What Is a Shopper Profile: 8 Types of Shoppers

A shopper profile is the data that retailers collect about a customer over time to create a personalised shopping experience. In this article, I will be discussing 8 types of shoppers and how they might have different preferences when it comes to their purchases.

A “shopper profile” is a person’s shopping habits, which can be categorized into 8 types. The 10 types of shoppers are: the impulse buyer, the bargain hunter, the brand loyalist, the fashionista, the frequent shopper, the price conscious shopper, the product expert and many more.

A client or group of consumers’ shopper profile is a description of them. It generally represents a company’s target or ideal client and might contain demographic and geographic data, as well as preferences and buying habits.

Everyone shops differently, and as a result, they have diverse shopper profiles. Maybe your clients want to browse carefully, or maybe they have a list and come in and depart quickly. Different purchasing patterns and what ultimately motivates a customer’s choice to make purchases are identified by shopper profiles.

Understanding your customers’ profiles—how they browse and what motivates them to buy—will enable you to tailor your store’s shopping experience to their specific demands and boost sales.

We’ll go over eight different sorts of shopper profiles, as well as their overall qualities and desires, in this article. Use this data to determine the different sorts of customers that visit your store so you can better understand them and create an atmosphere that encourages sales.

The Bargain Hunter is number one.

Most merchants meet bargain seekers on a regular basis. Bargain hunters, also known as discount shoppers, are frequently prepared with coupons or discount codes, are aware of all the greatest discounts, and seldom purchase without a deal in hand.

While some consumers are shopping for emotional items, the bargain hunter’s purchase will be based solely on price and the satisfaction of saving money.

Bargain seekers are constantly on the lookout for a good bargain or a good offer, and they seldom purchase without one. (Image courtesy of Bayut)

The Requirements of the Bargain Hunter

As you can expect, bargain seekers want bargains and special offers. If you discover that your business has a sizable bargain-hunting population, you’ll need to devise a pricing plan or rewards program that enables you to consistently present goods that suit your customers’ bargain-hunting needs.

Every customer has demands that you may meet with your marketing to generate sales.

How to Sell to Bargain Hunters

Unlike other buyers, bargain seekers aren’t looking for a certain item or are dedicated to a particular brand. Their primary purchase consideration is price, and they will browse about, wait, and compare prices to obtain the greatest offer. While running continual sales is a straightforward option, it will eat into your margins and may result in a revenue loss.

Make sure you have a budget in mind and can keep your profit margin while still offering discounts when considering how to appeal to your bargain seekers.

Retailers might use the following strategies to attract bargain hunters:

• Host sales on a regular basis: Many shops have clearance discounts on certain days of the week; for example, Express offers a 40 percent off sale online every Sunday from 6 p.m. to midnight.
• Use promotional pricing strategies: Promotional pricing is a marketing technique that involves using bundles, gift-with-purchase, or discount pricing to increase sales while also giving a good value to customers.
• Try anchor pricing: This is a pricing approach in which you show the original and your price next to each other to show that your price is superior without having to run a deal.
• Clear away end-of-season merchandise: Most stores have some leftover inventory at the end of the season; entice bargain customers with a strongly marketed end-of-season discount to help move old items and create place for new ones.
• Organize flash sales: Pick a generally slow or quiet time of day or day of the week to offer a limited-time sale where customers may save money on their whole purchase. When you normally have minimal deals, this will attract your bargain customers.
• Offer points and prizes: In addition to standard sales, you may establish a loyalty or rewards program in which consumers are automatically rewarded for their purchases and can redeem their points for cash.

2. The Internet Explorer Browser

If you own a physical business, particularly one with a lot of foot traffic, you’re certainly extremely acquainted with “just looking” customers. Customers that are browsing, also known as wandering customers, are those who are not seeking for a certain item or to make a purchase from a specific place. They landed onto your shop and are interested in learning more about what you have to offer.

My business, for example, was located in a busy strolling district with several shops and restaurants. We’d get individuals and groups of people who were simply seeking for information and not necessarily wanting to purchase.

