Just in time for Valentine’s Day, men, here’s a secret you might want to know: They see you coming, and you’re putty in their hands. You’re going to be at their mercy and they know it. Your wallet will not be the same afterwards.
We’re not talking about your next girlfriend. We’re talking about a specialty store you may go to in order to buy your other half things that make both of you happy. You know the place — the tantalizing store that smells good, full of women who are willing to talk to you about bras and panties and lingerie, the place where your girlfriend or wife loves to shop: Victoria’s Secret. Just saying those two words brings to mind those beautiful models with angel wings in that fashion show, right? That’s the place that dreams are made of.
You’re actually their favorite customer, too. According to one unnamed worker, they even approach you differently.
“More often than not, guys spend more money because girls know the deal. They know they can get one bra, and it’ll be good for four months.”
The sales specialist told Cosmopolitan that women are typically approached from a value-driven aspect, and men from an ego-based one. Their marketing team says that women tend to only buy things on sale, while men are willing to pay full-price for a variety of reasons — one of them being that they may want to impress the females working there!
“I’ll show them a Bombshell bra and matching panties, and then I’ll tell them we have a Bombshell perfume too, and he’ll normally get it. Guys are more like, ‘I’ll just get them all!’ They have that ego.”
This may seem sexist to many people, and maybe it is — but it’s all a part of marketing. Marketing strategists for companies are able to break down the demographics of who buys what, and how much they spend, including gender, age, socioeconomic status, etc.
The former Victoria’s Secret employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said that many men are uncomfortable in the store, and the staff there actually uses that to their advantage , according to Business Insider .
“The general feeling about men is that they would buy anything in order to get out of the store as quickly as possible. That means they would spend more money. Women are more value-oriented, and so we were encouraged to show them deals. Men would buy a couple of $50 bras without questioning us because they felt awkward.”
So, men, armed with this information, you may approach your buying habits differently for your sweetie. Or maybe a gift card will help you stick to your budget.
What do you think, readers? Is it fair to strategize marketing techniques differently towards men?