Mary DeFeudis of Women Walking Tall remarks on an underserved female consumer

Women represent a huge growth market: As a market, women represent a bigger opportunity than China and India combined. Women now drive the world economy. Considering that, it would be foolish to ignore or underestimate the female consumer and yet many companies do just that. Most companies have much to learn about selling to women; they feel vastly underserved. Despite the remarkable strides in market power and social position that they have made in the past century, they still appear to be undervalued in the marketplace and underestimated in the workplace. They have too many demands on their time and constantly juggle conflicting priorities—work, home, and family. Few companies have responded to their need for time-saving solutions or for products and services designed specifically for them.

Although women control spending in most categories of consumer goods, too many businesses behave as if they had no say over purchasing decisions. Companies continue to offer them poorly conceived products and services and outdated marketing narratives that promote female stereotypes. Women are increasingly gaining influence in the work place and currently, the number of working women in the United States is about to surpass the number of working men. "We believe that as this recession abates, women not only will represent one of the largest market opportunities in our lifetimes but also will be an important force in spurring a recovery and generating new prosperity," says marcy Defeudis President of Women Walking Tall.