Purchasing decisions, a battle of the sexes

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.— While agreeing on many factors, men and women still value different things when it comes to purchasing decisions.

According to a recent report from the NPD Group, when shoppers of both genders decide to purchase a consumer electronics product the most important thing to them is that the product be the same brand as something they already own. Men regard popularity of the product as their number two reason to purchase a CE product, while women want the product to work with what they already own.

Both men and women say having success with the brand before is the main reason for making an apparel purchase. After that, women regard style more highly, while men look for benefits and features.

When making an athletic footwear purchase, men and women both say "is your style" is the number one reason for buying. "Fit," "solutions," and "comfort" round out the top five reasons that women make an athletic footwear purchase. Men say "fit," "solutions," and "fun" are in their top five.

Both men and women shop for toys, but for different reasons. Women first think about whether it would be good for the child they are buying it for, while men are most often shopping for their personal collection. Women are more likely to look for value, while men want the latest technology.

Dee Warmath, SVP retail insights and global product development, The NPD Group, Inc., “In this analysis we see that while men and women share many of the same priorities when it comes to selecting brands, they differ in important ways and that represents opportunities for manufacturers who recognize and then leverage these unique requirements.”