Visual merchandising for men vs. women

If you own a store that sells products aimed at both men and women, you might be wondering whether your visual merchandising efforts will depend on which department you are designing. In this blog, we will explore how men shop compared to how women shop, run you through some of the similarities and differences in advertising and visual merchandising between males and females, and help you decide whether you need a whole new visual merchandising strategy to market to men. Let’s jump in!

What is the difference between male and female purchasing habits?

Now, this isn’t a stereotype, but women are more likely to shop than men. In fact, according to research by Capital One, 39.4% of American women shop on any given day, compared to 33.7% of men, and are responsible for between 70% and 80% of all consumer purchasing decisions. On top of this, Paymentsense found that women spend 40% longer shopping than men. So it’s backed up by data that women like to shop more than men!

As well as the frequency and time spent browsing the stores or online, there are a number of differences between men and women’s shopping behaviour. For example, men tend to have a more task-oriented approach to shopping, whereas women have a more detail-oriented, experiential approach. Therefore, women are more likely to

 browse and make compulsive purchases than men. Studies have shown that male brains have more connections within hemispheres to optimise motor skills, whereas female brains are more connected between hemispheres to combine analytical and intuitive thinking. This could be the reason behind the different shopping behaviours. 

Key Differences in visual merchandising strategies

Because of the differences in shopping and purchasing habits, there is an argument for separating your visual merchandising techniques out depending on who you are selling to. Let’s first explore how to sell to men, before comparing these strategies with how to sell to women!

How to sell to men

As we’ve already mentioned, how to market to men is different to how to market to women. Men are less detail-oriented and more focused shoppers than their female counterparts. With this in mind, when designing a store layout for the male consumer, create straightforward, linear pathways to guide the customer effectively, and strategically place essentials and featured products near entrances and tills. Make use of eye-level displays and clear signage, and when deciding on your product placement, consider grouping products by their function, rather than by their style.

Ensure that your displays aren’t overcomplicated. The aim is to guide the consumer, not confuse them, so make sure to highlight the key product benefits in any signage that you incorporate, and keep your layouts easy to follow.

When marketing to men, simple and clean layouts that highlight the functionality of the products tend to do better. In signage and design, use neutral colours and dark tones, with the occasional bold accent and pop of colour to attract attention.

How to sell to women

On the other hand, women are more likely to browse the entire store for inspiration, rather than look for the one thing they need. To encourage browsing, make use of creative product arrangements and more winding paths. This will help customers to stay longer in the store. By incorporating focal points and ‘essentials’ displays along the way will help to facilitate complementary purchases and impulse buys.

Don’t be tempted to overcrowd your displays with too many products or colours in the attempt to create creative displays. Telling a story through consistent themes and colour coordination is one of the most important strategies to include when marketing to women.

When designing the store, no colour is off limits! Make sure your design uses complementary colours and integrates patterns to create a cohesive look. Vibrant colours will attract attention, while colour coordination and lifestyle themes will help the shopper to visualise how their life would be with your products.

How to market to men and women?

A common misconception that merchandisers make is to organise your store or department  based only on the target audience – the end user isn’t always the one shopping. Birthdays, Christmases and other holidays can find women shopping for men and men shopping for women, so by failing to market to both genders, you could be missing out on those all important sales!

So, how can you display your products to work for everyone? Let’s explore some tactics to help your store and its products appeal to both men and women:

• Create a balanced layout: Split the shop into distinct areas catering to those identifying as men, and those identifying as women, and also include unisex sections. Ensure the store layout is easy to navigate with clear signage and wide aisles, accommodating different shopping styles without overwhelming the consumer.
• Use neutral colour schemes: The days of pink being a ‘girls colour’ and blue being a ‘boys colour’ are well and truly gone. Opting for versatile colour schemes and neutral base colours such as beiges and greys will appeal to everyone, and introducing more vibrant accent colours such as blues, greens, reds and purples can add variety.

• Use diverse imagery and choose gender-neutral mannequins: Make sure that your imagery features diverse models to resonate with a broader audience. Gender-neutral mannequins can help to ensure that every customer feels included and catered to.
• Provide a comfortable shopping environment: Include comfortable seating areas where customers can relax, wait, or try out products, which can appeal to both men who may prefer a quick shop and women who may spend more time browsing.

These tactics can help your store to appeal to both men and women, creating a shopping environment that is inclusive, engaging, and more successful.

How Proportion London can help

If you want to redesign your shop to cater for everyone, regardless of their gender, we are here to help! We have been helping global retailers and museums to showcase their products in a visually appealing way since our conception in 1967. 

We have a range of mannequins, busts and rails for sale or hire to cater to all customers, as we can also design and manufacture bespoke creations to meet your requirements. 

Get in touch with our team today to see how we can help you.