| The art of shopping is something of a mystery to | | | | "nothing". However, it is this male reluctance to |
| most men. Perhaps, therefore, it is not so | | | | throw body and soul into shopping that will be a |
| surprising that few men realise there is an | | | | great advantage if a man decides to try a career |
| opportunity for them to earn money working | | | | in mystery shopping. A man sent to purchase one |
| from home doing mystery shopping. There are | | | | specific item at a particular place will be able to do |
| probably not many men who have even thought | | | | exactly that. A man will not be in any danger of |
| about the existence of mystery shoppers. In fact, | | | | becoming sidetracked so that the mystery |
| it would be unusual for a man to spend any time | | | | shopping assignment takes over the whole day or |
| at all thinking about shopping in a positive way. | | | | ends up costing him money because of an attack |
| Mystery shopping (sometimes called secret | | | | of impulse purchasing. |
| shopping) is an easy way to earn money: it is | | | | The reason mystery shopping companies exist is |
| very simple to do, you need no previous | | | | that companies such as retail chains, restaurants, |
| experience, no special knowledge and no | | | | travel companies, hotels etc need to be able to |
| expensive equipment. Mystery shopping jobs can | | | | obtain impartial feedback on their employees and |
| be done as part-time employment in hours you | | | | services. Mystery shoppers are employed to |
| choose to fit in with your current schedule. | | | | provide feedback on such things as the behaviour |
| Mystery shopping companies employ men and | | | | of members of staff, the quality of customer |
| women of all ages and backgrounds as mystery | | | | service and the cleanliness standards of the |
| shoppers. In fact, just about adult who can | | | | premises. There is no reason whatsoever for |
| manage to go shopping could become a mystery | | | | mystery shopping to be restricted to women only |
| shopper, but most mystery shoppers are women. | | | | and some assignments are only suitable for male |
| Men are not genetically designed to be great | | | | secret shoppers. |
| recreational shoppers: they find it impossible to | | | | Apart from general retail mystery shopping |
| grasp the concept of shopping as a form of | | | | assignments that are suitable for either gender, |
| entertainment and tend only to go shopping when | | | | there are also male only areas that require |
| they have a particular purchase in mind. For | | | | inspection. Companies will employ mystery |
| example, when I tell my husband that I have | | | | shoppers to report on such things as toilet |
| arranged to go on a shopping trip with my | | | | facilities, men's fitting rooms in shops, men's |
| daughter, he will ask me what we want to buy. | | | | changing rooms at gyms etc. Needless to say, a |
| What sort of a question is that? We can't possibly | | | | woman secret shopper would not be much of a |
| know what we want to buy until we see what | | | | secret in these surroundings. |
| the shops have to offer. Research shows that | | | | When the subject of mystery shopping is |
| this is a typical male reaction to shopping. Men | | | | considered, people normally thing of women |
| have this odd way of deciding they want | | | | buying dresses or shopping for food in |
| something and then going to the shops to make | | | | supermarkets but there is a lot more to mystery |
| the purchase. Strangely, they never come back | | | | shopping than this. Mystery shopping companies |
| with anything over and above the item they went | | | | will also pay you to do things such as eat at a |
| out to buy and, if the item is not available, a man | | | | restaurant, have a drink at a bar, visit a cinema |
| will even return from a shopping trip empty | | | | or spend a night in a hotel. If you are really lucky, |
| handed. | | | | you might be sent on an expenses paid vacation |
| Whether they enjoy it or not men do go | | | | as a mystery shopping assignment. |
| shopping. If you look around you will notice plenty | | | | The companies employing the services of the |
| of men in supermarkets. Some will just be dutiful | | | | mystery shopping company need to hear the |
| husbands reluctantly accompanying their wives but | | | | opinions of both men and women. If you forget |
| there will be numerous other men who are | | | | actual shops for a moment and consider the |
| solitary shoppers actually shopping in their own | | | | people who use restaurants, bars, cinemas, |
| right. Even if their shopping basket reaches the | | | | bowling alleys, skating rinks, hotels, theatres, taxi |
| checkout containing nothing but a six pack of beer | | | | companies, gyms etc, it will be obvious that a |
| and a cd, it's still shopping. | | | | large percentage of customers are men. The |
| Look around the mall and you'll see plenty of men. | | | | owners of these establishments need to discover |
| Some of these will be driven by the need to buy | | | | whether men are satisfied with their staff and |
| a gift for a wife or girlfriend but there will be | | | | services, they can't afford to ignore the needs of |
| plenty of men out shopping for things they | | | | half their customers. |
| actually want for themselves. Men might rely on | | | | An assignment to visit a bar, sample a beer, |
| female relatives to keep them supplied with socks | | | | purchase a snack and check out the men's |
| and underwear but it's a different story when | | | | cloakroom is not most women's idea of a great |
| new footwear or outerwear or sports equipment | | | | shopping trip but getting paid to carry out such an |
| are needed. | | | | assignment will sound like a good deal to many |
| Most men exist in a state of denial when it comes | | | | men. Perhaps it's just the name mystery |
| to the significance of shopping. If a man and a | | | | "shopping" that puts men off and the companies |
| woman each go shopping on a particular day and | | | | need to find a suitable alternative title to attract |
| they are later asked what they did that day, the | | | | more men into this work. |
| woman will reply "shopping" and the man will say | | | | |