Influence of usage situations and consumer shopping orientations on the importance of the retail store environment

This paper is based on a mainly qualitative study of 22 recently married or cohabiting Scottish couples who have set up home together. The research focuses on their food shopping habits in this period of transition as they adjust to living together. Despite the increased involvement of men the findings suggest that much of the responsibility for food shopping still fell on the women in the study. Control over what was bought raised some interesting questions about the concept of the woman as 'gatekeeper' and primary target for food marketers.