September 25, 2012
Women Hate Clothes Shopping
Actually, one-third of women hate clothes shopping. Well, it’s really one-third of women in the U.K. In truth, it is one-third of U.K. women who were surveyed by an online retailer who hate clothes shopping.
Caveats aside, I thought it might be useful to understand why, for at least some women, this sentiment rings true. According to a study of 2,000 women surveyed by Marisota.co.uk and reported by the Daily Mail, these are some of the reasons:
- Forty-four percent of respondents said they had been "looked down upon" by high-end shops.
- Eight percent felt daunted because "nothing ever looks nice on them."
- Ten percent were embarrassed to ask for their size.
- Thirty-seven percent were uncomfortable changing in dressing rooms.
- Fifteen percent have cried on a shopping trip — many because they "looked too fat."
- Ten percent have cried because they "looked too skinny."
- One-third say shopping is not therapeutic and 50 percent never get a "buzz" from it.
- One-third hate lines.
- Forty-two percent said shopping would be easier if they looked different.
- Eighty percent would enjoy shopping more if they were thinner.
- Forty four percent dread shopping for an outfit for a special event.
- One-third prefer online shopping because it is a time-saver.
Another recent piece on Dressingwell.com provided a "Top 10" list of why women hate to shop for clothes:
- Lack of awareness of what looks good
- Busy lifestyles
- Shopping not needed anymore for socialization
- Difficult to stay on top of fashion trends
- Overwhelmed
- Disorganized
- Dissatisfied with their weight
- Guilt — don’t feel comfortable spending on themselves
- In-effective sales associates
- Enjoy saying they don’t like to shop
Emotional and/or body image issues of the respondents aside, it does seem that online shopping has the potential to win over many female shoppers who have issues with apparel shopping at physical stores. Today, over 70 percent of women research and/or buy apparel online. Sales of clothing and accessories are outpacing all other major retail categories with annual growth forecast at 16.4 percent versus 13.3 percent for total e-tail through 2016, according to eMarketer.
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Discussion Questions
How can apparel/department stores improve the comfort level of women shopping for apparel? Where do you see opportunities for growth for multi-channel retailers selling clothing and accessories?
Poll
This says more about the poor choices retailers have made from their hiring choices, their sales practices, and their commitment to training. The uniquely fragile customer needs to be reassured over and over, from the store environment to fitting room to sales counter, that they are safe, secure and will look better wearing those clothes.
I doubt women shopping at Victoria’s Secret cry or don’t feel satisfied on their visits — that’s why VS continues to shine as an example of a women’s apparel retailer who “gets it.”
By the way, the dirty secret of online shopping is the high return rate. Just because women can point and click, doesn’t mean they will be more satisfied — just alone in the process.
REAL LIFE FACTS: I am in the USA and my wife has shifted from loving to shop for clothes for HERSELF and into a mode of BUYING FOR OTHERS.
Besides asking “Why would you buy our 31 year old son new underwear?”, I have asked her “Why do you hate shopping for YOU?” She said — in a long reply — that she used to like to shop for herself and now it is too much work. She cannot find things that make her look or “feel” good. How has she dealt with this? She has shifted to major online shopping and found the clothes she likes. She prints out pics of the styles and creates a store visit “design pak” for try-ons. She has also centered in on ONE retailer that is willing to ship her styles that she can take to the local store (large department store) and try it with other elements of her new style pak. If it works, great, otherwise she returns the online purchase at the store.
This seems like too much work to me, but it has become her way of “shopping.”
For retailers: extend the shopping experience to include this type of @home and @store style work. The more you extend the shopping process the more wallet you get…my wallet is proof that this works.
My recommendation to retailers is to train more sales staff in the art of being a personal stylist. How happy I would be if a sales person came over to me and said something to the effect of “Let me help you find some things that will look great on you and fit your budget…no obligation.” I would swoon, especially if this person truly knew the merchandise and after looking me over (without disdain) helped me find what I was looking for and maybe a few items I wasn’t looking for, but now really want to buy.
