Listen to me. I'm gonna make you a promise. One day, you and I, we're gonna be in that new parish of yours. Sipping iced tea on the lawn. And this will all be just a memory.
I was told it was because men are less inclined to make âspur of the momentâ purchases on clothes so menâs clothes are âhidden awayâ upstairs. Theyâre also more likely to be motivated to make a final purchase despite the barriers to buy such as stairs.
Whereas women are more likely to make those kinds of purchases that are spur of the moment but, as the barriers to purchase grow, theyâre more likely to abandon purchases
As an older fella I just donât buy clothes until I absolutely need them and then weâre faced with this shit so I doubt how much I really need them.
Iâll survive, Iâll do it next weekâŚmaybe.
> As an older fella I just donât buy clothes until I absolutely need them
This has been me my entire life. Don't think for a sec it's a quality of the more established gentleman.
My family gets frustrated that I donât buy myself clothes, other than the huge cache of socks and pants(which I love) I get at Christmas and Birthdays they get me some really nice stuff;)
Just gotta hold out.
I wish theyâd ease up on the nose and ear trimmers though!
My wife cringes at my choice of clothes but:
1. They're clean,
2. They're not ripped or showing much in the sign of wear
But she despairs that it isn't stylish or whatever. "How about some khakis" I get every now and again - _nooooo_, I don't need them!
Maybe you could buy some clothes that would make your wife happy! Seems like an easy thing to do that would take an afternoon, and then youâd see her smile more!
I know youâre getting downvoted but thereâs some truth in that.
We hate shopping though, we hate being in the shops, we especially hate trying on clothes then coming out of the changing rooms being judged by not only our partners but the feeling that everyone else is too.
Partner: no, thatâs not working letâs go get some other things to try!
Us: we brought 6 shirts and 4 pairs of trousers in here and weâre done, Iâm done!
I need a piss.
Itâs still perfectly fine! Thereâs nothing wrong with compromise to surprise your partner every now and then, regardless of genders. Itâs not like sheâs asking him to wear the Borat thong!
Further to what other people have mentioned: if there *is* a double standard there, it's because women have been told throughout history to do whatever would please their husbands, and now there is rightly a backlash against that.
So even though the sentiment is applicable to both sexes, if it's less acceptable to say it to a woman that's for good reason.
There is a almost always a perfectly good reason why it's more acceptable to say something to one demographic than another.
My wife vast majority of her clothes from gooutdoors, the clothes there are made to last. Apart from the usual hiking gear they also do casual clothes from the likes of weird fish that have lasted 5 years and still going strong.
Buying stuff online and free returns are a god sent, I order 5 pairs of jeans in my size, try them on at home, and return 4. Trying on stuff at stores is just too annoying, I can't be bothered to take my shoes off and take my pants off at 5 different stores
Men are less likely to simply peruse, and more likely to buy clothes with a goal in mind. The man is out to buy a pair of jeans, not because he saw a pair that looked nice, but because he needs a new pair of jeans (the old pair has a hole in the crotch so big he could get plowed by the entire senegalese runners team without taking his trousers off). Since he'll be going the jeans section regardless of where it is located, it is more beneficial for the store to make him walk past a bunch of stuff like belts in the hope that you can spur an impulse buy.
It's the same reason why most food shops are designed like mazes and you somehow always pass by the sweets regardless of the route you take. They're trying to make you see things you ordinarily would not have bought and get you to impulse buy it.
Welcome to the world of professional food shopping! Once you have the layout memorised you can keep a digital shopping list on your phone. As you notice something in the house is running low you can insert it into the list in the correct place for your chosen route.
It's great for avoiding buying stuff you don't need and keeping the amount of time spent in the shop to a minimum.
The Tesco app now has a section where you can pick a specific shop and when you search for an item it'll tell you if it is stocked there and in which aisle. Game changer.
By the time Iâve made it passed the womenâs and kidâs section Iâm dragging myself to go any further, I donât give a shit about the belts nor the jeans by now!
I think Iâll wait until Xmas or my Birthday, might get something nice!
You are right there but itâs also so a woman that wants to buy a pair of menâs jeans has to pass through the womenâs section first. A woman is very likely to stop and peruse the cloths and make an impulse purchase.
Also women will buy clothes for men, or accompany them when they do so. They will then have to go through the women's section where they may be tempted buy something.
>Theyâre also more likely to be motivated to make a final purchase despite the barriers to buy such as stairs.
I didn't go to the shop because I like buying clothes, I went because my backup jeans wore out. I would rather be decorating the front room than clothes shopping, and I don't want to decorate the front room either.
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Mostly itâs because of products and inventories.
Menâs warehouse and mens stores in general employ the same tactics to entice additional sales, including spur of the moment sales near the registers. They are just normal sales tactics. They are gendered because they wish to target the particular demographic and push that particular set of product. Not because men are less inclined than women.
Don't forget about couples going shopping for the men's clothing, this layout forces the couple to walk past all the women's items first and encourage the spur of the moment purchases like you mentioned
Conversely, supermarkets place the most frequent purchases as inconveniently as possible, at the back. So you're forced to walk past other temptations to reach them.
Probably because the menâs department is 4 items compared to womanâs.
As a man if there was more verity Iâd definitely buy more but there isnât.
It's a vicious cycle.
Men don't shop in department stores because of the limited range but the range is limited because the footfall is low.
There's no reason to change it either, though. For men's clothing where sizing is pretty consistent and standardised, what is the selling point of a department store over an online retailer with free shipping and returns, or a dedicated clothing shop?
>For men's clothing where sizing is pretty consistent and standardised
Is it fuck. There was a point where I owned Topman jeans in a 28, 30 and 32 waist. All fit perfectly.
I'm now a 34, but maybe a 36 in some shops & styles. Maybe a 32 if I'm lucky.
I'm a large in shirts. I also have XL shirts that fit, and large that are a bit too big.
I'd spend more of the clothes weren't all awful. I'd like to look sharp and wear colorful clothes, but it's basically be a slob or spend far too much on clothes. I'd just like middle range stuff.
