We normally don’t like to generalize, but years of professional retail studies don’t lie: when it comes to shopping, men are focused and determined. Get in, find what you came for, pay for it, and get the heck out. Women, on the other hand, are browsers. They are also the decision makers in the majority of household purchases (automobiles being the notable exception), so retailers naturally cater to them, even when the item to be purchased is for a male.

Typically, if a man wants to buy a dress shirt and goes to a men’s specialty store to find one, he’ll note that the shirts are neatly folded up and packaged in plastic, with the size clearly marked on the package. That’s because a man’s shopping brain says “Ug. Need white shirt. Long sleeves. Find.” He shuffles through the shirt display (that is, unless a helpful salesperson fetches it for him) until he finds the right size, then badda-boom, badda-bing, he’s out of there.

A woman, on the other hand, is often more tactile. She likes to read tags (what type of fabric? what are the washing instructions?), she likes to feel the material, she tugs on the buttons to make sure they’re secure. She compares prices. She considers whether Mr. Man has any slacks and/or accessories that match the shirt. That’s why at most department stores men’s shirts are not packaged, but hanging on hangers.

If something’s on sale, women are also more apt to buy it on a whim, which is why retailers plant racks and shelves of discounted items along the main pathways of the store. They are also the ones to remember that Mr. Man doesn’t have any decent shorts (what if he’s in a car accident, God forbid?), so many stores are organized so that she has to wander through the undergarments section before she gets to men’s shirts.