Retailers ignore men on a mission at their peril

Ladies, if you've ever had to drag your man around the stores you'll know what a task it can be. New research suggests that online retail better fits a male's needs when they feel the need for some retail therapy.

by Helen Leggatt

According to Shoppercentric's latest research men don't hate shopping but they do hate long queues, crowds and generally milling around aimlessly. Men, it seems, know exactly what they want (49% vs. 38% of women) and their mission is to get in and out of a store as quickly and painlessly as possible (49% vs. 32% of women).

Enter online retail. This, it seems, is the perfect browsing environment for the male shopper. They are able to research products and prices without elbowing their way around a mall.

Maybe that's why, according to Shoppercentric's research, more men than women browse stores online - 54% versus 47% of women. Both sexes spend an average of 30 minutes online, visiting between one and five websites.

Men are also more likely to visit local independent stores once a week (20% vs. 19% of women).

Shoppercentric suggests that retailers should take note of men's shopping needs and stop marketing to both sexes in the same way. A more focussed, personal approach has much more impact on men's shopping psyche, they say.

"The more personal or more focused approach of a local independent better suits the male shopper's mindset - perhaps retailers can learn from this," said Danielle Pinnington, managing director of Shoppercentric. "Additionally if men are visiting fewer, more targeted stores, they arguably have a greater propensity to loyalty to particular stores - one of the retail markets holy grails."

Only 4% of men said they never shop online, compared to 6% of women.

"If there is one change a retailer makes, we'd recommend that it is opening up communications with male shoppers and find ways to re-connect not disconnect - talk to them - they won't bite!" added Pinnington.

Earlier this year research by Jacobs Media found that men are emerging as a valuable component in the marketing mix. They make purchases on their own, and have significant input in the decision-making process in the majority of households.

Tags: consumer insight, ecommerce, online retail, online shopping, retail marketing