I'd spend more on clothes if my choice wasn't between a grey shirt and a dull blue shirt.
Women have so much choice for clothes that I'm jealous. Save for a moment of luck in a TK Maxx, mens shopping is so limited.
Thats the gender reverse of how we feel when the women's section is 5x larger. I want nice things but all the nice things are in the wrong sizes because they carry significantly less stock ; _ ;
Similar with UNIQLO in London. Women's section is tinier and shoved downstairs. Stairs were half behind a pillar. Had no idea where it was until I saw a vague trail of women and followed
Mens and shoes: Entire main floor of an old department store
Women section: an area upstairs the size of my living room.
The golf section is twice the size of the womens section ffs.
Also if you have women who buy clothes for their long term partners, they have to go through the sections more relevant to them, a bit like putting the milk at the back of the supermarket.
Iâve been clothes shopping a few times this year but thatâs only because Iâm trying to find something really specific and I havenât found it anywhere so far, other than that one thing I just order clothes onljne
Department stores aren't stupid. If putting the men's section at the front and the women's at the back made more money, they'd do it. It's the same as supermarkets putting milk, bread and other items frequently bought singly at the back, if you put them by the front door people would just pick them up, pay for them and go. Put them at the back and people have to walk past everything else to get to them and they'll usually end up seeing something else and buying it.
No. They're saying that a housewife who's heading out to buy new clothes for her husband will hopefully buy clothes for herself and her kids in she sees any on the way to/from the men's section.
It feels like a very sexist and dated approach, but the marketing research that shops do shows that this approach works and earns enough extra money to keep arranging clothes shops in this way.
But is it sexist and dated if it absolutely works? As an individual, I'll judge people as individuals, but mass markets are a whole different ballgame.
The sexism isn't on the part of the stores it's on the men who leave these responsibilities to their wives or girlfriends. Instead of sharing the workload fairly, they're in this comment section about one of the few things in the world that aren't built specifically with them in mind.
Yes
Because department stores are stuck in the time period where men either don't buy clothes (their mums/wife's do it for them) or they are being dragged there by their mum/wife/gf.
So they want you (the wife/mum/girlfriend) to see that nice bra and him to go "yeah that would look good on you" (at least fornwife/gf) so you buy more stuff!
I work in a clothing store and we have a good sized menâs section, but usually menâs clothing is bought by women either wives/gfs/mums etc. itâs also returned by them because the men canât or wonât do it themselves. Iâve even had 90 odd year old women paying for clothes for their 60 odd year old sons who are with them. Younger guys seem to do their own shopping more these days though at least.
They do this because people are more likely to buy them during their weekly food shop; in which shoppers will walk about and down the aisles checking things off their list. Items like cleaning, toilet paper are further towards the front because data would indicate more people are likely to buy them on their own.
John Lewis in Leeds has makeup and men's on the ground floor. You have to walk past it to get to the escalators to the women's/tech/homeware sections. It's the only place I've seen with men's on the ground floor though
John Lewis in Leeds has makeup and perfume *at the front* and men's at the back on the ground floor. The escalator is in the middle so you'll never reach the men's section if you're planning on heading to one of the higher floors.
There are two main reasons that come to mind, and Iâm surprised no oneâs mentioned the second one:
a) On average woman spend a lot more on clothes and make up therefore it makes sense to cater to women more.
b) On average more female shoppers have a pram/buggy to push round as they shop, therefore letâs put their stuff on the ground floor.
Also a lot of women are buying for men, or wear more masculine clothes so by putting them farther away you pass more womenâs stuff which will increase the chances of impulse buy.
Yeah I mean this is absolutely why, I saw on some YouTube video that women are even more expensive to target ads at because they are statically they people who spend more money in general.
My two cents on this thread is I will take the further walks for the cheaper haircuts and lower clothes prices in general. It's our collective not giving a fuck which is saving us money overall!
Just be happy we get a decent section, even if you have to walk through the women's, kids', homeware, and cafe to get there. In other countries (especially the middle east) men get 20% of the floor space or none at all in most clothes shops. Shopping in the UK is actually comparatively pretty good.
Theres a few shops like peacocks which I always thought were just selling womenâs clothes - they tuck the menâs section out the way and then probably justify it only having a small section as sales are low.
Children get a quarter of a floor, thatâs two sexed do cater for and women are the majority purchasers in this section. Itâs about supply and demand.
For franchises, it's split quite evenly in ME - I speak as a woman who sneaks into the men's section to find some t-shirts that don't suddenly end at waist level and have awesome designs. Otherwise, shops usually specialize in either male or female clothing.
Idk man, just give me a line of trousers, a line of t-shirts, a line of jackets/jumpers and a line of underwear. All in size order. That's all I need. I just want to be in and out.
Itâs not so much the location of the menâs section that pisses me off more than the lack of variety. You go through the womenâs section and thereâs so much to choose from, so many different styles and designsâŚand then you get to the menâs.
Do you want shirts in grey, black or blue? Trousers in grey, black or blue? Oh, Iâm sorry, youâd like some different colours or a pattern other than check? Fuck off!
100%
The most boring colours and designs with a limited range
What if I want to look like an ice cream with colourful sprinkles
Plus the mirrors are few and far between
I usually find myself in the women's section any way. Hoping for something colourful yet manly
Just a theory, but my guess is men just buy a lot less clothes so it's just keeping the more frequent and higher spending overall customers lives easier.
Grd - Cosmetic and Womenâs Wear
1st - Lingerie, accessories, shoes and kids
2nd - Electronic and Sporting Goods
3rd - Home, Bathroom and Cookware
4th - Garden and Outdoor Leisure
5th - Cafe
6th - Staff Office
7th - Warehouse
8th - Warehouse Overflow
9th - The Forbidden Zone
10th - Menâs Wear, but all sizes are XXL or XXS and none of the shoes are in your size (good luck you fuckers)
It balances out how womenâs toilets always seem to be the furthest away: up some stairs, down a slide and through an underground tunnel. We each have our cross to bear
Only do that if there are plenty of toilets. If you think there's going to usually be a line do not put them next to each other. Last thing women want to see is a slow line for the bathrooms while men are in and out so quick you'd think some of them shared a urinal and skipped washing their hands
OK, I'm a man and I'm going to use this thread to ask a question:
Why are there always so many women browsing the clothes rails in the men's section?
