The days of a woman dragging the complaining man to go shopping could be over, new research suggests.
The study found that men are only spending 10 per cent less than women on shopping trips, with the gap in women and male spending just 1 per cent in the 18-34 age group.
Two thirds of men said considering named brands was an important factor when deciding which shops to visit, compared with less than 40 per cent of women.
The findings come from a study of 1,500 people by shopping centre Westfield called ‘How We Shop Now.‘
The research platform, which has been designed to understand how consumers are shopping and why, says it can help Westfield‘s retailers to understand their consumers and maximise sales.
Myf Ryan, Marketing Director – UK & Europe, commented: “The rise of the male shopper is a growing trend we are seeing across our centres. Men are now spending £13.25bn every year, making them an extremely valuable group for retailers to target. Understanding what makes them tick when it comes to the shopping experience is crucial.”
With the online shopping boom well underway, nearly three quarters of all men said they used a smartphone or tablet when shopping with checking prices online, and searching for opening times and directions the most popular reasons to use a smartphone in-store. However, around half of men said the thrill of buying in store could not be replicated by buying online.
The findings also found that 59 per cent of men were decisive shoppers and decided what they wanted to buy within the first few minutes of entering a store.
Favourite brands among men, who are spending £935 a year on clothes, shoes and accessories, include Nike, which topped the list, and Adidas, Next and M&S.
