The New Male Shopper

Study shows that males make up 43% of shoppers, preferring convenience and efficiency above all.

February 17, 2015

SEATTLE – A new study on Americans’ food shopping habits is pointing to several interesting trends, particularly the growing number of men doing the food shopping. According to the study by consumer research firm The Hartman Group and food and nutrition marketing agency MSLGROUP, males now make up 43% of primary shoppers make just as many monthly store visits as women.

On average, U.S. grocery buyers shop three channels per week, including visits to grocery, specialty, mass merchandise, club, convenience, dollar and online stores. This results in 15 visits a month with 52% of consumers shopping at two or more stores per trip. While males and females are now shopping the same amount, they’re frequenting different types of stores.

"You can no longer ignore the male shopper," says Steve Bryant, MSLGROUP director of food and beverage, in a press release. "With such a strong contingent of primary shoppers being men, today's male consumers need to be considered in product innovation, merchandising and other marketing efforts."

The expansion of the food department in non-traditional channels has given grocery shoppers considerably more options on when and where they shop. Unlike women, men can be more often found in club (34%), convenience (21%) and online (6%) retailers for food and beverage. Men seem to show a preference for these stores because the channels allow them to easily find everything they need. With their higher household income and spending power, men are less price sensitive than women. Instead, convenience is priority.

Also unlike female shoppers, men prefer to simply "search and retrieve" the few items they need rather than browse, with getting in and out of the store as quickly as possible a top priority. While their baskets tend to have more meat and alcoholic beverages than women's, there is still a fair amount of produce, sweets and snacks.

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