When shoppers of both genders decide to purchase a consumer electronics product the most important thing to them is that the product be the same brand as something they already own, according to the NPD Group Retail & Brand Landscape Series 2011. The report examines male and female consumer attitudes toward purchasing consumer electronics, apparel, athletic footwear and toy products.
Men Like Popular CE Brands, Women Like Compatibility
After the number one reason, the genders diverge in what is important to them when making a consumer electronics purchase. Men cite growing popularity as their number two reason to make a purchase, whereas women say that the product they are considering should work well with what they already own.
Women also say it is important that the product has a fashionable look, something that is not on the men’s list. Men do say product bundles or packages are important to them, and that does not make the women’s list. Interestingly, good value also made the list for men but not women.
Men, Women Have Same Apparel Priorities, Rank Differently
While men and women rank their priorities in purchasing apparel goods somewhat differently, they have the same priorities. In the top 10 list for apparel purchase decisions, both men and women say that “it is a brand I’ve had success with” is the number one reason for making an apparel purchase. The ranking for numbers two through five differs slightly by gender, but comfort is in the number six spot for both.
Genders Also Have Same Footwear Priorities
When making an athletic footwear purchase, men and women both say “is your style” is the number one reason for buying. Fit, solutions, and comfort round out the top five reasons that women make an athletic footwear purchase. Men say fit, solutions, and fun are in their top five.
Collectors Skew Toy Results
When purchasing toys, for women it’s first about the kids and for men it’s about their collections. Both men and women say their number 10 reason for making a toy purchase is that it is a good gift idea. Women are more likely to look for value, while men want the latest technology. Those are the unique requirements on each of their lists.
US Clothes Shoppers Driven by Necessity
More than one-third of US clothes shoppers (36%) made their most recent clothes purchase due to necessity, according to results of a May-June 2011 Harris Poll. This placed the US third in making necessity-driven clothes purchases among nine North American, Asian and European countries surveyed, behind Germany (43%) and France (41%).
The next-most-popular reasons for US shoppers to buy clothes are an item being on sale (20%), and an item catching the eye of a shopper who is browsing (19%).
About the Data: Information in The Retail & Brand Landscape Series is based on a nationally representative survey of more than 70,000 consumers from The NPD Group’s online consumer panel. Consumers reviewed approximately 60 retailers and 75 brands per industry sector.