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Men as Shoppers the essential guide to shopper trends from Shoppercentric
Get the business finger on the male pulse Increasingly talked about in trade press, and yet still woefully neglected in-store, Shoppercentric report on the subject of male shoppers.
Why do retail spaces targeting different genders look so similar? Men are the “guided missiles” of the shopping world Technology isn’t the only answer to appealing to men in-store Plus new regular features and revealing interviews
ISSUE
twelve october 2011
ISSUE
twelve october 2011
www.shoppercentric.com
ISSUE 12
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OCTOBER 2011
This latest edition of WindowOn covers the subject of men as shoppers, a subject that is getting increasing attention in the trade press, but which we felt would benefit from our approach of wanting to explore the ‘so what’. For this reason we have approached our research from two angles – qualitative and quantitative: l Firstly we invited 40 men to take part in an online forum, where we could get their real feelings about shopping out in the open, and gather some great quotes along the way.
ISSUE
twelve october 2011
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twelve october 2011
l Following on from the forum we conducted 1001 online quantitative interviews among adults aged 18+.
PUBLISHED BY: Shoppercentric EDITOR: Alice Synge DESIGN: Mike Higgs
e: mikehiggs@mac.com CONTRIBUTOR: Madeline Temple
We welcome ideas for future articles and reports. Guidelines on our preferred format and style are available from Alice Synge e: alice.synge@shoppercentric.com
© Shoppercentric 2011 All copyright is vested in Shoppercentric unless expressly stated otherwise. No permission is granted for reproduction, use or adaptation of the material, save as to provide for under Statute, and any such use must be accompanied by the appropriate accreditation.
The research was conducted during July and August 2011.
Welcome... Trends Research...
Danielle Pinnington,
Founder & Owner, Shoppercentric
Welcome to the new look edition of WindowOn, our specialist publication showcasing our latest trends research. The WindowOn series is based on original research by Shoppercentric, covering the trends that we know are important to the industry, but which are unlikely to warrant specific research spend by client companies. The retail market works at a furious pace, and at Shoppercentric we have seen how incredibly adaptable shoppers are, changing their behaviours far quicker than they do as consumers. So it’s vitally important that those of us supporting businesses in this sector are able to help them keep up to date with shopper trends. We hope you enjoy this latest edition. At the very least we’d like to think you’ll close the last page with some new thoughts on this subject that you can use in your business. Best wishes Danielle We are proud to lead the way in shopper insight. Our team has years of experience of putting the shopper perspective at the heart of a business.
2 If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, why do retail spaces targeting different genders look so similar? It doesn’t take Carrie Bradshaw or Gok Wan to tell you that men and women generally behave very differently when they shop. So why, then, do stores take a one size fits all approach?
Men are the “guided missiles” of the shopping world
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If the retail landscape is a battlefield, then men are the reconnaissance team, the strategists who identify their target and single-mindedly home in on it.
Technology isn’t the only answer to appealing to men in-store
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Too often technology is used in-store simply because it can be, rather than because it should be. Just because men tend to like technology doesn’t mean they will want it in-store.
Get the business finger on the male pulse
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Male shoppers are woefully neglected instore, despite the fact they account for half of the population. Retailers must pull their socks up if they are to entice this potentially lucrative group to buy.
Regular Features...
NEW
6 The BIG Picture An Experts Own View... 9 From the High Street... 11 12 Meet the Team...
www.shoppercentric.com
WindowOn... Issue 12, October 2011
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FEATURE
If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, why do retail spaces targeting different genders look so similar? It doesn’t take Carrie Bradshaw or Gok Wan to tell us that men and women behave very differently when they shop. Take a trip to the high street any Saturday and you’re bound to see gaggles of giggling girls shopping with their mates, happily browsing for hours and trying on different outfits before buying. By Susie Spencer
Men, however, are quite different shopping beasts, preferring to get in and out of a store with a purchase as quick as possible. Given these obvious differences, it’s astonishing that retail spaces don’t reflect these contrasting approaches in-store. What is perhaps more surprising is that men shop just as much as women: on average every 2-3 days. This underlines exactly how big a trick most stores are missing by focusing exclusively on the female shopper, assuming she buys for the men in her life. Another unexpected insight that our research throws up is that men actually get a lot of enjoyment out of shopping when they find a retail channel or store format that suits them. Our interviews show that men don’t hate shopping, but they hate the current shopping process because it is designed to appeal to women. As one male shopper told us: “I think men enjoy shopping more than is assumed, we just do it in a different way”. It seems the emotional high for men comes from the research and the end purchase, rather than the actual act of shopping, which they see as a
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means to an end. As Cynthia Nelms once said: “if men liked shopping, they’d call it research”. For men it’s about getting what they need with minimal effort. That in itself can provide an emotional reward. The problem is very few retail spaces are engaging these valuable male shoppers, leaving them to fend for themselves browsing the internet for their purchases instead (see page 4 for more on this). But don’t take it from us. Take it from male shoppers themselves who told us that:
Shops that are too crowded make me lose interest
Long queues hastily put me off making a purchase – I have better things to do with my time than stand in line at a retailer on a hot sunny day
I lose interest very fast
I don’t feel very inspired (by department stores)
If I can’t find what I’m looking for I leave it for another day
Men are focused shoppers, rather than ambling browsers. They want to cut through the clutter quickly to find their desired item.
