Dale: Excuse me! I wonder if you'd mind answering a few questions. I'm doing a project on people's shopping habits. Can I ask, first of all, are you a student?
Woman: Well, I was a student here last year, but since then I've left and I'm working in a bank now as a cashier. I just came to see a friend.
Dale: That's okay. So how often do you go shopping for personal items?
Woman: Because I go to the supermarket almost every day, the other things I tend to do every other week. I only have about a hundred pounds a month spare, so I'd probably spend about fifty pounds each time.
Dale: What sort of shops do you like best, the department store or the small retail outlets?
Woman: Oh, I like big department stores, so everything's in one place. The weather's so bad that it's a bit miserable trudging from one little shop to another.
Dale: What do you find most difficult to buy?
Woman: Oh, jeans definitely! You can get hold of a sweater or a CD in a moment, but with jeans I can spend all afternoon and still not find a pair that fits.
Woman: Hello Dale! How did you get on with your shopping inquiries?
Dale: Well, I got 50 people to answer questions and the results were quite interesting. Half the people spend 45 pounds a month, while 15% of people spent more than that, an average of 75 pounds. The rest spend relatively small amounts; even the regular shoppers spend no more than 20 pounds a month.
Dale: I also asked about the things they found most difficult to buy. I thought the answer would be books or study materials, but they had problems with things related to hobbies. As far as sportswear is concerned, they complain about the lack of shops that sell it. Not many had trouble buying sweaters, but shoes and trousers were really problematic, because there just isn't enough variety.
