It is no secret that the educational growth, earning power, and consequently the purchasing power of women today is on a definite upward trend, and has been trending in that direction for some time. For example, women currently earn more bachelor’s (57.2%) and master’s (58.9%) degrees than men (Source: National Center for Education Statistics.) And women’s median incomes, at least when compared with men’s, have been rapidly climbing. In the past three decades men’s median income has grown just 0.6% while women’s median income has grown an impressive 63% (Source: Business Week, Feb. 2005.) With this type of income growth it is no surprise that the influence of women in purchasing decisions is also increasing. Published statistics vary slightly but in general it is recognized that women account for between 80 and 85% of all consumer purchases. When certain product categories are involved women far exceed those buying percentages, like the Over The Counter pharmaceutical category and the food category where women account for 93% of purchases (Source: About website.) With this tremendous influence in purchasing, it follows that women also have a tremendous influence on packaging, including everything from the ergonomics of today’s automobiles to the closure on a bottle of vitamins.

Reprinted with Permission from /www.weatherchem.com