So Bank holiday Monday I went to the Trafford Centre and…

Visited HMV, Reiss, WHSmith to read magazines and the coffee shop.

Mrshora thinks ‘one should comeback with arm fulls of bags and said ‘are you sure your not really doing something else’?

Why?!

if you didnt buy anything then you didn’t go shopping, you went browsing.

standing in the kitchen reading the fridge-magnets doesn’t means you’ve been cooking does it?!

Your Missus is right – you are weird

Bloke knows what he wants, where to buy it – goes out, buys it, comes back. No faff. Bloke into bikes may well plan route around bike shops where browsing / chatting is permitted.

Bloke does not go to a shopping centre and browse for clothes and drink coffee. That is womanly.

WE knew you were are odd – is she catching on?

not sure which is worse, having an affair or choosing to go to the trafford centre on a bank holiday.
definitly weird.

So, did you get the answers you were looking for?

I think thats a bit weird too…

I mean after pron thats what the web is for.

I wouldn’t be worried you’re having an affair, I’d be worried you’re contemplating a sex change. Browsing? Sitting in coffee shops? Taking ‘any’ time to go shopping when the internet serves that purpose? You are becoming a woman.

Bloke shopping, when not conducted by the internet, involves

1/ Identification of need: I need a new shirt
2/ Specification of need: 16″ neck, long sleeve, white
3/ Identification of where to buy: M&S, maybe Next as a fall back
4/ With SAS snatch squad precision: enter M&S, locate item, pay and depart in as short a timescale as possible being seen by the minimum of people.
5/ Go home safe in the knowledge that you have shopping as a fine art.

I wouldn’t be worried you’re having an affair, I’d be worried you’re contemplating a sex change

😆

Bloke shopping, when not conducted by the internet, involves

1/ Identification of need: I need a new shirt
2/ Specification of need: 16″ neck, long sleeve, white
3/ Identification of where to buy: M&S, maybe Next as a fall back
4/ With SAS snatch squad precision: enter M&S, locate item, pay and depart in as short a timescale as possible being seen by the minimum of people.
5/ Go home safe in the knowledge that you have shopping as a fine art.

Yup +1billion

Yeah, just tell her that you tried on >72 pairs of shoes in 12 different shops and that they were all so fabulous you had to console yourself with a cup of coffee before returning home.

Agree. I didnt sit on the coffee shop and spent most of my time in the car/bike section at WHSmiths so Im not changing my name to Ruth yet!

M&S and Next?

Then again – this is STW and the drip-dry IT help desk crew.

Bloke shopping, when not conducted by the internet, involves

1/ Identification of need: I need a new shirt
2/ Specification of need: 16″ neck, long sleeve, white
3/ Identification of where to buy: M&S, maybe Next as a fall back
4/ [strike]With SAS snatch squad precision: enter M&S, locate item, pay and depart in as short a timescale as possible being seen by the minimum of people.[/strike]
Instruct missus/daughter of the exact location/requirements etc. & dispatch her forthwith, repeat [if req]until exact items are procured
5/ Go home safe in the knowledge that you have shopping as a fine art.

There, fixed it

I have a similar problem… My wife can’t seem to comprehend that I would actually like a bit of time now and again to browse through bike, camping and computer shops without actually buying things.

Somehow though, it’s ok for her to go to a dozen shops in one trip looking for a shirt/dress/trousers/shoes/etc* without buying anything, yet I have to remain silent and actively help her look for said object without giving her any grief or telling her to hurry up.

Life just is not fair.

* – delete as applicable

so Im not changing my name to Ruth yet!

But you’ve obviously given it some thought as you’ve “chosen” a new name for your new you.

But you’ve obviously given it some thought as you’ve “chosen” a new name for your new you.

…and your point is caller?

Sammie

Sometimes I feel like I’ve bought things by just looking at them (almost a owned for a moment experience!) 😆

M&S and Next?

Then again – this is STW and the drip-dry IT help desk crew.

True. I get my shirts online from Tyrwhitt, but that just proves the point that shops are largely pointless nowadays; there’s this thing called the internet.

