The gender divide: How U.S. men and women shop differently

Key findings:

• Women are more value-oriented shoppers: 76% use sales, coupons and deals whenever they shop, compared with 63% of men. 
• Product discovery channels differ by gender: Women are more likely to discover products through recommendations and influencers, while search engines are more likely to be used by men to discover new products. 
• Women are more engaged with loyalty programs: 76% currently belong to a rewards or loyalty program, compared with 68% of men.

Whether browsing online or shopping in-store, men and women don't always take the same path to a purchase. Differences in how they research products, weigh recommendations and interact with brands can shape the shopping journey in distinct ways.

New YouGov Profiles data explores these differences, revealing where U.S. men and women align and where their shopping attitudes, product discovery habits and loyalty behaviors diverge.

Insight #1: Women seek value, while men are more willing to pay for quality and convenience

Shopping attitudes reveal distinct priorities between men and women.

Around three-quarters (76%) of women say they make sure to take advantage of sales, coupons and deals whenever they shop, compared with 63% of men.

Women are also more likely to say they enjoy trying new brands (62% vs. 52%) and to check product reviews before making a purchase (44% vs. 39%).

Men, meanwhile, show a greater willingness to pay for convenience and quality. Two-thirds (67%) say they do not mind paying extra for good-quality products, compared with 60% of women. Men are also more likely to say they would pay more for products or services that help them save time (66% vs. 61%).

Insight #2: Men and women discover new products differently 

Recommendations from friends, family or colleagues are the most common way both women (53%) and men (47%) discover new products.

Women are more likely than men to discover products through social media influencers or bloggers (29% vs. 23%) and advertisements on websites or social media platforms (39% vs. 35%).

Men, meanwhile, are more likely to discover products through search engines (44% vs. 38%). They are also more likely to cite television or radio commercials (33% vs. 28%), out-of-home advertising such as billboards (13% vs. 9%), AI chat services (8% vs. 5%), trade shows or exhibitions (7% vs. 5%) and print media advertisements (14% vs. 11%) as sources of product discovery.

Online shopping marketplaces (37% each), email newsletters or promotions (18% each), and word-of-mouth or community recommendations (34% each) show no difference by gender.

Insight #3: Women are more likely to belong to loyalty programs than men

More than three-quarters of women (76%) say they currently belong to a rewards or loyalty program, compared with 68% of men.

Men are also more likely to say they have never belonged to a loyalty program (20% vs. 14%). Among those who have participated previously, 12% of men say they have since cancelled their membership, compared with 9% of women.

While men and women share many of the same shopping habits, the findings highlight meaningful differences in how retailers can reach and engage them. Women are generally more value-focused, more likely to seek recommendations and more engaged with loyalty programs, while men place greater emphasis on quality and convenience and are more likely to discover products through search and traditional advertising. 

Methodology: 

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between July 2025 and July 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.

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