"This evolution in men’s shopping habits can be credited to the changes in their behavior. Men now seek novelty in their clothes. Also, they now themselves prefer to shop for their clothes rather than asking woman to do so. Today, male shoppers are more inclined to buy clothes that go beyond mere practical purchases. Social media is driving their interest in fashion especially amongst the younger consumers. Cockpit USA, known for its military-inspired outerwear, gets a lot of people coming in from social media."

Move over Eve, its Adam’s time now. Even as women’s fashion continue to garner bulk of attention, stores and brands are paying more attention to men’s fashion. First Insight recently conducted a study to identify the differences between male and female shoppers, and see how their purchasing patterns have changed, particularly over the past year. Its report, ‘The Rise of the New Male Power Shopper’, found men are shopping more than women both online and in stores.

Men’s shopping dominated by offline stores

The report states men’s online purchases this year increased from 38 to 41 per cent. They are shopping mainly at traditional retailers. So, 25 per cent of men are reporting shopping six or more times a month in the traditional retail channels, like Kohl’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, etc, compared to only 15 per cent women shopping at these channels six or more times a month.

As per Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor survey, over two-thirds of all men shop online just as often or more as in past years. This compares to 62 per cent women who shop as much or more. Additionally, 46 per cent men shop in malls just as often or more as they have in past years which is markedly more than women, where 39 per cent shop as much and 13 per cent shop more.

The findings by Monitor research also indicate male shoppers shop in chain stores as often or more than women. The trend also holds for specialty stores. However, women shopped as much or more than men at mass merchants and off-price stores.

Social media drives change

This evolution in men’s shopping habits can be credited to the changes in their behavior. Men now seek novelty in their clothes. Also, they now themselves prefer to shop for their clothes rather than asking woman to do so. Today, male shoppers are more inclined to buy clothes that go beyond mere practical purchases. Social media is driving their interest in fashion especially amongst the younger consumers. Cockpit USA, known for its military-inspired outerwear, gets a lot of people coming in from social media.

Technology makes shopping easy

Besides catering to men both online and in-store, First Insight found voice command devices can help sell products to men who are technology-centric. Nearly half of all male respondents (47 per cent) report owning a smart speaker like Amazon Echo/Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomePod. This marks a 113 percent increase from last year (22 percent). By comparison, only 36 percent of women reported currently owning a smart speaker.

The Monitor research shows 43 per cent men used a digital assistant to order products, versus 35 per cent women. Additionally, more men than women use apparel brand and retailer apps on their smartphones or computers to shop for clothes. As more men leverage these technologies and online tools to find the best prices, it’s time to stop looking at fashion as a female-dominated activity.