It’s high time that someone unraveled one of the mysteries of modern life: How do men really shop?
Luckily, two women have made a good start–Mary Ann McGrath, marketing professor at Loyola University Chicago, and Cele Otnes, associate professor of marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
After years of studying male shopping behavior, the two academics have debunked several stereotypes about men in retail settings. One is that men feel shopping is an emasculating activity, leading them to avoid it. Some do, McGrath says, but others find shopping an empowering experience.
Another stereotype is that men “grab and go,” snatching up anything–however inappropriate–to get the heck out of the store. In fact, many men extensively research their purchases before they hit the mall, so that they can quickly find what they want. In reality, many men are meticulous shoppers.
So how do men shop? They shop to win.
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“We found there was a uniquely masculine shopping style related to men being more competitive than women,” McGrath says. “We took it as consistent with general male behavior.”
And what constitutes winning? If they get the best price, find a rare object or scoop up the last DVD player, leaving their fellow shoppers bereft of the latest technology, McGrath says.
Gurnee Mills, where McGrath and Otnes did some of their research in the 1990s, is trying to make use of their observations.
To help men with Valentine’s Day shopping, Gurnee Mills has added a “Shop Like a Man” feature to its Web site (www.gurneemillsmall.com). With a mouse click, befuddled male shoppers can pick the nature of their relationship–just started dating; going steady; married forever–to receive a suggested list of gifts at specific stores.
Then all the men have to do is stage a guerrilla raid to pick up the goodies, Gurnee Mills says.
Provided the designated sweetheart approves of the choice, of course.
Heart healthy: Americans may be watching their pennies these days, but that doesn’t mean they plan to stint on Valentine’s Day gifts, a recent survey shows.
In spite of the recession, Americans expect to spend an average of $94.50 per household, up 12 percent from the $84.20 spent last year.
Still, one-third plan to stretch their hearts-and-flowers budget by shopping at discount stores, according to the International Mass Retail Association, which commissioned the survey. Only 18 percent are headed to specialty stores, while even fewer, 13 percent, plan to shop at traditional department stores.
Here are some Valentine’s Day facts to mull over while you’re eating those Trinidads from Fannie May. Consumers spent an estimated $1.05 billion on Valentine’s Day candy last year, making it the fourth most popular holiday for candy sales behind Halloween, Easter and Christmas.
But Feb. 14 is the second-largest greeting card holiday after Christmas. Not counting those packaged valentines exchanged by schoolmates, about 163 million cards are exchanged.
So if you want your valentine to arrive on time, mail it today.
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