to shop or not to shop

"Shop Like a Man," by Paco Underhill was an amusing article that brought back flashbacks of my experiences in shopping. The topic of men and shopping will become a larger topic in the future as it is growing now and will continue to grow. Men are beginning to shop more. Actually "in expensive mens apparel stores, the males shopping their outnumber the number of females." (196) Men are starting to care more and more about the way that they look and the style that they portray. The "metrosexual" man has changed it all. Guys shopping for expensive jeans and v-neck shirts and going to the "hairstylist" and paying $40 instead of $8 at a barber shop. I know this because I have friends that are like this. Typically at a clothing store that they particularly like they take an average of an hour. The days of the women shopping for the man are coming to an end. I personally would never ask my girlfriend to go shopping for me for fear of her getting a horrible looking shirt or a shirt that didn't fit right and then feeling obligated to wear it. So why all of the sudden change in men and shopping, especially for clothes? I can honestly say that one reason is for the chicks. Most girls that I have met seem to like the whole stylish, metrosexual look on guys. And also nowadays men that dress stylish seem to be "in."

Now swithcing to the topic of men at stores and the strategies of swooning men to stay in the store is essential for businesses. " The manufacturers, retailers and displaydesigners who pay attention to male ways, and are willing to adapt the shopping experience to them, will have an edge in the twenty-first century." (187) As I talked about in the last article by Dave Barry, guys just need to be entertained. Something to grab thier attention, keep them busy, and keep them in the store longer. I think Costco has this strategy down. First of all it is a huge store where you can buy pretty much anything, including a boat and your own private jet. (how cool is that!) But its what the samples that keep the guys there. The only reason I usually go to Costco is for the delicious free samples. And as I am looking for these strategically placed samples I remember just how cool Costco is and I end up buying a useless computer accessory that I will never use. Men may have a narrow mind about them when they are shopping but wiht the right strategies and entertainment stores can take advantage of a mans impulsive buying.