If you give a Canadian man a hammer, he won’t ask you how to use it. Today’s men are expected to know how to do things but often feel lost, reported a recent survey of 1,500 male participants. That feeling of being lost affects every decision he makes about taking on a DIY project around the house and it is heightened as he moves forward to make the project happen.
When considering DIY (as 84% of men are interested in doing), he must first be able to budget for the supplies. But men report that they “prefer to postpone purchases, than to buy on credit” meaning the money has to be in the bank at the same time as the motivation to see a project get off the ground. But how much are we spending? According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spend an average of $2,910 renovating their homes – with the highest amount being spent by Ontarians – close to $3,500. This higher average spending is also due to the fact that Ontario residents are more likely than other Canadians to hire a contractor to complete their work. Turning to the Internet, men enjoy researching their project by visiting home improvement sites and blogs on a weekly to monthly basis.
Overcoming finance and a knowledge gap, the Canadian man is faced with a new roadblock upon entering the store – the shelf. It’s a vast selection of materials that can be difficult for him to navigate. The possibilities are endless and he is again confronted by not knowing what the right choice is. When looking for a product in a store 50 percent will abandon their mission before asking for help, which means that men prefer to buy nothing than to buy incorrectly.
Simply, he is overwhelmed. Brands and retailers need to be the helping hand through education and knowledge to give him the confidence he needs to be a weekend warrior. This means looking at category signage as a way to help educate. Training staff to ask the right questions and provide the right level of service in aisle. And providing at-shelf communication that speaks to his pride, his anxiety and his wallet.
Men take pride in a job well done, if he does not believe he can do it well, he simply doesn’t attempt it. This is why many Canadian men would rather go to the office on a Saturday than fix the deck!
Mars | Philter
Source:
Print Measurement Bureau Autumn 2011
A 2010 study done by a leading Canadian Retailer
