Many retailers are wondering, “How can I get more sales from men in my retail store?”

We have been overlooking the shopping habits of men for too long. There is a lot more data coming out that shows just how much we should be paying attention to what they want.

The recent influx of male shoppers is evident in this Macy’s Herald Square display. The messages read, “This is for you!”

And yet….

In a move that was considered laughable, Sears unveiled its new logo and slogan. The upside-down tulip looked an awful lot like Airbnb’s logo. However, it is worth noting that they also had other departments for women and children.

Men’s clothing has always been our most profitable line.

In the early ’90s, they started to diminish their reputation as a man’s store by releasing commercials and print ads that were focused on women.

When the CEO who bankrupted it first bought the company, he let competitors carry what was once their top brands: Craftsman, DieHard and Kenmore.

6 Facts About Men Shopping

I mean they have but when you see the stats, it’s clear that Sears and other brands are focusing on appealing to men. They put their money into lower prices rather than making clothing for women.

Here are some facts about men shopping:

• 25% of men claim to shop at least 6 times a month at a department store compared to just 15% of women.
• Men tend to shop alone while women tend to shop with friends.
• Men tend to exhibit urgent buying behavior. This search-and-retrieve habit helps men maintain some of their traditional masculine identity.
• 44% of men shop in-store to touch and feel a product versus only 33% of women.
• 42% of men are likely to shop at full-price retailers and only 18% at a discount or off-price retailers. This is in stark contrast to only 31% of women who want to shop at full-price stores and 38% who want to shop at off-price or discount stores.
• Price promotions are one of the least important factors for bringing men into a brick-and-mortar store.

A lot of companies have a hard time figuring out who their target customer is, and they spend all this money trying to attract the wrong people.

Selling to men? Do these three things to boost your sales

Men are willing to come into your store and buy items at full price if you respect their time, keep the shelves stocked with what they want, and serve them well when they visit.

1. Provide a hook or something they’ll look forward to

Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City has a barbershop and coffeehouse, but the biggest draw is their monthly rotating pop-up shop that features 200 styles of sneakers. The best part? 40 are Saks exclusives! Shoppers will be more likely to come back when they’re able to get shoes at such an exclusive store.

2. Learn how to sell to men

The key to succeeding with men is that they trust what you tell them. However, this can be a problem because oftentimes when someone asks for their opinion or input it’s not well received.

When you’re talking to someone, just saying “Can I help you with anything?” won’t work. They want a person they can trust and who will compare and contrast the products for them. When they’re in their underwear or half-dressed, we need to be there so that he has options before making his decision.

A lot of men don’t want to go through the hassle and time commitment of finding a perfect fit, so they buy in bulk. They also find it annoying when sales associates are not responsive enough.

And if you miss this opportunity, one out of three people will never be back.

It is a challenge to learn how to sell men, but if you want an edge start by being there when they need it.

3. Have a lot of products on display

Men are more likely to buy when they can touch and feel the product before purchase. So you need to have a lot of products on display so that they will see what’s available.

It’s not just the price or promotion that motivates men to buy, but also customer service. And for this reason, they are more loyal to brands.

If you want to get more sales, then improve your customers’ experience.

Simple.

Men are less likely to embrace technology disruptors like Amazon

As one of my podcast guests, Greg Petro, with First Insight has said, “Men are less likely to embrace technology disruptors like Amazon, discount retail, and mobile shopping than women. More men prefer to shop in-store at full-price retailers than at discount retailers.”

The common strategy of price and promotion is not going to cut it. If you want men to buy from your store, then you need a different approach.

I know that you’re probably thinking, “well I can’t pay my employees more because they already make a lot of money.” To fix this issue try training your team with some personal coaching or using our online system.
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The customer is king and they will always find a way around paying for an expensive product if given the chance.

I’m a little bit biased, but I feel that the best customer service comes from actually selling to men. A lot of people say they can’t do it or don’t want to sell because their company forbids them from doing so.

Now that you know how to sell to men, what are you going to do?