Mister Myths - Deakin University

Men and shopping
Part 1: Exploring the ‘Mister Myths’
The Retail Acumen Series
By Stephen Ogden-Barnes (Retail Industry Fellow, Deakin University)
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Contents
Contents ...................................................................................................................... 1
About the author ......................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3
Myth or reality? ........................................................................................................... 3
Man, Woman, different ................................................................................................ 4
Mister Myths ................................................................................................................ 5
Myth-busted? ............................................................................................................ 16
Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 17
References ................................................................................................................ 18
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About the author
Steve Ogden-Barnes is Retail Industry Fellow at the Deakin University Graduate
School of Business. Following a diverse career in UK retailing, Steve moved to
Australia to specialise in retail education, industry engagement and research. Steve
has recently completed a PhD focusing on marketing decision-making and sales
promotion management in the Australian retail marketplace. In addition, he is
supporting the development of the new Graduate Certificate of Retail Management
at Deakin, due to be launched in 2012. Steve is a regular commentator on retail and
consumer issues, for the Australian Financial Review, The Age, The Australian, the
Herald Sun, BRW, ABC Radio and Today Tonight.
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Introduction
“Shopping makes men impotent”. (New India Times, July 5 th 2010). [1]
We’ve all seen them. We all know them. Half of us may even be them: men who hate
to go shopping. In recent years, the subject of men and shopping has become the
stuff of urban myth and legend: ‘Men aren’t good shopping’. ‘Men don’t like
shopping with their partners’. ‘Men are mission shoppers’. ‘Men are ‘hunter-gathers
at the mall’. ‘Men buy more from attractive assistants’. ‘Shopping is for girls’. ‘Men
won’t ask for help or directions in stores’. ‘Men experience stress when buying gifts
for partners at Christmas’. ‘Men hate shopping’. ‘Men are only happy in hardware
stores looking at tools’. The list of mainstream media revelations in relation to male
shopping appear endless and fuels the stereotype of the reluctant, hesitant - or
absent - male shopper. The debate centres inevitably on the differences between
males and females in relation to their shopping experiences, forming a rich source of
reference for script writers, editors, journalists, industry commentators, comedians
and bloggers. This paper, the first of two focusing on men and shopping explored the
myths and realities surrounding men and shoppers, to help retailers better
understand what could well be a significant and potentially underserved market
segment in the retail economy.
Myth or reality?
It’s easy to buy into the ‘men hate shopping’ story. A cursory look through the
popular press reveals a rich evidence base of reports, surveys and studies which
portray men as victims - rather than beneficiaries of - modern consumer culture.
Shopping for them means exposure to a bewildering world of suggestion, aspiration,
endless choice and impossible decision. It’s a world which is portrayed as somehow
beyond their powers of interpretation and comprehension, a world which has evolved
more quickly than they have and they just don’t fit in. The modern male is often
portrayed as being about as controlled, comfortable and confident shopping as a
caveman would be flying a space shuttle. One wrong turn in the department store
and you could find yourself in the lingerie department, which will cause inevitable
embarrassment. Over 20,000 items for sale in the average supermarket. One
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hundred and eighty different types of muesli available. How can a guy possibly
choose?
Figure 1: black or brown? Is less choice more appealing to male shoppers?
Man, Woman, different
It’s different for women course. Women love shopping. Women are compulsive
shoppers who turn a shopping trip into a social occasion, inviting friends, family (and
reluctant male partners) along for the ride. But is it myth or reality? Are men really
store-adverse? Are shopping centres really female domains in which men will always
feel isolated, alienated, uncomfortable or embarrassed? Is their place at home,
waiting outside in the car, or sitting outside the store, literally ‘on the bench’? Is
browsing somehow emasculating? Is shopping reluctantly with a spouse the final
descent into hen-pecked husband hell? Or do some retailers simply need to work
harder to increase their man-appeal, increasing both customer volumes and sales as
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a consequence? Firstly however, it’s important to separate myth from reality and
explore the so-called Mister Myths which may prevent retailers capitalising upon the
male dollar.
Mister Myths
Mister Myth #1: Men hate shopping
“Not all men hate shopping. Most men enjoy shopping, what they do not like is
having to wait while their wife or girlfriend takes forever to decide what they are
going to buy. Men can shop fast. They usually know what they want, find it and buy
it. They do not need to go through a lot of items to decide what is best looking. Men
do not like to wait. They do like to shop”.
