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Men are better in shopping than women: study
Indo-Asian News Service

London, Oct 8 (IANS) Men are genetically programmed to be better shoppers than women, according to new research.

The researchers looked at shopping patterns in 14 countries, including Britain, China, France and India.

They found that the differences between the genders were similar all over the world and far outweighed the effect of any national characteristics.

A team of scientists found that men's "hunter-gatherer" inheritance means they are more effective at going in for the "kill" on the high street - as they did on prehistoric plains millions of years ago.

They spend less time browsing and have a far clearer idea of what they want - allowing them to navigate shopping trips quickly and effectively, conclude the researchers from Brunel University. 

Even men's heart rates increase at the moment of purchase, an echo of the excitement at the climax of a successful Stone Age hunt.

Charles Dennis, co-author of the study, said: "For females, shopping tends to be a leisure activity in which the social aspect is important.

"Compared to males, females tend to visit more shops than necessary, spend longer hours shopping than they need to and shop more often than they need to."

"Males try to complete their shopping in the shortest possible time. Therefore, by being purposeful about shopping, men are more efficient in a strictly objective sense, saving time that might be considered squandered."

He added: "The hunter-gatherer relationship has existed for millions of years - 98 percent of mankind's evolutionary lifespan."

"We simply adapt our behaviour to suit our new environments. That's why we like the natural daylight, greenery and water features of our best shopping centres. They are the environment characteristics that would have sustained life in the savannah millions of years ago when humans were evolving from apes."

Dennis and his co-author Tamira King say the deep-rooted nature of the shopping gender gap means that retailers need to rethink the way they approach men.

Stores may need to introduce male-only shopping areas and "crèches" to occupy men while their female partners shop.

Another study has found a possible cause of the female inefficiency. More than half of women "frequently" return their purchases because they have changed their minds, according to the study commissioned by Prima magazine.