According to a study from Australia, while thinner women regard shopping for clothes as a pleasurable experience, many obese or even slightly overweight women often find it a cheerless one.
"The difficulty many larger women have in finding clothing that fits and looks good understandably makes shopping for clothes a negative experience," professor Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University in Australia told The Daily Mail.
The survey of 162 women shoppers aged between 18 and 55 from the city of Adelaide examined the link between clothing and body image. Results were published in journal Body Image.
Women in general have a lot on their plates, and since a relative few can find clothes shopping a free and enjoyable activity, it seems the idea of retail therapy is simply a pop culture myth.
Apparel marketers and retailers could do a better job of crafting assortments, positioning brands and improving the shopping and purchasing experience.
The stresses are not limited to size. There are financial and time constraints that most women must contend with daily. Add size in there and we have a lot keeping women out of stores. Much of apparel shopping happens via catalog and online channels. Our lovely customer can shop in privacy, try things on when they arrive, and return unwanted items to the store.
Perhaps to understand our intrepid shopper, we should look beyond apparel and see where else she is spending her money. Grocery, craft and home stores? Shopping for others in her family and for the home are how she gets satisfaction out of retail.
*Originally posted on cXChuck’s RetailWire Blog http://bit.ly/3fnCTb
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