Women are considered to be very active online shoppers, but as of late, it seems that men are slowly catching up and creating competition. Men are already taking the lead in footwear and accessories.
According to Rashi Vasudev, vice president at Flipkart, men’s footwear was the number one category expected to grow the fastest over the course of the next two years with an online penetration up to 18 percent, while clothing will see an increase of 5-6 percent:
“Over the years, we are seeing the otherwise active ecom shopper, who is male, foraying more and more into fashion online. Market size of both men’s and women’s clothing online is at neck and neck now. However, in terms of footwear and accessories, men’s market online is far ahead.”
A report released by Boston Consulting Group stated that between 55 and 60 million consumers are currently buying fashion products online, and the market is getting even bigger. Men’s fashion is expected to get another boost by this new growth.
According to Kabir Mehra, co-founder of Herringbone & Sui (a label that creates made-to-measure suits and Indian formal wear), there will be an increase in new portal introducing more menswear to the growing segment of consumers. This will become a trend with more men opting to shop online rather than at brick and mortar stores:
“As a trend men are more likely to shop on occasions, as opposed to indulging in the activity as leisure. They are also shoppers of habit and tend to research thoroughly on any expenditure they make when it comes to luxury ensembles. Given this, the online landscape has drastically changed.”
Women also tend to shop for their partners or male family members online, since it’s much easier and more convenient to shop this way rather than taking them to a store.
“They can simply share link of what they think is a good purchase and all the men need to do is check this on their phones, thereby making the process quicker,” added Samarth Hegde, the other co-founder of Herringbone & Sui.
Arun sirdeshmukh, head of Amazon Fashion says that they have witnessed almost 100 percent growth in the menswear category from 2015 to 2017.
“With the growing appetite for up-to-date trends, men are getting increasingly fashion forward,” he said.