The Browser’s Requirements

The browsing client is often driven to make a purchase by an experience or a relationship. For example, a browser could stumble upon a candle that smells like a childhood memory. Alternatively, they may spend an hour talking with a sales representative about a fine cheese before purchasing it since they are familiar with its history and have developed a bond with it. These emotional connections are ultimately what motivates the browser to make a purchase.

Gift and souvenir shops, boutiques and garment stores, booksellers, and any kind of hobby shop are also popular places for browsing customers. They might possibly be passing the time. Consider how you may create an emotive or unique experience at your business without disturbing your customers who are browsing.

What is the Best Way to Market to Browsers?

The greatest thing merchants can do for browsing consumers is to make them feel welcome and to be accessible in case of an emergency, but ultimately to leave them alone. Market your products in such a way that they have a narrative or create a relationship without you having to interfere and make it evident to the browser.

When interacting with clients who are browsing, merchants should:

• Give them a warm welcome: Pushy sales approaches aren’t well received by browsing consumers, but it doesn’t mean you should ignore them. Say hi, offer help, and let them know about any deals or promotions, even if they are “just browsing.”
• Create a relaxing atmosphere: Retailers should pay great attention to their store’s lighting, music, cleanliness, and general appearance; wandering consumers are more likely to spend time (and maybe make a purchase) in a nice and appealing store than in one that is harsh or disorganized.
• Create a functional shop layout: Because browsing clients do not contact directly with shop personnel, the layout and signs of your business serve as the major guide; make sure popular, lucrative, and bestselling goods are clearly displayed.
• Small trinkets and easy-to-transport objects are available: Even if buyers are only browsing, tiny presents or fashionable goods might capture their eye; make sure you offer a variety of eye-catching and easy-to-carry things, as well as clear labeling that explains product advantages. Because browsers are often on the go, tiny items that they can carry with them will be simpler to sell.
• Create product stories: Market your products such that they have a backstory and are seen as more than simply a collection of items. Use signs and displays to demonstrate how your items may meet a need or want while also fitting into your clients’ lifestyles.
• Allow for self-sufficient shopping: Give browsers the space they need to investigate and don’t disrupt their buying experience by ensuring that they can discover all of the answers to their inquiries without the assistance of a salesperson. On fliers and posters, provide directions and answers to commonly asked questions, label everything, and make sure your business is easy to navigate.

3. The Customer Who Is Showrooming

One of the most appealing aspects of in-store purchasing is the ability to inspect things in person for quality, color, fit, and other factors. However, some customers may try in person before purchasing online. This is referred to as “showrooming.”

Showrooming is when a consumer walks into a business to look at a real goods before purchasing it online.

This style of purchasing is especially common among those looking for huge, costly items that are expected to last, such as furniture, appliances, or other large, expensive items. While huge corporations like Ikea have built their whole business model around the showrooming client, showrooming may be an issue for small businesses since buyers will often examine your goods just to purchase it at a lesser price from another store.

Customers who are wanting to make big, costly, long-term purchases often use showrooming. (Photo courtesy of Bob Vila)

Customer Requirements for Showrooming

The showrooming consumer utilizes their in-store experience to get a feel for the goods, check out the pricing, and make sure they’re making the best selection possible. They then decide to buy online in order to save time and money on shipping and handling. You will fulfill their demands and convert them into an in-store sale if you can provide showrooming consumers peace of mind and streamline their purchasing procedure.

How to Market to Customers Who Are Showrooming

Retailers must provide these clients incentives to purchase in-store or with their particular brand, in addition to addressing their showrooming demands.

