Female Supremacy Articles - Page 26

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To tap into this trend the DIY and home wares retailers have re-jigged their offers to better highlight lifestyle concepts rather than focusing on selling individual products. This strategy has been remarkably successful for IKEA, with women finding its 'complete room solutions' very attractive. IKEA realised that DIY was a turn-off for women and it made the savvy decision to sell its goods via a shop-fit that incorporated many show home-style displays.

This is an approach that B&Q has only recently begun to replicate in the UK. Although why it has taken it so long to catch on is a mystery. Both Homebase and MFI have also followed this route. The new private equity owners of the latter decided to pitch the business as a much 'softer' proposition. Evidence of this move was its high profile sponsorship of the Hell's Kitchen TV series.

The softer proposition is also being gradually introduced into the formerly stuffy world of private banking and finance. Banks like Coutts recognise the importance of convincing today's army of affluent women to deposit their money with the bank.

Such a move is hardly surprising when you consider Datamonitor's results. They found as many as 4,000 women could be classified among the richest people in the country on the basis that they have liquid assets of more than £5m.