What needs to change? Retailers need to take a fresh perspective on these well-worn gender stereotypes. For example: The insight:
The insight:
Men are focused shoppers, rather than ambling browsers. They want to cut through the clutter quickly to find their desired item.
Men don’t dither about decisions. They visit fewer stores than their female counterparts and are more likely to buy from the first store they visit.
What our research says:
What our research says:
l 49 percent of men agree that I only like
l Men visit fewer shops on a trip; 36% of men
to shop if I know what I’m going to buy, compared to 38 percent of women. For instance, one interviewee said: “I love shopping but must have a reason to go, often when prompted by my wife if she thinks I need some new clothes!” l 49 percent of men agree that Shopping for me
is about getting in and out, compared to only 32% of women.
visit 1-2 stores per shopping trip, compared to only 23% of women. l Men are more likely to buy from the first
shop they visit; 31% of men make a purchase in the first shop they visit, compared to only 23% of women. As one says: “Unlike women we don’t need to go to 20 stores to realise the thing we liked was in the first shop. We buy it in the first shop”.
What needs to change:
What needs to change:
Retailers and brands need to merchandise the menswear departments differently to women’s. They must ensure that the space is not crowded or full of rails crammed with products. Those retailers that make it easy for men to find what they want in a clean, spacious area with minimal fuss will win out.
Our research also suggests that men appear more likely to visit independent stores than women. Retailers could emulate this experience by delivering a more focused approach and more personal service. As men visit fewer stores than women, they arguably have a greater propensity to loyalty to particular stores, which retailers could encourage via CRM programmes.
WindowOn... Issue 12, October 2011
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FEATURE
Men are the “guided missiles” of the shopping world To many women shopping is a kind of therapy but, in contrast, men view it more like a battlefield. As numerous male interviewees told us, embarking on a shopping mission is like leaving their comfortable armchair trenches and making a run for it. By Kristen Davis
Men are the shopping strategists. They need a clear goal and they want to plan their trip precisely before they brave the high street to minimise failure. Again, it boils down to that common but true cliché that men prefer to focus on one task at a time, while women are famed for their multitasking minds. As one male shopper told us: “Men specialise more and follow through a particular interest with greater consequence”. But this focus can be a good thing for retailers because they are often willing to spend more if they find an item they want. As another male shopper says: “When I find something I like, I tend to buy multiples of it in a range of colours and stick with it”.
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So, how do men shop differently? A typical male shopper might undergo a thorough reconnaissance phase, followed by stocking up with ammunition in the form of store and product lists, customer reviews, discount codes and promotions. After this comes the single-minded assault with the objective to return home with a purchase in a given amount of time. Too formulaic? Not according to our guys; the ultimate proof of a good shopping trip is mission completion. However, too often it’s mission impossible and he’s turned off when he hits the high street, strewn with cluttered shops and many promotions clamouring for attention. That’s why the internet is increasingly the heartland of reconnaissance for the male shopper.
...After this comes the single-minded assault with the objective to return home with a purchase in a given amount of time. Online offers him calm, ordered, productled information and doesn’t ignore you or pester you on the shop floor. That’s why 54% of men browse the internet every couple of days compared to only 47% of women. One interviewee put the internet’s appeal like this: “I like the convenience and speed of online, to avoid the hustle and bustle of the high street”. Another told us: “Why go to the high street when I know it will all be identical to what’s online? You can shop in comfort with no sales staff to pressure you. Plus if you look around the internet you’re bound to find loads of free samples”. OK, but if online is the new black for men, how can retailers and brands appeal to them? Rather than a threat, online offers real opportunities for individual retailers to differentiate their approach to men. For instance, they can help men navigate their way through the product minefield, via a well designed website, to locate what they want. As well as ensuring their websites are clear and uncluttered, they can also leverage other tools which men are increasingly using as part of their reconnaissance phase, such as smartphones. While men say that there are limitations with current technology, such as slow connection speeds, they acknowledge the future potential of smartphones and tablets. As a couple of interviewees told us: “I can imagine smartphones enhancing the shopping experience, providing distraction and entertainment in the middle of a prolonged voyage” and “I have an iPhone and use it lots for researching products”.
