Research : A third of men under 34 buy more clothes online than offline

Research from Rakuten LinkShare reveals over a third of men under 34 buy more clothes online than offline with 25% sourcing purchase inspiration from fashion blogs

Rakuten LinkShare, the world’s largest affiliate network, today released insights into British men’s shopping and fashion habits.*

• Young men are fuelling fashion purchases with nearly half of 18-24 year olds making more purchases this year than last
• 49% of men between 18-24 shop for fashion on their mobiles
• Over a quarter of 25-35 yr olds purchase fashion items on a tablet
• 76% of men indicated that vouchers, incentives and discounts encourage them to make a purchase and 95% did not think this damages a brands’ reputation

Over a third (36%) of men between 18 – 34 consider themselves very fashionable

These men are looking online for their style advice and inspiration, with a quarter of young men in this age bracket reading fashion blogs for fashion inspiration (26%). Men’s fashion is now big business, despite the squeeze on household incomes, figures from the NPD Group; revealed men’s clothing sales saw positive growth of 4% in 2010 to $55.71 billion (£36 billion). The industry has not let this go unnoticed – June 2012 saw London’s first ever Men’s Fashion Week.

39% of men under 34 now buy more clothes online than offline

Rakuten LinkShare’s research indicates that young men are fuelling fashion purchases, with nearly half of 18-25 year olds (44%) making more fashion purchase this year than last. This fashion-forward, young, male audience is also leading mobile commerce for the fashion industry with nearly half of 18-24 year olds making fashion purchases on their Smartphones and over a quarter of 25-34 year olds making purchases on their Tablet devices.

95% of respondents felt that that vouchers and discounts did not damage their opinion of a brand

Across the board, men surveyed were keen to ensure they get the best deal online. Over three quarters of respondents to Rakuten LinkShare’s research (76%) indicated that vouchers, incentives and discounts encourage them to make a purchase. Free delivery also proved popular, with a quarter of men wanting to use this. However, vouchers and incentives do not just encourage single purchases, 40% think vouchers and special sales increase loyalty to a brand.

18-24 year olds are the biggest impulse purchasers, with 33% purchasing an item whenever they see something they like

Conversely, it’s older men in the 35-54 age bracket saying they like to experiment with new clothes. Unsurprisingly, men of all ages look to their partners, friends and family for inspiration on fashion and style, with 46% saying this is important to them. With social shopping online growing in popularity, driven by sites like Facebook and Pinterest, brands could make use of this, encouraging people to share and recommend items to friends.

* Methodology

Rakuten LinkShare surveyed 1,000 British male consumers on their fashion style and shopping habits. The data was collected by Redshift Research in June 2012.