The 10 Most Common Shopping Personalities

hand curserI got this press release in my inbox yesterday, and thought it would be fun to see where we all land in it :)

It comes from a company called SteelHouse who researched the most common consumer shopping personalities in order to give online marketers insight into what kinds of shoppers help increase their sales (tricky tricky!). Here’s what their CEO had to say about it:

“Most retail marketing is focused on the ‘what’ – what product someone is viewing – but that doesn’t tell you anything about who that shopper is and what drives them to actually buy. Does that person ever buy on a first visit? Only buy with free shipping? Usually buy at full price? Without that insight, you might needlessly give discounts to people who would pay full price (*gasp!*), or spend money on ineffective offers targeting shoppers with an incentive that won’t work.”

Who knows if any of this stuff actually means anything or not, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to learn more about our own shopping habits just in case ;) Check out the different personalities below, and then let us know which one most matches you!

The 10 Most Common Shopping Personality Profiles

  1. Distracted Shopper – When I shop online, I often like to begin the checkout process but for one reason or another, I don’t always complete the purchase. (I do that!)
  2. Premium Shopper – I only buy the best. I want premium name brands with the latest features, trends and the most advanced technology. (Nope)
  3. Determined Shopper – I always research before I buy. I will view the exact item I want multiple times, looking for a drop in price or an offer. (Yes, but *only* for more expensive stuff that I don’t necessarily need ASAP.  If I need it fast, I go out and get it after doing my best researching for an hour or two)
  4. Active Shopper – I am always shopping online, not always buying, but always browsing. I am not looking for incentives but they can help me convert when I’m window shopping. (Yeah, I can see that)
  5. Free Shipping Hunter – I like to buy online, but it has to include free shipping. If I find out the store doesn’t offer free shipping, I’ll leave and find a website that does. (Haha no, but my wife does this! :))
  6. Thrifty Shopper – I like to buy used or refurbished items. If I can get the same product used for much less, I’ll buy it. (Yup!)
  7. Loyal Shopper – I only purchase if I can join a rewards club or special rewards program. This often leads to me purchasing at the same stores. (Nope!)
  8. Methodical Shopper – When I shop online, I like to browse for the exact product I’m looking for. I often browse using site navigation, browsing through each product until I find that perfect product. (Nope)
  9. Impatient Shopper – When I shop online, I search for what I’m looking for at a given site. If I don’t find it immediately, I look somewhere else. (Yup!)
  10. Wish List Shopper I like to shop online—I just don’t always purchase. I add everything I am interested in to the shopping cart to see what the total price might be. (Nope)

Soooo… for me, I’m pretty much a Distracted, Determined, Active, Thrifty and Impatient Shopper!  Haha… what a mess…  If I had to pick one though, I’d probably go with the label of “Thrifty Shopper.”  Especially when it comes to Amazon, or cars, or pretty much anything other than food and underwear (ewwwwwww).

How about you guys? What category do you fall into the most?

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(Photo by Mykl Roventine)

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23 Comments

  1. cashflowmantra June 16, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    I have to have free shipping. There is no other way to shop, although I have ordered stuff online to be sent to the local store so I could pick up there. Again I do it for free.

    Reply
  2. Andrew June 16, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    I think there’s another variation of the free shipping hunter that I fall into:

    No Sales Tax Hunter – I like to buy online, but it has to come from a store that won’t charge me my state’s crazy 9.25% Sales Tax. If I find out the store charges Sales Tax to my state I’ll leave and find a website that doesn’t.

    Reply
  3. No Debt MBA June 16, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    I’m definitely the thrifty shopper with methodical as the back up. After I’ve selected the product I’ll price compare across websites and look for coupon codes for free shipping or discounts.

    Reply
  4. Edward Antrobus June 16, 2011 at 8:39 AM

    I’m 5, 6, & 8. But mostly 8: methodical shopper. When I buy online, I always check, double check, and triple check everything to make sure I’m getting exactly what I want.

    Reply
  5. Trinnie June 16, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    Methodical Shopper and Impatient Shopper–these are me! God help me…especially the impatient shopper…

    When I make up my mind that I want or “need” something, I’m buying it. Whether it’s online or store.

    Reply
  6. Melissa June 16, 2011 at 10:02 AM

    I think I fall into all of these categories (except maybe the premium shopper, but maybe sometimes!). The Free Shipping Hunter one made me laugh because I totally do this! I’ll have insane loyalties to online shops that will offer free shipping, or even inexpensive flat-rate shipping. Because I’m in Canada, it can often be prohibitively expensive to order online from the States (I’m looking at you, Urban Outfitters!), but I love it when shipping prices go down. Especially with the dollar where it is. ;)

    Reply
  7. Crystal June 16, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    Determined, Thrifty, Methodical, and Impatient if the price is more than $15, otherwise I am known as an “Amazon Shopper” with a dash of “Free Amazon Prime 2 Day Shipping Shopper”, hahaha.

    I used to peruse Ebay but Amazon has better customer service and prices usually – I do use Half.com for most used books.

    The only things I consistently go to “real” stores for now is groceries, household goods (if Amazon isn’t cheaper), and clothing (I have to try stuff on).

    Reply
  8. Ginger June 16, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    I am Determined Shopper and Free Shipping Hunter, but only if the product with free shipping is cheaper than another store without the free shipping. I use the cash back site and the reward programs but if the deal is better somewhere else, I’ll buy it at the cheaper price.

