Buying behavior differs between the sexes; in other words, men and women have different priorities at the point of sale, and this can be leveraged to increase retail profits. In this article, we’ll show you how to reach each of these groups and what they’re looking for when they walk into a store. Curious? Then let’s get started!
What is buying behavior?
The definition of buying behavior, or consumer buying behavior, is quite simple: it’s all the attitudes, preferences, intentions, and decisions a customer makes when purchasing a product or service.
Studying this discipline allows us to understand what drives the shopper and what adjustments we can make in retail to motivate them to choose one product over another or simply buy more. In general, a standard buying behavior is structured around recognizing a problem, searching for information, evaluating options, and making the purchase.
Right here, we already have countless possible variations. There are some products we buy for the brand, which we’ve built loyalty to over the years. Computers and cell phones fall into this category.
Other products are purchased because they offer better value for money, and we don’t always have any attachment to the brands that sell them. A lighter from brand A and one from brand B are barely distinguishable, so the consumer is less involved in the decision-making process.
We could analyze buying behavior along these lines alone. But we gain much more insight into consumers if we think of them in groups. That’s the concept of a target audience.
Target audiences can be categorized by profession, social class, and gender. Armed with this information, retailers have the opportunity to create better POS experiences and convert more sales.
How does buying behavior differ?
There are traditional patterns that distinguish how men and women behave at the point of sale. We treat each of them as trends, not stereotypes, since there are always outliers.
In general, these trends are backed by scientists, as in the research published by Scientific American, which shows why women solve problems faster than men. Their brain connections are processed simultaneously by both sides of the brain, which makes shopping a journey rather than a mission.
While a man walks into a store knowing what he’s going to buy and rarely strays from that, women embark on a discovery and may adjust their goals as they spot opportunities. This is just one of the differences between the way women and men shop.
However, in department stores, which are no longer segmented by sex, we can see that buying behavior has become more similar between the genders.
Both men and women do a lot of research on what they want to buy, and the internet is largely responsible for this. Before making a purchase, consumers can get more details about products and read reviews from other customers available on the website. We also can’t forget that purchases may be influenced by opinion leaders, such as bloggers or YouTubers.
Even so, online behavior lets us distinguish the logic each sex uses to make decisions. Men are more likely to use their phones to buy a product (they do so on 45% of occasions, while women do so only 34% of the time), but women don’t buy based solely on immediate needs, often anticipating what they may need in the future.
This makes them more likely to buy products on sale (74% of women do), since they figure they’re “going to need” the item soon.
How does building loyalty differ between men and women?
At the point of sale, which is still where most people buy goods and services, the main difference between the sexes is what motivates them to buy. While men are more loyal to a brand because it makes the purchase decision quicker and easier, women care about the service provided.
To win the loyalty of a female customer, a brand needs to deliver amazing customer service. To win over men, on the other hand, you just need to offer what they want.
In a study by Simon Baron-Cohen, this is summed up by the phrase “girls look at faces, while boys look at things.” The study, conducted with babies, shows that girls are more likely to pick up on the tone of voice and facial expression of someone speaking to them, while boys focus on movement and other stimuli.
This distinction is key to understanding how each audience defines a good shopping experience. Women tend to want great service, while men simply want a faster process. When evaluating a retailer’s service, these are the factors each group takes into account.
How can you take advantage of these behaviors?
With all these differences, what can your store do to win over both sexes? According to the Grocery Shopper Impact MegaStudy, which evaluates purchase decisions at the point of sale, here are some tips for adapting your POS.
Leverage cross merchandising
Most of the time, women make lists before going to the supermarket. But as we mentioned earlier in this article, they’re more open to taking advantage of opportunities and irresistible deals. Men, who usually walk into a store with only a few items in mind, are also susceptible to the same tactic, even if for different reasons.
It’s easier to leave a store with extra products if they’re well organized. That’s why techniques like cross merchandising work with both audiences.
Use strategies to increase average ticket
Anyone who works in retail knows that women tend to buy more products at once. This trend, however, only holds on a per-purchase basis. That’s because men make more visits to the same store, buying a limited number of products each time.
The challenge in increasing their average ticket is offering something new. Showcasing an item they don’t already own, like a bottle opener with a unique design, is one way to get them to spend more.
Using technology at the POS also tends to captivate men more than women. It can keep them in the store longer and, as a result, boost sales as well.
Turn purchases into experiences
For most women, going shopping is a form of entertainment. They talk to people, get to try a product to find out whether they like it, and have fun throughout the process. Men prefer quick shopping trips that don’t take up too much of their time.
Women enjoy shopping in groups, while men see it as a solo activity. The best thing your store can do is adapt to these patterns.
Offering fast services for men (such as apps that let them reserve products online and complete the purchase in-store) and customized experiences for women (launch events and dedicated spaces where they can try out a product) can make your store more profitable. Making an effort to tailor the experience to each audience will help you achieve better results.
Men and women have a lot in common, but their shopping behavior can be significantly different, and understanding this will help your brand sell more. Consider the information in this article and look at what you can change at your point of sale to make it as appealing as possible to both men and women.
So, what did you think about the differences between men’s and women’s shopping behavior at the POS? Does your store already have a strategy to appeal to each audience? Leave a comment on our post!
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