Funny, though – I am constantly fooled every single week. Interstingly, she normally tries to "cushion" the blow by telling me, "Oh, can we pass by that shop, honey, I just want to check if they have this little piece I’ve been looking for?" But of course, what she’s really saying is "Get your wallet out – I’m gonna buy something." Oh well...
Anyway, as I stood there with all those other pitiful guys, I observed in amusement how women just flocked to this shop – and how each one was just so agog over the signs at the display window – "SALE! UP TO 80 PERCENT OFF!" The women were like ants feasting on a dead cockroach. Wild! They were running around, cheering and waving their little cute paper bags up in the air. There was even this girl carrying what looked to me like at least 14 bags, saying, "Wow, we were able save a lot!" I thought to myself, "Wha?!? Saved? When you just spent your entire month’s salary?!"
I know, I know. I will never understand, right? For as long as I’m a guy, I will never understand the thrill that women get with the sign "Sale!" Anyway, while I was observing all of this, I came to realize something. As I looked around the nearby shops, I counted in my head – one, two, three, four ... Geez! Practically all the shops here catered to women! There was a bag shop, an accessory store, a makeup bar, a wellness stall, an underwear kiosk. What’s going on here? Only a couple of years ago, we had Toys for the Big Boys, car accessory shops, hobby stores, camping gear corners. But now what do we have here? It’s the world of "Thelma and Louise!" Guys – we were invaded and we didn’t even know it!
When I got home and watched TV, the reality dawned on me even more. Almost all the commercials on TV catered to women – makeup, shampoo, conditioner, skin whitening lotions, skin gel, skin moisturizer, skin cream, makeup remover, sanitary napkins, female hygiene antiseptics, mouthwash, chicken broths, food seasoning, eggnogs, soap, cheese spread, butter, detergent bars, calcium milk, underwear – you name it! And to make things worse – products that used to be marketed solely to men are now being promoted to women! There’s a credit card marketed solely to women. There are razors now specifically designed for the woman’s body. And dig this – now, there are women’s briefs! Oh brother! Or, should I say – Oh sister!
Well, after seeing that sale a couple of weeks ago in the mall, I realized that there’s a good reason why most things are primarily being marketed to women. They are the ones that buy.
It’s a fact. You don’t have to be an economics guru to know that when people buy the economy moves. Buying makes the whole world go round. All advertising and marketing efforts are designed to make you want to buy. And who does the buying? That’s right – the women! And you know, it’s funny, it never really dawned on me until now. I looked at almost every item in our house. Ninety-five percent of the stuff was either purchased or chosen by my wife. The only thing I bought for myself that was my own choice was my stereo and my office chair. That’s it. Everything else was either my wife’s choice or, at the very least, an item that she influenced me to buy. My shirts? They were selected by my wife. Well, I must admit, it’s partly because I don’t trust my taste in clothes – but still, she makes the effort to choose for me. My perfume? Yup, my wife’s choice. She wants to be able to smell me in the scent that she prefers. Her perfume? Her choice. I don’t even have an opinion on that. In fact, I’m even afraid to buy her perfume. Either she won’t like it – or she will think I bought it because it reminds me of an old girlfriend. It’s a no-win situation. One time, I tried to turn the tables – I surprised her by buying her three blouses which I was quite sure she would like. I mean, I thought they were cute, ok? Well, she did appreciate the gesture very much and I did get pogi points for it. But guess what? We ended up exchanging the items. So much for the power of male persuasion. At the end of the day, she still made the purchase.
Yes, it’s a woman’s world out there, guys – especially in terms of the advertising and the retail world. Sure, corporate management and boards of directors are dominated by men. And yes, there’s still a certain level of discrimination out there against women. But it’s the women that make the retail world go round. Women have the key. They purchase almost everything in the home. They have the instinct to buy – either for themselves, or for us guys. Their motto is "Buy, buy, and by and by, buy again."
So, if you’re a guy, and you’re thinking of putting up a retail business – or maybe putting up an ad agency – here’s a helpful tip: Don’t think like a guy. Get rid of that outdated male ego. Remember, when it comes to retail and advertising – it’s a woman’s world!