Though globalization has marked a changed in the behavior of states and the culture of various societies of the world. Due to the increase in the advancement of information technology, all the smart business companies at USA now practice advance technology and innovative techniques to persuade the behavior of consumers. At the same time, the world is witnessing intense changes in the social culture of the states that affect the behavior of nations. Yet gender discrimination has gained importance and states are recognizing gender roles and bridging the gap between both genders in various fields, but the difference in the psychological behavior and actions of both genders is still there.

Well men and women both are different from each other so it is not possible to change their psychological approaches or very nature. However, there is room to improve their mentality and thinking style on various aspects. Taking the case of shopping, a couple enters into a super market, not planned for shopping, what is the first thing a man will do or women will. What they will approach too? Will they do any shopping or just come out after a short survey. All these answerers for both genders vary from person to person, depending upon their psychological development and off course their spending capacity.

Therefore, with the increasing strength of competition in the market, companies have adopted advanced marketing and advertising techniques to persuade the consumers. However both the genders react differently to the marketing products. Some times men get easily influence while some times women, but the factors behind the influence and ignorance are same and gender plays no specific role in these factors.

Marketing and advertising are basically messages that are specially designed to sponsor or sell a product or an idea. Where the means to advertise could be the newspapers, magazines, Internet, T.V, Radio programs and banners, and poster ads placed on busses, subways or trains. So these non-personal communication means to influence the consumer for shopping via marketing and advertising plays a very important role in the shopping behavior of both men and women. (Taflinger http://www.wsu.edu: 8080/~taflinge/addefine.html)

Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior

There are many factors that play an important role in the different behaviors of men and women regarding shopping. For some the brand name or the basic information advertised about a product is a factor that influences to purchase that product. For instance, if a famous brand introduces new cosmetics, women wont take time to purchase no matter how expensive it is, if it is her favorite brand. Similarly for those who are not brand conscious, they just go for what they feel comfortable to wear or what suits their personality best. Where the case of men regarding brand and product could be same depending upon his nature.

Another factor that affects the consumer behavior is the psychology developed as an influence of the consumers’ family or cultural environment. At the same time, the role of marketing and advertising also affects the behavior of the consumer that relates to the influence of the family and cultural environment of the consumer. (Hawkins, Best and Coney 1998)

Lack of knowledge regarding the products also affects the behavior of consumer. Though men and women both behave differently due to lack of knowledge but again it depends upon the product being purchased. For instance, if it is of the interest of women or related to common use by women, some women do not easily switch their brands for experiments so marketing no matter how strong and influential is, does not affect their behavior. On the other hand, men hardly get time for shopping so they easily switch to different products experimenting the quality while calculating the difference in rates.

It is also observed that the financial behavior of both genders plays an important role in the shopping behavior. Basically the financial situation is related to the spending behavior, which affects the shopping behavior of both men and women. At the same time, different studies provide evidence that women are irrational in their buying behavior as compared to men. (Christensen 1992, O’Quinn & Faber 1989) For instance, if a woman is in a mood to celebrate she shop more frequently and purchases stuff that are not in need to her at that moment.

On its contrary, men do not posses such irrational and emotional behavior for shopping. Even if they are in a mood to celebrate, men find other ways to spend like dinning out with family or spending a happy time with the family or some prefer to date, so for men shopping is not the means to celebrate of relax psychologically. On the other hand, when it comes to unplanned shopping behavior of both men and women, it becomes difficult to identify the difference in the behavior of men and women regarding shopping, though women are at a larger percentage expected to purchase unplanned items as compared to men. (Kollat and Willett 1967)

However, as far as the financial situation is concerned, the behavior of men and women are not noticeably different in regard to shopping. (Wilhelm and Varcoe 1991) it is noticed that women are more satisfied to their saving behavior thus purchase according to their earning and financial situation. While on the other hand, men are noticed to be more dissatisfied to their saving as they have more spending responsibilities then men so when it comes for shopping, they only purchase what is really needed. It is also seen that men usually prefer window-shopping if there is nothing necessary to buy as per their need, while women never come out with out any retail at the shopping centers.

Nonetheless, the shopping behavior of men and women in regard to keeping an account of the future financial situation, it is observed that there is no specific gender difference in future financial planning that affects their shopping behavior. (Fitzsimmons and Wakita 1993)

However, the behavior of women towards shopping differs at a faster rate when it comes to purchase gifts. Women also spend more time in searching gifts as they do not easily get satisfied while male do not devote much time for shopping. At the same time, men usually do not spend money in purchasing gifts for Christmas as women do. (Kevin 2004)

Recommendation for Improvement in Shopping

Therefore, different factors affect the different behaviors of genders during shopping. However, the means of advertising and marketing can play a positive and constructive role in improving the difference in gender behavior to persuade for shopping. For instance some advertising agencies uses beautiful models and nude models to advertise their brands that psychologically influence men more to purchase the product though it can be equally used by women.

At the same time, some marketing techniques use emotional slogans to attract women like in case of health and fitness; marketing is done in a very persuading manner that touches women emotionally. Such marketing tools are increasing the discrimination in gender behavior in regard to shopping. So the marketing techniques need to be taken in account to bring positive change in the behavior difference among gender for shopping. If the marketing companies do not themselves create gender discrimination in advertising their products, it can be a big help in reducing gender difference in the behavior of shopping.

Moreover, the use of Internet for advertising is also affecting the shopping behavior of both genders. Though it is equally benefiting the old aged consumers, as they do not need to go personally in the markets to shop at the same time, behavior of men and women are not different to shop via Internet. Therefore, the emphasis of Internet shopping is increasing which is more influential to the consumers, so the various business organizations can play a very dominant role in accommodating improvements regarding the difference in gender behavior while shopping.

Men and women both possess different behavior for shopping. However, many factors cause men and women as retail consumers. At the same time these factors vary from person to person depending upon their culture and family influence, spending and saving behavior, planning to shop and above all their potential to get influence by the various marketing techniques of the advertising agencies. Where there are so many differences in gender behavior, in relation to shopping, there is also room for improvement to accommodate differences in behavior for shopping.

Therefore, it required revising marketing policies, concentrating on the weaknesses and causes of change in behavior of both genders and a little effort to be honest and rational while marketing the any product for sale.

References

Taflinger, Richard F. "A Definition of Advertising".

Hawkins, Del I., Roger J. Best, and Kenneth A. Coney, “Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy”, 7th ed., Boston: McGraw Hill. 1998

G. A. Christensen, “Compulsive Buying: Descriptive Characteristics and Psychiatric Co-morbidity”, unpublished manuscript, University of Minnesota, 1992.

R. Faber, “Compulsive Buying”, “American Behavioral Scientist”, 1992, Vol. 35, pp. 802–819.

D. Kollat and R. Willett, “Consumer Impulse Purchasing Behavior,” Journal of Marketing Research, 1967, Vol. 4, pp. 21–31.

M. S. Wilhelm and K. Varcoe, “Assessment of Financial Well-being: Impact of Objective Economic Indicators and Money Attitudes on Financial Satisfaction and Financial Progress,” Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, ed. S. M. Danes (St. Paul: University of Minnesota, 1991), pp. 184–210.

T. Hira, V. Fitzsimmons and J. Bauer, “Factors Associated with Expectation of Household’s Future Financial Condition”, “Journal of Family and Economic Issues”, 1993, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 237–254.

Kevin, “Empirical Evidence: Women Shop Longer, More Effectively” (Marginal Revolution), January 2004. Available at http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2004/01/facts_about_gif.html