Father's Day shopping illuminates gender tendencies

Discount Store News, June 21, 1999 by Bob Verdisco

Recently, I overheard a group of IMRA staffers discussing shopping. The women complained that the men in their lives didn't like to shop. One of the men responded, "Let's face it, men like to shop-but quickly, buying the first thing that satisfies their needs, especially when shopping for someone else. Women seem to like to savor the experience of gift buying. Shopping for the perfect gift is like a quest for a woman. This can exasperate men because 'browse' is not in the male shopper's vocabulary."

I started thinking about this. It is certainly true that men and women shop differently. My own son and daughter buy gifts differently. My daughter will go into every store looking for the perfect item for each person; my son will go into the first store he sees and buy whatever is available that might work.

But do these obvious differences hold up under a research microscope? IMRA holiday research suggests that they do.

Take Valentine's Day, for example. Men stick to the basics when it comes to shopping for their significant others-flowers, cards, candy and jewelry, more or less in that order of preference. And men keep the list very short, buying mainly for the significant other in their life. And they spend more.

Women, on the other hand, buy Valentines not only for their husbands or boyfriends, but also for children, friends and parents. They buy a lot of cards and candy, but also apparel, stuffed animals and other miscellaneous gifts.

The same holds true for Mother's Day Once again, men lean toward the traditional flowers, jewelry or dining out. Plus, men buy for their spouses as well as mothers, so they outspend women. Women buy a wider range of gifts, such as home fashions and apparel, for their mothers.

Men also procrastinate. More men shop the day before a holiday or gift-giving occasion than do women.

Of course, it's easier to be a guy. Flowers, candy and jewelry always work for them.

They are easy and quick. But how many women can send flowers to the men in their lives?

And this is the predicament everyone faces on Father's Day. Our research shows that most people have no idea what to buy dad two weeks before the holiday. Women will creatively browse for something. The men will clutch-and then buy a tie.

The bottom line: Women are more creative and buy for many more people, so they like to shop at discount department stores where they can find a wide variety of gifts for a wide variety of people; they start earlier and take more time to finish. Men head to specialty stores, spend more on their gifts and wait until the last minute.

So if you're husband or father wasn't enamored with that tie or cologne, here's the big caveat--when guys shop for themselves, all bets are off. Men are perfectly capable of browsing when it comes to shopping for themselves, especially at home centers or sporting good stores. So here's a suggestion for next Father's Day: Hand Dad a gift certificate to a home improvement, sporting goods or consumer electronic store and send him off. He'll have a great time browsing for himself, and you'll get some quality time to yourself.