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.

"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.

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.

Three recent trends led to the uplift: More disposable income, less saving and improvements in consumer confidence, the report noted.

Men are expected to spend even more money at retail locations this month with Valentine's Day right around the corner.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 2:39 am .