“There are definite differences in perception: Men think they’re great shoppers,” Stewart said. “But women — wives, girlfriends, spouses — they tend to have, well, a less positive view.”

Dig Deeper: Consumer Culture + Gender

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Items marketed to women and girls cost 7 percent more on average than similar products targeting men and boys.

Shopping gave 19th-century middle-class women the chance to be a part of urbanization without male chaperones, which caused a scandal.