Personal shoppers are out there, but the aura is daunting for the average woman without deep pockets. Once my fictitious stylist starts a relationship with the consumer there’s no telling how far it can go via telephone calls, online recommendations, etc.
It’s a dream that is probably left unfulfilled because of too much training and not enough salary or commission. And yet I know that every time there is a sales person who actually helps me find something, I will seek this person out…in that very same store.
“Today, over 70 percent of women research and/or buy apparel online.” OK, so how many return what they buy and how does that compare to returns bought in stores? That would be an interesting bit of research.
I would like to see this survey done in the United States. Somehow, I believe the statistics will be similar. But I also believe the word “hate” to shop is a bit overstated.
This discussion really focuses on the fitting room both from the customer and retailer point of view. (Disclaimer: our company develops customer service solutions for retail fitting rooms.) For the brick and mortar apparel retailer the fitting room is the most important square footage in the store. 67% of customers who use the fitting room buy versus 10% on the sales floor.
As compelling as this statistic is, it’s a challenge to get the customer into the fitting room. So much so, that many retailers don’t even try. Retailers aren’t therapist and can’t deal with the psychological issues but they can wrap the fitting room in an experience that can help the customer buy in spite of their hang-ups.
Online apparel purchasing is on the uptick, but the return rate remains disturbingly high at 50% and that’s not going to change. Why? Because, no buying decision is made until the clothes are tried on. Whether that’s in a fitting room or in the comfort of their own home the customers final decision to purchase is made when they try on the clothes — period.
Providing the customer a ‘friendly’ fitting room experience and helping them make a buying decision when they are there should be the driving force of every brick and mortar apparel retailer.
Being one of those who used to adore shopping and now loathes it, I can agree with many of the reasons listed above. Back when I was young and cute and slim, shopping was a breeze. Now days with so much to choose from, but not knowing the cuts and fits of the clothing, I find myself getting discouraged trying on piece after piece of cuts that do not suit my shape. It would be a great move for retailers to educate their sales people and/or add fit guides both online and in store that would help us know how to dress our individual shapes and be current.
“Never trust a comment that begins with ‘actually’.” That from my doctoral advisor in the 80s. “It infers that other comments from that source which don’t begin with “actually” aren’t accurate or true.”
You can slide this one time, Al. 😉
I never met a woman who disliked shopping for clothes. Audience participation time — show of hands — is your experience similar? I’ve sat in that stupid chair outside the dressing room on many occasions and for uncountable hours. I wish the Kindle had been invented back then.
In terms of improving the apparel shopping experience for women, it’s important that they never shop alone and are always accompanied by a supportive and trusted female friend or relative. It should be a rule, enforced by armed guards with attack dogs.
Apparel stores need to have full variety of colors, styles and sizes available on the sales floor for shoppers. Simple idea, right? Not very well executed, however… around the globe, by the way. If the shopper doesn’t have to ask for their size from the skinny salesperson, then much of the stress is removed from the shopping experience. Other innovative retailers have done well with virtual dressing rooms in their stores and online.
Better customer service. More helpful and positive feedback for the consumer. Make the store a safe place, a refuge.
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This says more about the poor choices retailers have made from their hiring choices, their sales practices, and their commitment to training. The uniquely fragile customer needs to be reassured over and over, from the store environment to fitting room to sales counter, that they are safe, secure and will look better wearing those clothes.
I doubt women shopping at Victoria’s Secret cry or don’t feel satisfied on their visits — that’s why VS continues to shine as an example of a women’s apparel retailer who “gets it.”
By the way, the dirty secret of online shopping is the high return rate. Just because women can point and click, doesn’t mean they will be more satisfied — just alone in the process.
REAL LIFE FACTS: I am in the USA and my wife has shifted from loving to shop for clothes for HERSELF and into a mode of BUYING FOR OTHERS.