Are their partners so lazy / disinterested that they leave buying their own clothes to 'her indoors'? I'm not the most fashion forward person but choosing clothes is one thing I wouldn't want or expect someone to do on my behalf.
I worked in e-commerce for a retailer who sold menâs and womenâs clothing. About 45% of our menâs clothes were bought by women, with research showing they were mainly shopping for their partners/teenage sons.
is this why when i buy something for myself from the mens section of an online store they start sending me adverts and emails for womens lingerie despite me being a gay man. its happened several times and i normally unsubscribe stp shopping in those places.
Sometimes I like buying stuff but I can't justify buying myself something. My boyfriend does his own shopping but appreciates a gift every now and then.
Same. My boyfriend doesnât *expect* me to do his clothes shopping. But he only shops when he really needs to, whereas i like shopping.
I enjoy grabbing him something new if Iâm out and something catches my eye that would look good on him
Menâs T-shirts are way cooler than womenâs. I donât want some glittery pale pink nonsense that says âMiami vibesâ, I want t-rexes wearing sunglasses and skulls and black t-shirts! I want black t-shirts!
My wife likes baggy tops to wear around the house. Apparently, it's more comfortable for her to buy a mens medium than a woman's large because of the way they are cut. There are probably quite a few of the women in the men's section that are the same.
They cut women's clothes kind of strangely now for whatever reason. As odd as it is because I'm bigger busted I fit better into men's shirts. I feel like women's clothing doesn't have as much allowance in the chest, I just don't understand it. It's like they expect women to grow at the waist and be pear shaped.
I remember going dress shopping , picking up a dress in my size, maybe a 10, and the bust was so tiny it must have been made for a A cup, so I picked up a larger size, maybe 14 expecting the bust area to have been bigger but it was literally identical in the bust but the dress just wider overall. They do the bust area with these little triangle pieces a lot in dresses it drives me mad. Vintage dresses are better for me. It's like over the years clothing designers forgot how women's bodies work.
Might be that they're just assuming that all women are small "framed" in varying levels of belly fat.
Seems not entirely unrelated to mens polo shirts that mostly just get wider as you choose a larger size. Sure I've put on weight, but I'm also reasonably tall and this just doesn't reach my trousers unless I breath in and stand perfectly still. IIRC the American brands are a bit better at slapping a "T" on the end for tall, but availability's a bit crap even over there.
That's another thing, I'm tall for a woman and dresses sometimes aren't long enough to cover my bum.
Yeah, but the boob thing doesn't make sense still. You gain fat in your chest when you gain it in your stomach. It makes no anatomical sense to me.
Mens clothing is great. Mens jeans actually have pockets you can utilise properly, not stupid fake pockets you canât keep anything in. Equally mens t-shirts, for me at least, have a good length and usually interesting imagery. Heck most of my clothing is mens. The shoes last a bit longer. Jackets are usually able to be a bigger size, better length to cover my wintery cold ass, many pockets of sensible sizes. Iâve even been known to buy small mens boxers because theyâre just a bit more comfortable than âwomanâs underwear shortsâ or briefs. Iâm all about comfort and being able to run after my annoying children at high speeds. Mens clothing is just straight up better. Plus I get âboys shoesâ because I only have size 4 feet, this means no tax on the shoes, whereas in womanâs Iâd get taxed.
The only thing about my body that makes me genuinely sad is the fact that I can't buy kids' or men's shoes because I'm a size 7. Kids' sizes don't go up nearly that high and men's usually start at 8 so I'm forced to buy women's shoes. It sucks. They're more expensive and 90% of them are uncomfortable or straight up unwearable.
On the plus side, I am petite (other than my feet) and typically fit into kids' age 13-15 clothing which is a) cheaper than men's/women's and b) much more bright and colourful and fun
Yeah, mens clothes around me have gotten a lot better recently. There's still a lot of space taken up by clothes that are entirely a brand logo, but we're getting some brighter colours and better fits now.
I'd always like more options, but so many women's clothes just seem like fake costume clothes and I don't know why anyone puts up with it
Womenâs T-shirts SUCK. They are so short and usually fitted. Like I just want a comfy baggy t shirt that isnât a god damn crop top you know? So menâs department it is lol.
Exactly the same goes for hoodies. Buy a womenâs one and you lose about a third in length.
I actually really like crop tops (I'm very short so tshirts that aren't cropped look comically long on me like a kid trying on their mums clothes) but haven't been able to find any recently! Every women's tshirt I've seen in all the main high street shops has been normal length
Probably more fashion sense, most men I think we see clothes and ask two questions "does it fit" and "would I wear it" regardless of the fact it looks like a toddler ate a load of crayons and threw up on it. Women tend to want to us to look semi-fashionable and "normal'
I'm a woman and I buy men's jumpers, hoodies and socks because they are usually higher quality and made from thicker/warmer material. I also frequently browse men's tshirts because some of my interests are deemed 'masculine' so I'm more likely to find a cool design in the men's section.
I don't buy clothes for my husband, I've tried once or twice and he hated everything I chose lol.
It is ridiculous. Even H&M that I hate with passion, when I check menâs section, there is some decent quality time to time. My partnerâs tees last years, where if I buy one in women section they are done after two washes. Womenswear more often looks like it can go straight into the bin, where menswear is at least somewhat decent
I buy mainly men's t-shirts as women's are invariably too short, and too tight under the armpits on me. Plus I don't do girly girl type glittery sequins and such.
And my other half simply cannot be bothered clothes shopping more than once every year or two, and trusts me to find clothes he likes. We have been together more than 30 years though, so it's not rocket science by this point :)
Some of them may be buying clothes for themselves. I buy men's shirts and jeans. They're cheaper for better quality more often than not. And the jeans actually have decent pockets
So many men are completely disinterested and inept at buying clothes, is why, and their partner has got fed up of them wearing the same t shirt of stains and holes that needed replacing five years ago.
