The rise of the man-bag
eBay sees influx of men visiting the site to snap-up bags as sales soar by 143% in the past three months
It seems that toting a handbag is no longer just for the ladies, with eBay.co.uk seeing sales of man-bags up 143% in the past three months. Gone is the stigma of carrying a man-bag, with only 20%* of the nation’s men feeling self-conscious.
Research carried out by eBay.co.uk* reveals that the fail-safe rucksack, favoured by celebrities such as Ryan Gosling, remains the most popular style for men with practicality stated as the primary reason men had for needing a bag.
The top man-bag shapes in the UK include the rucksack (63%), holdall (35%) and messenger (30%). Recent data from eBay.co.uk echoes this with sales of rucksacks up 108% on this time last year and messenger bags up 114%.
Essex boys appear to prioritise vanity over practicality with one in three using their man bag to carry toiletries and beauty equipment including fake tan, tweezers and aftershave. The messenger/cross body bag came out as the number one shape for Essex lads, taking inspiration from local style icon, Joey Essex who is often seen sporting one.
It seems Londoners are a little more practical when it comes to their man bag of choice. 65% of men from London choose a rucksack with 60% using theirs to carry work documents and 45% using their man-bag to carry tech equipment, including laptops, tablets and MP3 players.
One in five (20%) of men in the North West opt for the retro bumbag as their accessory of choice, with eBay.co.uk seeing a 253% rise in sales of bumbags on the site in the last three months alone. Functionality is key to this style with over 50% using theirs solely to carry essential items such as phones, keys and wallets.
eBay.co.uk spokesman, Steven Heywood said, “Bags are just as important to men as they are for women and with functionality being the top reason for purchase. Rucksacks clearly remain the popular style and are a good way to ease yourself into the man-bag trend. With over 25 different styles available on eBay.co.uk there’s plenty of choice for any man’s bag wearing needs.”
-ENDS-
*eBay worked with OnePoll who surveyed 1,000 men from across the country, May 2013