As seemingly uniquely-divulged in AOL’s women’s shopping habits study, women are the most complicated consumers on the planet. They control $4.3 trillion, roughly 73 percent of US household spending.¹ And they do it all while juggling work, home and family life.  Thanks AOL! You have now quantified the unquantifiable.

Many – particularly moms – manage to shoehorn 27 hours of activities into the standard 24-hour day.² It should come as no surprise, then, that 40% shop online during work hours.  They are buying everything from clothes and books for their family to more considered purchases like electronics and home furnishings.

Given the focus on social for online retail, I guess it will be only a matter of minutes before these women ask you to make it easier for them to connect and collaborate with their spouses, friends, family, etc. in real-time while they are on their lunch break trying to buy that new dining room table or new school shoes for her finicky teenager??

Sources:

1 “The New Female Consumer: The Rise of the RealMom.” Advertising Age, November 2009. 2 “Living La Vida Rapida.” AOL/OMD Global Moms Study, July 2008.