Is the high street dead for men in the age of the internet? No. Our research reveals rich opportunities to lure male shoppers in-store, particularly for specialist items and products that require genuine product knowledge from sales assistants. This is in line with another trend we’ve identified through our research that men tend to prefer independent stores with a more focused offering. Men talk about using independent stores once a week on average, whereas women only use them once a fortnight. As our male interviewees told us: “I like to check out indie clothing shops in the city” and “when I’m looking for value I shop online. When I want or need to get to grips with a product, I shop in a store”. So, to put a spring back into male shoppers’ steps, rather than have them drag their feet reluctantly in-store, retailers need to develop creative ways to inject charm and individuality back into the high street. If they can’t do that, retailers will have to match the speed and convenience of the internet. As one male shopper warns: “It’s hard to see the high street continuing unless it finds a solution to speed, price and ease of the internet.”
WindowOn... Issue 12, October 2011
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thebigpicture By Madeline Temple, Consultant In case you missed all the press, Westfield Stratford City opened its doors last month on the 13th of September in London. This is Europe’s biggest shopping centre, combining an indoor mall, with outdoor shopping and eating in ‘The Street’. While the news stories covered the crowds and the latest store ‘must sees’, we decided to investigate Stratford through the lens of what men want when it comes to shopping. Give me light Yes, the largest part is an indoor mall. Fitting for a climate like London’s, but not so great when it comes to escaping from crowds in confined places. However, the architects did a wonderful job of using a glass ceiling over the main mall floors to flood the space with light. Suddenly it’s not so bad to be indoors. Inspire me Jaded men who feel there’s nothing new on the food scene should head straight to the Great Eastern Market for some food inspiration. There, Karaway Bakery, L’Orchidee, Umai, Royal Indian Delicacies, and El Cantara, among others, create a world of discovery and sensory delight that breaks free of the cookie cutter approach most often seen on the High Street. Don’t make me ask for directions It’s a long-standing joke that men won’t ask for directions when they’re lost. So what happens when they can’t find their car in a cavernous parking garage? Using the ‘Find my Car’ programme located both in the mall and on the Westfield Stratford City App, men can enter their license plate number and voila! Car found. Create a comfortable space for me Kudos to Westfield for creating cushy rest zones throughout the mall, where men can sit back and relax while their significant others shops to their heart’s content. Clearly there’s no denying that Westfield Stratford is a mall; but it is fair to say the developers and architects have tried to address many of the things men hate when it comes to shopping. And while it’s true that Westford Stratford is just as crowded as Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon, its amenities definitely beat the latter, especially on a rainy day.
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WindowOn... Issue 12, October 2011
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FEATURE
The bold move by Sainsbury’s to bring iPad docks into its Cromwell Road store is clearly hoping to ride on the back of another common gender cliché: that the boys are more gadget-mad and technology-savvy than the girls. By Danielle Pinnington
It seems that the supermarket is seeking to engage male shoppers more by adding this facility, which would allow men to avoid the drudgery of the weekly shop and tune into content, such as sports. But, while it may be largely true that men are more techie and sports-oriented than women, it doesn’t necessarily follow that men want to indulge these interests while in the supermarket.
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In fact, our conversations with men suggest that they struggle to assimilate the enjoyable “footie” mindset with the stresses of the grocery journey. One shopper said: “I want to spend less time in the supermarket not more”. Some men also said that they would feel a bit “sad” with an iPad strapped to their trolley. As one told us: “People would either think I was addicted to sport or trying to show off my precious new gadget. Frankly neither would go down well.” On top of these drawbacks, there is also the very practical issue of “trolley rage”, as engrossed viewers either stall the in-store flow or plough through a junction.
An Experts Own View Name: Tom Storr Job title: Senior Insight Manager Sector: Multi-Media Supplier We spoke to Tom Storr, a Senior Insight Manager about his experiences of shopping as a new dad.
