. It’s so important to give good service to women because of the “multiplier effect” they have. They will share their experiences with others, and this will result in increased sales. To best increase sales to women there are three important aspects to consider: Address Her “Invisible Others”: Women constantly evaluate how their purchases might impact the people they care about most. Study Gender: Women and men grow up within a culture of their gender, each with its codes of conduct, speaking styles and expectations for personal interaction. An Emotional Connection: Because women buy on behalf of so many other people, their purchasing decisions often carry more emotional weight. Having a gender-balanced marketing team will help you better identify the communication skills that will make women think, “These people understand my life.”