Survey: Men to out-shop women online, possibly spend more in 2025
A new survey reveals how men and women will shop online in 2025.
A notable 33% of men plan to increase their online shopping activity in 2025, compared to only 26% of women, according to AI-powered marketing platform Wunderkind’s new Consumer Insights Report 2025.
Thirteen percent of women say they are more likely to reduce their online shopping in the year ahead, but only 7% of men say they will do so. Further driving this uptick in online shopping are younger generations, with 32% of millennials and 31% of Gen Z poised to shop more online in the new year.
Men (48%) and women (45%) shop online two to three times weekly at similar rates. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of consumers primarily shop for themselves, with Gen Z (72%), millennials (67%) and men (69%) doing so the most, compared to 62% of women.
While fashion remains a top product category for e-commerce across the board with 60% of consumers purchasing clothes online, nearly half of men (49%) over-index specifically on electronics, compared to only 17% for women. Online marketplaces like Amazon and Temu are the top source of online shopping with 53% of all consumers, and their preference is particularly strong among men at 56%. Big-box retailers like Walmart and Target resonate more with women at 40%.
[READ MORE: Survey: Shoppers like Temu’s discounts, but trust Amazon]
Wunderkind’s survey found that men are more likely to prioritize "best price" as a deciding factor (39% vs. 30% of women) when buying online, reflecting their emphasis on value-driven purchases. Men also show higher responsiveness to social media advertisements (34% vs. 22% of women), showing a stronger inclination towards digital ad influence. However, men are less motivated by visual and storytelling content than women, with less than half as many men citing it as a motivator than women.
“This report isn’t just about identifying who is shopping more, it’s about understanding why and how to reach them,” said Tim Glomb, VP of digital, content and AI at Wunderkind. “By leveraging these insights, brands can fine-tune their offers and messaging to align with consumer preferences, ensuring higher engagement and conversion rates. One-size-fits-all marketing is a thing of the past. This report gives brands the insights they need to tailor their approach by demographic, from emphasizing price sensitivity for men, to leveraging social media influence, or ensuring that high-value shoppers receive hyper-personalized experiences.”
Wunderkind’s report was conducted with MX8 Labs and included a representative sample of over 500 consumers reflecting diversity across gender, ethnicity, age, and household income. It was conducted in December of 2024.