Source: www.answers.com. [2]
“Men don't hate shopping, they just shop for different things. Have you ever had to
wade through acres of tractors, with a man who has no intention of buying? Have
you visited every lawn and garden store in a hundred mile radius, looking for that
perfect grill? I have, with several farmers”.
Source: www.hubpages.com. [3]
Not all men hate shopping, any more than all women love shopping. The ‘men hate
shopping’ Mister-Myth seems readily to be readily accepted as a cornerstone of the
male-female consumer relationship. Tales abound of reluctant men being dragged
around shops against their will, oblivious to the benefit of the experience, with the
man-crèche emerging again as a popular solution. As one homewares retailer who
opened a man-crèche in the UK noted:
"It's well known that men's shopping patience threshold is perhaps a tenth of that of
women, so we've decided to help avoid domestic disputes by the duvets and battles
in the bathroom, by giving them an area for a break."
Source: Manchester Evening News. [4]
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Figure 2: A typical male shopper sitting it out?
However, men can be big, big spenders. Take Metrosexuals. The personal care
market for males has grown exponentially in recent years. In 2005 for example,
L’Oreal reported that men’s skincare was its fastest growing sector. L’Oreal’s Diesel
brand, launched in 2009 quickly achieved market leading status in the UK, and
became the no. 4 brand in the US [5]. This proves perhaps that new product
development isn’t entirely wasted on men, and as we’ll discover later may actually be
most effective when directed towards men. The company reports that the market for
men’s cosmetics is growing three times faster than the global average, with Asia-
Pacific accounting for 51% of the market. In Japan, sales of men’s cosmetics grew
17% in 2008. Euromonitor forecast that the worldwide sales of men’s personal care
products will grow 12 percent to $29.3 billion between 2008 and 2013, with demand
strongest in the emergent retail economies of China and Brazil [6]. Leading global
fashion retailer Zara hasn’t left men out of the shopping equation, introducing men’s
ranges alongside its core female offer in 2007. The global market for luxury watches
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- traditionally a male dominated ‘trophy’ sector has surged in recent years, most
notable in Asia-Pacific and with strong potential market reported in India.
Figure 3: Luxury watches offer strong man appeal in India
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Gay men like to shop it seems. In the UK, it is estimated that the ‘pink pound’ is
worth £6bn per year, and in the US in 2006 the value of the pink dollar was
estimated to be worth US$641 billion [7]. The common view seems to be that gay
couples, being often childless, are more affluent that their straight counterparts, more
fashion and appearance conscious and are therefore an attractive and distinct
market segment.
Anyway, if there’s no one to do the shopping for you, what choice do you have? Men
are marrying later in life, and divorce is more commonplace. That could mean that a
lot more men are having to shop for themselves as their relationship status changes.
That isn’t to suggest that shopping is done for men by wives but not by girlfriends,
but more ‘single-time’ means more shopping time. Men may not love it, but they
have to do it, and every time you get divorced, there’s more stuff to buy!
Figure 4: An ironic online offer? www.menhateshopping.com
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Mister Myth #3: Men hate shopping because they’re hunter-gathers
Homo Saipan has engaged in hunter-gather activities for over 200,000 years,
although admittedly hunting is less of a feature of your average guy’s day than it
used to be. But what images and mindsets and stereotypes does the term ‘hunter-
gather’ actually convey? The steely-eyed male predator going in for the big kill? The
decisive pounce? The fatal blow? The ritual of the hunt? The triumphant return to
camp, bringing meat to the family table? The women of the village preparing the
catch, and collecting produce close to camp? In relation to retail, the hunter-gather
distinction is used seemingly to explain both the lack of patience men demonstrate in
relation to shopping and their general disdain for the activity in particular, almost as if
it’s somehow beneath them - it’s a bit like asking a Maasai warrior to stay at home
and learn knitting. Consider these justifications for example:
“As shoppers made their last minute dash for Christmas gifts yesterday, a study has
revealed men and women display a "hunter-gatherer" mentality towards shopping.
Men are happy to leave shopping to the last minute because they see the exercise
as a hunter might have done - leaving the kill to the last minute to make sure the
meat didn't go off. Women behave like gatherers by preparing ahead of time”.
