Retail research from social media agency, immediate future, exploring the differences between men and women in social shopping behaviours and e-commerce,

1. immediate future presents….

2. THE SOCIAL SHOPPING EXPLOSION (by gender)

3. We know that men and women behave differently … (doh) But we wondered how that translated to their shopping behaviour online?

4. Some of the results were unsurprising - Women like their clothes (52.3% have ogled them online in the past 6 months; and 40.7% have splashed the cash in the past 30 days) …. By Yutaka Tsutano (via Flickr) whilst men like their gadgets (55.1% have been looking in the past 6 months, and 25.7% have been tempted to buy), and are far more interested in the interface between mobile and e-commerce. - but some of the results made us think.

5. So we thought it might be helpful to explore how men and women behaved at each point of the online purchase cycle …and how they like to interact with brands (and other consumers) online.

6. PRE PURCHASE We gave respondents 32 options (from online adverts to what a friend says) to the question:“Please think about the last purchase you made online, which of the following source of information did you use prior to making the purchase?” 3 In 29 of the options, men referred to the sources more than women did. 29 So what are influencing women’s purchase decisions online?

7. PURCHASE Women hunt. Men gather. In the online world, women are firmly focussed on the price or the discount, and men are more interested in product comparison and research.

8. Men look for “detailed product information and comparison Women are the new hunters, and they shop on “lowest discount / best price”

9. PURCHASE …but women also lead the way on collaborator behaviour (“I search for the advice and ideas of other customers”). Could this be what is influencing their purchase decisions?

10. It certainly corresponds with the female preference for inspiration or ideas. “They provide me with ideas and inspiration” …would motivate 28.8% of women to purchase from a retailer that they have used before and 25.2% of women to purchase from an online retailer that they have never used before.

11. But something doesn’t quite fit ….

12. Because men appear to be far more up for online sharing “online mentions in the last 6 months” So where is the information and sharing happening?

13. ...and there are some interesting differences in trust. Apart from DIY products, men always trust another consumer online more than someone who works for the retailer to provide accurate information on a product. Women trust the retailer more in 5 product categories (sporting; DIY; financial services; property / housing; cars)……although they never trust a professional journalist as much as men.

14. So, where are the opportunities for engaging with female consumers online?

15. 1. ONLINE/OFFLINE 42.3% of women would visit a new online retailer if they knew them from the high street (in comparison to 33.3% of men); and 24.9% of women would like to connect with a shop that they know from the high street in a social space. If you are a high street retailer, there’s a great opportunity to connect with female consumers online.

16. 73.7% of women would like to be rewarded with vouchers for recommending a site; and 79.6% would like to be sent products to test at home. 2. INCENTIVISATION We asked respondents about new social concepts to encourage purchase, and motivations for repeat sales. Add in the word “rewards” and women are ahead of men. Every time. (and they also like discounts and exclusive competitions)

17. 3. PASSION Women’s purchase behaviour is a lot less consistent than men’s. There are spikes in purchasing around passion points (food, entertainment and fashion)* that are replicated in the frequency with which they mention these products online. Tap into the passions: women know what they want and their passions are strongly reflected in behaviours and conversation online. *(they are also quite keen on furniture)

18. Women and Fashion (an example) …have purchased a fashion product online in the past month (average across all products =16%) …have reviewed a fashion product online in the past month (average across all products =21.5%) 41% 25% 39% 30% ..have shared a fashion product on a network (average across all products = 20.4%) …would like to connect with a fashion store in a social network (average across all products =16%)

19. So what have we learned about male consumers online?

20. 1. BRAND AMBASSADORS If you’re looking for brand advocates, it might be better to target men. 26.3% of male respondents would like to become a product ambassador, as a reward for site recommendation As consistently high content creators (men blog more than women across all product categories), male consumers are also more likely to talk about your brand. Even if it’s a health and beauty product. (and 25.3% would like a job)

21. 2. CONNECTIONS The opportunity to connect with other consumers is a greater incentive for men; as is the thought of a group discount*, even if they did not know the other consumers online. Could consumers connect through group discounts, to make the most of both trends? *43.1% of men stated that an online group discount would encourage them to purchase at a new site.

22. 3. CUSTOMER SERVICE ..matters to men 28.3% of men (in comparison to 21% of women) identify “customer service” as an incentive to interact with a brand on Twitter and 33.2% on Facebook. 53.5 % of men express an interest in customer service through instant messenger as a new online service; and 51.2% in customer service provided by other consumers.

23. So what does all that mean?

25. Recommendation is the new source of consumer influence. And, when it comes to products, males are doing a lot of the talking online.