each look for certain features . Women are most concerned with floor plan and design and how these factors will accommodate their lifestyles . Specific features of importance to women include large closets , kitchen space and design , space needs , and overall comfort . Men focus mainly on technology , energy-efficiency , and garage functionality .
Probably one of the most under-recognized areas of women ’ s buying power , however , is in the tool and home improvement industry . With the surge in do-it-yourself remodeling , women have fast become one of the big spenders in tool departments and home improvement aisles . Kimberly Stevens , a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal , explains , “ We ’ re talking buzz saws , routers and power sanders .”
The growth of female tool shoppers isn ’ t minimal , Stevens points out . A survey by the Home Improvement Research Institute , found women have been outpacing men in their involvement in do-it-yourself projects since at least 2000 . According to a female industrial designer at Porter-Cable of Jackson , Tennessee , as reported by Daily Gist , “ Women are using these tools on a regular basis .”
What ’ s also increasing female tool sales is the significant increase in women working in the construction field , which has nearly doubled over the last 15 years .
HEALTHCARE
Women ’ s voices are gaining prominence in the healthcare industry , as well . Women make at least two-thirds of the healthcare decisions in US households , according to Amy Ertel Bellcourt , vice president of corporate communications for MVP Health Plan . So healthcare systems are paying particular attention by improving maternity wards and focusing a portion of their marketing on services affecting women .
TRAVEL
Women are equally important to the travel market . They now make 70 % of all travel decisions . They ’ re the larger clientele of adventure travel . But business travel has also seen marked growth by females . Women make up nearly half of all business travel , according to research by Judi Brownell , Ph . D ., professor of Cornell University ’ s Management & Organizational Behavior Program .
Over 75 % of women traveling on business are college-educated and abler than men to articulate their needs . They participate in more leisure activities while traveling on business . They ’ re also much more likely to order room service while traveling alone . For these reasons , they have a significant impact on this industry .
INVESTMENT
While the percentage of women who own stocks still lags behind men , ample research has found women make better investors . In 2017 , Fidelity Investments reported after analyzing more than 8 million clients that when it comes to the return on investments , women outperform men .
AUTOMOTIVE
Another area where women play a crucial role is in the automotive industry . “ Women ,” according to a report by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence , “ are not only becoming more influential in deciding what car to buy , they are also taking over the traditionally male-dominated responsibility of maintenance and repair .” Women make up between 65 to 80 % of auto repair and service shop customers .
Women are also responsible for almost half of new car sales and slightly over half of the used-car sales , according to Art Spinella , of CNW Research . Women influence 80 % of all transactions . Not to mention , says Ford Motor Marketing , 95 % of women have the power to “ veto ” an automobile purchase .
What women want from this industry , experts say , is not to be treated differently . They want to be treated with respect . “ Women ask more questions , inquire about details , and are more willing to look under the hood , or check out parts ,” says Diane Hohman , an automotive aftermarket consultant in Herndon , Virginia . So they ’ re beginning to get the respect they deserve in this market .
SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Women are not only spending increasing amounts on clothing but on entertainment and electronics .
Furthermore , the women ’ s sports apparel market is valued at $ 26.8 billion , nearly a third of the total sports apparel market of $ 80.1 billion as of 2018 , according to the Euromonitor International . In fact , an unexpected 45 % of NFL fans are now women according to the NFL ’ s 2017 estimate .
What this all boils down to is two-fold . Being America ’ s biggest consumers , women not only keep the economy from becoming stagnant during times of stability . They keep it from collapsing during a recession . This means women are gaining the upper hand in the way the business industry treats them . Women aren ’ t demanding preferential treatment , but they do expect equal treatment and respect .
With the surge in do-it-yourself remodeling , women have fast become one of the big spenders in tool departments and home improvement aisles .
DENTON COUNTY • 49