For the purpose of this enquiry queueing was defined as “Waiting outside the shop”
All subjects were asked “Did you have to stand in a queue at all when you were shopping last week”? 79. 4% of the sample answered ‘Yes’ and 20.6% ‘No’. In a later Section an attempt is made to relate these answers with opinions on the subject of queues since it might be said that remembering in this matter would be distorted by emotion. In this Section, however, the factual answers are accepted as basic.
A.
Regional
Scotland
S. Wales
N. Midland
N. West
N. & N.E.
Midland
S.E. & London
S’th
S.W.
Eastern
Total
Queued
36.8
≠5.4
23.3
≠6.4
17.8
≠5.8
12.4
≠3.3
20.8
≠3.9
30.9
≠5.9
17.3
≠3.4
21.2
≠7.7
17.1
≠5.0
8.5
≠3.9
20.6
≠1.5
Sample
332
172
174
388
433
246
491
118
222
200
2776
Did not Queue
63.2
76.7
82.2
87.6
79.2
69.1
82.7
78.8
82.9
91.5
79.4
It will be seen that strict application of probable error (2 standard deviations) does not weaken the sharp regional differences.
45
PROPORTIONS QUEUEING DURING 7 DAYS
Regional Areas
.
East
8.5%
N.W.
12.4%
S.W.
17.1%
Lond. & S.E.
17.3%
N. Mid.
17.8
Average
20.6
N. & N.E.
20.8%
South
21.2%
S. Wales
23.3%
Midland
30.9%
Scotland
36.8%
Social Groups
A
6.2%
B
18.9%
C
20.3%
D
24.3%
46
-30-
B.
Social Groups
A
B
C
D
Total
Queued
6.2
18.9
20.3
24.3
20.6
≠3.6
≠3.2
≠2.5
≠2.7
Sample
178
572
1,008
1,009
2,767
Did not Queue
93.8
81.1
79.7
75.7
79.4
It will be seen that the only considerable difference appears between the A Group and other Social Groups.
No notable differences appear in the proportions of Housewives in different age groups who queued during the 7 days before interview.
No attempt was made to measure the average time spent in queues but it will be seen that queueing affects only a minority of housewives in all groups and areas. For the A income group and some areas of the country the numbers affected are negligible, but for other social groups and particularly in some areas such as Scotland and Midlands the problem seems, from the figures, to be appreciable.
