Women love shopping; men hate it. This is the stereotype everyone has grown accustomed to but looking at the numbers paints a different picture. With the growing popularity of online shopping, a recent NPR/Marist poll shows that men can just be as avid as women when it comes to buying their favorite items online.
Of interest is shopping for big-ticket items that cost upwards of $1,000. According to the survey, men are twice as likely to purchase these expensive products than women. It’s a reflection of how digital commerce has evolved over the years. Although online shopping has been available since the early days of the Web, consumers are now more confident than ever when buying online, showing little hesitation in sharing credit card information and other personal details.
Different Gender,
Different Buying Habits
While the poll shows that men have fewer qualms about buying expensive products online than women, it also shows that women still buy more products that cost less than $1,000. This aligns with the stereotype that shopping is predominantly a thing for women. But the fact that an increasing number of men is embracing online shopping highlights the difference in buying habits between the two genders.
For men, speed and convenience are the two critical factors that compel them to shop online. They go to the store quickly, sift through the products they want, and look it up online in search for a better deal. The research shows that they’re less interested in scouring several shelves stacked with clothing and more interested in browsing a digital catalog.
This is the total opposite of the way most women shop. They go from one store to the next in search for a bargain. They do their comparison shopping at the mall to feel the texture of the fabric or see what the product really looks like before shelling out money. But men are just as thrifty when it comes to finding ways to save money. After they find the pair of shoes they want, they’re likely to go online and use a Nike discount code to keep more money in their pockets.
Men Want to Maintain
their Masculine Identity
A study published in the Journal of Consumer Behavior shows that men and women exhibit shopping behavior traditionally associated with their gender stereotype. Men are conscious about their appearance, especially the younger generation. But even though they shop with more urgency, they do so in a way that maintains their traditional masculine identity.
Of course, other factors also explain why men shop more expensive items online than women. On average, men earn 23% more than women in terms of weekly earnings. Deeper pockets mean more buying power.
Many men also consider online shopping to be safer. There’s always the risk of cyberhacking and identity theft, but e-commerce platforms these days have tightened up their security measures to protect their buyers. Additionally, more and more popular brands, particularly in the fashion industry, now offer digital catalogs to provide easy access to their consumers, allowing them to make a purchase without stepping foot in their brick-and-mortar school.