Retailers should do the following to appeal to showrooming customers:

• Sell specialized or unique items: Selling things that clients can only obtain from your business is the simplest approach to guarantee that they don’t buy from a rival online. Private label goods, custom-made things, and pieces from local suppliers are all excellent ways to add uniqueness to your offerings.
• Create a customer loyalty program: Customers will be more likely to buy from your company than to a competitor’s online store if you provide a points-based rewards or loyalty program that allows them to earn discounts or free items.
• Offer product customization: To encourage consumers to buy in-store, offer complimentary in-store monograms or engravings on specific goods or with a minimum purchase.
• Have an easy-to-navigate website: Not every consumer will purchase in-store; ensure that your internet store and social media accounts are up-to-date and user-friendly so that customers may purchase from you online.
• Showroomers are looking for the greatest bargain and confidence that they are receiving a solid product, therefore provide warranties and price matching. Demonstrate to them that you can address their concerns via product warranties and price matching.
• Streamline the shipping and handling process to make it more efficient: Offer shipping and local delivery services to compete with online shops, so consumers don’t have to bother about hauling products themselves.
• Set yourself apart from the online big-box shops by providing assembly services for related items. Remember that showrooming customers want to feel at ease, therefore cater to their needs.

4. The Impulsive Purchaser

Impulse buyers make spur-of-the-moment purchases based on what appeals to them at the time. I’m sure you’ve been in line at the supermarket or convenience store and grabbed a bag of chips at the cash register. That was an impulsive purchase.

To entice impulsive shoppers, grocery retailers will deck their checkout lanes with impulse purchase products. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Impulse shopping usually entails purchasing tiny products that attract people’s attention. However, it might also be retail therapy or emotional shopping. This form of impulsive purchasing usually entails substantial purchases made on the spur of the moment.

The Needs of the Impulse Buyer

Whereas other buyers have well-defined requirements, the impulse buyer acts on whim rather than need. This makes it difficult to foresee impulsive shoppers’ demands, but we can take advantage of their general purchasing behaviors. Impulse consumers, as previously said, like tiny, often cheap items that they can add on to the end of a purchase without much deliberation.

If not modest and cheap, the second kind of impulsive consumer makes bigger purchases on the spur of the moment. Create an attentive staff, effective product displays, and a convenient shopping environment to customize your in-store experience to the demands of impulsive shoppers.

Another factor that influences impulsive purchases is the in-store experience. The impulsive customer will not bite if your merchandising and branding do not pique their attention. To guarantee that the impulsive consumer is satisfied and engaged, provide a pleasurable experience and assist in the development of emotional ties to your items.

How to Market to Impulse Purchasers

Friendly and helpful store staff, building product connections, streamlining the shopping process, and applying smart merchandising may all help retailers appeal to impulsive consumers.

Retailers that want to appeal to impulsive customers may do the following:

• Small companies have an edge when it comes to selling things with a narrative; promote local producers and other small businesses or products that have a special relationship to the local community so that buyers have an emotional connection to the products in your store.
• Make it simple to buy: Because impulsive consumers buy on the spur of the moment, they want to be able to complete their purchases fast and effortlessly. In order to avoid losing an impulsive sale due to traffic congestion, make sure you have enough registers or equip your workers with mobile checkout equipment.
• Use labels, signage, and instructions: Using clear product labels and instructions, you may make the impulsive buyer’s shopping experience easier. Make your business simple to explore and interact with—the impulsive consumer isn’t going to ask for assistance making their purchase, so don’t make them.
• Train your employees to be attentive: For the big-ticket impulsive consumer, having an attentive staff makes all the difference. Your employees will be able to better capitalize on the impulsive shopper by giving product recommendations, assisting with sizing, and generally expediting and simplifying the customer’s experience.
• Place little, low-cost goods near the cash register: One of the most common areas where impulsive consumers act is at the cash register. Fill your register with little, affordable goods that customers may add to their shopping baskets on the spur of the moment.

5. The Shopper with a Purpose

Buyers with a mission are looking for specific items or purchasing off a list. They’re even dubbed “list shoppers” since they often bring a physical list of items they wish to purchase. Others have labeled them “need-based” and “reluctant” consumers since their purchases are motivated only by a necessity rather than a desire to shop.

Shoppers with a mission know exactly what they want and aren’t interested in exploring. (Image courtesy of Video Hive)

The Needs of the Mission-Driven Shopper

Overall, mission-driven buyers need a purchasing experience that is simple, quick, and meets their requirements. Remember that purchasing isn’t something the mission-driven client likes, so whatever you can do to make it easier for them will increase their brand loyalty and encourage them to return.

