Are men the same as women when it comes to shopping?

San Diego – Contrary to popular wisdom that women desire a highly interactive shopping experience while men just want to be left alone, the two genders may actually have some similar retail preferences.



According to Interactions Marketing’s latest Retail Perceptions report, “Does Gender Influence Shopping Behavior?” men and women’s shopping behaviors have many similarities.



For example, within the store, the impact that associates have on shoppers is nearly identical for both genders. Fifty-six percent of women and 60% of men would prefer to communicate with a retailer through a store associate rather than with a mobile device. That said, 80% of women and 77% of men who download retailer apps use them while they shop in the store.



In addition, 44% of men feel that receiving mobile alerts from the store they are in during shopping trips would improve their in-store experience – this number drops slightly to 39% for women.



However, from technology to timing, male and female shoppers do showcase some notable differences. According to the report, 44% of men who use mobile wallets have left a retailer without making a purchase because the retailer did not accept that payment option, while only 34% of women have done the same. For online shoppers, nearly 10% of men shop through a retailer’s app, while only 2% of women do the same.



Today’s male shoppers will try competing brands for products they like, sign up for retailer apps, read all product information before purchasing, and sign up for loyalty cards more than women. On the other hand, more female shoppers will make an impulse purchase, invite others to shop with them and shop for leisure.



And although many products are marketed specifically toward men or women, 46% of women purchase products marketed toward the opposite gender for their own use – while only 25% of men do so.