Image courtesy of BSkyB
So, what would be our verdict at Shoppercentric? Well, we’d give Sainsbury’s a thumbs up for its willingness to innovate, but would question whether the retailer is using the right tool in the wrong place. While we’d commend the supermarket for thinking of the male shopper, we’d argue that men’s “grocery mode” is all about being focused, efficient and quick. We’d hazard a guess that for most the iPad would hinder, rather than help, this objective. The jury is still out, but we’d predict that the moral of this story is always to ask: “Are we using technology here for technology’s sake, or is there a clear benefit to consumers which enhances their shopping experience?” Nevertheless Sainsbury’s is on the right track in recognising the importance, particularly in these hard economic times, of appealing to male shoppers, not just female.
Bad customer service forced us out of the first shop. Considering how a pram is likely to be the most expensive item a new parent will buy, I was surprised that the first salesman we encountered was disinterested and had very little knowledge about the different products his store sold. One department store saleswoman really took us under her wing. On hearing we were shopping for our first child, she showed us around explaining precisely what we would need. I understand that it was mutually beneficial, but we really appreciated the time she spent with us. We definitely bought some things we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise, and spent rather more than we might have otherwise. We left with a good feeling about the store too. I like being able to get my hands on things, particularly when I have no experience of them and they cost a lot. I was immediately drawn to anything on display, as it meant I could have a play and work out whether it was what we wanted. Quality and service encourage me to shop on my local high street. I do a lot of shopping on line as it is easy and often cheap, but when I have a rapport with a local business or find a supplier I trust I definitely go out of my way to use them. Many local shops that spring to mind also have an online presence, so the internet and the high street aren’t mutually exclusive (even if it makes the high street a virtual destination).
WindowOn... Issue 12, October 2011
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FEATURE
Getting the business finger on the male pulse Now we’ve whetted your appetite and shown you the great potential targeting male shoppers can open up, here are some ideas about how to market to men: By Kristen Davis
Create a one-stop shop: if you have everything under one roof this reduces shopping time (vital to the focused male shopper) and will ensure you make their hit list of shops (which is much shorter than the average woman’s) to visit
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Smooth the journey: a multi-channel strategy is essential when targeting men. Your website and/or social media platform is a crucial part of the mix. Remember men like to streamline the shopping process as much as possible, so ensure information online helps them do this
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Apps are ammo: developing apps to enhance that research process might also be a good call. Men will want to check on the latest deals, get product news hot off the press and access customer reviews. Why not make this easy for them?
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Talk to men, not shoppers: as we’ve explored, communications tailored for men are sadly lacking. Start differentiating between how you talk to male and female shoppers, finding ways to reconnect with men rather than disconnect
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Have a point of difference on the high street: bear in mind that men favour crisp, clean, uncluttered retail spaces, as well as personalised service and local cataloguing.
But this is just the start. We have plenty more ideas where these came from. Hopefully these suggestions will serve as a good conversation-starter about how your company can better target men. After all, in these tough economic times, you can’t afford to ignore 50% of the market, can you?
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An Independent Retailer Perspective
A View from the High Street Iona Carter talks to Simone Maurri, owner of Shiny, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Simone, along with his wife Marnie, realised their dream of setting up Shiny, a boutique gift shop with a difference, in 2007 following Simone’s redundancy from his role as store manager at a high street chain. They offer their customers “cool, funky and fab things to make them happy”. Products are from manufacturers like Momiji Dolls, Karlsson Clocks and L’Attitude Enfant – a unique choice, providing a point of difference on an otherwise fairly typical market town high street.