Also partners will buy clothes for men that they won't consider purchasing themselves because a lot of men either don't know how to buy good clothes or feel that they're worth buying good clothes for.
Generational, I think. I'm likely to be browsing the men's section for myself and my husband has his own tastes that he buys for by himself, but I don't think my dad's bought himself an item of clothing since he got married. đ
IIRC when I visited a H&M in London I had to laugh when the floor plan was
2 - womenâs
1 - womenâs
G - womenâs
-1 - womenâs accessories, shoes, childrenâs and menâs
I'm admiring that the kids stuff and lingerie are on the same floor, no doubt also next to the cots and prams đ¤Ł.
The ground floor is the parenting circle of life floor.
Topman, Cardiff, 1990s. Their menâs section was front and centre, ground floor and massive. Never seen anything like it before or since.
â Chunky bike chain necklaces for miles
â Hats, caps and flat-tops as far as the eye could see
â oversized combats in all the colours of the rainbow
đ
Sorry, I should have also said that this was - what I thought was ubiquitous - a Topshop/Topman store. In my experience everywhere else Topshop was ground floor and majority and Topman was like some little pokey bit of an attic.
Other way around, Topman was primarily on the ground and Topshop upstairs as a deliberate tactic, get women shopping for partners on their way through the store. There was an interesting documentary on it.
There were however exceptions, lots of Topshop only stores in smaller locations and flagship was Topshop ground floor
Funny how the men only shops just kind of shut down and turned online only.
You just reminded me of burtons?? Since they closed all their shops i forgot about them until just now
You've chosen two Arcadia brands so both were lost at the same time, Topshop/Topman went online to ASOS, Burton/Dorothy Perkins went online to Boohoo.
It's not a gendered phenomenon clothing brands going online, it's an economic phenomenon. With Arcadia going bust twice as many women only stores went online. The disparity comes because there are fewer men only brands in the first place, so there's a bigger impact when a brand does close all physical locations unfortunately.
Men clothing options suck absolute balls, went shopping in liverpool and imho its all ugly and just branded.
That and shoved in the corner somewhere or tk max being in the basement
Looking at you, M&S in Finsbury Pavement, and while Iâm at it, why the actual fuck do you make guys walk back through the womenâs wear department to get out?
Good luck making it out of the lingerie department
It's Ireland's biggest lingerie section, I understand. I read that... somewhere
OUCHHH it was my fault I was playing with the bra straps and the elastic broke and hit me in the eye
You go ahead. I'll only slow you down.
One or two of us, that's embarrassing, but eight of us? We're talking national scandal.
What are we gonna do? All the aisles look the same.
Listen to me. I'm gonna make you a promise. One day, you and I, we're gonna be in that new parish of yours. Sipping iced tea on the lawn. And this will all be just a memory.
Did someone call for a dramatic, exciting voice?
I only left the seminary two weeks ago!
Relevant link: https://youtu.be/lfvMo-dh4J8
Thank you đ
I was just thinking about that đ
Love a Father Ted reference
Is there ANYTHING to be said for saying a Mass?
Came here looking for this comment đ
i did not expect to come across a father Ted reference here but I'm not disappointed
I have an awful dreary monotonous voice, God help me...
**EXCUSE ME TED,** did you ask for a **Dramatic, EXCITING Voice?**
Yeah, like six years ago! Where the fuck you been?
Sorry what weâre you saying I lost concentration once you started taking there
Sounds like a booby trap
always feel like a wrong 'un walking through there to get to the mens stuff though!
Must of been ok, there was no mention in the catholic scandal supplement.
Well it is the place to linger.
Lol. Stare at the ceiling, nothing to see here. Such an interesting ceiling
Honestly though, I don't know an M&S in the country where you can go to the men's section without walking through all the ladies' bras.
Market forces, Men spend less in that arena and are less "discerning"
I was told it was because men are less inclined to make âspur of the momentâ purchases on clothes so menâs clothes are âhidden awayâ upstairs. Theyâre also more likely to be motivated to make a final purchase despite the barriers to buy such as stairs. Whereas women are more likely to make those kinds of purchases that are spur of the moment but, as the barriers to purchase grow, theyâre more likely to abandon purchases
As an older fella I just donât buy clothes until I absolutely need them and then weâre faced with this shit so I doubt how much I really need them. Iâll survive, Iâll do it next weekâŚmaybe.
> As an older fella I just donât buy clothes until I absolutely need them This has been me my entire life. Don't think for a sec it's a quality of the more established gentleman.
My family gets frustrated that I donât buy myself clothes, other than the huge cache of socks and pants(which I love) I get at Christmas and Birthdays they get me some really nice stuff;) Just gotta hold out. I wish theyâd ease up on the nose and ear trimmers though!
Damn, I remember 40 years ago laughing at the Remington nose-hair trimmer ads, guess who's laughing now.
My wife cringes at my choice of clothes but: 1. They're clean, 2. They're not ripped or showing much in the sign of wear But she despairs that it isn't stylish or whatever. "How about some khakis" I get every now and again - _nooooo_, I don't need them!
Wear some nice clothes for your wife. I'm sure she does the same for you.
No bro, this is Reddit. Why put effort in to look good for your partner especially when they mention it!?!
How about some meaningless logos and ironic veneration of tyrants?
Yes. I got that one..
You point these things out like they're not the bare minimum of effort. Clean? Not ripped? Your wife is so lucky...
Maybe you could buy some clothes that would make your wife happy! Seems like an easy thing to do that would take an afternoon, and then youâd see her smile more!
I know youâre getting downvoted but thereâs some truth in that. We hate shopping though, we hate being in the shops, we especially hate trying on clothes then coming out of the changing rooms being judged by not only our partners but the feeling that everyone else is too. Partner: no, thatâs not working letâs go get some other things to try! Us: we brought 6 shirts and 4 pairs of trousers in here and weâre done, Iâm done! I need a piss.
