Shopping may seem like a straightforward activity and something that all people do similarly. However, most people have a different approach to buying groceries, clothes, electronics, and household and other items. There are many categories of shoppers, including impulse and need-oriented buyers, bargain hunters, loyal customers, and those who prefer to shop online. Each category has different needs when shopping, and various retailers should be able to cater to those needs to attract more customers.
Impulse buyers make their purchases spontaneously without considering why they are buying some items or whether they need them. These customers may prepare a shopping list to take with them to the store, but they are prone to deviate from it, deciding to get something that is not on the list or something they do not need. The modern consumption culture tends to cater to these shoppers by offering various deals or positioning inexpensive goods near the cashiers. Thus, standing in a line to pay, clients can pick up a product without planning to buy it beforehand. The only reason for the purchase, in this case, is the buyer’s momentary desire to acquire the item in front of them.
Need-oriented customers approach shopping with a specific goal in mind. Unlike impulse buyers, they are unlikely to deviate from their shopping list. A need-driven buyer rarely browses and looks through the items that are not on their list. They also rarely go through the aisles that contain products they are not interested in purchasing. In a store, these customers search for the article they need and only buy it if it fulfills the criteria they have for that piece. For example, a customer in need of a blue shirt with long sleeves cannot be expected to buy a pink one with short sleeves impulsively. It can be argued that these buyers may not take pleasure in the process of shopping as their trips to a store are taken to fulfill a purpose and not for enjoyment. Thus, they rarely make impulse purchases and do not look for bargains unless they need them. The stores can cater to this type of customer by making their shopping experience more comfortable by positioning products that are usually bought together not far from each other.
Bargain hunters look specifically for products on sale and often use coupons and discounts. These buyers usually wait for a deal to be announced before going shopping and may delay buying an item they need until it goes on sale. Bargain hunters can be both impulsive and mission-driven, purchasing various goods on sale spontaneously or purposefully looking for discounts on items they want. Such customers rarely display loyalty to a specific brand, preferring to buy from different ones, depending on the availability of discounts. They are also more likely to do their shopping in different stores as they may have various items on sale or if certain products are cheaper in one of the stores. Before going shopping, bargain hunters usually look for discounts and coupons online or in newspapers. Shops can cater to this type of buyer by organizing sales on a predictable schedule and offering various gifts and bonuses with purchases.
Loyal customers prefer to do their shopping in the same store. They rarely choose to go to the outlets of other retailers or different locations of their favorite ones. Such clients usually select a regular shop based on the convenience of its location and the range and the quality of the sold products. These shoppers are the easiest for different stores to cater to and prevent from choosing another one. It can be achieved by introducing loyalty cards that ensure that regular patrons get a small discount with their every purchase regardless of the sum. Shops can also launch exclusive sales available only to the holders of the store’s loyalty cards.
Online consumers prefer to do their shopping via a store’s website or app if it is possible. Potential clients can go to a physical store outlet to test the product and ensure that it is of good quality and is accurately described on the store’s website. However, if a similar item can be found in an online store of another brand, the retailer of the physical outlet the customer went to can lose potential revenue. Thus, retailers should ensure that their online stores have unique goods to attract potential customers. It is important to note that online shoppers can also be impulsive, looking for specific items or discounted products. The online stores can cater to all these buyers by making the online shopping experience more comfortable and offering discounts that can also be used in their physical stores.
There are many types of shoppers, including impulse and need-oriented buyers, bargain hunters, loyal and online customers. All the described categories approach shopping differently and with distinctive objectives in mind, either looking for a specific item, searching for bargains in various stores, or preferring to buy everything in the same outlet regardless of available sales and discounts. Stores need to be aware of these categories of buyers and to be able to cater to their needs to secure a purchase.