KEY POINTS:
It used to be that the only bit of maths needed on a shopping spree was counting what was left in your purse or wallet.
That could all change, with an academic claiming to have discovered the formula for the perfect retail experience.
Roger Bird, a mathematician from the Bradford Education Authority in England, based his calculation on the results of a survey of 1000 shoppers.
Time constraints, the number of people in the group, budget and the weather were among eight variables represented as letters in his formula.
Bird said a shopper's paradise was to visit several clothing stores near each other between 9am and 11am on a Saturday. The ideal number of purchases was at least three, with a budget the equivalent of $556.
But while Kiwis on the streets of Auckland agreed the weekend was the best time to shop, local experts said the formula would never work.
Wellington-based shopper insight strategist for Saatchi and Saatchi, Christina Mossaidis, said Bird's formula revealed nothing more than what the average sales assistant or store manager already knew _ "malls are busy on the weekends, most shoppers want to avoid crowds and bad weather and females tend to do recognisance visits".
She said the economic slump meant "every chain store within a mall environment" would wish it was as easy to "capture the hearts and minds of New Zealand shoppers", as Bird's formula suggested.
New Zealand Retailers Association northern regional manager Russell Sinclair said retail would never be an "exact science". "Using algebra to define shopping patterns is pretty theoretical. Every customer is different."
And Margaret Craig-Lees, associate professor of marketing at AUT University Business School, was "not sure how valuable" Bird's conclusion was considering his survey sample.
"I'll bet the shoppers were primarily female."
But Bird had some support from jeweller Angela Daniel, who has four stores at prime shopping areas around Auckland.
She said his conclusions matched her customers' opinion that Saturday morning was a "great time to shop" because it was quieter. Saturday afternoon was the busiest, due to the "Kiwi culture of brunching" and school sports on mornings.
Westfield New Zealand spokeswoman Debra McGhie said demographics were different at each mall, but in general Thursday to Sunday was the busiest period.
Time constraints were a major factor and forced the extension of mall opening times several years ago.
Newmarket Business Association chief Cameron Brewer said late-night shopping was no longer "all the rage" and weekends were the ideal time to hit the suburb's swanky Broadway strip. "There's collective energy around the place. People are more relaxed with more time to make decisions."
