3 Reasons why Men HATE Shopping …and solutions
Leadingatlife @home
As a leader, your clothing and appearance are a reflection of how you care about yourself. It is often part of the first impression you give to other people. Yet, getting those clothes can be a chore for some.
We’ve all seen the dutiful husbands/boyfriends just outside of the dressing room, pressing away on their phones, trying to pass the time.
When I got married, my husband also joined that club. For me, like most ladies, shopping is a great adventure. It is like hunting. We stalk our prey, lay in wait for the best sale prices and try to snag our game, just before someone else does. Then we triumphantly head home with our trophy to hang on the wall… well in the closet. So why do so many men so dislike shopping? I fleshed out the top three reasons and have some answers.
The People – Men don’t like having to out fox anyone for that blue shirt. Nor do they want to play nice to the annoying sales person. I thought that personal shoppers (PS) may have been a solution. When asked about having a PS pull a few items ahead of time and the guy only having to go to the store to try them on, most of my interviewees said even that was a chore. It is the process of having to go to the store, trusting someone else’s judgement and trying on clothes. Along with possibly not liking anything, or worse, feeling the pressure to have to say you liked what your personal shopper picked, was still part of the problem of shopping.
Solution – Online Shopping and Subscription Boxes
- Online shopping. This is already a tried and true for your gadgets. Get your favorite khakis or even a great work blazer too. Even though shipping fees can rack up and the chances of your items looking as good on you as they did online can be sketchy – shopping for clothes on the net is the easy way out of dealing with people. Places like Amazon have stepped up their Men’s Wear offerings as well.
- Subscription Boxes – This was the clear winner! Have your own personal shopper online. Places like * FiveFour Club lets guys pick their style preferences one time and ships them a new outfit each month. For $60 guys get a new outfit and no guesswork. They simply return what they don’t like. No stress, no drama. Check them out below.
The Uncertainty – When researching for this post, I wanted to understand if this shopping dread was the same for other types of shopping. Did men have the same disdain for grocery shopping as for clothes shopping? My best quote was this, “When I shop for my favorite peanut butter I have a list, and I go to the store get another jar, just like the last one. But I can’t just go to the store and get a pair of brown slacks, just like my favorite pair. Grocery shopping is clear and simple, you get what’s on the list. Clothes shopping, you are stuck getting what they offer or nothing”. This statement made everything clear and I hope that it helps other lovers of men who hate shopping. We shop to experience what is fresh and new. To see the different things and see if something captures our attention. Most guys simply go for a blue pair of pants, and a new shirt. If it can be exactly like the pair they just wore out, even better. They want to go in, buy items, get out. I found a cool graphic of men vs women’s shopping habits.
Solution – Keep reading, I think I have this covered below.
The Time – This could almost fit under Uncertainty, but it is a little different. When guys think of shopping, they imagine being stuck for hours in a sea of tropical shirts, when all they need is a pair of cargo pants and a nice button down. That image is so burned in their heads that it keeps them out of the store until they have worn holes in everything or even later. Most ladies love the hunt but most men want to go right in, pick up last year’s khaki’s and keep it moving.
Solution – Call Ahead! Most stores will have an associate do the legwork for you. Call your favorite store, Give the manager your size, what you are looking for and have them call you when they find it. Most times they will search their racks, call other stores in the area or even order it for you online as a courtesy. When you get to the store, go straight to the counter and pick it up. You can try your items on before you leave to see if everything fits. No shipping, no searching, no hassle!
One more thing. My husband Cole is the consummate anti-shopper. He said that he would love to have a store that sold the same 40 things. His dream would be to go to this Fantasy store with a list and get his white, blue, and khaki button downs, 4 pants along with a couple of ties and be in and out in less than 20 minutes. Whenever he wore those out, just like Doritos at the grocery store, he knows that he will always find that same item in stock, exactly the way it was last year. Simple right? I wonder how many more guys would love to go to this store and buy their favorites, just like they do at the grocery store. It is an interesting concept.
Until this fantasy store arrives, or if your guy doesn’t want to get his clothes online, my final leadership tip is this…
Solution – Love your guy and shop for him! It is the best of both worlds. You get to shop, and he can watch the game! -MJ
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* After researching this article, my husband loved the idea of FiveFour Club for himself. I contacted them and they are one of the sponsors for this blog. But, I will never partner or suggest product or service that I don’t trust, or feel that isn’t a great find. Enjoy!
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It’sthe little changes that make the largest changes.
Thanks a lott for sharing!