Women as consumers

[DeviTheGaelet]

Apparently women are responsible for 85% of all sales.
she-conomy.com/facts-on-women
The average black woman spends 3 times as much on beauty products as the average woman.
Why?

she-conomy.com/facts-on-women

You didn't post on AIBU

I suppose you should look beyond the headline figure. Chances are women are doing more buying because they are the ones who do more shopping because....they have the time - or make the time - or are the ones who are more likely to make time to shop rather than be at work.

But - as was alluded to in the thread where this came up, there are loads more shops selling clothes for women and a lot more products for women such as in Boots.

Why is there such a market? Clothes - there was an article about a male TV presenter who wore the same suit at work for a year and no one batted an eyelid - he did that because his female colleague got 'comments' because she dared to regularly wear similar clothes.

It is fascinating.

The whole marketing and consumer culture is fascinating. How much do we need and how much are we 'told' we need in adverts?

I get the rage at the adverts for shaving legs and how confident someone feels. And how excited the woman is as she runs off to Boots to get her foundation sorted.

Mitchell and Webb had it right

I think the black women spending more is to do with hair products probably

Shopping is wifework.

Maybe its because women are constantly being told they need to look better, be better, have better homes, lives etc and that usually involves buying stuff. Women are made to feel inadequate so they buy more. The same applies to men, but not to the same extent.

Plus they do the shopping for the children and the whole family.

I would like to be less of a consumer. It's very difficult to not get sucked in, especially now you can buy stuff any time of day. When I'm feeling sad I make small purchases online, I wish I had more control over it.

shalli I can believe that but why do they need to spend ££££ on hair? I was wondering if it was an indicator of the less privilege/power you have, the more vulnerable you are to thinking you can buy that privilege. Could be over thinking it I guess!
Flipping boots are a nightmare - get beach ready and all that shite
Are women mainly spending on themselves or are they also more likely to be the person who does the weekly shop/clothes the kids/sorts birthday presents etc etc?

why do they need to spend ££££ on hair
Sorry that sounds totally ignorant. I understand the amount of care/styling black hair needs from having round curly hair forums. I think it's a shame black women seem to have more pressure to spend on their hair and I assume that must be societal.

Are women mainly spending on themselves or are they also more likely to be the person who does the weekly shop/clothes the kids/sorts birthday presents etc etc

I suspect that they are more likely to be the one doing the 'other' shopping.

It would be interesting to compare types of personal spending - men and women. Stuff that is brought by someone for themselves.

Yeah. My DH and I have a joint account and then individual accounts for personal spending - a lot of my personal spending goes on my sodding hair, I really resent it but equally massively struggle having it grey/not cut. Grrr.
I also spend more on clothes.
He spends on music and gaming.

I also spend more on clothes

So..is that because there's such a massive choice out there that keeps changing in line with changing fashions, what's hot in women's magazines and because people comment on your appearance

Or because you want to?

But the real point is that we're not just talking about shampoo and nail varnish. We're talking everything: tyres, diy equip, technology, everything. Which makes A LOT of marketing completely stupid and aimed at entirely the wrong people!

We don't have joint accounts. Food and stuff for the house is shopped and paid for by whichever of us goes to the shops. There is no rota for this but it feels as if it divides up equally. We never do this type of domestic shopping together; it's so boring there's no need for us both to be bored.

We both spend a lot on books as the novelty of a Kindle has long worn off in preference for real books. I buy physical CDs and occasionally vinyl. He buys boxed sets of television shows I'm not interested in. We don't have Netflix or any cable tv or tv subscription service.

I spend a lot on haircuts but very little on hair products beyond a basic shampoo we both share.

I spend a lot on clothes but I always have done. Clothes are my hobby- they are far more than just something to preserve modesty or keep you warm. Some people go skiing or sailing or other sports which are expensive. I've always been interested in design. I love the V&A. Their exhibitions of couture clothing, shoes, wedding dresses and ballgown were exhibitions of beautiful articles and craftsmanship.

Maybe its because women are constantly being told they need to look better, be better, have better homes, lives etc and that usually involves buying stuff

My home is probably quite shabby. It's an old, listed property in a World Heritage site and I'm happy with that. It doesn't have to be spanking new and glittering.

