Married males and shopping: are they sleeping partners

Abstract

Social and demographic changes are putting pressures on traditional gender roles in the house‐hold. Reports on the role of married males based on a large‐scale survey of upscale households. The data suggest that males in married households are responsible for shopping activities in varying degrees. The level of shopping responsibility is a function of the spouse′s occupation as well as the type of goods to be purchased. Responsibility for grocery shopping is limited among married males (about 15 per cent claim primary responsibility) but the ones who are responsible express the most enlightened attitudes about shopping and report the greatest degree of enjoyment with shopping at the supermarket. Although 56 per cent of the married males claim primary responsibility for their clothing, enjoyment of the shopping mall is greater among those who share responsibility jointly with their wives. The perceptions of alternative shopping methods such as store, catalogue and computer shopping suggest that store shopping is more fun, satisfying and rewarding. Because of these hedonic components, store shopping is likely to remain popular in the near future.