The "New"
Male Shopper
Whether stocking more guy-friendly foods or even creating
an entire "man isle," retailers are looking at ways to reach
the expanding group of male shoppers.
BY JULIE BESONEN
S
everal recent studies have found that the number
of men saying they're the primary grocery shopper
in the household has increased. An ESPN report
says the figure has doubled, from 14 percent in 1985
to 31 percent in 2011. BPN, a global media agency,
put the number at 40 percent for a 2013 trend report.
Meanwhile, a Yahoo survey last year claimed 51 percent
of men were steering the shopping carts. Taking into
account a margin of error and perhaps some overestimation (other studies show women claiming to do 85 to 93
percent of the food shopping), the movement is still intriguing. And understanding how to tap into these shoppers,
whatever the percentage, makes sense for retailers and
manufacturers alike.
Reaching the Male Shopper
Marketers appear to be at a crossroads as to how to tap into
the male demographic, with strategies like "man aisles" in the
supermarket, male-targeted products such as ManTeas (in such
flavors as chocolate bacon black tea) or cupcakes frosted with
camouflage icing. Playing into a stereotypical idea of what is
masculine might have appeal for some shoppers, but for men
PHOTOS: BIGSTOCK
MARCH 2013
21