How to Market to Missionaries -Shopper with a Purpose

The mission-driven shopper’s requirement for simplicity is something your marketing should meet. Offering services that will simplify your customers’ experience and merchandising so that items are easy to locate will guarantee that your company is prepared to make shopping simple and painless.

Retailers should do the following to appeal to mission-driven buyers:

• Offer buy-online, pick-up-in-store (BOPIS): Time-crunched customers prefer to shop at businesses that allow them to put purchases online and pick them up the same day. For a mission-driven customer, offering pickup services will entirely eliminate any real shopping.
• Prepare gift guides in advance: Make your clients’ life simpler by providing gift guides and other creative resources that will take the guesswork out of buying and help them complete their shopping objectives.
• Cross-merchandising: Items such as bread near the deli counter or limes near the beer display will be appreciated by shoppers in a hurry. Consider what things are often bought together and stock them near each other for easy shopping.
• Maintain a simple retail layout: Having an easy-to-navigate store is mostly determined by the layout you pick. To make your business simple to shop, make sure you have adequate traffic flow and clear lines of sight.

The Indecisive Patron is a patron who is unable to make a decision.

Indecisive customers are interested in making a purchase but are hesitant to do so due to pricing, information overload, or a lack of knowledge. At my store, I’m sure I encountered this sort of consumer on a regular basis. They’d try items on but struggle to make a choice, making reasons after explanation as to why they shouldn’t purchase the item.

Finally, I discovered that the greatest method to appeal to the undecided shopper was to be hyper-attentive so that I could soothe any hesitations and answer any queries before they got too caught up in their own thoughts.

The Requirements of the Indecisive Client

Someone or something to enhance the confidence of the undecided customer is required. Anything you can do to reassure the hesitant consumer about their choice and give them a little push to make a purchase will help ease their nerves.

However, you must be careful not to push the undecided customer too far and make them feel uncomfortable. Remember that this consumer is looking to buy something, so you should provide useful nudges without being obnoxious. Respond to hesitancy with confidence, but if you’re receiving a lot of hard no’s, move on and offer something else.

How to Market to the Undecided Customer

Retailers must act as quasi-personal shoppers or shopping advisers for undecided consumers while dealing with them. Indecisive customers have a strong desire to buy; they simply don’t know what to buy. For appealing to undecided buyers and winning a sale, having top-notch customer care representatives is critical.

Retailers should do the following when dealing with undecided customers:

• Pose inquiries: To make exact suggestions, determine the shopper’s purchasing requirements by asking open-ended inquiries about who and what they are shopping for. This will enable you to deliver better answers to their difficulties and alleviate any apprehensions they may have.
• Give honest advise: Consumers who are having trouble deciding on a final purchase may welcome honest assistance, like as personal experience or comments from other customers. Giving someone honest counsel or telling them that an item is unattractive can create trust and lead to increased sales.
• Use visuals and/or data: Signage and marketing materials that highlight product characteristics and advantages can assist customers in weighing their selections and understanding your offerings. Feedback on best-sellers, product comparisons, price data, and expert evaluations can all assist the undecided consumer feel more confident and ready to buy.
• Have a flexible return policy: A return policy or warranty might assist alleviate any concerns about the goods failing to meet expectations.
• Offer product recommendations: As we all know, the undecided buyer has a strong desire to purchase; they simply don’t know what they want. Offering product recommendations will make your consumer feel like they are obtaining the greatest things and will assist them in finding something they can trust.

7. The Well-Informed Consumer

Many of today’s customers fit the educated or well-informed shopper profile, thanks to increased access to product information. Before entering a business, the informed consumer does internet research on items or inventories, reads customer reviews, and checks general price information. By the time they arrive, they usually have a good notion of what they want to purchase.

The Needs of the Educated Consumer

While the informed consumer might be difficult to assist, they do have a few demands that you can satisfy via your marketing. The savvy shopper wants to see the online things you offer in stock. Furthermore, even if they have done their homework, an intelligent consumer would want to ask questions to ensure that they fully comprehend your items before purchasing.

