Sisters Are Doing it for Themselves

Forget the flowers and the candy. This Mother's Day, moms may better appreciate gift certificates to Lowe's. Gen Y isn't the only set redefining its buying influence (see News of the Day, May 11). There are also changing trends that concern women consumers.

According to a study conducted by The Home Depot and Yankelovich Partners, 37 percent of the women polled said they would rather spend their free weekend working on a home-improvement project than shopping in a mall (28 percent). The most popular home-improvement jobs were identified as wallpapering, floor tiling, gardening and landscaping.

The study points to the fact that 57 percent of single women are homeowners. Also, a healthy economy (that results in profitable careers) has generated more money to spend on such projects.