The Different Types of Shoppers
Individuals go shopping for more complex reasons than simply acquiring a product or set of products. Diversions from routine activities, exercise, sensory stimulation, social interaction, learning about new trends, and even acquiring interpersonal power (“bossy” clerks) are non-purchase reasons for shopping. Of course, the relative importance of these motives varies both across individuals and within individuals over time as the situation changes.
A shopping style that puts particular emphasis on certain activities or shopping motivation is called a shopping orientation. Shopping orientations is closely related to general lifestyle and are subject to similar influences. For example, one study found that retail work experience, stage in the household life cycle, and income help to predict shopping orientation. The result of two distinct approaches to classifying consumers by shopping orientation follows:
Inactive shoppers. They have extremely restricted lifestyles and shopping interests. Best characterized by their procrastinating nature, inactive shoppers do not engage in outdoor or do-it-yourself activities except for working in the yard or garden. They do not express strong enjoyment or interest in shopping, nor are they particularly concerned about such shopping attributes as price. Employee service is considered a product section.
Active shoppers. These are the hoppers and mover. They’re the kind of shoppers that have demanding lifestyles and are considered to be “tough” shoppers. They engage in all forms of outdoor activities and are usually from the do-it-yourself group. Active shoppers enjoy shopping around, and price is a major consideration in their search. As these shoppers appear to shop more as an expression of their intense lifestyles rather than an interest in finding bargains; therefore, these shoppers balance price with quality, fashion, and selection in their search for value. Women fall into this category especially when they are in search of extended lengths beauty products. Because women are choosier in terms of fashion and make-up, they would surely want extended lengths with an expiry date for the products they choose to buy.
Service shoppers. They demand a high level of in-store service when shopping. They usually seek convenience stores with friendly, helpful employees. And they quickly become impatient if they have to wait for a clerk to help them.
Traditional shoppers. These type of shoppers share active shoppers pre-occupation with outdoor activities, but not their enthusiasm for shopping. They actively hike, camp, hunt, and fish, and are do-it yourself people who often work on their cars. In general, though traditional shoppers are not price sensitive, nor do they have other strong shopper requirements.
Dedicated fringe shoppers. They are heavy catalog shoppers. Still, they are do-it-yourself aficionados and are more likely than average to try new products. They almost have a compulsion for being different. Dedicated fringe shoppers are not interested in extensive socializing. They have little interest in television and radio, advertisements and exhibits, limited brand and store loyalty.
Price shoppers. As the name implies, they are most unidentifiable by their extreme price consciousness. Price shoppers are willing to undertake extended lengths of time in search of the price that meets their requirements. And they rely heavily on all forms of advertising to find the lowest prices.
Transitional shoppers. Seem to be consumers in earlier stages of the family life cycle who have not yet formalized their lifestyle patterns and shopping values, they are the ones you can see that take an active interest in repairing and personalizing products such as cars. Most participate in a variety of outdoor activities. They are more likely than average to try new products.
Transitional shoppers. they exhibit little interest in shopping around for low prices. They are probably ‘electric shoppers’ because they appear to make up their mind quickly to buy products once they become interested in.
Assess yourself and find out which in the above category would you use to determine what kind of shopper would you aim to have in your marketing campaign.
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