How to attract men to stationary stores?

We have already written that men and women have different shopping habits in the article about how women buy. There are many stereotypes about this, but are they all true?

How do men buy?

Men go shopping with a specific goal, check where they can find it and go for it – they prefer concretes. Although this is a kind of generalization, research confirms that men react much more often to simple and clear messages and make quick decisions. Of course, it can be different, but the planned purchases are still the domain of men. 44 percent of them (compared to 29% of women) indicated that they only buy the things they have chosen before. Men also prefer to check product information on their phones rather than ask the seller a question (28% compared with 16% of women).

Among men, there are mostly price and quality-oriented consumers. Women and men differ in the indications of the factors that most influence their purchasing decisions. For women, it will be in turn: price, product quality and brand. For men, the most important thing is product quality, then price and brand. They are also loyal to the previously known products and brands, less often than women decide to experiment with new products.

The attitude of men to shopping is changing. Already 16 percent of them describe themselves as fans of this activity, and among the younger generation – 18 percent. Young men are becoming more and more sensitive to all kinds of promotions, coupons, discounts or special offers, and this opens the way to spontaneous men’s purchases. Although gentlemen do not treat shopping as a social event, the stereotypical image in which a man buys what he needs and leaves the store ceases to apply, especially in the case of the younger generation. Young men are increasingly succumbing to the influence of fashion and whims. They like to look at products on the shelf. It happens that, like women, they buy impulsively and hunt for bargains.

Men more often visit clothing stores and drugstores. According to the “Gender Factor” report, cosmetics are bought by 18 percent of men. It may not be much compared to as much as 62 percent of women, but it is certainly an indication that in the context of selling cosmetics, it is also worth taking an interest in the male recipient. Men want to look good and are more willing to use a variety of cosmetics. Already 20 percent men aged 35-44 independently buy hygiene and cosmetic products. Cosmetics of 25-34-year-olds are looking for a little less – 19 percent. The percentage of men buying such products drops in the 45-54 age group and it is 16 percent. And in the case of men 50+, it reaches only 10 percent.

When men buy clothes, there is a myth that they make their own consumer choices. According to research conducted by Branch Brothers, buying clothes for the master of the house is a family go-out, more than 65% of customers visiting the stores are couples and families. Moreover, the final purchase decision is made by the woman – less than 10% of men buy clothes without consultation. Men who are faced with choosing a suit or a shirt more and more often on their own initiative ask the seller for the opinion. Which is not the case in purchases of products from different categories.

How to get men to buy?

In order to make shopping more pleasant for men and persuade them to spend more than the planned list, it is worth ensuring a clear and legible layout of the store. It would also be good to divide the shop space by gender and clearly distinguish it. Men do not like to look for too long, so you need to keep the shelves or hangers in order. Chaos and the crowd of products that we often see in women’s clothing stores, especially during sales, should not take place in the men’s department. The male gender also likes technology a bit more than women, so maybe it would be worth introducing more modernity to the store. A virtual advisor would definitely be more effective than help from the seller. As men are not eager to contact the seller and like quick shopping, it may be worth putting up self-service checkouts in every store, which will avoid long queues. The store of the future is something that could attract more men to go shopping.

The many years of experience of our team allow us to prepare points of sale that will attract the attention of various groups of recipients, including men. The right design of the store space can significantly increase sales. Taking into account consumer behavior depending on gender or age, we can prepare an “ideal” store. We invite brands that want to attract more consumers to contact and cooperate with us.