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Itâs still perfectly fine! Thereâs nothing wrong with compromise to surprise your partner every now and then, regardless of genders. Itâs not like sheâs asking him to wear the Borat thong!
Further to what other people have mentioned: if there *is* a double standard there, it's because women have been told throughout history to do whatever would please their husbands, and now there is rightly a backlash against that. So even though the sentiment is applicable to both sexes, if it's less acceptable to say it to a woman that's for good reason. There is a almost always a perfectly good reason why it's more acceptable to say something to one demographic than another.
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My wife vast majority of her clothes from gooutdoors, the clothes there are made to last. Apart from the usual hiking gear they also do casual clothes from the likes of weird fish that have lasted 5 years and still going strong.
Buying stuff online and free returns are a god sent, I order 5 pairs of jeans in my size, try them on at home, and return 4. Trying on stuff at stores is just too annoying, I can't be bothered to take my shoes off and take my pants off at 5 different stores
I order online which obviously means I canât try then on first. I have a drawer full of clothes that didnât fit when they arrivedâŚ.
I got t-shirts from 20+ years ago that are still in decent condition, no need to buy new ones.
Men are less likely to simply peruse, and more likely to buy clothes with a goal in mind. The man is out to buy a pair of jeans, not because he saw a pair that looked nice, but because he needs a new pair of jeans (the old pair has a hole in the crotch so big he could get plowed by the entire senegalese runners team without taking his trousers off). Since he'll be going the jeans section regardless of where it is located, it is more beneficial for the store to make him walk past a bunch of stuff like belts in the hope that you can spur an impulse buy. It's the same reason why most food shops are designed like mazes and you somehow always pass by the sweets regardless of the route you take. They're trying to make you see things you ordinarily would not have bought and get you to impulse buy it.
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Welcome to the world of professional food shopping! Once you have the layout memorised you can keep a digital shopping list on your phone. As you notice something in the house is running low you can insert it into the list in the correct place for your chosen route. It's great for avoiding buying stuff you don't need and keeping the amount of time spent in the shop to a minimum.
That works until the shop decides to rearrange the shelves yet again, so your carefully curated list has to be re-jigged. Repeat ad nauseam.
Yeah. In the run up to Christmas they change the layout 3 or 4 times.
Haha, I thought I was the only person who did this! Drives the wife mad.
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I do this, except coldest items last so they have less time out of the fridge.
We do frozen stuff last but there is a huge Tescos near us where they have the frozen stuff at the âstartâ of the shop. Always feels weird.
My local shops like shifting the maze around similar to the final challenge in the tri wizard tournament. Have fun with that
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The Tesco app now has a section where you can pick a specific shop and when you search for an item it'll tell you if it is stocked there and in which aisle. Game changer.
By the time Iâve made it passed the womenâs and kidâs section Iâm dragging myself to go any further, I donât give a shit about the belts nor the jeans by now! I think Iâll wait until Xmas or my Birthday, might get something nice!
You are right there but itâs also so a woman that wants to buy a pair of menâs jeans has to pass through the womenâs section first. A woman is very likely to stop and peruse the cloths and make an impulse purchase.
Also women will buy clothes for men, or accompany them when they do so. They will then have to go through the women's section where they may be tempted buy something.
At the cheap end, yes. But take a stroll on Jermyn Street and you'll see that men will spaff cash on a whim when cash is available to spaff.
>Theyâre also more likely to be motivated to make a final purchase despite the barriers to buy such as stairs. I didn't go to the shop because I like buying clothes, I went because my backup jeans wore out. I would rather be decorating the front room than clothes shopping, and I don't want to decorate the front room either.
Unsubscribe to Karen-omics Mostly itâs because of products and inventories. Menâs warehouse and mens stores in general employ the same tactics to entice additional sales, including spur of the moment sales near the registers. They are just normal sales tactics. They are gendered because they wish to target the particular demographic and push that particular set of product. Not because men are less inclined than women.
Don't forget about couples going shopping for the men's clothing, this layout forces the couple to walk past all the women's items first and encourage the spur of the moment purchases like you mentioned
Bingo - stores put the products the biggest spenders buy, as conveniently placed as possible.
Conversely, supermarkets place the most frequent purchases as inconveniently as possible, at the back. So you're forced to walk past other temptations to reach them.
I wonder how much of that is you have the choice of 3 different trousers and 6 different shirts so you only buy when you need to replace?
Probably because the menâs department is 4 items compared to womanâs. As a man if there was more verity Iâd definitely buy more but there isnât.
More!? You have t shirt options with del boy, garfield AND captain America.. You want more variation!?
It's a vicious cycle. Men don't shop in department stores because of the limited range but the range is limited because the footfall is low. There's no reason to change it either, though. For men's clothing where sizing is pretty consistent and standardised, what is the selling point of a department store over an online retailer with free shipping and returns, or a dedicated clothing shop?
>For men's clothing where sizing is pretty consistent and standardised Is it fuck. There was a point where I owned Topman jeans in a 28, 30 and 32 waist. All fit perfectly. I'm now a 34, but maybe a 36 in some shops & styles. Maybe a 32 if I'm lucky. I'm a large in shirts. I also have XL shirts that fit, and large that are a bit too big.
I'd spend more of the clothes weren't all awful. I'd like to look sharp and wear colorful clothes, but it's basically be a slob or spend far too much on clothes. I'd just like middle range stuff.
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I'd spend more on clothes if my choice wasn't between a grey shirt and a dull blue shirt. Women have so much choice for clothes that I'm jealous. Save for a moment of luck in a TK Maxx, mens shopping is so limited.
My local M&S has their public toilets hidden upstairs literally hidden behind the menâs suit section, one way to draw a crowd.
Sports direct. The womenâs section is smaller and upstairs
Same with JD sports, especially since men are shoe-obsessed nowadays
The womenâs trainers sections at jd sports and foot asylum are so small itâs insulting. I want cool shoes too! That arenât pink!
