Introducing the male ‘power shopper’

Male shoppers are starting to come out of their shells, and many of them are doing price checks on Amazon, according to a new study.

The report, The Arrival of the New Male Power Shopper, by First Insight, Inc., a global technology company, shows that 53 percent of men reported shopping on Amazon six or more times a month, compared to only 45 percent of female respondents. Further, 60 percent of men (versus 52 percent of women) say that their Amazon purchases have increased in the last year.

“We are seeing a significant shift in shopping behavior by men, which is shattering many age-old gender stereotypes. Men are now shopping more and increasing the frequency of their online and in-store purchases across the board, which is also beginning to outpace women in many categories,” said Greg Petro, CEO of First Insight. “It’s clear that as we head into 2019, every retailer needs to shrug off the misperception that shopping is a female-dominated activity, particularly as more men leverage the latest technologies and online tools to find the best prices.”

More than two thirds of male respondents said they do price comparisons on Amazon before pulling out their wallets, up 15 percentage points from the prior year’s survey.

The data reflected a similar trend across traditional retail categories, as 25 percent of men versus only 15 percent of women reported shopping six or more times a month at mass department stores like Kohl’s or JC Penney. Luxury stores like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, and Prada saw 19 percent of men versus 5 percent of women shopping six or more times a month. Similarly, 41 percent of men surveyed reported shopping at Walmart six or more times a month, versus just 35 percent of women.

To read the First Insight survey results, click here.