The perfect shopping trip involves a four hour trawl around stores, a cup of posh coffee and a flapjack – and a modest £131 dent in the bank balance, according to a recent survey.
Researchers who polled 2,000 people who shop regularly also found the ideal shopping expedition would include leaving home at 10am for a 14 mile drive to a shopping centre or High Street, ending in a purchase of six items.
And finding a desirable item in a sale and fitting comfortably into a smaller size than usual were seen as essential when it came to successful retail therapy.
Shops with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and staff, and being able to try or test things before buying them also help make a shopping trip perfect.
But it’s bad news for the males – while almost four in ten men placed their partner as their ideal shopping companion, women would rather go with a friend or alone.
A spokesperson for cosmetics brand, Lush, which commissioned the study to understand what shoppers expected, said: “From this survey we learnt a lot about what customers really want.
The results show the extent to which people see going shopping as an experience rather than just something to get done.
Good choices, minimal queuing and even who you go with can all contribute to that new purchase thrill.
And for many, simply returning home without finding something they really like is all it takes to leave them feeling disappointed and ruin what could otherwise be the perfect shopping trip.
It goes to show that though online shopping is now seen as commonplace, the traditional shopping trip still counts for a lot, especially as it means you can test everything out before you actually hand over your money.’’
The research showed 72 per cent of adults enjoy shopping, though typically limit their larger shopping trips to the changing seasons, going four times a year.
On each of those trips, eight different stores will be visited, with women testing or trying on eight items before eventually buying six of them.
Women will also sent one photo of something they are planning to buy, as well as one text or phone call, to get the opinion of a friend or loved one before handing over their money.
The biggest obstacle was shown to be waiting too long in queues, with a mere eight minutes revealed as the longest time women want to wait to be served on their perfect shopping trip.
A careful 42 per cent said not finding anything in their price range would spoil their shopping enjoyment, with the typical person expecting to find at least four bargains on the rails.
And more than half (53%) said not finding anything they like by the end of their shopping trip would leave them feeling disappointed, while 42 per cent would struggle to have the perfect shopping trip if they can’t find things they like in the right size or price range.
A staggering 86 per cent believed they are more likely to have a successful trip of they can test things or try them on before buying.
Researchers also found some huge differences between men and women when it comes to shopping.
While women try to make a day of it, men try to get it over with as quick as possible, with an impatient 16 per cent of them admitting they try to complete a shopping trip in less than an hour
The results show that most shoppers limit to going just four times a year – when they have saved all their money for their special trip, or have a specific purchase in mind.
Do let us know about your shopping habits do you save to shop or are you an impulsive purchaser?
