Study: No Gender Divide on Electronics

9 Feb, 2012 By: Chris Tribbey

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Forget candies and flowers. For Valentine’s Day buy her a Blu-ray Disc player.

At least that’s the suggestion via a Consumer Electronics Association study, which finds that in just the last five years women, in general, are more interested in consumer electronics products than ever before.

Today eight in 10 women express an interest in CE products, with 41% saying they’re “very interested,” an increase of 10% since 2007. Men continue to spend more, but that gap has shrunk, with men spending an average of $728 in the past year, compared to $667, a difference of $61. In 2007 that gap was closer to $200.

“This Valentine’s Day, the way to a women’s heart just might be through electronics,” said Jessica Boothe, manager of strategic research for CEA. “Women want technology more than ever and they view electronics as very personal devices that can be toted around and customized with private information.”

Women are less likely to claim ownership of household CE devices, but more likely to say they own mobile items. Ease of use, functionality and product size and weight are important to women, according to the study, but color isn’t.

“Forget pink. Women don’t want to be catered to with ultra-feminine looking products; they simply prefer lightweight devices that can fit smaller hands and smaller body frames,” Boothe said. “Women play many roles, like mother, spouse and career woman, and CE products that can perform many functions are a necessity.”
 

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