Are men spending more time shopping online than women? What are the top purchases in major cities?

The recent survey conducted by IIM-Ahmedabad has revealed that men are the biggest spenders when it comes to online shopping, not women. The survey, which included 35,000 respondents across 25 states, found that men spent an average of ₹2,484 shopping online, which is 36% higher than the ₹1,830 spent by women. The report, titled ‘Digital Retail Channels and Consumers: The Indian Perspective’, was authored by Pankaj Setia, Swanand Deodhar and Ujjwal Dadhich.

According to the data in the report, 47% of men and 58% of women shopped for fashionwear, while 23% of men and 16% of women shopped for electronic devices online. Interestingly, Tier-2 cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, and Kochi were found to have spent 63% more on fashion and 21% more on electronic devices online, compared to other cities.

The report also concluded that consumers in Tier-2 cities had the highest per capita spending when it came to exclusive shopping for fashion and clothing products, despite a higher proportion of exclusive shoppers being from Tier-3 and Tier-1 cities. Additionally, consumers from Tiers 2, 3, and 4 were found to have spent ₹1,870, ₹1,448, and ₹2,034 respectively.

Furthermore, the preferred mode of payment for online shopping was ‘Cash on Delivery’, with 87% of consumers opting for it when purchasing fashion and clothing products.

Researcher Swanand Deodhar explained to Times of India that the findings can be attributed to the median income and purchasing power of the genders. Pankaj Setia also mentioned that online shopping saw a significant boost after 2020 due to the pandemic.

Overall, the report sheds light on the trends and patterns of online shopping in India, offering valuable insights into consumer behavior across different demographics and geographic locations.