All sounds pretty good, but I asked Simone how business has been going during the down turn. “Things certainly aren’t as good now as they were when we first opened”, he replied, “we are definitely feeling the impact. Footfall hasn’t dropped, but the average spend per trip has almost halved. We have a loyal customer base, and we’ve seen them becoming more cautious and savvy as time goes on” But, according to Simone, things didn’t get really difficult until the beginning of this year when the new government announced all the cuts. “Our first couple of years were really buoyant, when our customers were buying smaller luxuries to compensate for maybe not taking an expensive holiday. But more recently, we’ve heard customers saying they’re now cutting back on the smaller things so they can afford bigger treats like holidays… they’re fed up, and need cheering up! The latest cuts have made things even worse – they’re tightening their belts even more to prepare for harder times to come” At Shiny, offering a wider variety of gifts and increasing stock rotation around a core range
is the way forward – especially in the run up to Christmas. Having seen little benefit from traditional marketing and promotional activity – their response to the hard times is to create and maintain a ‘buzz’ around the shop and what it has to offer. Simone feels that whilst consumers can do little other than respond to the economic climate, local and national government should do more to support local businesses. All too often, local shops are closing down, and though this is sometimes precipitated by other factors e.g. bad location, the lack of support for small businesses is a real issue: “If Mary Portas does anything at all in her new role as government advisor for high street regeneration, I hope she persuades them that business rates and ratable values can’t keep going up. Income is coming down, whilst expenditure is going up – and that’s just not sustainable”. He goes on to say that local councils could do more to support the high street with smaller gestures e.g. offering free or half price parking days to attract more shoppers into the town centre. Shiny continues to trade on Bromsgrove High Street, a “shining example” of an excellent local business that has won many awards for its efforts. Shops such as this don’t just exist to populate the high street – they provide the much sought after differentiation shoppers are often seeking. I, for one, hope that Simone and Marnie’s plans to keep the business going are successful – birthdays just wouldn’t be birthdays without a Momiji Doll!! www.shiny-bromsgrove.co.uk
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meet the team... We are a small group of highly experienced shopper research experts and aim to lead the way in shopper insight. Between us we bring years (over 150!) of industry experience, gained both client side and within leading research agencies. We focus only on shopper research and are method neutral, using a bank of tools and techniques to uncover insights that are real and lead to tangible actions. Iona Carter
Director e: iona.carter@shoppercentric.com Iona has over twenty years of experience in shopper and retail research. She joined Shoppercentric in 2006 following several years leading shopper insight with Research International, most recently as Head of Retail and Shopper.
Sharon Hodgson
Director e: sharon.hodgson@shoppercentric.com Sharon’s career started at Ipsos where she was instrumental in establishing the agency’s first Retail division. She led the Retail & Shopper specialism there for 10 years, also heading Ipsos’s Shopper Centre of Excellence for Western Europe. She left her role as Managing Director of Retail & Shopper Research in 2009 to join Shoppercentric.
Kristen Davis
Director e: kristen.davis@shoppercentric.com Following several years as one of our Associates, Kristen joined us a permanent team member in 2010. She has significant experience in consumer trends and future thinking, including previous roles as a Trends Forecaster for Initiative Media and a Qualitative Director for Hall & Partners.
Alice Synge
Marketing & Operations e: alice.synge@shoppercentric.com Alice is the oil that keeps Shoppercentric moving! Her years of experience in support roles are invaluable to us, and her particular focus is on driving our industry presence and our focus on current hot topics.
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Penny Ericson
Director e: penny.ericson@shoppercentric.com Penny has extensive experience in brand & consumer, sports marketing /sponsorship and media research (agency & client). Previously Head of Retail at IPSOS, she is a full member of the Market Research Society and ESOMAR.
Danielle Pinnington
Founder & Owner e: danielle.pinnington@shoppercentric.com Danielle spent her first 12 years as a researcher specialising in the world of NPD, branding and sales volume estimation. She rose to the position of Deputy MD at Research International before joining Incite Marketing Planning as a Board Director. Here her specialisim in shopper began to develop. In 2004 she took the decision to break out of the generalist agency world and set up Shoppercentric – and she hasn’t looked back since.
Susie Spencer
Director e: susie.spencer@shoppercentric.com
Prior to joining Shoppercentric, Susie was Head of Research at Marks and Spencer and has over ten years of experience in shopper insight. She also has significant experience in brand and advertising research.
Louise Lear
Director e: louise.lear@shoppercentric.com After numerous roles with Research International, Louise went on to become a Director at TRBI (now Synovate). She has spent the last five years working as an Independent Researcher, including Associate work with Shoppercentric and continuing to specialise in retail and shopper research.
We lead the way in shopper research Shopper Insight... We work with the widest range of methodologies available; qualitative and quantitative, traditional and technological, pre-store and in-store. It’s our experience that allows us to pick the most appropriate methodologies to answer each brief. We work as interactively as possible with our clients, so regularly workshop our results with a wide client team to turn our insights into action streams. Whether the brief is about shopper behaviour or promotions strategies, fixture layout or range evaluations – our ambition is always to help our clients deliver bottom line growth.
Client Training... We design tailor made, interactive training sessions to deepen understanding of shopper insight. We use a variety of theory and practical exercises to really engage clients in how shoppers think right through the shopper journey. We explore a full breadth of key research techniques, where and how they are best used and how to best apply real shopper insight within the business.
Trends Research... We are proud to lead the way in Shopper Insight in the UK. We are continually conducting our own trends research on current industry related issues and are very happy to be able to share our findings and opinions at www.shoppercentric.com. We are also invited to speak at a number of leading industry conferences each year. If you have recently seen us at an event, you can download our speaker charts from the website too.
Please visit shoppercentric.com for the full story
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