When Bert Peake opened Peake Photography & Design Art & Gifts in Jenks, Oklahoma, a little over a decade ago, she quickly recognized a trend among customers.
“As I was watching people shop, many women brought their husbands in. The husbands would quickly find a chair because they had nothing to shop for — they were bored,” says Peake. “They would wait for their significant other to finish shopping. And I thought: Wow. We’re missing something here!”
Seeing an opportunity, Peake says she opened a section of the gift shop just for men that she dubbed “My Guys Mercantile.” She filled the section with men’s gifts and apparel, and it was a hit.
“My Guys Mercantile took off, and the men really liked it,” she says.
The mini shop within a gift shop and photography studio has grown, focused on offering a wide selection of men’s gifts and mementos tied to Oklahoma. Peake says men of all ages appreciate the store for its interesting displays and quirky gifts, such as coffee table books filled with dad jokes or grilling spices with laugh-out-loud names.
Several destination retailers just like My Guys Mercantile have found that dedicating a section of their stores just for men can be profitable for them and encourage a demographic that isn’t always interested in shopping to do just that — to shop. The keys are in merchandising well, offering bold displays along with some staple souvenirs and gifts that appeal to men of all ages.
Offer surprises
To encourage men to shop, Peake says she found that creating surprising displays has helped.
“I think you have to mix things up. Men sometimes shop differently than women — they want to be surprised!” she says.
As an example, she once showcased some trendy hot sauces that were shaped like grenades with toy soldiers stationed around it. The setup helped to turn heads. Customers also enjoy a fight bell that hangs on the wall, which can also be purchased if customers want one.
“Men go right up to that fight bell and ring it,” she adds. “It generates a lot of excitement.”
Bold displays also go a long way for Caroline Olson at Post Road Supply Co. in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
Olson likes to create large statement pieces to draw attention to trending gifts for men — a dirt bike surrounded by name-drop hats, games and beer tumblers. A jet ski surrounded by mugs, tumblers, games and deodorants.
“We’re trying to really set the tone, make it a vibe,” she says.
The vibe that Olson is trying to create is a boutique shopping experience for men looking for New England apparel and gifts during their time in Old Saybrook. She says she opened the store in 2021 focused on men’s name-drop apparel and gifts, filling a much-needed niche in the community as a one-stop destination for the guys in town.
At Very Ventura, guys tend to gravitate toward collectible souvenir stickers.
On top of having big statement pieces, Olson says she also decorates the walls with vintage signs, deer head, fish and other outdoor gear that might resonate with men coming in.
“I want customers to have an experience when shopping, not just like walking down the aisle at a big-box store to pick up deodorant,” says Olson. “So we enjoy giving men a curated shopping experience. We also make sure that the store appeals to women who come in to buy gifts for men, too.”
Stock the staples
Beyond the eye-catching displays, stocking souvenirs and gifts that specifically appeal to men can help reach that demographic more. Angela Rosales, owner of Very Ventura Gift Shop & Gallery in Ventura, California, says she notices that men tend to gravitate toward T-shirts, mugs, shot glasses and stickers.
“They love stickers — men come in and buy a lot of stickers,” she says.
Very Ventura offers destination apparel and a carefully curated selection of souvenirs and coastal gifts in its 1,600-square-foot shop in downtown Ventura. Rosales says a lot of men have expressed appreciation in the store’s merchandise selection.
“Some of the best compliments about our store and product line come from our male customers,” she says. “We know we’re doing something right when a man says, ‘I better bring my wife here, she would love it.’”
Rosales says she focuses on offering souvenir apparel with classic looks and simple graphics. But, she adds, she is still mindful of the fabric options for men’s apparel, focusing on offering T-shirts made of higher quality materials.
“One of the first things I learned when curating for men is that men are just as picky to fabric and style as women are,” she says. “Men may try to claim otherwise, but don’t let them fool you!”
Olson has found that men like simple designs and color schemes with their apparel.
A goofy Bigfoot plush garners some laughs on the display table at My Guys Mercantile.
“I’ll use just a few colors of T-shirts that mesh well with each other in the store,” she says, explaining that it also makes setting up mannequin displays easier. “I’ll have a red T-shirt on display along with blue swim trunks that look great together, almost effortless.”
Versatility is also important, with men liking apparel and gifts that serve multiple purposes.
Olson shares, “We carry these Fair Harbor shorts that are like all-in-one shorts — they can be worn as swim trunks but also as boat shorts or bar shorts.” She adds that men will often purchase a pair of Fair Harbor shorts along with a simplistic T-shirt to complete their look for a beach day.
Stimulating yet simple
Peake says she’s always trying to come up with surprising displays for My Guys Mercantile, just to make sure the store stays stimulating for both visitors and locals in town.
“A lot of times customers will say this is the most interesting store they have been in and that products in the displays don’t always go together, but that’s fun,” she says. “We do that on purpose.”
Mixing and matching products is great, but Rosales says it’s also important to keep the merchandise accessible. “We manage to pack a lot of items in without things looking too crowded,” she says. “I think men stick around longer in a place that isn’t cluttered.”
Post Road Supply Co. often shows off a wide variety of merchandise on its main display table, but Olson says she keeps a clean, simple look for the merchandise itself. She says it’s also very important to have at least a few T-shirts in every size available on the sales floor.
Since opening in 2021, the quirky displays along with well-curated merchandise has been key for business at Post Road Supply Co.
“There’s so much power in your merchandising strategy,” Olson adds. “Are you merchandising in a way that people want to buy the products? A lot of stores will sell the same thing or use the same vendors, but merchandising is the heart of your retail business.”
