Rise of the new-age ‘mansumer’

They say men are hunters and women, gatherers — not just in the context of scouting for food and shelter in ancient times, but so also in today’s shopping scenes. The increasing purchasing power of male shoppers has spawned a new class of consumers who don’t shop for utilitarian but stylistic functions. They can’t be called the ‘selfish shoppers’ anymore because as much as they pick, they browse. Today, men prefer to wear their personality, be it to work or for personal occasions. Apparels are considered to be identity badges.

The time is passé when men preferred chairs over trial rooms in stores and let their female counterparts choose outfits for them. Shopping is no more considered the ‘girl thing’ and men are taking an upper hand in choosing the best cuts and fits. They believe, ‘looking good isn’t self-importance but self-respect.’ The male apparel consumer is shifting from need-based clothing to outfits which best express their identities. Most importantly they demand for experience, variety and fun while shopping.

It is clear, there is definitely a new breed of unconventional male shoppers taking centre stage and disrupting the way retail was perceived. This profound shift in men’s fashion is largely due to the changing experiences in their lives. If earlier their minimalist attitude inhibited them to shop separately for work and leisure, the realisation of more relaxed work environments without many restrictions has given men the option to wear their choices.

The new age men prefer exclusivity, comfort with style, practical and functional attires with aesthetics. On a par with these changing customer needs, menswear brands need to up their game and come up with curated fashion tailored to specific needs — comfort fashion which adapts to his lifestyle throughout the day.

It has been observed that men prefer to shop from brick-and-mortar retail stores over online platforms. Men give more weightage to the look and feel of a material before making a purchase, quite contrary to women. They don’t embrace technology disruptors as much as their female counterparts do and make choices as per perceived brand equity and in-store experiences.

Creating a distinguishing brand identity is, therefore, an important strategy menswear brands should focus on. Considering men are loyal shoppers, providing them with a good product and a great experience will ensure they will stick to the brand longer.

In retail, men stand for higher transaction value and ideal cross-selling targets. Interestingly still, men tend to get convinced easier than women. A woman makes purchase decisions based not just on her own perceptions but also on what her friends think is good. Therefore, it becomes important for women’s fashion brands to influence a wider target audience.

However, marketing to men is simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, the male apparel segment is largely undifferentiated and brands need to drive greater awareness and visibility to stay on top of their mind. Care should be taken in visual merchandising and in-store displays so that what the brand stands for, beyond discount deals, is clearly registered in the customer’s minds.

In-store experience

In-store impulse is considered to be the most impactful trigger among male shoppers. While advertising could help in pulling crowds to the stores, men make their actual purchase decisions based on their in-store experience. Therefore, it is important that brands create an engaging experience for customers, engineering all the marketing efforts to maximise their appeal at the store. A customer buys into the vision that the owner creates for him.

Designing a menswear showroom should no more be considered an afterthought by the retail fashion industry. A shopper today walks into the store after doing enough research on the brand — its provenance, customer reviews, quality and a lot of other qualitative information. Hence, a personalised approach (up-close, hands-on) by engaging customers again while in the shop becomes a necessity. This has, however, been ignored over the last decade.

The employers of a retail shop should be equipped with enough emotional intelligence to create a ‘human experience’ for the customer. Men take time to form habits, but once they do, they stick to it. Establishing a ‘connect’ is therefore key and they expect it every time they are in a store.

The male shopper can’t be taken for granted anymore. As the ‘mansumer’ evolves to be more results-driven yet comfort and style conscious, it is important to not bombard him with too many choices, just ones that are more personalised. Fashion brands should emerge as a one-stop solution for his changing needs, emerging to be his complete style partner.

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(The writer is Vice President, Brand Experience, Blackberrys)