By George Anderson
A survey of 1,300 women in the U.K. finds that demands of work and home life have taken the joy out of shopping in stores.
The research from the retail consultancy, Conchango, found one-third of women surveyed "resent" having to shop on weekends and two-thirds feel stressed out shopping on High Street.
The number one complaint of women is the long wait on lines at stores.
An increasing number of women in the U.K., as in the U.S., are turning to online and catalog shopping to avoid the hassles of going to the store.
Mike Altendorf, of Conchango, told The Scotsman: "Busy mothers and industrious career women have little time to peruse the shops, and retailers must acknowledge this by making sure they are providing customers with multiple channels to shop, especially the Internet, which should offer the same consistent experience as in-store."
Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed said they shop online because stores are not open at convenient hours.
Moderator's Comment: How important is an online presence to consumers perception of a retail brand? Do retailers need to adjust store hours and make other customer service adjustments to make life easier for working women? - George Anderson - Moderator