Shopping -- it's a woman's playground. Why do you suppose all those print ads appear in the Sunday newspaper every weekend? Can all of those stores be having a new sale every week? Or, are they merely recycling the old sale by giving it a new name? It's the latter, and everyone knows it. Inherent in the act of placing those colorful ads in the Sunday inserts is the belief that the advertising world has convinced Americans they truly need more 'stuff.'

We don't need more stuff, of course. But...we WANT it. Therein lies the key. We WANT it. We are a hungry group of spenders, and women top the list. Even women who profess not to like shopping. One of my daughters is anti-shopping. She prefers to read romance novels, or study, or watch the cooking channel on TV. However, I find it amusing that she likes to show off items she found on sale recently, and that since moving to a new apartment she is on the prowl for any number of 'new' things to add to her already substantial collection of stuff.

Jane sounds critical, but she is not pointing the finger at anyone in particular. Jane loves to shop as much as the next woman. Jane loves to shop MORE than the next woman. These days, however, Jane does 90% of her shopping online. And that includes buying groceries. It's easier than hoofing it to the grocery store -- a place that has become increasingly crowded and unpleasant to wind a shopping cart through; and she prefers clicking her mouse to fighting the traffic she encounters on her way to the mall...wait a minute, Jane hasn't been to the mall in over a year!

Do not think Jane is alone in her new shopping focus. Even Jane's children shop online more than they shop offline. Jane is teaching them where to get groceries for the same prices they spend at the store, and even earn a little commission for mousing it instead of malling it. Two important notes Jane would like to leave with readers today: one is from the Small Business Association. The story supports Jane's repeated advice to court the baby boomers. According to the SBA:

fully one-third of the U.S. population will be age 50 or older by 2010, up from one-quarter in 1991.

There are 7 pages of good stuff in that article. Important facts, interviews, and information that can help you get your products and services in front of the boomers. Do remember that women influence over 90% of the goods and services that get bought and sold in this country. Boomer women...

Our second note comes from Hearst Magazine which has launched a new Web site to support its new magazine, Shop Etc. The site, Shopetc.com, runs "select pages from each magazine issue." And...it includes a blog! How kewl is that???? Plus, plus, plus, Jane awards the site a Female Friendly check mark.

Surely, shopping online just got easier! Check it out. There is much to learn from the developers of this site, Alloy Marketing & Promotions. While they are focused more on a youth market, boomer Moms will shop there...after all, most boomer Moms are still young, frivilous at times, and full of fun. This site's youthful and vibrant and colorful approach is an immediate mood lifter. Moms and daughters alike will want to shop there. I'd say that's a win-win situation on the net.

What's not to like about that?