Research shows that more men are grocery shopping, so grocery stores are adjusting their marketing accordingly. Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. is working to create “man aisles” for their growing male clientele, putting together “all men’s products… in one place, with shelf displays and even small TV screens to guide men to the appropriate skin-care items.”
Kraft Foods is also prepping for the male consumer, selecting products like water-flavoring MiO and Philadelphia Cooking Creme to market to men.
“Guys, when it comes to shopping and cooking, they love to customize and add their own personal touch,” Kraft representative Barry Calpino told the Chicago Tribune. Market researchers also claim that men are more prone to impulse purchases, and the gender differences don’t stop there.
According to Calpino, “the mindset has been that she shops, she really knows every inch of the store, she is really organized, has a list, is in a huge hurry… [Guys are] not as structured, not as hurried, much more experimental, more adventurous.”
Gawker is pointing out several sexist generalizations in the marketing strategies, saying, “Shopping as a guy sounds like way more fun!” We’re glad that men are stepping into grocery stores more often than presumed, but is it really true that men are “terribly uncomfortable with the shopping experience,” as Proctor & Gamble claim?
