Gone are the days of strolling endlessly or grabbing your favorite deal in fancy malls every weekend. With one click, you can now stroll virtually and secure your purchase from the comfort of your home. The way we shop has undoubtedly seen a change over the years. But has the outlook on man vs woman shopping style changed too? The question: do women shop more than men still lingers? Women have been labeled huge spenders for decades, but how much of this conception is true?
According to insights from Satista, 53.1% of men are the majority of e-commerce shoppers in the USA compared to around 47% of women shoppers.*1
Without a doubt, there are categories where consumer spending can be evenly distributed among the two genders, while in some areas men tend to splurge more than women and vice versa.
In this blog, I will explore the spending habits when it comes to shopping among the two genders.
Differences between man and woman shopping habits
Let’s have a closer look at what makes the man vs woman shopping route down to the purchase so different. According to a study by the Wharton School titled ‘Men Buy, Women Shop’2 , women highly value the overall shopping experience rather than the purchase. Women are more open and value social interactions with sales associates while shopping. Also, they tend to scan and scour through various options before choosing the best product.
On the contrary, the study states men are more focused throughout the shopping spree knowing exactly what they want to purchase. They are mainly not keen on help or viewing a bunch of options on the way to the purchase.
In the online world, women tend to browse through options, read various customer reviews, and look for sale events, discounts, and coupons. While a male shopper prefers pre-owned products, read through product descriptions and look out for the stand-out features. All in all, female shopping habits and male shopping behaviors have prominent differences.
Examining your beliefs on shopping and consumption
When it comes to the debate of how a man vs woman shopping pattern differs we cannot overlook the societal factors that influence their behaviors. Women are half of the global population. But what do women buy most? And why does this matter, especially for businesses? According to different studies tracking female consumer trends across the globe, women tend to spend more on certain areas than others like apparel, beauty, groceries, entertainment, and fitness. The constant bombardment of advertisements targeting women is not to be undermined. These advertisements are marketed to influence women to be in a loop of consumption. Rampant consumerism is then fueled by the fear of missing out on the next best deal. This outlook can snowball into overspending behaviors like impulse buying and hoarding up commodities you don’t need. The recent rise of social media’s influence plays a big role too. With new trends and buzzworthy deals swarming these platforms, one gets to vicariously experience what it would be like to own the product.
Women are often under pressure to fulfill a different set of societal expectations than those of men. There is this silent beauty standard an issue to women’s self-esteem, which the beauty industry more often than not uses to its advantage. This can often be seen in how beauty products and fast fashion are marketed where a product is in trend today but not tomorrow.
Also according to research by the Pew Research Center, 71% of women say they handle both chores: grocery shopping and meal preparation in a household living with their partner3. This ties into the societal expectation of women to be the primary caregiver in the household.
Just like that societal factors can influence one to fulfill their blazing wants which are disguised as urgent needs.
You can take a moment to reflect and examine what script you carry when it comes to consumption as a shopper.
- What is the main motive behind buying a product?
- What is the important characteristic you look for in the products you buy?
- Do you stick to one brand of product or are open to various options? Why?
- How does shopping as an activity make you feel?
- What triggers you to shop more during a shopping spree?
- Do you find it easy or difficult to stick to an itemized shopping list?
- Do you find yourself buying things on sale you don’t urgently need?
You can go ahead and even write the answers to the questions questions down on a page. By doing this simple exercise you’d be surprised by what comes up while you reflect on your spending habits.
How to have a holistic shopping routine and not overspend
1. Budgeting for your shopping spree
Consider building a targeted budget for when you go out shopping. You can do this by assigning a certain amount of money to essential and non-essential products. Your spending transactions can be tracked from your online banking apps, credit or debit card use, and your bank statements. This will help you make a note of where and how much money you are spending on things.
2. Sticking to a shopping list
We have had those moments when we go out to shop for one thing and return with a bunch of unnecessary things. Without an itemized shopping list you may buy more than you need. So, consider making a list of all the things you would like to buy before your shopping spree. This exercise can help you stick to a predetermined shopping list and decrease the chance of overspending on random purchases. Gloss over your list and check for items that you plan to purchase but don’t pressingly need. Cut back where you can. Creating such a list will give you a rough idea of how much money you need to allocate to a shopping spree.
3. Researching the product beforehand
Before deciding on buying a certain product you can carry out basic research to weigh its pros and cons, price ranges, and overall value. You can gather relevant insights from online retail listings, in-depth product reviews, and customer reviews to consider various user experiences and also consider the prices of the products through price-tracking websites
4. Identifying spending triggers
As humans, we are social creatures. So how does this tie into the man vs woman shopping debate? Irrespective of gender we want to be updated on the latest trends, crazes, and glamor. This noise created by big product launches, fast-selling items, and bumper sales evokes a feeling that everyone is getting their hands on the good stuff and you surely don’t want to miss out. This creates a Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) among the consumers where they may end up regretting not sweeping up a good steal deal.
Shopping as an activity can also be a source of instant gratification for buyers. This feel-good factor can keep the consumer in the loop of purchasing things that they can do without. Sales and discounts are used as bait by retailers to create this urgency to buy their products while sales last. It’s thus essential to take a moment to check in with yourself and identify what might be triggering you to buy more which helps to reclaim power over your impulses.
5. Consider alternative consumption options
In a time where fast-paced consumption has engulfed society, a lot of the waste generated by this consumption ends up in landfills. To cut back on this rampant consumption, we must employ alternative consumption methods that will not only decrease bulk purchases but also keep money in your pockets. You can achieve this by supporting local small businesses, shopping from thrift stores or flea markets, repurposing hands-me-down items and you can also try upcycling or recycling different products
6. Differentiating your wants and needs
In the traditional sense, a person’s needs are those that are essential for survival and sustaining life. While on the other hand, our wants can often be disguised as needs. Wants are desires that are often of the spur and one can do without. The goal however should not be in never fulfilling your wants, but rather striking a balance between your needs and wants. That’s why it’s essential to maintain a holistic outlook on how we indulge in our wants. We don’t want to be overshooting our budget and chasing our wants when we fall short of meeting our needs.
Even though the topic of man vs woman shopping may be popular for years to come, we can still strive to coexist as happy consumers. Despite societal conditioning and our own beliefs around shopping as men and women as consumers, shopping can be a joyful activity if we consciously try to be aware of our shopping habits and triggers. You don’t have to bear a huge hole in the pocket after every other purchase. By learning about what gets us to spend the way we do, we develop our financial discernment and hence make better decisions as we shop.