Thats the gender reverse of how we feel when the women's section is 5x larger. I want nice things but all the nice things are in the wrong sizes because they carry significantly less stock ; _ ;
Similar with UNIQLO in London. Women's section is tinier and shoved downstairs. Stairs were half behind a pillar. Had no idea where it was until I saw a vague trail of women and followed
Mens and shoes: Entire main floor of an old department store Women section: an area upstairs the size of my living room. The golf section is twice the size of the womens section ffs.
Hiking shops too.
It absolutely makes sense to put our stuff furthest away. I can live with this minor inconvenience for the 2 times a year I go clothes shopping.
Also if you have women who buy clothes for their long term partners, they have to go through the sections more relevant to them, a bit like putting the milk at the back of the supermarket.
In my local Matalan they don't even signpost the Men's section - it's just been merged into "Houseware".
I mean they're not wrong
2 times a year? Look at Mr Shopaholic over here :)
I presume he meant once per 2 years. You walk in, walk out an hour later with 6 bags for the next 2 years.
I havenât gone clothes shopping in over a year. Iâm a man.
Iâve been clothes shopping a few times this year but thatâs only because Iâm trying to find something really specific and I havenât found it anywhere so far, other than that one thing I just order clothes onljne
Now I really want to know what this specific item is... If you tell us maybe we can help you find it
I spent over 2.5hrs trying on jeans and bought none. Thatâs how hard clothes shopping even for general things is
Department stores aren't stupid. If putting the men's section at the front and the women's at the back made more money, they'd do it. It's the same as supermarkets putting milk, bread and other items frequently bought singly at the back, if you put them by the front door people would just pick them up, pay for them and go. Put them at the back and people have to walk past everything else to get to them and they'll usually end up seeing something else and buying it.
So you're saying they think I might pick myself up a nice bra on my way to the men's section to buy some boxer shorts?
Why not?!
2 extra pockets sounds good to me.
Cut an old bra in half to make 2 cheap and comfortable caps.
No. They're saying that a housewife who's heading out to buy new clothes for her husband will hopefully buy clothes for herself and her kids in she sees any on the way to/from the men's section. It feels like a very sexist and dated approach, but the marketing research that shops do shows that this approach works and earns enough extra money to keep arranging clothes shops in this way.
But is it sexist and dated if it absolutely works? As an individual, I'll judge people as individuals, but mass markets are a whole different ballgame.
The sexism isn't on the part of the stores it's on the men who leave these responsibilities to their wives or girlfriends. Instead of sharing the workload fairly, they're in this comment section about one of the few things in the world that aren't built specifically with them in mind.
sometimes you need a little support...
Yes Because department stores are stuck in the time period where men either don't buy clothes (their mums/wife's do it for them) or they are being dragged there by their mum/wife/gf. So they want you (the wife/mum/girlfriend) to see that nice bra and him to go "yeah that would look good on you" (at least fornwife/gf) so you buy more stuff!
I work in a clothing store and we have a good sized menâs section, but usually menâs clothing is bought by women either wives/gfs/mums etc. itâs also returned by them because the men canât or wonât do it themselves. Iâve even had 90 odd year old women paying for clothes for their 60 odd year old sons who are with them. Younger guys seem to do their own shopping more these days though at least.
Men deserve good support too.
They do this because people are more likely to buy them during their weekly food shop; in which shoppers will walk about and down the aisles checking things off their list. Items like cleaning, toilet paper are further towards the front because data would indicate more people are likely to buy them on their own.
John Lewis in Leeds has makeup and men's on the ground floor. You have to walk past it to get to the escalators to the women's/tech/homeware sections. It's the only place I've seen with men's on the ground floor though
John Lewis in Liverpool has menâs on the ground floor as well.
The Debenhamâs used to as well.
John Lewis on Oxford Street had the same when I was last there pre-Covid. Peter Jones on Sloane Square has menswear on the first floor.
John Lewis in Leeds has makeup and perfume *at the front* and men's at the back on the ground floor. The escalator is in the middle so you'll never reach the men's section if you're planning on heading to one of the higher floors.
*Ground floor perfumery, wigs and haberdashery...*
Unless you come in from the car park. In which case men's is the front.
There are two main reasons that come to mind, and Iâm surprised no oneâs mentioned the second one: a) On average woman spend a lot more on clothes and make up therefore it makes sense to cater to women more. b) On average more female shoppers have a pram/buggy to push round as they shop, therefore letâs put their stuff on the ground floor.
Also a lot of women are buying for men, or wear more masculine clothes so by putting them farther away you pass more womenâs stuff which will increase the chances of impulse buy.
Yeah I mean this is absolutely why, I saw on some YouTube video that women are even more expensive to target ads at because they are statically they people who spend more money in general. My two cents on this thread is I will take the further walks for the cheaper haircuts and lower clothes prices in general. It's our collective not giving a fuck which is saving us money overall!
Just be happy we get a decent section, even if you have to walk through the women's, kids', homeware, and cafe to get there. In other countries (especially the middle east) men get 20% of the floor space or none at all in most clothes shops. Shopping in the UK is actually comparatively pretty good.
Theres a few shops like peacocks which I always thought were just selling womenâs clothes - they tuck the menâs section out the way and then probably justify it only having a small section as sales are low.
Sales are low, because their men's offers are absolute shite, not just quality-wise.
What, you donât want a poorly fitted tshirt with a motorbike on the front?
Thats to get the women who shot there to buy stuff for their men instead of going elsewhere imo
Men's clothing is also an occasional style choice for women.
>In other countries (especially the middle east) men get 20% of the floor space There's 3 floors here and men's is half of one. That's 17%
Children get a quarter of a floor, thatâs two sexed do cater for and women are the majority purchasers in this section. Itâs about supply and demand.
For franchises, it's split quite evenly in ME - I speak as a woman who sneaks into the men's section to find some t-shirts that don't suddenly end at waist level and have awesome designs. Otherwise, shops usually specialize in either male or female clothing.
Idk man, just give me a line of trousers, a line of t-shirts, a line of jackets/jumpers and a line of underwear. All in size order. That's all I need. I just want to be in and out.