Besides asking “Why would you buy our 31 year old son new underwear?”, I have asked her “Why do you hate shopping for YOU?” She said — in a long reply — that she used to like to shop for herself and now it is too much work. She cannot find things that make her look or “feel” good. How has she dealt with this? She has shifted to major online shopping and found the clothes she likes. She prints out pics of the styles and creates a store visit “design pak” for try-ons. She has also centered in on ONE retailer that is willing to ship her styles that she can take to the local store (large department store) and try it with other elements of her new style pak. If it works, great, otherwise she returns the online purchase at the store.
This seems like too much work to me, but it has become her way of “shopping.”
For retailers: extend the shopping experience to include this type of @home and @store style work. The more you extend the shopping process the more wallet you get…my wallet is proof that this works.
My recommendation to retailers is to train more sales staff in the art of being a personal stylist. How happy I would be if a sales person came over to me and said something to the effect of “Let me help you find some things that will look great on you and fit your budget…no obligation.” I would swoon, especially if this person truly knew the merchandise and after looking me over (without disdain) helped me find what I was looking for and maybe a few items I wasn’t looking for, but now really want to buy.
Personal shoppers are out there, but the aura is daunting for the average woman without deep pockets. Once my fictitious stylist starts a relationship with the consumer there’s no telling how far it can go via telephone calls, online recommendations, etc.
It’s a dream that is probably left unfulfilled because of too much training and not enough salary or commission. And yet I know that every time there is a sales person who actually helps me find something, I will seek this person out…in that very same store.
“Today, over 70 percent of women research and/or buy apparel online.” OK, so how many return what they buy and how does that compare to returns bought in stores? That would be an interesting bit of research.
I would like to see this survey done in the United States. Somehow, I believe the statistics will be similar. But I also believe the word “hate” to shop is a bit overstated.
This discussion really focuses on the fitting room both from the customer and retailer point of view. (Disclaimer: our company develops customer service solutions for retail fitting rooms.) For the brick and mortar apparel retailer the fitting room is the most important square footage in the store. 67% of customers who use the fitting room buy versus 10% on the sales floor.
As compelling as this statistic is, it’s a challenge to get the customer into the fitting room. So much so, that many retailers don’t even try. Retailers aren’t therapist and can’t deal with the psychological issues but they can wrap the fitting room in an experience that can help the customer buy in spite of their hang-ups.
Online apparel purchasing is on the uptick, but the return rate remains disturbingly high at 50% and that’s not going to change. Why? Because, no buying decision is made until the clothes are tried on. Whether that’s in a fitting room or in the comfort of their own home the customers final decision to purchase is made when they try on the clothes — period.
Providing the customer a ‘friendly’ fitting room experience and helping them make a buying decision when they are there should be the driving force of every brick and mortar apparel retailer.
Being one of those who used to adore shopping and now loathes it, I can agree with many of the reasons listed above. Back when I was young and cute and slim, shopping was a breeze. Now days with so much to choose from, but not knowing the cuts and fits of the clothing, I find myself getting discouraged trying on piece after piece of cuts that do not suit my shape. It would be a great move for retailers to educate their sales people and/or add fit guides both online and in store that would help us know how to dress our individual shapes and be current.
“Never trust a comment that begins with ‘actually’.” That from my doctoral advisor in the 80s. “It infers that other comments from that source which don’t begin with “actually” aren’t accurate or true.”
You can slide this one time, Al. 😉
I never met a woman who disliked shopping for clothes. Audience participation time — show of hands — is your experience similar? I’ve sat in that stupid chair outside the dressing room on many occasions and for uncountable hours. I wish the Kindle had been invented back then.
In terms of improving the apparel shopping experience for women, it’s important that they never shop alone and are always accompanied by a supportive and trusted female friend or relative. It should be a rule, enforced by armed guards with attack dogs.
Apparel stores need to have full variety of colors, styles and sizes available on the sales floor for shoppers. Simple idea, right? Not very well executed, however… around the globe, by the way. If the shopper doesn’t have to ask for their size from the skinny salesperson, then much of the stress is removed from the shopping experience. Other innovative retailers have done well with virtual dressing rooms in their stores and online.
Better customer service. More helpful and positive feedback for the consumer. Make the store a safe place, a refuge.