Customers who had plainly checked our website or social media sites before coming into the shop, for example, were common at my boutique. They constantly asked inquiries and wanted to view the particular components they were interested in in this situation. We were able to improve their in-store experience and meet their desire for comprehension by expanding their product knowledge and providing them the opportunity to examine the things in person.

How to Market to a Well-Informed Consumer

The most important thing you can provide an informed consumer is a cross-channel purchasing experience that complements what they already know. This includes regularly updated websites and retail displays, items or services available exclusively in-store, and salespeople who are very educated.

When dealing with a well-informed client, you should:

• Keep your website and store up to date: The majority of informed buyers will look at your business online before going in to see what’s available and get a sense of what they want to see. To minimize disappointment, double-check that the items you sell online are also accessible in store, and that your website is up to date with all of your new products.
• Offer a terrific deal: Because knowledgeable customers are usually aware of price and features, these aspects will not wow them. Offer something more, such as product customization, unique features, a special member pricing, or at the very least knowledge they couldn’t get anywhere else.
• Provide a great shopping experience: Many customers return to merchants because of the entire shopping experience they had with you, not because of the product selection or even the price point. Customer service, loyalty programs, and merchandising can make or break a shopper’s experience at your business, so make those components stand out to make their visit memorable and good.
• Make sure your employees have product knowledge: Make sure your employees are experts on your items and can answer any queries and give a degree of expertise that can’t be discovered from internet research. We kept a binder with product information in my shop, for example, that covered size, usual life cycle, style tips, and components. Associates might refer to and study the binder in their leisure time in order to be prepared to respond to any customer issues.

The Loyal Customer is number eight on the list.

Every retailer’s favorite customers are loyal or frequent consumers. A devoted client is someone who frequents your store and buys from you on a regular basis. You could even recognize them by name and have a friendly relationship with them.

Because of their potential for profit, the devoted client is a particularly valuable shopper profile subgroup. In fact, loyal clients are the most valuable form of customer, according to one widely circulated statistic, loyal customers spend an average of 33% more than new customers on each visit.

The Requirements of a Loyal Customer

Retailers should appreciate loyal clients’ devotion and treat them like VIP customers every time they come in to keep them satisfied. This will provide an incentive to stay loyal to your brand and establish a connection with it.

Several women came in almost every week to see what new merchandise we had gotten at my store, for example. I always addressed them by name and chose outfits that I believed would look well on them. This helped to maintain their loyalty while also rewarding them for picking our brand.

How to Market to a Consistent Customer

Making the loyal consumer feel special for their devotion is the goal of marketing to them. They already enjoy your brand and the experience you provide, so it’s up to you to make it even better by giving them special attention and prizes.

• Reward your loyal clients: To show your loyal consumers how much you value them, host events or campaigns and give unique prizes.
• Start a recommendation program: It’s probable that regular customers are already introducing friends and family to your business. Start a formal referral program to keep track of your top referrers and reward them for helping you grow your company.
• Sending out a survey or holding a focus group with your regular consumers to gain their views on new or future items is a good idea. They’ll like being a part of the process, and you can buy those new things with confidence knowing they’ll sell.
• Make an effort to get acquainted with your long-term customers: It’s not difficult to figure out who your regular consumers are with a little time and effort. Make a list containing their names, style profiles, general requirements, and shopping preferences that all of your employees may see. You will impress and reinforce your loyal customer’s devotion if you can show that you appreciate them as much as they value your company.
• Create a loyalty program: With a loyalty rewards program, you can reward customers for what they’re currently doing and continue to strengthen their loyalty.

Conclusion

As a store, you’ll encounter a wide range of customers, each with their own set of wants and habits. It takes effort to figure out which sorts of consumers frequent your store, but defining their profiles is the first step toward developing an in-store experience that benefits them and, by extension, your company. Use this approach to figure out what kind of customers visit your store, and then watch as you match their demands and start making sales.

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The “types of shoppers in retail” is a term that is used to describe the different types of people who visit a store. The 8 types of shoppers are as follows: impulse buyer, window shopper, loyal customer, bargain hunter, trend follower, brand enthusiast and luxury buyer.

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