The Seven Ages of the Woman Shoppper

This is about an article which had appeared in The Times of India written by Damodar Mall & Deepa Soman - Senior Marketing Professionals. I liked the article quite a lot because it tries to classify and understand a species which no one has ever understood!!! I am quite sure the writers have given there opinions after years of research and experience in the field which is quite reflected through their work. But then woman being a species who are known to change at the drop of a hat the topic is open to discussions and deliberations. (Woman readers please forgive me for taking this liberty!!!)

The writers have divided women into 7 categories depending on her role, status in the family, education, exposure and economic independence.
Invisible Women: She is oblivious to the whole concept of shopping. She is the one who typically just accepts what her husband or guardian gets home. She hardly ever steps out of her home and relies on her husband for all her needs. She is unaware of the mechanics of shopping etc.
List Woman: She just keeps a list of what provisions in the household needs replenishment but the budgeting, comparative trade-offs and brand choice is a male prerogative.
Budget Woman: She believes in thrift, buying in wholesale, bargaining and buying only what she needs. Anxiety and overstepping her budget is her prime concerns
Value Woman: She likes to save from her monthly budget and then gives into personal indulgences from what is 'her rightful income'.
Independent Woman: She is the one who takes tuitions at her place and earns a small amount for her personal needs. She doesn't bother her husband in the daily shopping and uses the cash where she feels is proper.
Ally Woman: She works in the office like the husband and earn a good salary like him. They both shop together at the new age retail format. Smart display and good promotions lure them to try new exotic variety of goods etc. She is on an equal footing as her husband and enjoys the companionship in the shopping.
Next Generation Woman: She handles the whole of the shopping. She is the prime decision maker when it comes what should form the part of the diet of the family, clothes, cosmetics etc. Whether the family has to go into a change in diet, change to healthier branded oil, sugar substitutes to cut down on the sugar intake, or cholesterol free low fat food stuff etc.

It would be wrong to say that the invisible woman has gone invisible in todays scenario. All these different kinds of woman do exist in different walks of life in different parts our country. The challenge of the marketeer is to cater to a very diverse kind of shoppers among the woman shoppers itself.
I hope this article was an interesting read for all of you. I know after reading this article you may feel like you know women better, but then like some of our professors say understanding women is an ongoing process, the more you understand the more questions it throws up.

Rocky Paul

(If you want to read the complete article, you can see it on the epaper version of The Times of India. The link to the article is http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/Skins/EVAL/navigator.asp and please navigate to the 31st March 2007, Saturday page 21 bottom centre)