LGBTI community loves shopping
The purchasing power of the pink dollar.
While Australia's LGBTI community represents just a small percentage of the total population, their attitude towards shopping is distinctively different and overwhelmingly positive.
In Australia 5.2% of men and 3.1% of women consider themselves homosexual, according to the latest Roy Morgan Research results.
Despite these low numbers, gay men account for 11% of the total shopping spend on menswear in Australia. Gay women are responsible for 3.7% of all women's clothing purchases.
Almost one fifth (19.1%) of gay men agree that they were "born to shop" and more than two thirds (41.9%) "enjoy clothes shopping".
The lure of shopping and fashion for straight Aussie males is far less prolific. Just 6.1% of hetrosexual men agree with the statement, "I was born to shop" and only 23.3% of straight guys "buy a product because of the label".
Gay women (22.8%) eclipse straight women (18.6%) when it comes to their propensity for shopping but are slightly less likely than straight women to "enjoy clothes shopping".
This higher regard for shopping among the LGBT community translates into bigger spending dollars.
Gay men and women consistently spend more than straight people on all types of clothing. Gay guys fork out the most, spending an average $90 on men's outerwear - suits, skirts, dresses, pants and jackets - over a four week period.
Gay women outlay about $79 on women's outerwear, while straight men ($73) and women ($60) shell out less.
Interestingly, gay men are also the biggest spenders when it comes to sleepwear, spending an average $66 over four weeks.
Roy Morgan Research industry communications director Norman Morris says the power of the pink dollar goes beyond just clothing purchases."Gay Australians [also] spend higher-than-average amounts on several other retail categories such as homewares, small electrical goods, personal entertainment and cameras, and sporting equipment," he says.
Picture: Shutterstock
