Shopping

[OLTB]

Whilst in the supermarket earlier, I heard a wife say to her husband, “God, I always feel like punching you when we go shopping”. Mrs OLTB chuckled and said, “it’s not just me then”, which shocked me .

Is it a male trait to annoy their other halves whilst shopping or are some of us quite good at it?

Cheers, OLTB.

[UncleEbenezer]

In my family, overhearing that remark would provoke a similar reaction. The only question being, who would get in first? Pure banter, of course. Though it does mean you need a certain sense of humour to fit in to the family: it was hard to hold ourselves in check when my brother had a girlfriend who would take it the wrong way (he is now happily married to a much nicer lady, with whom we can relax and be ourselves).

Could it be that Mrs OLTB's sense of humour is completely lost on you?

[OLTB]

Could it be that Mrs OLTB's sense of humour is completely lost on you?

It’s actually part of a dastardly plan so that Mrs OLTB gets so exhasperated that she no longer wishes to take me shopping. However, after 15 years it’s taking longer than originally planned...I think she like to see me in mental anguish

Cheers, OLTB.

[tjh290633]

When my wife broke her arm, I took over the weekly shop. If she came with me we had to stop numerous times for chats with people she knew. Now I go at 8am on Saturday morning and I'm done inside an hour.

TJH

[Gengulphus]

Whilst in the supermarket earlier, I heard a wife say to her husband, “God, I always feel like punching you when we go shopping”. Mrs OLTB chuckled and said, “it’s not just me then”, which shocked me .

I think I'd have been tempted to reply "Nor me"!

Gengulphus

[dionaeamuscipula]

Men and women shop in different ways. Men get confused in complex choice situations.

[tjh290633]

Women get distracted by things they don't need.

TJH

[bungeejumper]

It's probably too simple to say that women get distracted by things they don't need. Most of the women I've ever known have said they enjoy shopping for clothes and don't mind if they don't actually come home with anything - whereas most of the men I've known regard clothes as a distress purchase, to be bought very quickly, and probably only at the last moment before their existing clobber falls apart. But.....

Put a man in a computer/tech shop (or worse, a car showroom) and you'll probably lose him for the afternoon.

I enjoyed this rather provocative (but also quite informative) American article:
https://www.moneycrashers.com/men-vs-wo ... decisions/

"Women tend to be more astute consumers than men, simply because they are willing to invest the time and energy necessary to research and compare products. At the same time, their two-sided brain approach to problem solving makes them more susceptible to emotional appeals than a man."

"...for most men, shopping for clothes is like “doing your own brain surgery.” Another study suggests that male grocery shoppers are “like a dog looking for a lost ball in a field – they cross-hatch frantically until they stumble upon what they are looking for by chance.”

Oh, the self-recognition. I love it.

BJ (who does 95% of the household food shopping)

[kiloran]

A man will spend £2 on something worth £1 that he needs, and a woman will spend £1 on something worth £2 that she doesn't need.

--kiloran

[UncleEbenezer]

at the last moment before their existing clobber falls apart

Before???

Put a man in a computer/tech shop (or worse, a car showroom) and you'll probably lose him for the afternoon.

That's the kind of stereotype that feeds prejudices, and exasperates some of us.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a girlfriend who conforms to the slave-to-fashion equivalent stereotype for ladies. Too much attention to dress comes across as a warning sign that she's going to exasperate and impoverish me.

[wheypat]

I infuriate my wife as I buy clothes when I need them and pick up the first thing that vaguely fits that I don't activily despise that's a reasonable price. In and out of primark usually in under 20 minutes. Don't even try stuff on, it can come back later if it doesn't fit. Likewise in the supermarket if the shopping list has "cans of soup" I'll pick up 12 different varieties, where as she'll stand infront of the soups for 5 minutes trying to decide what variety she wants for lunch a week on Thursday (I assume that's what's going on, I can't see any other reason to take so long).

On the other hand, we went to visit friends at the weekend and stopped off at a super market to get some biscuits. I was driving so she nipped out to get the biscuits. I'll be 5 minutes she said. After 15 minutes or so I went in to find her and she's got a trolley and not even made it to the biscuit isle. I once went shop shopping with my sister. I had to walk away in the end as we'd been out several hours and not bought anything. I was ready to throttle her.

We just accept that we are very different with different approaches and try not to shop together too often. We both wind each other up.

[Gengulphus]

Put a man in a computer/tech shop (or worse, a car showroom) and you'll probably lose him for the afternoon.