Source: Daily Telegraph (Aus) 24/12/2009. [8]
“The idea that men hate shopping while women love it is probably the most
defensible among all gender stereotypes. Economics would be very different if Adam
Smith had been Eve Smith. Male-driven economics is largely about the stuff the
seller wants, money. This is by definition as featureless and abstract as possible. On
the buying side though, there is a great deal of complexity, variety, and delight in
leisurely and nuanced selection”.
Source: www.ribbonfarm.com, 28/05/2009. [9]
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This theory has also attracted significant academic interest and support. Consider
these observations from researchers at Brunel Business School:
“Female ‘gathering’ involves searching, comparing alternatives, finding the best
value and taking pride in shopping. Shopping is seen as a satisfying activity in
itself...men, on the other hand, see shopping as a mission, going straight for what
they want in a purposeful way. The focus is on speed, often achieved by going for
familiar brands or stores. Men’s emotional response to shopping comes at the ‘kill’ –
the moment of purchase, when their heart rate actually quickens”.
Source: Brunel University press release, 2005. [10]
So despite the fact that the hunter-gather lifestyle has been on the decline in western
societies for the last 10,000 years - since the start of the Neolithic period - the Mister
Myth here is that men are still hunters and women gathers and that’s just the way it
is. This apparently explains why men don’t like shopping, and why women do. But
stop for a minute and think about what it means to be a hunter. For a start you need
patience, and lots of it. You also needed a clear plan and a flexible strategy. You
needed to know when to strike, and when to wait. You need to be adaptive, and
review your objectives as opportunities present themselves. You need to be alert to
nature’s ‘specials’ and ‘promotions’ that come your way and quickly decide if one
bison is better value than two gazelles. You need to consider transport and logistics -
getting there and getting back with your bounty. You need to know when to run and
when to rest. And you needed both skills and specialist tools to succeed.
When we consider the Hunter-Gather argument this way it’s apparent that men
should in fact be better at shopping than women. Much better. So why does the
Hunter-Gather myth endure, and why is hunting portrayed as the antithesis of
shopping? The key differences may be to be that firstly, hunting was often a group or
social undertaking. Successful hunting tales were often shared with fellow hunters
and social rituals of celebration and achievement evolved over time. Secondly,
hunters were seldom accompanied by their wives or partners. For men, is shopping
too safe, solitary and soulless? Does the shopping experience need re-inventing and
rebranding for men?
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Figure 5: Does male shopping need a brand makeover?
Mister Myth #3: men hate shopping with their partners
As discussed, men are commonly perceived to be reluctant shopping companions,
following their partners around on shopping trips against their will and desperate to
escape. Surely not? After all, this is quality time spent with your significant other.
This myth has its origins once again in the mission shopper vs. leisure shopper /
Hunter-Gather divide. Men are efficient shoppers, who centre on their goal and go
for it. Men are less concerned about securing the lowest price and more concerned
about speed of transaction. For men, extended shopping exercises can imply
indecision, hesitancy and time wasting. Making a quick choice is preferable to
considering every facet of the optimal choice. Men don’t need to see it again. They
don’t need to try it on again. They don’t need to make sure. Therefore men believe
they can shop more quickly than women, and are frustrated by what they perceive as
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an unnecessarily prolonged shopping trip. Consider this description of shopping with
a partner from a male US blogger:
“Recently, I went with my wife to the grocery store. I had planned to go by myself,
but she suggested that she and our son tag along. Yeah, our lives are so boring that
shopping is a big event. Chalk that up to having a) a toddler and b) no money. So my
quick trip to pick up some groceries was now a family event. Rather than walking
down the aisles at a quick clip, grabbing only what we need, we were meandering at
a leisurely pace, like tourists taking in the beauty of Prague. The simple task of
picking out a can of soup became an investigation into the ingredients on each can,
a comparative breakdown of the price per ounce and a methodical consideration of
what the prices were at other stores. My wife is looking at products as if she’d never
been in a grocery store before. It’s soup. You either know what you want or you
don’t!”
Source: www.bloggerdad.com. [11]
In addition, a review of popular forums discussing the causes of relationship
problems and marriage breakdowns reveals that money and financial problems
frequently appear at the top of the list. What causes money problems for most
couples? Overspending, poor budgeting and undisciplined credit card usage. With
many households reportedly experiencing financial strain post GFC, spending and
shopping habits can be a sensitive subject.
