Online Shopping Demographics in the United States: Top Categories by Gender

Online Shopping Demographics in the United States: Key Takeaways

• U.S. Gender Shopping Trends: Female shoppers dominate most top online shopping categories in the U.S., especially in Cosmetics & Body Care, while men lead in Consumer Electronics, with some categories like Books and Games showing a more balanced gender interest.

• Male Beauty Rising: The male cosmetics market is rapidly growing, with projections to nearly double by 2029, leading major brands like L'Oréal and Chanel to launch product lines specifically for men, reflecting a significant shift in the beauty industry.

• Gender-Neutral Strategy: Brands targeting the male cosmetics market should consider a gender-neutral approach, as studies suggest young men prefer non-gendered marketing to help overcome the stigma of using beauty products.

Ever wondered how gender influences online shopping? A recent analysis by Statista Consumer Insights of online shopping trends in the United States reveals interesting patterns in the preferences of male and female shoppers in various product categories.

The survey was conducted in English and Spanish, reaching a diverse group of 60,115 respondents. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 64 years old, providing a broad perspective across different age groups.

Female U.S. Shoppers Dominate Top Categories

Looking at the top product categories where online shoppers in the U.S. are most interested in, we see that the gender split in most tips towards female shoppers.

The Cosmetics & Body Care category, in particular, stands out with a significant female majority, where almost three quarters (74%) of the interest comes from women, making it the category with the highest female share.

In contrast, Consumer Electronics is more popular among men, with more than half (54%) of the interest coming from male shoppers, marking it as the top category for this demographic.

Additionally, it's worth highlighting that some categories show a more balanced interest between genders. For example, the Books, Movies, Music & Games category is fairly evenly split, with a slight lean towards women at 54%.

Shift in Online Cosmetics & Body Care Shopping

Cosmetics and body care products have historically been associated more with female consumers. Over the last decade, however, this understanding has been going through a shift.

Due to the transformation of masculinity and the anonymous nature of eCommerce platforms, men are significantly more open to use cosmetics products than ever before.

This is reflected on the market numbers, too. Global worth of men’s skincare products market, which was around US$13 billion last year, is projected to reach US$28 billion by 2029.

This avenue of growth has naturally caught the attention of big names in the industry. After a century of marketing beauty products to women, L'Oréal – the world's largest cosmetic company, launched a line of products for men and featured a male model in its campaign for the first time.

There are many other examples out there, such as Chanel introducing its first skin care and cosmetics line designed especially for men, and more are expected to follow.

Gender Neutral Approach

Despite this change, brands have to be careful with their approach as the stigma against men using cosmetics products is still present. When it comes to tapping into this potential, a more gender-neutral take might be a safer bet here.

According to a UK study, young men would feel more comfortable with using body care products if they were marketed in a non-gendered manner, as this aids men to overcome the embarrassment they might have for using beauty products.

Sources: Statista Consumer Insights, Ipsos, Future Market Insights, L'Oreal Paris, BBC, Forbes, Retail Times