Christmas is a time of year that forces everyone to shop. How customers go about their shopping, and whether or not they enjoy it, is far from universal, however. The shopping styles and preferences of men and women, for instance, are worlds apart. To use the old metaphor, it’s as if men and women were from different planets. Many shoppers, both male and female, are taking their shopping habits online as they rely more on ecommerce to fulfill their Christmas lists.
Ladies Want It All
Simply stated, while Christmas shopping, women are more invested in the whole shopping experience. This means female shoppers are more likely to be willing to browse through seemingly unrelated items, and want salespeople to treat them like they are important, share their knowledge about their products, and offer recommendations that they think may be of value or interest to the customer.
The helpfulness of salespeople when shopping is a priority to women. Almost thirty percent of women claim the number-one problem while shopping is a lack of help when its needed. Having a representative online available to offer individualized help to customers, or at least providing an easily searched list of frequently asked questions or commonly faced problems to help a damsel in distress will help women troubleshoot any difficulties they face while shopping online.
Men on a Mission
Men, on the other hand, are more straightforward. When they shop, they are on a mission to find the item that they came for, pay for it, and then be done so they can go do something that they enjoy more than shopping. They want the item to be easy to find, in stock, and quick to buy. The number one problem men face is lack of parking near the entrance of a store, at least according to twenty-nine percent of those surveyed.
For those men, the crowds and traffic of Christmas-time may encourage online shopping, where the shopper can park himself right in front of the computer without battling traffic, lines or having put on his shoes. A site that is easy to navigate, a search tool that quickly helps him locate the item he desires, and speedy checkout process that is simple to navigate and easy to understand will be appreciated particularly by the men shopping online.
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought…
Because of their propensity for browsing and being invested in the shopping experience, ladies are more likely to pay attention to the related items that the retailer suggests after she searches for an item or adds an item to her cart. Her affinity for browsing also means she may be more inclined to check out other popular items or top-sellers.
On the other hand, suggestions for related items and pop-ups that sing the praises of top-selling items are likely to just irritate the male shopper. If these “helpful suggestions” interrupt his progress toward accomplishing his goal and are seen as obstacles interfering with accomplishing his mission, they may drive him away from the site.
