Roughly one third of men are now their family’s primary grocery shopper. That’s on top of the significant percent who share shopping responsibilities. These men are not following a list someone else created. Instead they have developed their own brand preferences and personal shopping strategies.

The typical man approaches CPG shopping very differently from the typical woman. Men are less likely to make lists and collect coupons. However, they are more likely to arrive at the store with a game plan and stick with it. They view shopping as a task that is most efficiently accomplished by walking as few aisles as possible and buying brands they already know.

Not only are men buying a greater share of CPG products, they are using more too. According to Mintel, 32% of men are the ONLY person who cleans their house. That’s up 5 percentage points in the past two years.

Men are also cooking more. In 2008 roughly 20% of dinners were prepared by men, up from 14% five years previous. For men under 25 years old, that percentage skyrockets.

Men are buying more CPG products. Men are using more CPG products. It’s up to marketers to make sure men are hearing more about CPG products.

• Are we paying enough attention to men who buy our products?
• Are we thinking about men’s shopping habits when we plan our in-store marketing?