“Taking PRIDE and taking greater CONFIDENCE from maintaining a well-groomed APPEARANCE now defines what it is to be ‘a MAN’ in today’s society” — HSBC

“Men who buy grooming products to boost self-esteem or feel more attractive are now in the majority.” — Mintel researcher

Yummies, according to a HSBC’s research team, refers to young (20-something), urban males who are very much interested in and concerned with personal grooming and health. So what does it mean? It essentially means that many young men are more into looks and styles and that appearance has become a bigger part of who they are or their identity. It also implies that now it is a “NEW norm” for a young smartphone-carrying man to do the followings:

1. care more about whether Lancom or Clinique is better for his skin
2. shop frequently at places like Nordstrom, checking out Armani Exchange for shirts and pants, Michael Kors for suits and Gucci for shoes.
3. pamper himself at a spa
4. work diligently and persistently on his mind and body by hitting the gym and attending  yoga/meditation (or dance) classes
5. do groceries at WholeFoods, grabbing kale, avocado, acai berries and quinoa
6. cook and serve themselves some delicious and yet very healthy meals

So what does this new norm or reality REALLY mean? Well, it means more goods and services FOR MEN in terms of an increase in both product breadth and depth.

Guardian reported that according to HSBC, whether it is cosmetics, outdoor sports, fashion or accessories, male purchases have really started to impact overall growth rates.

Also Business Insider mentioned Bain’s report from last year which stated that men account for 40% of the total luxury market and the demand for menswear products keeps on growing.

According to Bloomberg, Michael Kors is hoping to grow its annual menswear revenue to $1 billion, which would amount to almost a sevenfold increase while Coach is close to that goal, having expanded its sales to men from $100 million in 2010 to about $700 million today.

Moreover, increasing in popularity are the fashion magazines, websites and blogs exclusively for Men such as GQ, Askmen, Four Pins and Fashionbeans. Men’s love for their appearance has also invaded Youtube where there are workout, skincare and even makeup tutorials.

It seems that young men seem to have an ample amount of time and money to take greater care of themselves and their lives. The reason being, according to Bloomberg, is that a lot of men are marrying later in life these days, freeing up income in their twenties that would otherwise have gone to supporting a family.