Male Shoppers on the Increase

Not being known for their spending proclivities, the newest research from Nielsen has shown that, on average, men are increasing their share of the shopping trips made across most retail sectors.

Female shopping trips are most important to the mass merchandiser and dollar store channels, while male shopping trips are of greater relative importance within convenience/gas, grocery and warehouse club outlets. Women spend more money per trip than men in all of the channels examined, but in many channels, the differences between the sexes are not as great as one might expect. Nevertheless, spending differences do indicate that women drive the larger stock-up or planned trips as they outspend males by $14.31 per trip in supercenters and by $10.32 per trip in grocery stores.

There is one channel where mean lead women in shopping – the convenience/gas market. This does not raise eyebrows, as the classic stereotype of the wife doing the weekly shopping, while she sends the husband down the road to pick up any extras required throughout the week appears to be alive and well.

While the data in this Nielsen report is US-based, similar trends have been evolving across Australia. A Deakin University report into men and shopping identified an increase in shared shopping responsibilities across families when it comes to the next trip into town.

The Deakin report also identifies that while men are becoming more involved in the regular weekly shops, women are getting more involved in the big-ticket purchases that were formerly male-led – computers, TVs, and cars.

The most interesting fact taken form the Deakin report is that the key training ground for men in relation to breaking down tradition views of male/female shopping stereotypes is grocery shopping. A “well-trained” grocery shopping man is more likely to be interested in purchasing new products/a variety of products, as well as be involved in purchase decisions for the household.

With the emerging data painting a new portrayal of the family shopping unit, it behooves advertisers to embrace the new shopping unit and not to exclude any part of it. The new weekly grocery shopper is the husband and wife unit. No longer are the aisles filled with the lady of the house only, while the electronics store has lost the image of being the male refuge at the shopping centre and now boasts guys and gals making joint purchase decision.

What it means for us

Advertisers (including Woolworths) need to expand their definition of who is buying what. While it’s true that the data is slowly changing, we should be forward looking into what this emerging group will do – will they follow conventional shopping patterns or will a new norm appear as the percentages grow ever closer?

As a grocery-purchasing male (a “well-trained” once according to Deakin), I do the grocery shopping weekly with my wife – we write the list together, but she has final say over brands. We also shop for big ticket items together; furniture I shop with her, electronics she shops with me. As a Gen Y husband, this doesn’t feel to be something different, but what research is showing to be the new norm.