Treating EMS

EMS - Elusive Male Shopper

In Search Of The Elusive Male Shopper : NPR: "Men may never be the browsers women are. But Underhill says retailers — including supermarkets — could do more to capitalize on men's particular shopping habits.

'A remarkable number of men shop in the grocery at night because they simply don't like the crowd,' Underhill says. 'And those are the times in which maybe you should have a beer tasting going on in-store.'

Some stores are already working the alcohol angle. Mike Gatti, the executive director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, says several specialty clothing stores have thrown successful beer and pizza events to lure men in and keep them there.

What's On Tap

Then there's the jewelry chain that's meeting customers where they're already at ease: bars.

'Bringing some of the jewelry into local bars so the men can see the jewelry in a place where they're kind of hanging out with their friends, they might decide to buy a piece of jewelry for their girlfriend in this bar,' Gatti says. 'Also creates a bit of peer pressure: 'Hey, you need to buy that for her.' '

He says efforts like these will catch on. Meanwhile, a new kind of in-store help is on the horizon: touch-screen shelf signs. Shoppers will have pages of computerized product information at their fingertips. Men should love it. They won't need to ask any questions at all."