Paco Underhill, author of What Women Want: The Global Market Turns Female Friendly, revealed some interesting facts about modern retailing. For instance, did you know: 1) approximately 70% of all Amercing females work outside the home 2) women control both the active and passive income in most homes 3) women dominate higher education—record numbers are studying engineering, physics, computer science, biology and clinical psychology 4) as early as the 1970s, women began to outnumber men training to be lawyers, physicians and architects 5) women influence almost all car purchasing decisions and 6) women orchestrate the social lives of their families. It’s no wonder the global marketplace is paying attention.

What women want is simple, but it may not be easy accomplish. They want cleanliness, control, safety and considerateness. How businesses achieve these four objects may not be easy to accomplish, however. It may take a complete rethinking of the retail landscape.

Companies have successfully done this. Look at Target, as a great example.

Listen to the entire interview to learn what Paco calls the “restroom challenge” and his other interesting points.