I'm not sure I'm constantly told by anyone I need to look better. I don't buy or read any women's magazines and rarely watch television with adverts.

don't buy or read any women's magazines

There are a LOT of women's magazines to avoid, aren't there.

So..is that because there's such a massive choice out there that keeps changing in line with changing fashions, what's hot in women's magazines and because people comment on your appearance

I have no interest in changing fashions or what women's magazines are saying is hot this season. I have no idea what that might be.

I rarely buy from high street shops. I have about half a dozen favourite designers. They are not , other than my Hermés scarves big names like Gucci, D&G. They make interesting and quirky clothes ( or at least I think so) which have a very individual style and do not change radically from year to year. I have a jacket from a suit I spent a small fortune on when I went back after my maternity leave in 1990. It's just a beautifully tailored jacket. I have lots of clothes which are 10 and more years old. My first Hermès scarf is over 20 years old.

Or because you want to?

Absolutely because I want to.

lass

In general, what do you make of the statistics about spending and who's doing it?

Why are there are so many products aimed at women in shops like Boots?

Why are there so many shops selling a massive range of clothes for women?

And somehow they still keep going.

There are a LOT of women's magazines to avoid, aren't there

I briefly glanced at Cosmopolitan in the hairdressers this week. My mother used to buy it when I was a teenager. What a dismal rag it is these days.

Some of those statistics look questionable.

91% of New Homes
66% PCs
92% Vacations
80% Healthcare
65% New Cars
89% Bank Accounts
93% Food
93 % OTC PharmaceuticalsAmerican women spend about $5 trillion annually…

I find it hard to believe that the items bolded are not bought by couples; or if not bought as a couple that each partner buys their own.

Food is I think a bit of a red herring- if a woman is a SAHM or part time she will have more time to buy food. Planning holidays might be the same.

Purchasing healthcare obviously is largely irrelevant in the UK; and many of those who have private care make no decision about it as it's a job perk.

I'm probably stating the obvious here, but I think body confidence issues and pressure from society to look slim must partly account for women's greater share of the clothing market.

If a man puts on weight, he'll generally either buy larger clothes and forget about it, or diet back into his original wardrobe. Women are much more likely to yo-yo diet - so, put on weight and buy clothes to accommodate this; lose weight and buy clothes to celebrate the new body; repeat ad infinitum. Some women maintain separate 'fat' and 'thin' wardrobes. Shoes, handbags, haircare and cosmetics can sometimes become compulsive comfort purchases for women struggling with body image because they're not size-dependent.

The unending quest that many women endure to be, or at least look, slim is a rich mine for retailers.

Where do the stats come from? It's not clear form the website. I don't doubt that women do make a lot more purchasing decisions than men someone mentioned upthread it is wifework.

ami I think women's clothes date more quickly than mens and I don't like looking dated (not really fashion conscious either!)

I don't know where the stats come from but Google "women as consumers" and the 85% fig comes up a lot.
I think the fact women are penalised professionally if they don't wear make up is relevant too (a study showed they were less likely to be successful at interview).

Women purchase 91% of new homes???

Sounds a bit iffy.

I don't think women's clothes necessarily date more quickly than men's. Depends on what and where you buy them. Shoes possibly but even then there are universal styles which don't date. Think of the sort of flat or low heeled pumps Audrey Hepburn wore or the Quaker buckle shoe Catherine Deneuve wore in Belle de Jour (the only saving grace of that film)

Re make up, where and when was this study made? I used to wear a lot of make up when I was young but I would not have worn make up at an interview (unless my skin had a breakout) and I would not expect candidates to be made up.

I buy lots in places like H&M lass which is probably part of the problem! I did buy an expensive suit for my first job interview 15 years ago and that hadn't dated so perhaps I need to go more upmarket!

Here's a link to the make up stuff
www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/beauty-news/lipstick-could-make-or-break-your-next-job-interview-4972

I think the article linked to is basically telling marketeers not to forget women in their marketing - and maybe to aim marketing at women that they would not normally aim at.

Day to day purchasing decisions - who makes most of them in a couple?

Then you've got a lot of women who are single - a good market to aim at and don't assume they just want 'stereotypically' women's stuff. Think wider than that.

The other side of the coin is - all the stuff aimed at women that 'may be unnecessary' - Boots being the example and its massive range of stuff. How much is 'necessary' and how much stuff is a want,not a need?