You know, that's true in my case, because I probably won't stay in the computer/tech shop for more than the 20-30 minutes needed to take a quick look around at what's available in terms of computing power (it's usually changed significantly since the last time I was in one) - I'm mainly interested in computers from the point of view of running programs I've written myself on them, generally to compute solutions to mathematical problems. And I certainly won't stay in the car showroom for longer than it takes me to find my way out!

Gengulphus

[brightncheerful]

Men get confused in complex choice situations.

Only because having known from the start what they want no doubt about it, a woman is bound to say are you sure?

The way to deal with doubt-pedlars is to say yes. If men get confused then that's only because they stop and think.

[Itsallaguess]

Women get distracted by things they don't need.

To be fair, they did marry them.....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[brightncheerful]

Now that I do the weekly supermarket shop, Mrs Bnc not currently up to it, I find it fascinating to observe just how many couples shop together. Not only elderly retired but also youngers and sometimes with children.

I wonder what more they hope to achieve? Other than blocking the aisles with double presence.

[UncleEbenezer]

Now that I do the weekly supermarket shop, Mrs Bnc not currently up to it, I find it fascinating to observe just how many couples shop together. Not only elderly retired but also youngers and sometimes with children.

I wonder what more they hope to achieve? Other than blocking the aisles with double presence.

It's more than just double presence. The space between them may grow ample to pass through (with trolley), but as soon as you try they'll close ranks against you. That's the adults: kids may mess about, but they don't claim so much space.

And then there's the time they spend discussing their purchase. I have sympathy for the very old or wheelchair-bound shopper who delays my access to a supermarket shelf, and can tolerate the honestly-indecisive, but a couple arguing at length while standing in front of the shelf I want exasperates me.

[Slarti]

I wonder what more they hope to achieve? Other than blocking the aisles with double presence.

She knows what we are going to buy, I can reach it - mostly.

We both hate the shopping and so suffer it together. Though I have to be honest and say that I do it quicker by myself.

Slarti

[sg31]

It's probably too simple to say that women get distracted by things they don't need. Most of the women I've ever known have said they enjoy shopping for clothes and don't mind if they don't actually come home with anything - whereas most of the men I've known regard clothes as a distress purchase, to be bought very quickly, and probably only at the last moment before their existing clobber falls apart. But.....

Put a man in a computer/tech shop (or worse, a car showroom) and you'll probably lose him for the afternoon.

I enjoyed this rather provocative (but also quite informative) American article:
https://www.moneycrashers.com/men-vs-wo ... decisions/

"Women tend to be more astute consumers than men, simply because they are willing to invest the time and energy necessary to research and compare products. At the same time, their two-sided brain approach to problem solving makes them more susceptible to emotional appeals than a man."

"...for most men, shopping for clothes is like “doing your own brain surgery.” Another study suggests that male grocery shoppers are “like a dog looking for a lost ball in a field – they cross-hatch frantically until they stumble upon what they are looking for by chance.”

Oh, the self-recognition. I love it.

BJ (who does 95% of the household food shopping)

I wouldn't spend much time in a computer shop or a car showroom. I tend to do my research at home on the computer, by the time I go to the shop or showroom I already know the item I want or need and the price I can get it for. I will visit a shop ask for the item, negotiate the price and do the deal straight away.

I find I'm buying more and more on line because I can get the item quicker. Recently I tried to buy a large quantity of something and was told it would take 3 weeks, I ordered online and it was delivered the next day. I always try and support local shops but they do make it very difficult sometimes. If I can get next day delivery why can't they?

[brightncheerful]

Recently I tried to buy a large quantity of something and was told it would take 3 weeks

Likely, the shop will only place an order with its supplier when the minimum value of the order is £x or else either the supplier won't oblige or the shop would have to pay extra. If the price to you of the large quantity of something would be less than the minimum order value then the shop would allow up to 3 weeks for another customer/other customers to want something that the shop doesn't keep in stock or would have to place a special order for. For shops, the holding cost of inventory and stock-turn eats into profit margins.

Buying on line is generally quicker because the seller is more likely to specialise in the product so carries more stock.

[sg31]

Recently I tried to buy a large quantity of something and was told it would take 3 weeks

Likely, the shop will only place an order with its supplier when the minimum value of the order is £x or else either the supplier won't oblige or the shop would have to pay extra. If the price to you of the large quantity of something would be less than the minimum order value then the shop would allow up to 3 weeks for another customer/other customers to want something that the shop doesn't keep in stock or would have to place a special order for. For shops, the holding cost of inventory and stock-turn eats into profit margins.

Buying on line is generally quicker because the seller is more likely to specialise in the product so carries more stock.

I can understand that for small quantities but I was buying £3000 worth of insulation.