A Brief Guide to Shopper Psychographics

Having worked in retail for a little over three months now and having been a shopper for over 20 years, I am fascinated by the dynamics of the shopping environment and the different types of shoppers I encounter each day.

Here are a few key shopper psychographics I’ve observed:

The deliberate shopper: These people have done their research. All they need is a sales associate to process the sale. These shoppers are the easiest to deal with because factors like price, size, color, etc. are really non-factors as long as the exact product they’re looking for is available and on display for purchase.

The unsure shopper: I like helping these shoppers because they have a direction in mind, but need a little convincing or reinforcement on their decision. I work with handbags, so most often it is a matter of weighing the pros and cons of a few different bags based on the purchaser’s intended use for the bag.

The negotiating shopper: I know in some countries and at some ‘less corporate’ stores you can haggle prices, but don’t try it in a chain store. I appreciate the fact that you want to buy six handbags to give to your family back in your home country, but prices are fixed unless there’s a flaw in the product.

The deal, special, and clearance shopper (not to be confused with the coupon shopper): Some shoppers ask what’s on sale before even browsing the selling floor. They refuse to buy anything that isn’t discounted. I can respect that, but asking the question “when is this going on sale” is not answerable. Play the sale betting game like everyone else – and if it goes on sale within 10 days of purchase, bring it back for a price adjustment.

The coupon shopper: I am amazed at the intense need (yes, it is a need for some people) to utilize coupons. I get coupons for my favorite stores fairly frequently, but I use maybe 25% of those coupons. The coupon shopper does everything in their power to use their coupons, even if it means buying extra items they didn’t need in order to meet the qualifying purchase requirements.

The lonely shopper: This shopper is out by herself, but needs a second opinion. This is where my job goes from sales associate to shopping buddy. You’d be amazed at the decision-making that goes into selecting the right pair of nylons for work vs. a wedding or selecting the perfect handbag for a business trip vs. a cruise. Being an unbiased friend to these shoppers not only helps them make a decision, but also makes them feel good about the decision.

The gift shopper: My favorites are the men shopping for their girlfriends, wives, mothers, etc. who have no clue about handbags. Explaining the benefits of a particular bag is enlightening for these shoppers because they never knew how much thought goes into the purchase. Another gift shopper includes those shopping for their younger relatives (wants advice on what is trendy for the grandkids).

The aspirational shopper: These shoppers are necessarily in the store to buy anything, but they like to look and dream about the products they wish they could afford. Working with the higher-end handbags, I encounter a lot of these shoppers and sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s just sad. Fun times are when the person is absolutely smitten by a handbag, is upbeat, and almost regrets not being able to purchase the bag. Sad times are when the person is seriously considering purchasing a bag out of their price range and either their conscience or their shopping partner (often a husband or boyfriend) reminds them that it’s just not in the budget. The fun aspirational shopper realizes that it is fun to wish; the sad aspirational shopper might consider forgoing groceries to buy that bag.

In a retail environment it is fun to see the categories in action, and as a shopper it is interesting when I recognize my own shopping habits falling into one or more of these categories. Recognizing how a person is shopping is beneficial to the seller because she can tailor her sales pitch to fit the consumer behavior. Recognizing one’s own behavior is certainly beneficial in making wise purchase decisions and perhaps correcting some bad shopper behavior.

Are you one of these shoppers? Do you know shoppers that fit these categories? What other types of shoppers are there? I would love to hear your stories and opinions.

Can you imagine living in a less-connected world?

It’s hard to believe that there are people in this world who choose to live without the convenience that modern technology provides us. But this past weekend, I discovered there are people out there that get by without constant connection.

Some relatives were visiting for the holidays, and somehow or another the topic of bank accounts came up. A family member hadn’t opened a savings account for their toddler yet and didn’t even use a savings account for their own finances. I’ve had a savings account since I was born. I can’t imagine keeping track of my finances without the help of my bank (nor could I justify not earning – although minimal – interest on my savings).

Later on, we flipped through our 100 or so cable channels to try and find a football score, and I learned the same family member without more than a checking account has also never had cable and recently got rid of her home internet service. Her family can afford these services, but chooses not to have them. And it’s not that they live in the boondocks and are completely old fashioned either. Her family lives 30 minutes from the city and she works in an office where she uses computers most of the day.

Needless to say, I was dumbfounded. I can’t imagine not having the Internet, cable, a savings account. And I just got an internet-enabled phone so I can stay even more connected to my e-mail, Twitter, and even my three bank accounts! How can my relatives get by in today’s world of hyper-connection and information-on-demand?

I remember when my last living grand parent passed away. My family went through the house from top-to-bottom looking for miscellaneous coffee cans, shoe boxes, and other containers filled with my grandpa’s hidden savings. He had bank accounts, sure, but he also kept cash on hand – probably more than was really necessary. I also have older family members who still don’t do e-mail or have home computers… but I can understand their ability to survive without because the technology wasn’t around for most of their lives.

Then there’s my own childhood. I remember when I was in grade school and my family didn’t own a computer. There was a time when I wasn’t connected to the world beyond those people I called on the telephone. But I can’t imagine being a child these days, growing up without the ability to connect with kids halfway across the world. And I can’t imagine not wanting to connect (at least some of the time) for purposes beyond what your job demands.

