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Getting the guys to play

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Fact: men love the internet. They love the internet because it is the giver of online gaming, the bringer of news, views, useless facts, sports trivia, conspiracy theories and other stuff that shall not be named. Men love the internet because it is the go-to place for music, movies and needless but essential gadgets like the new Foreman grill.

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Curiously, men aren't as keen as women when it comes to online clothes or luxury goods shopping. Most men profess a dislike of shopping in the real world and don't seem too enamoured of the virtual option either.

This supposed aversion is behind the dearth of luxury goods e-tailers for men.

There are of course, a few long-established luxury men's retailers such as the Britain-based www.oki-ni.com and France's www.studiohomme.com. Oki-ni, established in 2001, has created a particularly significant, if still very niche, mark with specific eponymous special edition ranges in collaboration with the likes of adidas Originals, Levis and Paul Smith. But the first movers in the online luxury men's retail market have yet to reach a mainstream audience.

However, 2011 will be the year that men finally embrace online luxury shopping, if we are to believe the hype coming from some retail giants. Global luxury sales are picking up again after the financial crisis, and men's luxury sales are growing faster than women's, albeit from a smaller base.

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There is huge potential for men's luxury sales, particularly in China where internet penetration continues to deepen and average incomes increase.

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