Shifting Roles: How Men and Women Shop Today

The roles played by men and women in society are slowly, but constantly, shifting and evolving, and the same is true when it comes to shopping. Within the realm of retail, shopping roles depend very much on what types of products are purchased and where those purchases are made, or so the conventional wisdom would have it.

NPD Insights  asked NPD’s industry experts just how large a role gender plays in the shopping continuum within their particular areas of focus — Is shopping for technology mostly a man’s domain? Is shopping for fragrances the purview of women? Who’s leading the household when it comes to buying clothing?

While gender-based stereotypes tend to change slowly, they do indeed change – and according to NPD’s experts, that’s as true in retail world as in the world at large.

Shopping for technology – Women welcome!

The technology industry is a prime example of an industry that has recently seen some non-traditional gender shifts at retail. Over the years shopping for technology products has been considered by many to be a man’s job. Confusing marketing messages, a focus on “bigger and better” and a lack of products that offered consumers real utility turned many women off to making technology purchases. Recently, however, the traditional retail paradigm has begun to turn a corner.

“Evolving products and channels have forced the industry to think about all its customers and not just a particular segment,” said Stephen Baker, NPD Techworld director of industry analysis. “Lately we’ve noticed an entirely new product form and function that appeals to women in ways electronics never have before. We're seeing this with flat panel television — women are interested in participating in the purchase decision as a major driver of the buy is flat panel TVs' look and feel, important attributes to many female CE consumers.As the barriers fall away, new markets open, which increases retail activity among both women and men.”

Women buy more toys (but men buy for themselves)

This same evolution can be seen within the toys and video games industries, with several key differences. Many retailers, recognizing some women's continuing reluctance to shop in electronics and specialty retail outlets, are devising specific strategies to attract women to their stores and make them feel more comfortable in that environment.

While it’s true that women still purchase 74 percent of all toys sold, men purchase slightly more video games (55 percent) than do their female counterparts. The key dissimilarity hidden within these metrics is that men are more likely to purchase these products for themselves, whereas women for the most part purchase them for someone else.

According to Anita Frazier, NPD Funworld entertainment industry analyst, “when NPD looked at particular purchase occasions, women were much more likely to be purchasing toys and games for Christmas, a birthday or some other occasion, while men demonstrated a higher percentage of purchasing for no special occasion.”

The gender shift in fashion – a function of age?

Differences in shopping behavior by gender are still apparent in the fashion and apparel industry; but, even within that industry, shopping behavior is slowly changing. Especially as younger consumers enter the fray.

“The most apparent gender shifts in consumer apparel purchases have been noted among younger shoppers” said NPD Chief Industry Analyst Marshal Cohen. “While teens have shown less interest in fashion overall, clothing spending has decreased more among males than females. The young adult market is where the gender difference really shows up.”

This state of affairs appears to be changing a bit among older adults. Apparel sales to men age 35 to 44 increased 12 percent last year. By comparison, women of the same age spent just under seven percent more than they did last year.

Where people purchase fragrances as important as what they buy

Both men and women these days purchase fragrances - not only for themselves, but also for others in their lives. Men, it turns out, are more likely than women to purchase fragrances for themselves at mass-market food or drug stores. Fifty-eight percent of men make their purchases at these types of stores, while just 48 percent of women do the same; however, both genders shop equally (42 percent) at department stores.

Among women purchasing men’s cologne, department stores close the gap with mass-market, food and drug stores tying for the most popular destination. Additionally, men clearly view department stores as the destination of choice when purchasing perfume for women; 36 percent of men choose to shop department stores for gifts.

According to NPD Beauty President Timra Carlson, “while department stores are not the leading destination for personal fragrance purchases, they are the leaders when a gender purchases for the opposite sex.”

The automotive aftermarket: Still a man’s world (mostly)

Despite the fact that women are driving half of the cars on the road, they are still less likely than men to make automotive-related purchases. NPD’s Car Care Trac information shows men account for 63 percent of consumer transactions in the automotive aftermarket. But women are more likely than men to opt for professional service than making their own repairs. Women account for just over a third of Do-it-Yourself (DIY) purchases. Younger women may be more inclined to get under the hood than women in their mother’s generation: 54 percent of women under age 30 report a DIY automotive product purchase. By comparison, 62 percent of men in that age bracket made purchases in the DIY category.

“Since women may tend toward professional services, understanding why they select a service outlet is important,” said David Portalatin NPD Automotive industry expert. “When deciding which service outlet to choose, women are more likely to say they based their choice on a referral.”

Everybody eats, but women drive change

“For whatever reason, we have a tendency to focus on the differences between people,” said Harry Balzer, NPD vice president, “and not just gender differences, but also ethnicity, geography and many more. What we miss, however, is that there tend to be more similarities than there are differences. This is especially true for food—after all, everybody eats.”

NPD information shows one important gender-based difference when it comes to foods and beverages: It's women who drive change. “Just ask Starbucks or Panera Bread,” Balzer said. “Women are 20 percent more likely to visit these two chains than men. The success of these two brands cannot in any way be attributed to men discovering these places and dragging along their wives and girlfriends — quite the opposite, in fact.”

For more from our Industry Experts, visit the NPD Worlds . . .

www.npdfashionworld.com
www.npdfunworld.com
www.npdhouseworld.com
www.npdtechworld.com