For these reasons, this Myth is perhaps more substantiated. Divorce rates are
reaching alarming heights in many countries. In the US, nearly 50% of marriages
end in divorce. In Australia and Japan it is reported at 30% and in Singapore 10%.
As identified, money and spending are key reasons why relationships break down.
Men may not hate shopping with their partners because of the Hunter-Gather role -
they may just simply not like spending time with them in an activity which may
actually generate relationship tensions and stresses rather than relieve them.
Anyway, for the 60% of men who are reported to have had affairs, letting your
partner go to the shops by herself gives you at least an hour of free time.
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Mister Myth #4: Men aren’t any good at shopping
Research has revealed that men experience little or no stress when shopping for
themselves, but significant stress when shopping for other people. In this situation,
as one researcher observed:
"In some cases we saw blood pressure that you might associate with a combat pilot
flying into action or a riot police officer facing an angry mob. It was not a pleasant
experience. It was a kind of shopping nightmare, a day in hell so far as they were
concerned."
Source CBC News. [12]
There’s no shortage of popular comment portraying men as poor shoppers. They get
overwhelmed by choice, confused by store directions, disorientated by loud music
and feel bullied by overenthusiastic sales staff. To make matters worse, they often
leave their shopping until too late and cause themselves further stress by struggling
with last minute shopping at key times like Christmas. In the UK, Selfridges
anticipates that 80% of last minute gift shoppers visiting the store will be men,
desperate for last minute inspiration and running out of time. Many will buy an
inappropriate gift, or pick up the wrong size, creating havoc for the staff at the returns
desk on Boxing Day. When men are sent to the supermarket, they’ll a) forget
something; b) buy the wrong thing; c) buy the right thing but the wrong brand (“well
it’s all the same just different packaging isn’t it?”); d) call home from the store to seek
clarification (“I’m stood in front of the washing powder now - is it the blue pack or the
red one?). When men go to the hardware store for a pack of nails, they return (four
hours later) with a ride on mower and they forgot the nails. Men don’t know what size
their partners or their kids clothing sizes are. For men, shopping isn’t a relaxing
pastime, rich with anticipation and social opportunity. Instead, it’s a stress-laden
mission, conducted sole behind enemy lines.
However, more and more men are doing household shopping, as family situations
change and evidence suggests they are growing into both positive and productive
shoppers. Diverse research from the US revealed that male luxury consumers spent
one third more than their female counterparts on luxury clothes. Men also reportedly
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eturn half the amount of clothes that women do. When online, men are more
decisive shoppers, concluding their purchases in a third of the time taken by women
[13]. Men conduct more research online before purchasing [14]. Women may visit
more websites, but men purchase more as a result of their visits [15]. Further
research has revealed that married men who bear more responsibility for household
shopping actually enjoy the supermarket visit more than if their wife is the primary
grocery shopper. (In this case however, having greater responsibility for personal
clothes did not appear to equate to greater shopping enjoyment [16]). Finally, men
have been found to be more price-knowledgeable than women [17].
This Mister-Myth still enjoys popular support, but closer inspection reveals that the
tide may be turning, and men may be evolving into accomplished and effective
shoppers, both in-store and online albeit in need of motivation, inspiration and some
retailer TLC.
Mister Myth#5: Men are too busy to go shopping
“The average time Canadians spent on leisure in 2005 was 5.5 hours per day.
Between 1998 and 2005, daily average leisure time decreased. In 2005, men spent
more time than women on leisure pursuits. Men spent on average 5.7 hours per day
whereas women spent about 5.3 hours per day”
Source : Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website. [18]
“....men and women in Canada currently spend about the same amount of time per
day on total paid and unpaid work activities. In 2005, for example, women aged 25 to
54 spent 8.7 hours per day on all work activities, while the figure was 8.8 hours per
day for their male counterparts”
Source: Statistics Canada website. [19]
Everyone is time poor. We’re all working longer hours, working harder, finding less
time for rest and relaxation and experiencing greater challenges in balancing the
demands of work life, social life and family life. Something has got to give and
sometimes we need to ‘divide and conquer’ to get things done, or not do certain
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things at all. Or so we’re told. But are we right in thinking that men are just too busy
to go shopping? Are men busier than women, and is that why they apparently leave
their purchasing until the last minute, or avoid the journey to the shopping mall all
together?
