3 ms·

Mens clothes really jumped out at me. I'd assumed since retail space for women was 7x that dedicated to men, women's clothing would be around 7x that of mens.

by jfoutz 15y ago

Mens clothes really jumped out at me. I'd assumed since retail space for women was 7x that dedicated to men, women's clothing would be around 7x that of mens. Something really complicated is going on making those two channels very different.

noblethrasher 15y ago
Some hypotheses based on anecdotal observations: Women spend more time shopping for men and children than men spend shopping for women and children. Women spend a lot more on shoes than men. Women spend a lot more on accessories than men. Women enjoy shopping more than men so retailers offer more opportunity to browse.
- jfoutz 15y ago
  Maybe. At the very least, shoes are a separate category on that chart. One rolex makes up for a ton of less expensive accessories. I think it's more like, the vast majority of clothes are socks, underwear, jeans and t-shirts. Simple, everyday stuff that wears out. I'd bet the sales of this stuff pretty much equals out. However, there's a layer of "nice" clothes. mens stuff is more expensive, but lasts and is fashionable longer. Suits vs dresses might be a good example. I'd also guess men are spending more on clothes than they have historically.
hammock 15y ago
7x floorspace does not necessarily equal 7x sales. It simply means more choices. There could be 7 women wearing 7 different dresses and 7 men all wearing the same suit. Or turnover could be higher in men's inventory. Etc Although I see where you're coming from, especially since sales/sqft is a big KPI for retail.
wisty 15y ago
Well, women's clothes is still 2X men's clothes. Men still buy clothes. And men are not cost sensitive - women will shop for bargains, while men will just buy whatever they think they need. I'd imagine women spend 7X as much time shopping for clothes, easily. That's why they need 7X the space. But they don't buy that much more, they just look at stuff, try it on, ask questions, drag their SO along (who takes up more space) ... Men just walk in, see if it fits, pay up and get out. You just need a big rack of jeans / suits / t-shirts sorted by color and size, a change room, and someone to take their money on the way out.
- fleitz 15y ago
  I've had to encourage my gf to buy designer clothes. The conversation basically went like "why don't you buy one really nice dress that you actually like instead of 7 that you don't wear." Same with shoes, there's no point in buying crappy ugly shoes that wear out when you can spend 5x the price and get good looking shoes with a lifetime warranty. That said I find it really hard to find a shirt with French cuffs so im probably a bit of an outlier, but I figure if I'm going to get dressed why not look good at the same time? Note: I also find a lot of designer fashion in thrift stores because it's one of the few things that lasts long enough to make it through.

by jfoutz 15y ago

noblethrasher 15y ago

Some hypotheses based on anecdotal observations: Women spend more time shopping for men and children than men spend shopping for women and children. Women spend a lot more on shoes than men. Women spend a lot more on accessories than men. Women enjoy shopping more than men so retailers offer more opportunity to browse.

jfoutz 15y ago
Maybe. At the very least, shoes are a separate category on that chart. One rolex makes up for a ton of less expensive accessories. I think it's more like, the vast majority of clothes are socks, underwear, jeans and t-shirts. Simple, everyday stuff that wears out. I'd bet the sales of this stuff pretty much equals out. However, there's a layer of "nice" clothes. mens stuff is more expensive, but lasts and is fashionable longer. Suits vs dresses might be a good example. I'd also guess men are spending more on clothes than they have historically.

hammock 15y ago

7x floorspace does not necessarily equal 7x sales. It simply means more choices. There could be 7 women wearing 7 different dresses and 7 men all wearing the same suit. Or turnover could be higher in men's inventory. Etc Although I see where you're coming from, especially since sales/sqft is a big KPI for retail.

wisty 15y ago

Well, women's clothes is still 2X men's clothes. Men still buy clothes. And men are not cost sensitive - women will shop for bargains, while men will just buy whatever they think they need. I'd imagine women spend 7X as much time shopping for clothes, easily. That's why they need 7X the space. But they don't buy that much more, they just look at stuff, try it on, ask questions, drag their SO along (who takes up more space) ... Men just walk in, see if it fits, pay up and get out. You just need a big rack of jeans / suits / t-shirts sorted by color and size, a change room, and someone to take their money on the way out.

fleitz 15y ago
I've had to encourage my gf to buy designer clothes. The conversation basically went like "why don't you buy one really nice dress that you actually like instead of 7 that you don't wear." Same with shoes, there's no point in buying crappy ugly shoes that wear out when you can spend 5x the price and get good looking shoes with a lifetime warranty. That said I find it really hard to find a shirt with French cuffs so im probably a bit of an outlier, but I figure if I'm going to get dressed why not look good at the same time? Note: I also find a lot of designer fashion in thrift stores because it's one of the few things that lasts long enough to make it through.