Who says men don't like shopping? A new report from IBM suggests that American men led a surge in retail sales in 2011, particularly in the category of apparel. Men's apparel is expected to jump 8.2 percent over the course of 2011, RetailingToday reports.<\/p>\n
"The forecast of men's apparel sales reflects a growing trend: men are definitely developing a taste for fashion – especially in business attire," Jill Puleri, global retail leader for IBM Global Business Services, explains. Final Census figures won't be available until the end of February.<\/p>\n
On the flip side, women's apparel sales are projected to be up only a meager 1.96 percent over 2010. Another noteworthy retail category is footwear, which is expected to be up 3 percent. Attractive sales and unpredictable weather patterns led sales of footwear during the holiday season.<\/p>\n
Three recent trends led to the uplift: More disposable income, less saving and improvements in consumer confidence, the report noted.<\/p>\n
Men are expected to spend even more money at retail locations this month with Valentine's Day right around the corner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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