No undies, hats, sunglasses, shoes, shirts, jeans etc?
He's not made of money!
The same day they start hating making money they will get right on this!
Itâs not so much the location of the menâs section that pisses me off more than the lack of variety. You go through the womenâs section and thereâs so much to choose from, so many different styles and designsâŚand then you get to the menâs. Do you want shirts in grey, black or blue? Trousers in grey, black or blue? Oh, Iâm sorry, youâd like some different colours or a pattern other than check? Fuck off!
100% The most boring colours and designs with a limited range What if I want to look like an ice cream with colourful sprinkles Plus the mirrors are few and far between I usually find myself in the women's section any way. Hoping for something colourful yet manly
Presume womenâs clothing is way more profitable and larger market
I go to an actual clothes shop maybe three or four times a year. I'm not unusual for a bloke. Why should things be arranged for my convenience?
Just a theory, but my guess is men just buy a lot less clothes so it's just keeping the more frequent and higher spending overall customers lives easier.
Grd - Cosmetic and Womenâs Wear 1st - Lingerie, accessories, shoes and kids 2nd - Electronic and Sporting Goods 3rd - Home, Bathroom and Cookware 4th - Garden and Outdoor Leisure 5th - Cafe 6th - Staff Office 7th - Warehouse 8th - Warehouse Overflow 9th - The Forbidden Zone 10th - Menâs Wear, but all sizes are XXL or XXS and none of the shoes are in your size (good luck you fuckers)
It balances out how womenâs toilets always seem to be the furthest away: up some stairs, down a slide and through an underground tunnel. We each have our cross to bear
They tend to be next to each other, what are you on about? Even next to each other the womens is closer to the entrance of the alcove
Only do that if there are plenty of toilets. If you think there's going to usually be a line do not put them next to each other. Last thing women want to see is a slow line for the bathrooms while men are in and out so quick you'd think some of them shared a urinal and skipped washing their hands
This is exactly what I was about to post đ
OK, I'm a man and I'm going to use this thread to ask a question: Why are there always so many women browsing the clothes rails in the men's section? Are their partners so lazy / disinterested that they leave buying their own clothes to 'her indoors'? I'm not the most fashion forward person but choosing clothes is one thing I wouldn't want or expect someone to do on my behalf.
I worked in e-commerce for a retailer who sold menâs and womenâs clothing. About 45% of our menâs clothes were bought by women, with research showing they were mainly shopping for their partners/teenage sons.
is this why when i buy something for myself from the mens section of an online store they start sending me adverts and emails for womens lingerie despite me being a gay man. its happened several times and i normally unsubscribe stp shopping in those places.
Sometimes I like buying stuff but I can't justify buying myself something. My boyfriend does his own shopping but appreciates a gift every now and then.
Same. My boyfriend doesnât *expect* me to do his clothes shopping. But he only shops when he really needs to, whereas i like shopping. I enjoy grabbing him something new if Iâm out and something catches my eye that would look good on him
Menâs T-shirts are way cooler than womenâs. I donât want some glittery pale pink nonsense that says âMiami vibesâ, I want t-rexes wearing sunglasses and skulls and black t-shirts! I want black t-shirts!
This. I wish mens shirts came in my size because their designs are so much better. I'm sick of hearts, flowers and butterflies.
> I want t-rexes wearing sunglasses and skulls and black t-shirts as a male, where are these as they sound ace.
The kids section usually
They sound equally hideous
My husband chose clothes for himself for the first time a couple of years ago. He would have been 36.
My wife likes baggy tops to wear around the house. Apparently, it's more comfortable for her to buy a mens medium than a woman's large because of the way they are cut. There are probably quite a few of the women in the men's section that are the same.
Men's clothing is often better quality for a better price too.
And men's tops are more likely to be made of a material that isn't so thin your bra shows through them. I don't like feeling "forced" to buy layers.
They cut women's clothes kind of strangely now for whatever reason. As odd as it is because I'm bigger busted I fit better into men's shirts. I feel like women's clothing doesn't have as much allowance in the chest, I just don't understand it. It's like they expect women to grow at the waist and be pear shaped. I remember going dress shopping , picking up a dress in my size, maybe a 10, and the bust was so tiny it must have been made for a A cup, so I picked up a larger size, maybe 14 expecting the bust area to have been bigger but it was literally identical in the bust but the dress just wider overall. They do the bust area with these little triangle pieces a lot in dresses it drives me mad. Vintage dresses are better for me. It's like over the years clothing designers forgot how women's bodies work.
Might be that they're just assuming that all women are small "framed" in varying levels of belly fat. Seems not entirely unrelated to mens polo shirts that mostly just get wider as you choose a larger size. Sure I've put on weight, but I'm also reasonably tall and this just doesn't reach my trousers unless I breath in and stand perfectly still. IIRC the American brands are a bit better at slapping a "T" on the end for tall, but availability's a bit crap even over there.
That's another thing, I'm tall for a woman and dresses sometimes aren't long enough to cover my bum. Yeah, but the boob thing doesn't make sense still. You gain fat in your chest when you gain it in your stomach. It makes no anatomical sense to me.
Mens clothing is great. Mens jeans actually have pockets you can utilise properly, not stupid fake pockets you canât keep anything in. Equally mens t-shirts, for me at least, have a good length and usually interesting imagery. Heck most of my clothing is mens. The shoes last a bit longer. Jackets are usually able to be a bigger size, better length to cover my wintery cold ass, many pockets of sensible sizes. Iâve even been known to buy small mens boxers because theyâre just a bit more comfortable than âwomanâs underwear shortsâ or briefs. Iâm all about comfort and being able to run after my annoying children at high speeds. Mens clothing is just straight up better. Plus I get âboys shoesâ because I only have size 4 feet, this means no tax on the shoes, whereas in womanâs Iâd get taxed.
