Shop Like A Man

In my house growing up, my mother was always in charge of grocery shopping. Her trips to the supermarket seemed to last an eternity as she strolled down each aisle, carefully thinking about what to buy as her two young children impatiently whined and groaned along her side.

Food shopping with my father, though, was an entirely different experience. If we ever needed something last minute, he’d fly to the store and be back in a flash. I’ll never forget the speed-shopping trip he dragged me along for on a day we were having company. He made a list of about 10 items before we left the house and made his way through the food store far faster than my little 9-year-old legs could handle. I was begging him to slow down.

“I can’t run that fast! My legs burn!” I cried.

Now, perhaps the average man’s shopping trip doesn’t always result in sore thighs, but men do tend to shop quickly and efficiently. My father always knew exactly what he needed before he got to the store, and he spent minimal time unnecessarily perusing the products in each aisle.

Men are doing more grocery shopping now than when I was a kid. According to recent research by Men’s Health and Harris Poll, 84 percent of men say they are the primary grocery shoppers in their households, up 19 percent over the past 10 years. The study, titled “How Men Shop for Food,” also found that 66 percent of men decide what to buy before they even get to the grocery store; 35 percent have been influenced by an online ad to try a new food or beverage; 66 percent of men who are married or living with a partner use grocery lists often or all the time; and 13 percent put specific brands on their grocery lists.

Retailers must cater to this new influx of male shoppers, especially before they arrive to the grocery store. By advertising online and alerting shoppers when their favorite brands are in store or on sale, retailers can draw male shoppers to their stores and make sure their shopping lists are stock full of items before they arrive.