Manbags sales soar as men go gadget crazy

Research by department store Debenhams shows that eight out of ten men now carry a manbag.

The retailer has seen a whopping 2700% increase in sales of manbags since the start of the year.

An increase in must-have gadgets is likely to be the main reason behind the trend, as men cram iPads, laptops, kindles and smart phones, as well as the usual items such as keys and wallets into their ever expanding bags.

David Moffat, Debenhams Senior Buyer for mens accessories said; “As gadgets such as the iPad become more accessible, a man’s daily load is increasing, forcing him to cart more around.”

“Gone are the days of just a bunch of keys and a wallet in your pocket, now manbags are rivalling a woman’s in size and weight!”

“Men are taking tips from Mary Poppins and cramming in everything but the kitchen sink. For autumn winter 2012 we have extended our offer to include bags with a greater capacity, to satisfy our customers’ bag needs.”

Debenhams reported in 2010 that women’s handbags were decreasing in size and weight as technological advances allowed them to slimline their carry around.

Since then, the trend has continued, a woman’s handbag now weighs an average of 1.2kg, 61% less than three years ago, and lighter compared to the average man’s, which is now 1.5kg.

The launch of the iPad saw the biggest increase in the weight of manbags, as the average weight soared by 0.73kg that year.

It’s not just the weight of manbags which has rocketed; the value of their contents has gone through the roof too. A man’s bag now holds an average of £1,108 in contents, this is 164% up on two years ago due, to the popularity of costly tablets and smart phones.

Rucksacks are also a massive area of sales growth, as men opt for this roomier option, sales have soared by 260% in the last year alone.

Celebrity manbag fans include; David Beckham, Christiano Ronaldo, Hugh Jackman, Jay Z, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Downey Jnr, Kanye West and Harry Styles to name a few.

Debenhams mens bags are available in all stores nationwide and also online at Debenhams.com. Prices start at £10.