An increasing number of men in the United States are grocery shopping for themselves or their families now than in the past, but they’re not happy about it, reports the NPD Group. Men now represent 41% of all primary grocery shoppers, but they make up more than their fair share of people who say grocery shopping is a chore, according to a new study from the Chicago-based business and consumer trends information company entitled The New Grocery Shopper.
Younger male shoppers (ages 18-34) who are single and never married before are most likely to feel that shopping is a chore. They are more likely to have increased their responsibility over the past five years due to a variety of reasons, including being on their own for the first time or having money to spend on items they want. They are less likely to say that they do all or most of the grocery shopping when compared to older consumers.
As grumpy as men may be about having to shop, those who say shopping is a chore are conscientious shoppers and take their responsibility seriously by preparing a list most of the time, and by buying products that are on sale and resisting impulse purchases. They spend about 56 minutes shopping, which is four minutes short of those female and male shoppers who are food enthusiasts who say they enjoy shopping.
For all their complaints about having to shop, there appears to be a discrepancy between what males and females think about their shared grocery store chores. Over half of males feel that the shared responsibility is evenly split, while more than 60% of females feel they do most of the shopping when responsibilities are shared.
Based on findings in the report, females are more likely to be primary grocery shoppers, and males are more likely to say that they are doing more of the grocery shopping than they were five years ago. Since there is not an associated decrease in female grocery shopping, this shift is likely due to males sharing the responsibility with females.
“With more men taking on the role as the primary grocery shopper, manufacturers and retailers need to come together and develop strategies intended to transform the shopping experience to meet men’s unique needs and make it a more enjoyable experience,” said Darren Seifer, a food and beverage industry analyst. “They also need to keep in mind that women, contrary to what male shoppers may think, still do the bulk of the grocery shopping.”
