FRAMEBUYER / RETAIL

The (Shopping) Battle of The Sexes

How do men and women shop and buy differently today? Here’s what you need to know about appealing to these very different customers in-store

BY BARBARA THAU

SPINE models SP7002 (on her) and SP5006 (on him) from REM Eyewear. Photography by Jurgen Reisch

Men are hunters, and women are gatherers. That’s the enduring shorthand used to describe the range of differences between the sexes based on our prehistoric ancestors’ division of labor.

And the metaphor extends to the contrasting ways the genders shop, experts say.

“Males tend to be fast, purposeful shoppers,” says Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of consumer behavior research firm Envirosell and author of “Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping.” “They shop [much] like they hunted: Walk in the door, shoot [buy] something, and drag it out very quickly.”

By contrast, women are wired to be gatherers, so when shopping, “they often get more pleasure from the act of looking,” he says.

But while the hunter-versus-gatherer theory is still useful in describing how men and women each navigate a retail store, that gender divide is narrowing, says Wendy Liebmann, CEO of consultancy WSL Strategic Retail.

While men have long been noted for their “mission-based shopping,” today, they browse almost at the same level as women. “They are sale shoppers like women, and are equally likely to say they will pay a little more to shop in stores they can get in and out of quickly,” says Liebmann.

Technology has had one equalizing impact on the purchasing patterns of the sexes, as both men and women have been swept up by the online shopping revolution.

“For the first time in human history, shopping is taking place any time, any place, and anywhere,” says Jim Dion, industrial psychologist and president/founder of retail consultancy Dionco. Indeed, digital devices, which have become extensions of our physical selves, are altering the psychology of all shoppers. “These ubiquitous devices that everybody is carrying called smart phones are rewiring people’s brains,” he says.

Here, experts break down the shopping styles of men and women. They deliver actionable insights on how retailers, including optical stores, can appeal to their unique differences—and similarities.

Appealing to Men

SHOW—AND TELL. As a general proposition, men respond to a more cerebral shopping environment that communicates via show-and-tell how things work. So while a stunning product display might woo a woman, men will respond more to a “features-and-benefits” story, Dion says. Women navigate a store via merchandise, but men are led by signage, Underhill says.

LIMIT CHOICE. When it comes to courting men, an edited product assortment is key. While the paradox of choice—the theory that too many product options overwhelm consumers—applies to all shoppers, it’s particularly true of men.

As men tend to shop faster and decide more quickly to make a purchase, offering too many choices is one of “the worst things you can do,” Dion says. “They’ll back off.”

When it comes to male-targeted retail displays, a good rule of thumb is three product options that emphasize one item, he says. A selection of five to seven products that highlights two items tends to be the right ratio for displays targeting women.

BE PRACTICAL. Overall, men tend to give weight to the functional, technical aspects of a product. “They need to have a lot of [practical] information, so if it’s a shirt, they want to know if they have to dry clean it or can throw it in the wash,” Dion says.

Electric car maker Tesla Motor’s mall stores, for example, play into the male psychology, he says. The upscale car company sells “toys for boys,” showcased in interactive mall stores. “You can touch it, play with it, the [store] visuals tell the story of the engine—it’s selling around explanation and teaching,” Dion says.

The store is designed for car enthusiasts, staffed with highly trained store associates who encourage shoppers to sit in the car and play. “It’s a very intellectual and logical sell,” Dion says. “That’s what men are looking for.”

Appealing to Women

BE EFFICIENT. Women, many of whom are time starved, also increasingly crave efficient shopping environments that shorten their store visits, Liebmann says.

That comes as little surprise, particularly among younger women, many of whom are out-earning their male counterparts, Dion noted.

TELL A STORY. However, when the shopping trip is “a moment for themselves, women want to smell it, touch it, hear it, be immersed in it,” Liebmann says. That’s especially true for fashion, beauty, and home goods.

Women respond to shopping experiences that tell a story, forge an emotional connection, and appeal to the senses, experts say.

“While male shoppers tend to be drawn to a ‘Just the facts, Ma’am,’ selling approach, women respond to high-quality lifestyle imagery and beautiful photography that puts [the merchandise story] into a lifestyle perspective,” Dion says.

ENGAGE THE SENSES. PIRCH, the home improvement chain that romances appliances in stunning, interactive lifestyle settings designed to stoke inspiration, is the model of a female-centric store.

PIRCH employs a full-time culinary team that whips up meals in a demonstration kitchen, dubbed “Savor.” Shoppers can also shower in closed-off rooms in the “Sanctuary” area. It all speaks to the female psychology, Dion says. “They engage all the senses.”

While men are largely unconscious of smell (something is either scent-free or it smells bad to them), scent can be a powerful sensory trigger for women, including a shopping trigger. So if something smells good, like coffee brewing, “they’re more likely to stay,” Underhill says.

GET SOCIAL. Women are also highly social and savvy shoppers. And scoring a deal is a point of pride for many of them, Dion says.

“Women will come better prepared,” Liebmann says. “They will have done their homework online, through friends, etc.”

Women’s social shopping nature means they value the opinions of their peers as well as arbiters of style. Hence, it behooves marketers to keep in step with merchandise worn or endorsed by pop-culture fashionistas and trendsetters, like the looks paraded on red carpets. They can be powerful purchasing incentives for women, Dion says.

And when it comes to online shopping, retailers would be wise to reach women on social networks like Pinterest, where product pages make for virtual “eye candy.”

BE KIND. Retailers should also be careful to make them look good during a pivotal part of the shopping journey: the fitting room.

Good lighting is a critical, yet inexpensive, way to induce female purchases. A woman who has walked into a dressing room with the wrong lighting “is less likely to fall in love with what [they] tried on,” Underhill says.

It’s a point to be noted by optical retailers. “A lot of eyewear decisions are made by looking in a mirror,” says Underhill. The right temperature lighting—typically warm is considered more flattering—can mean the difference between closing that sale or not.