Why men and women shop differently

A new study has shown that the hunting and gathering practices of our ancestors have continued and are manifested in the differences between shopping behaviours of men and women today.

Understanding the shopping behaviour of your partner can help relieve stress at the stores, according to a researcher at the University of Michigan.

Daniel Kruger says that the attitude of men is to rush in for their prized item, pay, and leave. Women, on the other hand, study the fabrics, colour, texture and price.

Back when the early man existed, women had to time harvests, and know when a certain depleted patch will regenerate and yield good harvest again.

Today, they are likelier to keep watch on when a specific type of item will go on sale, for example, than men. They also spend much more time choosing the perfect gift.

In ancestral times, it was critical to get meat home as quickly as possible, Kruger said, so men today do the same thing - they often have a specific item in mind and want to get in, get it, and get out.

Taking young children isn''t safe in a hunt and would likely hinder progress. Of course these behaviours aren''t genetically determined and don''t apply to everyone, but there are consistent broad themes, Kruger said.