    Reply
  9. Ashley @ Money Talks June 16, 2011 at 12:34 PM

    I’m going with free shipping, thrifty, and methodical. If I had to pick one I’d say I’m methodical. Funny, I wrote an article about shopping online today too.

    Reply
  10. Christine June 16, 2011 at 12:38 PM

    Determined shopper mostly, with hints of free shipping and wish list shopper! Most of the time I research a lot before buying something to find the best deal with hopefully free shipping and cashback on my card. Every now and then I just like to add things to my wish list and wait for another day when I’m feeling ultra rich to buy it:P

    Reply
  11. Stephanie June 16, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    Depends on what I’m shopping for, but I can be determined, methodical, thrifty, or any combination thereof. And any time I can get free shipping for an online order, that’s nice too. ;-)

    Reply
  12. BoeshaneHR June 16, 2011 at 12:55 PM

    I fall into the categories of distracted, determined, Free shipping hunter, impatient, wish list shopper.

    What I find interesting is the shops that don’t have wish lists are the ones where I would be considered “distracted.”

    Reply
  13. J. Money June 16, 2011 at 1:05 PM

    @cashflowmantra – It’s not a bad way to go, brotha. What do you do when there IS no free shipping though? I can’t imagine every product you ever want is like that? (Or is that when you just go buy it in stores then?)
    @Andrew – Hah! I like it. For some reason I NEVER think about sales tax online at all…. in fact, I don’t even know if I pay it or not whenever I order? Guess it depends on where I shop, eh?
    @No Debt MBA – Oh yeah, HUGE fan of coupon codes. Esp @ Go Daddy ;) Buyin 7 domains in 7 days def. starts adding up for me! Haha… #Addict
    @Edward Antrobus – Well you’re smarter than I am sometimes ;)
    @Trinnie – Haha, me too :) Once I want something there’s rarely anything stopping me from getting it. Luckily, though, I don’t usually want many things in general.
    @Melissa – Haha, nice… And you just reminded me – I need to return a few shirts at Urban Outfitters! They *never* fit me right for some reason, drives me crazy… yet I always forget when I’m shopping there :(
    @Crystal – Yeah, trying things on are important in my books (see comment response above, haha…). I’m starting to become a HUGE Amazon shopper too which usually isn’t my style. But since I’ve been blogging and get referral $ sometimes from them, it’s like a free shopping trip all the time! :) (even though I spend way too many hours on this blog making it happen, haha…)
    @Ginger – Gotta go where your money stretches further!
    @Ashley @ Money Talks – Hah! Really? Gonna go over and check it out in a few :)
    @Christine – Haha, I like that :) I need to get better about wish lists actually though so that whenever anyone asks me what I want for my birthday or Xmas, I can actually tell them! My brain has turned into mush over the years and I cannot remember anything for the life of me… even stuff I want! (well, plus I usually buy it all anyways, but there are def. those items that we always like but could never bring ourselves to buy. I leave those for present time which makes it even more exciting :) when I remember ’em..)
    @Stephanie – I rarely get free shopping… I need to get better about that.
    @BoeshaneHR – Haha, you should send them a friendly note so they can take your money better! :)
    @Jen @ Master the Art of Saving – Not a bad skillset to have :)

    Reply
  14. Brian June 16, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    Determined definitely. I’ve been to Dick’s Sporting Goods 5 times in the past two weeks to look at a certain backpack I want for my trip to Denver. Not a special trip to the store, but since I’ve been in the area already, I go in and check it again for price and to make sure i still like it. I do this same thing for everything over $20.

    For some reason, nobody wants to take me shopping. Wonder why? :)

    Reply
  15. Jolene June 16, 2011 at 2:22 PM

    I am a wish list shoper – I always put the things i want into the cart to see how much it is then relook at what I just added.

    Free shipping- YUP has to be free!

    Active- im always browsing

    Distracted- Oh ya hard for me to complete!

    Reply
  16. Melissa June 16, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Haha, I think perhaps Urban Outfitters is just too cool for me, anyway. Though their skirts always fit me well for work, because I’m very, very short. I think they’re meant to be mini skirts but they come pretty close to my knees.

    The sales tax thing is also another reason I LOVE free shipping deals. Because I’m Canadian, if I order something from an American retailer, I don’t have to pay any sales tax. Which is awesome, because tax in Ontario is 13%. A lot of times, even if I do have to pay shipping, it still ends up being cheaper to order online than to go to a store and buy it in Canada.

    Reply
  17. Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager June 16, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    Definitely a determined shopper.

    Reply
  18. bleu June 16, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    Hands down, determined shopper-lol.

    Reply
  19. Paula @ AffordAnything.org June 16, 2011 at 9:53 PM

    I’m active, loyal and methodical. Not necessarily adjectives I thought would ever apply to me!

    Reply
  20. Deneil Merritt June 17, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    If I had to pick one I would say I am a “Determined Shopper” because I just have to know everything about what I am buying and if I am getting a good price on it.

    Reply
  21. J. Money June 19, 2011 at 1:21 AM

    @Brian – HAH!! Maybe 6th visit’s a charm? :)
    @Jolene – Wish lists can def. come in handy though too – I like looking at others’ lists, kinda fun :)
    @Melissa – Wowwww 13%? Really?? That’s crazy! I’d be online shopping all the time too!
    @Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager, and bleu – You two will get along then ;)
    @Paula @ AffordAnything.org – Haha, you’re all kinds of mysterious aren’t you :)
    @Deneil Merritt – Yup, I get that. Def. good to know if something’s a bargain or not :)

    Reply

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