it’s important to understand the subtle differences in the way men shop compared to women. Otherwise, brands and retailers will risk alienating a potentially lucrative emerging shopper segment. In order to do the opposite, here’s three must knows about the evolving male shopper. Don’t sell men short Men buy more than beer, packet noodles, and bacon. It is easy to write off all male shoppers as beer chugging, jeans and t-shirt-wearing steak enthusiasts, but men are a little more complex than that, and this is reflected in their shopping and spending habits. I’ll admit it: the first time my boyfriend taught me something about baking cookies (which admittedly I am not very good at) I was a little shell shocked. I’ve learned my lesson since then. Not all men are confused Neanderthals roaming grocery store aisles wondering what a whisk is for. Just like women, men range from seasoned chefs to complete novices. It’s still a good idea to target men for all the old favourites, such as beer and beef, but it’s also important not to make them feel like they can’t indulge in the fancier stuff. This same principle goes beyond the grocery channel and can be applied to other categories, such as apparel and electronics. Most men are time stressed According to a survey conducted by Integer, a whopping 60 per cent of men report to having a “get in and get out” mentality when it comes to shopping for weekly essentials. Only 26 per cent of Integer’s male respondents considered themselves ‘Explorer’ shopper types. POPAI’s 2012 Shopper Engagement Study also says that most male shoppers fall into the ‘Time Stressed’ and ‘Trip Planner’ categories. “Overall, male shoppers appear generally less engaged in [the] whole weekly shopping process,” said Marcus Evans, MD of Integer Canada. These findings reveal the truth of the male shopper psyche: their primary goal is efficient shopping trips where convenience is key. It’s all about me Men take a “me first” attitude when shopping, according to Integer’s report. This means they’re not focused on procuring items for their whole family or others until they have first gathered their own personal items. Only 39 per cent of men report that they feel their family’s needs should come before their own. This is an especially interesting opportunity for brands and retailers who can capitalise on this attitude and sell men more on the ‘want’ factor. “It’s okay to give males the opportunity to be selfish. It’s cool to say ‘you’ rather than ‘family’ when selling to men,” says Evans. Finally, men are much less sensitive to price, promotions, and discounts in comparison to women. Only 39 per cent reported specifically searching for more affordable items, and only 29 per cent reported consciously sticking to a more conservative budget. Hear that, brands and retailers? There’s a segment out there not paying particular attention to price (clearly, nobody surveyed my dad). This story was written by Lindsay Scarpello and first published in POPAI’s e-Zine. You can read the original article here.