Men top spenders on online shopping

A new survey by Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad has revealed that men are the primary big spenders in the digital retail arena.

Covering a vast sample size of 35,000 respondents across 25 states, the comprehensive online survey unveiled that men outspent women significantly in online shopping.

While men did an average expenditure of Rs 2484, women carried out an average of Rs 1830.

Authored by Pankaj Setia, Swanand Deodhar, and Ujjwal Dadhich, it delves into the intricate dynamics of digital consumer behavior in India.

While 47% of men and 58% of women indulged in fashionwear shopping online, 23% of men and 16% of women purchased electronic devices.

Consumers from Tier-2 cities, including Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, and Kochi, among others, exhibited higher spending patterns than Tier-1 cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. 

Tier-2 city dwellers spent 63% more on fashion items and 21% more on electronic gadgets online.

Despite Tier-2 cities boasting the highest per capita spending on exclusive fashion shopping, a larger share of exclusive shoppers hail from Tier-3 and Tier-1 cities.

While consumers from Tier-1 cities spent an average of Rs 1119, their counterparts from Tiers 2, 3, and 4 spent Rs 1870, Rs 1448, and Rs 2034 respectively.

'Cash on delivery' emerged as the top preferred payment method, with 87% of respondents opting for this mode, particularly for fashion and clothing purchases.

Swanand Deodhar, one of the researchers involved in the study, attributed the findings to the varying median incomes and purchasing power between genders.

The researchers identified 'value for money' and 'ease of process' as the primary drivers for online shopping.