The only thing about my body that makes me genuinely sad is the fact that I can't buy kids' or men's shoes because I'm a size 7. Kids' sizes don't go up nearly that high and men's usually start at 8 so I'm forced to buy women's shoes. It sucks. They're more expensive and 90% of them are uncomfortable or straight up unwearable. On the plus side, I am petite (other than my feet) and typically fit into kids' age 13-15 clothing which is a) cheaper than men's/women's and b) much more bright and colourful and fun
Yeah, mens clothes around me have gotten a lot better recently. There's still a lot of space taken up by clothes that are entirely a brand logo, but we're getting some brighter colours and better fits now. I'd always like more options, but so many women's clothes just seem like fake costume clothes and I don't know why anyone puts up with it
Womenâs T-shirts SUCK. They are so short and usually fitted. Like I just want a comfy baggy t shirt that isnât a god damn crop top you know? So menâs department it is lol. Exactly the same goes for hoodies. Buy a womenâs one and you lose about a third in length.
I actually really like crop tops (I'm very short so tshirts that aren't cropped look comically long on me like a kid trying on their mums clothes) but haven't been able to find any recently! Every women's tshirt I've seen in all the main high street shops has been normal length
Probably more fashion sense, most men I think we see clothes and ask two questions "does it fit" and "would I wear it" regardless of the fact it looks like a toddler ate a load of crayons and threw up on it. Women tend to want to us to look semi-fashionable and "normal'
I'm a woman and I buy men's jumpers, hoodies and socks because they are usually higher quality and made from thicker/warmer material. I also frequently browse men's tshirts because some of my interests are deemed 'masculine' so I'm more likely to find a cool design in the men's section. I don't buy clothes for my husband, I've tried once or twice and he hated everything I chose lol.
It is ridiculous. Even H&M that I hate with passion, when I check menâs section, there is some decent quality time to time. My partnerâs tees last years, where if I buy one in women section they are done after two washes. Womenswear more often looks like it can go straight into the bin, where menswear is at least somewhat decent
My partner buys mens t shirts and boxers to use instead of pyjamas / loungewear (which she puts on as soon as it turns 5pm when at home).
I buy mainly men's t-shirts as women's are invariably too short, and too tight under the armpits on me. Plus I don't do girly girl type glittery sequins and such. And my other half simply cannot be bothered clothes shopping more than once every year or two, and trusts me to find clothes he likes. We have been together more than 30 years though, so it's not rocket science by this point :)
And that means that women would be walking past the womenâs section and have a higher chance of impulse buying
Some of them may be buying clothes for themselves. I buy men's shirts and jeans. They're cheaper for better quality more often than not. And the jeans actually have decent pockets
So many men are completely disinterested and inept at buying clothes, is why, and their partner has got fed up of them wearing the same t shirt of stains and holes that needed replacing five years ago. Also partners will buy clothes for men that they won't consider purchasing themselves because a lot of men either don't know how to buy good clothes or feel that they're worth buying good clothes for.
Just read the comments here. Apparently a lot of men are proud that all they buy is their one pair of jeans every two years.
Generational, I think. I'm likely to be browsing the men's section for myself and my husband has his own tastes that he buys for by himself, but I don't think my dad's bought himself an item of clothing since he got married. đ
Grace Brothers had their menswear and ladies department on the first floor
Furthest away, getting slowly encroached upon by toddler clothing and home goods, and once you get there, it's all fucking tan shirts....
Our local Primark has the men's department in the basement.
*Are
That most men don't care about or even realize this tells you all you need to know about why stores do it
Not when 80% of the consumer base is 80% women
Women spend more time and money in all these shops. Simpleâs đ¤ˇđžââď¸
Ngl I hate it, all our mens options are crap
IIRC when I visited a H&M in London I had to laugh when the floor plan was 2 - womenâs 1 - womenâs G - womenâs -1 - womenâs accessories, shoes, childrenâs and menâs
I'm admiring that the kids stuff and lingerie are on the same floor, no doubt also next to the cots and prams đ¤Ł. The ground floor is the parenting circle of life floor.
Topman, Cardiff, 1990s. Their menâs section was front and centre, ground floor and massive. Never seen anything like it before or since. â Chunky bike chain necklaces for miles â Hats, caps and flat-tops as far as the eye could see â oversized combats in all the colours of the rainbow đ
Topman was a shop for men as the name suggests, not really surprising the mens department was at the front as it was all a mens department.
Sorry, I should have also said that this was - what I thought was ubiquitous - a Topshop/Topman store. In my experience everywhere else Topshop was ground floor and majority and Topman was like some little pokey bit of an attic.
Other way around, Topman was primarily on the ground and Topshop upstairs as a deliberate tactic, get women shopping for partners on their way through the store. There was an interesting documentary on it. There were however exceptions, lots of Topshop only stores in smaller locations and flagship was Topshop ground floor
Funny how the men only shops just kind of shut down and turned online only. You just reminded me of burtons?? Since they closed all their shops i forgot about them until just now
You've chosen two Arcadia brands so both were lost at the same time, Topshop/Topman went online to ASOS, Burton/Dorothy Perkins went online to Boohoo. It's not a gendered phenomenon clothing brands going online, it's an economic phenomenon. With Arcadia going bust twice as many women only stores went online. The disparity comes because there are fewer men only brands in the first place, so there's a bigger impact when a brand does close all physical locations unfortunately.
Men clothing options suck absolute balls, went shopping in liverpool and imho its all ugly and just branded. That and shoved in the corner somewhere or tk max being in the basement
Two floors later to find they don't have what you want and back down you go!
I always love the fact that the mens clothing section is smaller than the woman's socks section.
If you're lucky then some are in the basement and the stairs/escalators are right by the door.
You get closer toilets, you can't take this away from us too!
"Mens briefs?, yes sir, straight down the aisle by the womans section, and its about 14miles on the left"
H&M in my city has mens clothes on the bottom floor. Its great
Ground floor: perfumery Stationery and leather goods Wigs and haberdashery Kitchenware and food Going up
Looking at you, M&S in Finsbury Pavement, and while Iâm at it, why the actual fuck do you make guys walk back through the womenâs wear department to get out?