Research reveals men are now shopping more than women

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 3, 2017

A new survey has found that British men are now spending more on clothes and shoes each month than women but we won’t see the high streets crowded with male shoppers just yet, as 48% prefer to go online to get the latest trends.

According to new research from Barclaycard, men are spending £114 each month on clothes and shoes - £29 more than the monthly average spent on fashion by women. This means male shoppers are spending £300 more each year than their female counterparts.

Interestingly, men are also spending more on clothes (£67.10) than they do on drinking with friends (£60.30) or even tickets to sports matches (£40.50). Barclaycard says the rise comes as more men think about their looks, taking inspiration from celebrities and social media, and is a response to the increased menswear offer on the high street.

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Men are also a potentially more profitable audience for brands than women, as they account for just 26% of the returns processed by retailers. This means they are more likely to keep what they buy, while women account for 74% of the returns.

However, despite splashing the cash each month, men dislike the process of shopping so much that 21% say they would prefer to mow the lawn and 9% would rather clean the toilet than visit the shops.

Crowded stores, low stock and having to queue at the till are among the top frustrations for men when it comes shopping. 40% of those surveyed said five minutes is the longest they will wait to pay before leaving a store.

"It’s eye-opening to see the tension between men spending more money on shopping and grooming, but still not enjoying the experience,” says George Allardice, Head of Strategy, Barclaycard Payment Solutions, at Barclaycard.

“We know that retailers are increasingly becoming savvy to men spending more on clothing and grooming, and so have been increasingly expanding their male offering over the past few years. However retailers need to continue to innovate to ensure the whole shopping experience is as enjoyable for men as it is for women - whether that’s online, mobile or in-store. Simple changes such as ensuring a wide range of sizes are stocked and reducing queues at the till could lead to an increase of men shopping ‘til they drop.”