For many Iowa men, the task of Christmas shopping is a burden, while for women, it’s generally an enjoyable experience. Retail specialist Dave Brennan says that’s because the genders are often so different in how they perceive the act of shopping.

 “It’s part of the D.N.A. of women and I think it’s really a culture as when they’re young that shopping is actually an experience,” Brennan says. “It’s something that’s social and they’ll typically go with other women and they make a day out of it. With men, it’s get in and get out.”

A survey finds around 60% of men have yet to begin their gift-buying bonanza for the holidays. While guys are avoiding the malls, Brennan says the survey also found most women are well underway with shopping and may already be done with practically everyone their lists.

“There’s an old adage, women are shoppers and men are buyers,” Brennan says. “Men tend to put off the purchase decisions much longer than women do.” He notes that men may try to pack all of their shopping into one trip, which may be effective from a time standpoint but isn’t always conducive for buying everything they need.

“They tend to be very narrow in terms of what they’re looking for and even the stores they’ll go to,” Brennan says. “They typically will select -a- store to do their shopping in whereas women tend to shop multiple stores over a longer period of time.” Because some men delay their shopping until late in the game, he says their options are often significantly reduced.