Supermarkets, it’s time to “man up”

Supermarkets have been the lands of the ladies, who despite being earners also serve most often as households’ chief shoppers and budget managers. Today, women are making way for more broad-shouldered shoppers – let’s call them guys – who have some catching up to do on the ins and outs of smart food and beverage shopping, meal planning and meal preparation.

Supermarkets have been the lands of the ladies, who despite being earners also serve most often as households’ chief shoppers and budget managers. Today, women are making way for more broad-shouldered shoppers – let’s call them guys – who have some catching up to do on the ins and outs of smart food and beverage shopping, meal planning and meal preparation.

Roles have shifted since the recession, and sharing household responsibilities is more common. The Lempert Report sees this as a vast opportunity for supermarkets to appeal to men, bring them in more often, keep them in the store longer, and remind them of their “man caves” at home.  Flat-screen televisions showing ballgames had a positive effect at Marsh stores about five years ago. Stores could expand beyond that in many ways:

• Snack bins and beverage coolers spotted about could yield impulse purchases
• Special Dog Days, with portable baths in the parking lot, and sampling events of foods and treats, could please man’s best friend and their masters – and lead to stock up for pets.
• Because guys are motivated to learn, a small nook in the store with food buying, meal prep and cooking tips on a kiosk or a brochure rack could be a spot they visit often.  This could turn into a secondary merchandising area for poly-bagged sports, fitness and hobby magazines.
• Offer purchase checklists for manly times year-round – Super Bowl parties, barbecues, fantasy team drafts, card games, and more.

These are a few examples of how supermarkets can “man up” and tighten their bonds with two-adult households in the process.    

In a survey of more than 1,000 married dads released earlier this year by Manofthehouse.com, a website of Procter & Gamble Productions and Barefoot Proximity, 91% said they get along better with their significant other when they share household chores equally. Nearly half (48%) said they feel fulfilled by learning to cook. Even more (55%) seek information about food or cooking on the Internet.

Perhaps daddy bloggers will become a rising trend, following in the footsteps of mommy bloggers who willingly share information. That’s another activity they could do in their man caves.