What Men and Women Buy

Overview

This case study examines gender-based spending patterns to help the marketing team create more targeted and effective campaigns. While overall spending is similar between male and female customers, distinct category-level differences offer valuable insights for refining promotions, messaging, and product placement to boost engagement and drive sales.

Customer Distribution

The dataset reveals a nearly even split between genders, with 69 female customers (51.11%) and 66 male customers (48.89%). This balanced distribution ensures that the findings reflect representative customer behavior and are not skewed by unequal sample sizes. It provides a reliable foundation for comparing purchasing patterns across genders.

Overall Average Spending

Female customers spend an average of $290.45, while male customers spend $274.64. Although women appear to spend slightly more, the difference of $15.81 is not statistically significant (p = 0.497). This suggests that, at an overall level, spending behavior does not differ meaningfully by gender. Marketers should therefore look beyond total spending when developing targeted strategies.

Overall Quantity Purchased

The quantity of products purchased per transaction is also nearly identical between genders. Female customers average 5.51 items, while male customers average 5.48. The p-value of 0.963 confirms that this difference is statistically insignificant. Both male and female customers tend to purchase a similar number of items, indicating comparable transaction sizes.

Spending and Contribution by Product Category

When spending is broken down by product category, some clear patterns emerge. Among female customers, the highest share of spending goes to snacks ($4,788.91 or 23.90%), followed by dairy and vegetables. Male customers allocate the largest share of their spending to vegetables ($4,386.05 or 23.36%), beverages, and fruits.

These findings suggest distinct category preferences. Women are more inclined toward snacks, while men show a stronger preference for beverages and vegetables. Dairy and vegetables, however, remain popular among both genders, making them suitable for broad-based marketing efforts.

Statistical Significance of Category Spending Differences

Most of the observed differences in category-level spending are not statistically significant. Categories such as bakery, beverages, dairy, fruits, and vegetables all have p-values greater than 0.05, indicating no meaningful gender-based variation. The exception is snacks, which show a statistically significant difference in spending between genders (p = 0.018). Female customers spend significantly more on snacks, making this category a prime candidate for gender-targeted promotions.

Confidence Intervals for Spending and Quantity

Confidence intervals further reinforce the conclusion that overall spending and purchase quantities are similar across genders. The 95% confidence interval for male spending ranges from $242.36 to $306.92, while for females it ranges from $257.19 to $323.72. These ranges overlap substantially, confirming no significant difference (p = 0.497). Similarly, quantity intervals overlap for males (4.84 to 6.13 units) and females (4.80 to 6.21 units), with a p-value of 0.963. These results validate the earlier findings and shift the focus to category-level insights for actionable marketing opportunities.

Conclusion and Recommendations

While overall spending and quantity purchased are similar between genders, clear differences in category preferences support gender-specific marketing strategies. Female customers spend significantly more on snacks, making this a strong candidate for targeted campaigns emphasizing indulgence, convenience, and lifestyle appeal. Male customers show greater interest in beverages and vegetables, suggesting marketing efforts that highlight performance, value, and health benefits.

To capitalize on these insights, snack promotions should be placed in lifestyle-themed areas and use visually appealing packaging. Beverage promotions for men can focus on multi-pack deals and placement near ready meals or fitness products, while vegetable marketing should feature recipe kits, pre-cut options, and simple health messaging. Tailoring campaigns to these patterns can enhance engagement, drive targeted sales, and improve marketing ROI.