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.
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?
