There have been some interesting articles of late on the topic of attracting female customers.
1to1 Media did a piece entitled "American Airlines Shows Its Feminine Side" that included this quote:
"In addition, women audiences continue to gain prominence as a niche online market. According to a Harris Interactive study from late 2006, 35 percent of women who booked travel during the past 12 months did so online. Women make up to 80 percent of family travel purchase decisions."
And MorningNewsBeat.com had a lot of reader comments about Marriott Hotel's new female-only floors, including this one:
"I read the piece about the women-only floor with mixed emotions. Part of me wants to cheer that Marriott finally gets it. Part of me is disgusted ... What's disgusting is that in 2007 that's still an issue."
Here are the simple facts:
Women are the COO influencing 80 + percent of purchases;
Women control 50 percent of all private wealth;
85 percent of women are working -- she's time-starved;
In 27 percent of the households where both spouses work, women out-earn their spouses; and more people work for female-owned companies the the eintire Fortune 500 companies combined globally.
And we'd bet that just about every company has had a meeting about the female consumer where everyone agrees that she is the customer they want to attract, but then they leave the meeting nothing ever happens. Or they redecorate the bathroom or order pink insert something they think will attract female customers here, thinking this will make their female customers happy.
Even if you are a woman who is convinced your store is doing everything humanly possible to attract female shoppers, we bet even you have missed a few things. We invite you all to comment on the things you do to better serve your female customers, and we invite you female shoppers to list this things you love in a shopping experience and the things that send you flying right out the door.
The MNB reader is right. We're almost six months into 2007. It's time we all get a grip on who's really shopping in our stores.
