Men shopping more often than women across majority of online and in-store channels

Global technology company First Insight Inc. has published a new report "The Arrival of the New Male Power Shopper", which revealed that men are shopping more frequently in-store and online than women. The company recently surveyed consumers on shopping habits, purchase behavior and influences driving decisions found that 53 percent of men reported shopping on Amazon six or more times a month, compared to only 45 percent of female respondents. Further, 60 percent of men versus 52 percent of women say that their Amazon purchases have increased in the last year.

“We are seeing a significant shift in shopping behavior by men, which is shattering many age-old gender stereotypes. Men are now shopping more and increasing the frequency of their online and in-store purchases across the board, which is also beginning to outpace women in many categories,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight, in a statement. “It’s clear that as we head into 2019, every retailer needs to shrug off the misperception that shopping is a female-dominated activity, particularly as more men leverage the latest technologies and online tools to find the best prices.”

The data reflected a similar trend across traditional retail categories, as 25 percent of men versus only 15 percent of women reported shopping six or more times a month at mass department stores like Kohl’s or JC Penney. Luxury stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, and Prada saw 19 percent of men versus five percent of women shopping six or more times a month. Similarly, 41 percent of men surveyed reported shopping at Walmart six or more times a month, versus just 35 percent of women.

This trend proved to be consistent across other categories, including for off-price stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall, where 24 percent of men versus 19 percent of women shop six or more times a month. Even across specialty stores like Gap, American Eagle, and Guess this trend held true with 20 percent of men versus 10 percent of women saying they shop more than six times a month.

Men are also doing more research when buying their products compared to women. 69 percent of men reported looking on Amazon.com before looking or buying anywhere else versus 63 percent of women.

When it comes to mobile purchasing, men are embracing mobile shopping as much as women. The number of men who reported “never” (less than once a month) making mobile purchases dropped significantly from 48 percent last year to 18 percent this year. Women were about the same, with the number that said they never make mobile purchases dipping slightly from 21 percent last year to 19 percent this year.

As the menswear market is also poised to eventually outpace the women's market, this trend could only continue to rise. While most marketing has long been traditionally geared toward women, companies need to amp up their reach with female consumers if they want to get them shopping at a comparative level to male consumers.