Shopping is recreation for women but chore for men.
Photo from photoXpress
That big S-A-L-E sign is the source of men’s torture when shopping with a girl. They wouldn’t miss any store with that sign. It’s like a red hot invitation for them to come in and look for products they don’t initially plan to buy.
A girl who shops for a perfume takes about 15 minutes to sample the different variety of perfumes before deciding on one. That’s only half the battle. The way to the mall’s exit is also another abiding allure to numerous detours and side-seeings for her. While for men, it’ll probably take 6 minutes.
Men and women are really from different planets. And shopping is one activity they do differently. I couldn’t agree more in this statement of Wharton’s:
Women are happy to meander through sprawling clothing and accessory collections or detour through the shoe department. They like to glide up glass escalators past a grand piano, or spray a perfume sample on themselves on their way to, maybe, making a purchase. For men, shopping is a mission. They are out to buy a targeted item and flee the store as quickly as possible.
Their study also reveals that women’s main problem in shopping was “lack of help when needed”, while men’s topmost problem was “difficulty in finding parking close to the store’s entrance”. All men cared about is getting the shopping done as soon as possible to have more time for other activities, and apparently parking space. So internet shopping is a gift for us.
Men and Women Shopping Dissimilarity. Photo from spanishdict.com
What is it about shopping that excites women? I guess I wouldn’t understand it because I’m a guy. It’s the same thing as any girl wouldn’t understand the long hours of men playing Skyrim in PS3 or Xbox 360.
How long do you shop?
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I find this kind of interesting. I agree to an extent, but then disagree too. My husband can be the best shopping buddy…when our kids arent with us, lol. Guys dont like to shop…. And yet you get them in a Game Stop or Lowes or Best Buy and you might as well drop them off, go home for a week and then come back. Yes women are the same way when you get them into a Belk, JC Penny, Wal Mart, etc… So really its kind of equal… Id love to see a man who could just “walk right in and right out” of a game stop without stopping to browse through other games or stop to play a demo, cause I know my man cant, especially when we have the kids with us. Lol…. So see, I agree and Disagree ;P
Yup .. buy my items like in 10 mins tops… girls usually will take longer.. but hey if its in our interest like maybe a Bike ? a Kayak ? wouldnt it take longer?
What do men not get about window shopping. Who doesn’t like to look at pretty things?
Some women hate shopping…this is generalization. Some men I know take ages to decide… 🙂
It’s not only women. I also like to go to different shops before making my final decision for the purchase. For example when looking for clothes I will go to places like Topman, River Island and French Connection to compare jeans. I don’t like to rush in and buy something witho
Without checking it properly and trying it on. Kind of like shopping because you get to see stuff and try it on. Sorry about before I’m using an iPhone and it went funny on me.
My boyfriend says I shop like a man. I go in, I do a lap, grab what I want, and head straight for the line.
HAHA!! This post is soo true and yet soo funny..
Although, I am lucky that my hubby likes to shop also 🙂
I must be one of those elusive creatures, a woman who does not like shopping. I go only when absolutely necessary and visit as few shops as possible. I do as much shopping online as I can.
very aptly put! 🙂
Thing is it all depends on what kind of shop it is to me, let me loose in an electrical store (gadget stuff), music store (if its guitars you will never get me out and then only by dragging me) and holiday/vacation shop then I’m bad. But I’m not averse to just meander about whilst my wife shops, people, fascinate me so yes I’m a people watcher and supermarkets are a haven of laughs sometimes.
Although I have to admit there’s almost always something behind stereotypes, I also have to admit I’m probably not stereotypical. I hate to shop. On the infographic you posted, I’m more the blue line than the pink one. Travel all over a mall when the jeans are right there? I have better things to do.
To tell you the truth, I’d rather play Skyrim on the PS3 with my kids!
Great article – I’m glad I followed you back from my blog!
(P.S. Thanks for Liking!)
Very, very great article!! (And thank you for the “like”!) Good to know there are other women out there in the world who shop more like a guy! =)
About the only places I could spend hours in are Hallmark stores, shops like Lowe’s (LOVE power tools!) and music stores. Big malls Stateside tend to give me headaches! =S
Sending greetings from the Land of the Rising Sun…
Thanks so much for finding my blog. 🙂 Yours is very fun – and I can definitely identify with this post! 🙂
~Emily~
hahaha! i realized when i need something, i shop like a guy! i run in, grab what i need and leave. however, when something is on my mind or i had a hard day, i’ll go strolling around… and buy things here and there because i find that shopping therapeutic.
🙂
joujaa
Though yes, it is a generalization as stated above….
It still has some truth to it, for if it did not, then the generalization would not exist 😉
Nice Blog you got here!
To quote the WORST Gov. ever…
“I’ll be back.”
Yep, this is a gross generalization. Like the other comment, my husband says I shop like a man. I go. I find. I like. I purchase. I leave. There are plenty of men who like “retailing”. Additionally, try sending a man to Home Depot for one thing see what he comes home with and how long it takes.
My mother-in-law is a true shopper. She can spend hours/days shopping in just one store. She spends hours looking at sales fliers and talks about all the great deals and the amount of money she saved. My father-in-law says, “She damn near ‘saved’ us into the poorhouse.” Shopping is pure absolute torture for me. I don’t go unless I need something and then I take the male shopping perspective a little bit further than even most men. If I find something I like and it fits, I buy it in multiples or different colors. This saves me time and gas money by not going back to get another similar piece. I would rather have every hair on my body plucked out individually with tweezers.
I’m another non-stereotypical female — in your summing up, I’m the one most likely wasting hours playing Skyrim* not shopping. I HATE shopping, to me it’s only done under duress. I’m more like the blue line in that graphic.
*Actually, haven’t played it yet, as I’m holding off to use it as my reward for finishing the final draft of my current novel. But have played its antecedents Morrowind and Oblivion, as well as many other games…
So true. But I have to admit, I had a girlfriend once who knew the exact size of her pants, picked up her favorite shade, bought the item and left within 5 minutes. It was amazing. Usually, I MUST try on clothes before I buy it.
I love this, it’s hilarious. It’s overemphasized but it’s true to an extent.
hahahahahaha…i love the way this got more replies from the women who HATE shopping…being one myself..I like to call them operations..’operation buy jeans’..i get into the store and get out as fast as i can!hahaha…great post!!
rofl..global syndrome this one. its called retail therapy…works the same way across the world. my wife in India does the exact thing that you mention…best part , she admits that she loves shopping too..!!!
I like looking through an article that will make people think.
Also, many thanks for allowing me to comment!