Sometimes I feel like I’ve bought things by just looking at them (almost a owned for a moment experience!)

I do that on t’interweb – put what you want in the ‘basket’ and bale at the checkout!

However, we all know you were sitting perving at all the real ie. woman shoppers and so does your missus. 😉

Bloke shopping, when not conducted by the internet, involves

1/ Identification of need: I need a new shirt
2/ Specification of need: 16″ neck, long sleeve, white
3/ Identification of where to buy: M&S, maybe Next as a fall back
4/ With SAS snatch squad precision: enter M&S, locate item, pay and depart in as short a timescale as possible being seen by the minimum of people.
5/ Go home safe in the knowledge that you have shopping as a fine art.

Sounds about right 😀 I tend to avoid having to actually enter a shop whenever possible, unless my clothes are starting to get too big at which point I need to make the effort and actually try stuff on.

here hora have a ferrari on me then

Here is one for Ruth as well seems a shame to let her missout

As Ed Byrne said last year; women go to shop, try on clothes, buy clothes, come home, try on clothes, burst into tears, return clothes to shop, repeat.

M&S and Next?

Then again – this is STW and the drip-dry IT help desk crew.

There’s no need for Next. Anywhere other than M&S for shirts is just weak-minded poncery born of insecurity.

People shop at Next?

Why?

You’ve all forgotten the most important bit of the shopping trip. Getting annoyed at mindless zombies milling around gawping at trinkets and useless tat and then storming off in a huff to buy a book/magazine/paper and getting royally battered in the pub before stumbling home at around 10pm to a stony faced other half.

Or you had a secondary motive – checking out ladies in shopping mode – totally distracted by clothes while you check out their a$$es?

Bloke shopping sounds dull. I bet you’re not like that when your buying bike stuff either.

People shop at Next as M&S shirts don’t always fit. Or the local M&S doesn’t stock your size and won’t get any as “there’s no demand”.

emsz- Im the same. Can browse for hours without buying.

Wierdly most bikeshops treat customers as boilerhouse punters; i.e. you come in the door you must leave with a purchase.

If a shopping trip can’t be completed in the 30 minutes allowed by the town centre parking bays it’ll have to be completed on another visit.
My LBS doesn’t count, as it has free parking.

Edit: Thinking about it, it’s not free parking, it’s probably the most expensive parking in town considering how much I’ve spent in there. 😳

Show me an overstuffed sale rail and I’m in heaven! I’m a champion rummager LOL

I used to love TKMaxx, now it seems to be over-priced tat.

I love shopping. Quite happy browsing through clothes stores. I like clothes. I also like the twice weekly food shop too. I do most of the cooking, therefore after planning the meals it is only right that I go shop for the ingredients. Oh and I like coffee shops too.

I get Next shirts for work cause they fit me well and wear well. I don’t buy M&S shirts for work cause they dont.

Internet shopping is OK for some stuff but prefer to check out clothes, shoes etc in the flesh so to speak. In fact I might go for a browse at lunch.

In fact I might go for a browse at lunch.

Maybe meet Ruth Hora for a coffee and catch up?

Yeah, just tell her that you tried on >72 bloody identical pairs of shoes in 12 different shops and that they were all so fabulous you had to console yourself with a cup of coffee before returning home.

Fixed that for you.

I feel I should add I managed to go into Ikea on bank holiday monday and leave with the 2 shelves I wanted within 15 minutes, now that is bloke shopping:
walk in
find shelves on computer
walk to shelves
buy shelves
leave

Why does it take my wife 3 hours to do the same task ?

I also managed to do it before my wife had managed to park the car, so joy all round

I usually go ‘shopping’ without actually buying anything. Many of my mates are the same. It will take several attempts before being persuaded to part with any hard earned money. Where as the woman in my life seems to enjoy the whole thing of handing over money.

I certainly don’t shop and Next or M&S though. And I love sitting in coffee shops.

I usually go ‘shopping’ without actually buying anything.

That’s quite alien to me
What is it you actually do then?

What is it you actually do then?

Waste valuable riding time!