What men want

When men venture out to shop, they like to do it on their own terms. They have their favourite shops, favourite brands and most of all, they hate pushy salesmen. Aastha Atray Banan reports

Women and shopping are like chocolate cake and ice-cream.

One just makes the other better. But the relationship a man shares with shopping is somewhat abstract and often incomprehensible.

Some of them love it, but for most of them, it is a chore, almost torture. And if they do end up heading to shop for the essentials — clothes, shoes and the like — they often do it on their own eccentric terms.

Where the women are adventurous and ready for new experiences, men yearn for the familiar and the comforting.Much like 25-year-old Purav Mehta, who owns a electrical switch gear company, who has been going to the same establishment since he was taken there as a five year old child. “When I go in, I don’t have to even tell them my size. They take out everything new in the shop. I visit the shop on an impulse and often spend anywhere around Rs5,000-Rs10,000 in a month,” he said.

Research conducted by a leading men’s clothing brand has proved that men do have certain patterns that they follow while shopping.

They usually shop from the same place, tend to wear the same brand, stick with their favourite clothes for years even if these begin to wear off, and most of all, buy many at a time to spare themselves the ordeal of setting out again and again. Once a man discovers he likes striped shirts and they suit him, it will be striped shirts for a long time to come.

Then they emphatically do not like sales people, especially pushy ones, giving them advice.

Achuthan Kannan, 35, who owns a media company, has all the above mentioned habits. “When I walk into a store, I know exactly what I want. I don’t need a salesman to tell me that. I even have some clothes that I have been wearing for the last 8-9 years. I don’t like the chore of shopping so I usually let me wife do it for me.” Imran Surve, vice-president (marketing) ZOD and key accounts, Zodiac Clothing Co Ltd, understands where Achuthan is coming from.

After all, his company has made a success of itself catering to that constituency. “Most men are clothing-shopping averse — it may be because they are not sure about what they should buy and also that they are impatient.

Also, unlike women, most men do not find the need to wear ‘something different’ every day. So shopping is an alien concept for them.” Bharat Bhushan, 55, agrees. “At 53, I have tried and tested all that there is. And I know that the brands that have lasted are the ones that are worth it. My son has actually stated wearing my hand-me-downs, because they are of such great quality.”

Things are changing of course. Younger men may like the therapeutic quality shopping has. And with rising incomes, there is an upward mobility in the brands they buy. Anup Sasidharan, 27, loves to shop.

Though he usually gets his suits tailor made, when he shops for casual wear, he opts for Diesel and Louis Vuitton. “For me, shopping is impulsive yet functionality driven. I like comfortable clothes but I also like brands. In a way, it’s a mix of many things. I love the buzz shopping gives me,” says this young entrepreneur. The market sure is catering to someone like Anup. Brands such as Calvin Klein and FCUK have added a whole new dimension to the retail industry.

And they know what men want. “Majority of the male consumers are well versed with brands and only visit stores that they like,” says Oliver Kaye, business head, Calvin Klein. Bhavna Darira, marketing head, Murjani Group, who handle the FCUK account, says, “We constantly try to innovate based on consumer feedback. Like we know that among our male consumers, the signature FCUK t-shirt is an all-time favourite.”

But one thing is a fact: Unlike women, when a man goes shopping, he already knows what he wants. Nobody could have said it better than American actor Stephen Wright, “I love to go shopping. I love to freak out salespeople. They ask me if they can help me, and I say, ‘Have you got anything I’d like?’ Then they ask me what size I need, and I say, ‘Extra medium’.”
b_aastha@dnaindia.net