In the US it is reported that work pressures are increasing, with the average worker
spending 4.5 hours each week doing additional work from home on top of their 9.5
hour average workday [20]. In Ireland however, research has revealed that although
men spend one on average one hour longer in paid employment or study than
women, women do twice as much housework and have 1.5 hour less leisure time at
the weekend. [21]. Irish men enjoy 6 hours free time per day, while Irish women have
only 5 hours 17 minutes.
In China, the average working week has reportedly decreased in line with a global
trend noted by the International Labour organisation. In Hong Kong, the working
week and the amount of unpaid overtime worked has decreased in recent years as a
result of increased economic prosperity [22].
In Australia, men and women spend the same amount of time on paid and unpaid
work, although women do more unpaid work than men [23]. The average working
week (paid and unpaid work) increased by 2 hours between 1997 and 2008, but this
hasn’t stopped Australians - male and female - from finding nearly seven hours a
month to spend on social network sites, a trend reflected globally [24]. Women
however reportedly spend more time on social network sites than men.
In the UK, men and women spend about the same amount of time in paid and
unpaid work, but men spend more time in leisure activities (i.e. watching TV and
participating in hobbies and sports [25].
In relation to this Mister-Myth, it can be argued that men are not necessity busier
than women, and in fact in some countries may actually be less busy. With the
average shopping mall trip estimated to take 1.5 hours it appears that both men and
women, although busy and often multi-tasking can find the time to shop, and for
men, it might even be easier, if suitably motivated.
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Myth-busted?
As highlighted, there’s no shortage of popular comment and observation in relation
to men’s adversity to shopping. However, as with all myths, although they may be
based in truth these Mister-Myths may not actually be true and will not certainly not
be true for everyone. Many men may not love shopping as much as women and
older men in particular may find it less enjoyable than their younger counterparts.
However, do these Mister-Myths, perpetuated as they are in popular culture and
media provide a stereotype which men feel compelled to endorse, and which women
come to expect? Has a self-fulfilling prophesy developed provided a convenient
excuse for men to opt out of mainstream retail engagement, and pursue other
pastimes and interests instead? Do retailers and property developers actually
worsen this perception by buying into the stereotype of the shopping adverse male
and creating female-centric shopping experiences in what should be unisex spaces?
Are marketers missing an opportunity to engage men in mainstream retail activity,
losing market share and a key demographic population as a consequence?
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Conclusion
“Women appear to find satisfaction or pleasure in shopping far more than men, while
men have significantly more disdain for shopping than do women. While the
shopping gender gap may constitute a complicating factor for consumer marketers, it
would be better to recognise the gender differences and accommodate them than to
remain ignorant of them, operating under a set of false assumptions regarding the
diminishment of sex roles and gender differences”.
Source: Gender effects on Internet, catalogue and store shopping. [26]
Faced with shrinking consumer demand, and increasing competitive pressures
retailers need to review the assumptions they make about consumers, and consider
how to better attract and connect with specific market segments. In the age of
customer-centricity, multi-channel engagement and shopper marketing intelligence,
there are powerful sources of information about the priorities and preferences of
specific consumer groups. However, its important not to let pre-conceptions block
the road to opportunity when determining market potential. By understanding and
accommodating diverse shopper mindsets, retailers are able to optimise both
visitation, transaction performance and customer loyalty. This paper has revealed
that some of the ‘Mister Myths’ may be at least partially unfounded, paving the way
for retailers and shopping centre operators to include, not ignore male shopper
potential. By leveraging the key differences identified in the next white paper, there is
also potential for both niche and mass retailers to tap into the buying potential which
others may have overlooked by tailoring marketing, merchandising and service
provision in engaging retail environments, both physical and online.
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References
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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_men_hate_shopping.
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Available from: http://www.bloggerdad.com/men-are-better-shoppers/.
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Contact
Steve Ogden-Barnes
Retail Industry Fellow
Deakin University Graduate School of Business
Faculty of Business and Law
221 Burwood Highway
Burwood Vic 3125
Tel: +61 3 9244 5021
Mob: 0458 321 008
Email: s.ogden-barnes@deakin.edu.au
Website: www.deakin.edu.au/buslaw/gsb/retail