• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 21, 2011

According to the 2011 edition of The NPD Group Brand Landscape Report, taking an in-depth look at what goes into purchase decisions being made by today's shoppers, when shoppers of both genders decide to purchase a consumer electronics product the most important thing to them is that the product be the same brand as something they already own.

Dee Warmath, Senior Vice President, The NPD Group, notes that "... men and women share many of the same priorities when it comes to selecting brands, but they differ in important ways that represent opportunities for manufacturers who... leverage these unique requirements."

Warmath continued by saying "... there are universal requirements that cross customer segment boundaries as well as requirements that are unique to a particular segment... "

After the number one reason, the genders diverge in what is important to them. Men cite growing popularity as their number two reason to make a purchase whereas women say that the product they are considering should work well with what they already own.

Women also say it is important that the product has a 'fashionable look' something that is not on the men's list. Men say 'product bundles or packages' are important to them and that does not make women's top ten list of things they look for when making a consumer electronics purchase.

Importance of Shopper Decisions When Making A Consumer Electronics Purchase (Independent of Any Particular Brand)
Females		Males
Rank	Consideration	Rank	Consideration
1	Is a brand currently owned	1	Is a brand currently owned
2	Works well with what I own already	2	Is growing in popularity
3	Has the features & benefits I want	3	Offers real solutions for you
4	Is growing in popularity	4	Has the features & benefits I want
5	Offers real solutions for you	5	Offers product bundles or packages
6	Offers good value for the money	6	Works well with what I already own
7	Has a fashionable look	7	Has a lot of sales or special deals
8	Is socially responsible	8	Offers good value for the money
9	Is a brand I can trust	9	Has the latest trend
10	Has a broad selection	10	Is socially responsible
Source: The NPD Group, Inc. /Brand Landscape Report

In the top ten list for apparel purchase decisions both men and women say that "it is a brand I've had success with" as the number one reason for making an apparel purchase. Numbers two through five differ slightly by gender but "comfort" is in the number six spot for both.

"For apparel... the brand relationship is key for both men and women," said Warmath, "However when making an apparel purchase women shift from 'trust' to it's a 'brand friends wear' and for the first and only time men say it's 'a brand I trust' that helps to drive their purchase."

Importance of Shopper Decisions When Making An Apparel Purchase (Independent of Any Particular Brand)
Females		Males
Rank	Consideration	Rank	Consideration
1	Is a brand I've had success with	1	Is a brand I've had success with
2	Has the features/benefits you want	2	Is your style
3	Is your style	3	Has the features/benefits you want
4	Offers real solutions for you	4	Offers good value for the money
5	Fits well	5	Offers real solutions for you
6	Is comfortable	6	Is comfortable
7	Has a lot of sales or special deals	7	Is affordable
8	Offers good value for the money	8	Has a lot of sales or special deals
9	Is a brand friends wear	9	Is a brand you can trust
10	Is affordable	10	Fits well
Source: The NPD Group, Inc. /Brand Landscape Report, July 2011

When making an athletic footwear purchase, men and women both say 'is your style' is the number one reason for buying. 'Fit,' 'solutions,' and 'comfort' round out the top five reasons that women make an athletic footwear purchase. Men say 'fit,' 'solutions,' and 'fun' are in their top five.

Importance of Shopper Decisions When Making An Athletic Footwear Purchase (Independent of Any Particular Brand)
Females		Males
Rank	Consideration	Rank	Consideration
1	Is your style	1	Is your style
2	Fits me	2	Offers real solutions for you
3	Offers real solutions for you	3	Offers real solutions for my activities
4	Offers real solutions for my activities	4	Fits me
5	Is comfortable	5	Is fun to wear
6	Is fun to wear	6	Is growing in popularity
7	Is growing in popularity	7	Is comfortable
8	Is a brand you can trust	8	Offers good value for the money
9	Has a fashionable look	9	Has a fashionable look
10	Has a broad selection	10	Has a broad selection
Source: The NPD Group, Inc. /Brand Landscape Report, July 2011

When purchasing toys, for women it's first about the kids and for men it's about their collections. Both men and women say their number ten reason for making a toy purchase is that it is 'a good gift idea.' Women are more likely to look for value, while men want the latest technology. Those are the two unique requirements on each of their lists.

Importance of Shopper Decisions When Making A Toy Purchase (Independent of Any Particular Brand)
Females		Males
Rank	Consideration	Rank	Consideration
1	I/my child is a fan of the character (movie or TV)	1	I collect this brand
2	Is growing in popularity	2	I/my child is a fan of the character (movie or TV)
3	I collect this brand	3	Is growing in popularity
4	Has the features/benefits you want	4	Is trendy or is "in" right now
5	Is trendy or is "in" right now	5	Has a broad selection
6	Has a broad selection	6	Has the features/benefits you want
7	Has the latest trend	7	Has the latest trend
8	Has a lot of sales or special deals	8	Has the latest technology
9	Offers good value for the money	9	Has a lot of sales or special deals
10	A good gift idea	10	A good gift idea
Source: The NPD Group, Inc. /Brand Landscape Report, July 2011

Trend and technology are drivers for men, that carries over into toy purchasing as well. Brand you trust appears on almost every female list except toys and apparel. For apparel, it is replaced by brands your friends wear. Fashionable look is important to women in consumer electronics and to both men and women when it comes to athletic footwear. Good value for the money tends to be an important driver for both men and women. Over the past several years, consumers have been reevaluating their purchasing decisions, moving much more toward an investment mentality.

For more information about the study, please visit here.