More Men Doing Household Chore Previously Dominated by WomenCHARLOTTE, N.C. - "I go maybe 2 or 3 times a week." Northeast Charlotte resident Tony Cannon grocery shops for his family. He says, "I got three kids at home, so I gotta make sure we got the food we need, proper things are stocked in the house." He's part of a growing trend, experts say. One consumer research group (GfK MRI via LA Times) shows that 31% of men nationwide were the primary household grocery shoppers in 2011. In 1985, it was 14%. Another survey (Yahoo via LA Times) shows 51% of men do the shopping, a percentage one shopper we talked to agrees with. He says, "I think it's split even, 50/50." Experts say the trend has been growing for decades but the recession sped up the process. More men got laid off and are now at home. Cannon noticed, "Yes, I do see more men going out," and retailers are, too. The LA Times reports that Proctor and Gamble started testing "man aisles" in 2009; all men's items in one place. The company says they work: men spend more time in the aisles and more money. And last year, Kraft Foods marketed several products to men with good results. It's quite a shift for an industry that, for decades, has catered to women like Myers Park resident Charlene Slaughter. Her husband shops when she can't, but often comes home with impulse buys. She says, "I end up with things that nobody needs, something that I don't cook or never have cooked before." Other guys follow orders from their wives or girlfriends, one guy recommending, "Just call and ask!" No matter the motive, more men are bringing home the bacon literally. Cotswold resident Burrel Goddard explains, "I shop with a list, I watch the ads and I just shop because I have to eat!" This year, Proctor and Gamble will expand man aisles into some Wal-Mart, Target and Walgreen stores. And Kraft is reportedly looking for other products to market toward men. |
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