There is definitely something to be said for playing in the backyard and creating imaginary worlds with your dolls and action heroes, but once you’re past the age of play-dates and night games how do you survive without an Internet connection? I do like a weekend here or there away from technology. But to live every day without the ease of looking up a recipe, flipping through the latest headlines, and accessing financial statements with the click of a mouse… that is not something I think I can compromise. Cable… yea, I could survive with just the network channels.

But how does someone in their mid-thirties live each day of their life without what has become a basic necessity? Are you 18-40 years of age and “unconnected” at home? Can you live a life without the ability to connect at the flip of a switch? Help me imagine surviving in that world…

Seeking Guidance From the Saints

Today is St. Andrew’s Day. While many people won’t think twice about this saint’s feast day, some (especially in places like Scotland where St. Andrew is the patron saint) celebrate and honor the life of St. Andrew with customary meals, rituals, and prayer. When I saw St. Andrew’s Day on my calendar, I thought about cooking a Scottish dinner (I can’t help but reminiscence about bland, hearty food every once and a while). And that got me thinking about saints and their feast days and why we seek guidance from and celebrate saints.

A saint can be briefly defined as someone who the Catholic Church (and sometimes others) recognizes formally as being exceptionally selfless and holy. Much like religion in general, patron saints can be wonderful guidance for believers. Their lives teach people lessons in being selfless and holy.

As I mentioned, people in Scotland celebrate St. Andrew as their patron saint. Details on how he got this honor are a bit sketchy, but somehow or another Andrew’s relics made it to Scotland and he is said to watch over the great northern lands. And year after year Scots celebrate their holy protector. Looking into what makes a saint a patron saint, I found that sometimes groups of people – nations, members of a certain occupation, churches, people with certain illnesses, etc. – chose saints to be special protectors or guardians. The saint these groups chose is often one who had a reputation or connections with the defining characteristic of the group. I think this is a pretty neat.

When I was confirmed into the Catholic Church, I chose Agnes as my confirmation saint. I didn’t know anything about Agnes when I decided to choose her, rather I chose her because I had a great-grandmother named Agnes and I liked the name. I found out she is the patron saint of young girls, which is fitting for confirmation since at the time I was still a young girl. Looking back, I don’t recall seeking guidance from St. Agnes on the subject of being confirmed in the Catholic Church, but as I read more and more about saints, I am ever more convinced that there is probably a saint for everyone seeking guidance in their lives.

I googled “patron saint of marketing,” and although the Catholic Online Saints database doesn’t list a specific saint of my profession, I did find St. Bernardine in another database. It is said that St. Bernardine’s preaching skills "were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc." There’s a prayer to St. Bernardine that asks for help choosing words of love over words of shame. I can get behind that for sure.

Have you ever set your shoe outside your door on December 5 and woken up on December 6 to find goodies in your shoe? December 6 is the feast day of St. Nicholas who was known for secret gift-giving and is a model for our more secular Santa Claus. Even if you’re not Catholic or Christian or any faith that recognizes saints as spiritual guiders, I bet you’ve asked for guidance or modeled your behavior on the actions of other genuinely good people. Do you give gifts to friends and family? Yes? Then in some small way you’ve modeled your life on the generosity of St. Nicholas. Whatever your faith, or lack of faith, try to find someone – be it a saint or just someone you truly admire – and follow their good example as a way to better yourself.

What I am Thankful For

In the spirit of the week, I am simply going to post a short list of what I am most thankful for this year.

1. Life.
2. Family.
3. Friends.
   
4. Education.
5. Courage.
6. Wisdom.
7. Love.
   
8. Home.
9. Technology.
10. Experience.
    

 And the bonus items:

1. Food.
2. Football.
3. Fun.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Emotional "Reality"

What is it about reality television that just sucks you in and doesn’t let you stop watching until the very end?

I’ve been sucked into many a reality television show unknowingly at first and become a loyal watcher of a handful of reality dramas. I’ve even been channel surfing and stopped on a reality show I’ve never watched before and been completely drawn into a weigh-in or a rose ceremony or a beauty queen crowning for people whose names and stories I know nothing about. People I shouldn’t think twice about take over my TV screen. What’s up with that?

I’m a loyal So You Think You Can Dance watcher (I don’t think I’ve missed but a handful of episodes from over five seasons). Tonight, as I watched the Top 20 dancers being announced for this season’s show, I felt myself unconsciously smiling with a dancer who got emotional when the judges announced he would be in the Top 20. And when a dancer got that look of disappointment for not making the show, I, too felt a little sad. I can understand feeling happy or sad further into the season because I spent weeks emotionally invested in the show and feel attached to certain contestants. But I hardly know anything about any of the dancers this early on in the season.

Another, even stranger example: The other day I started watching The Biggest Loser. I’ve never watched the show in my life, and there I was saying a little “Yeah!” in my head when one of the contestants lost five pounds and another fifteen. What is it about these reality shows that makes them so fascinating that someone would tune-in for a brief moment and feel unwarranted emotion for a reality star?

I don’t believe it’s that I can relate to all these reality contestants. But I do think there’s some satisfaction in sharing in their joy and sadness. I watched So You Think You Can Dance this evening to see who was going to be on the show for the next couple of months. I went into the viewing experience pretty passively, but found myself feeling happy and sad as if I was the dancer on stage learning the fate of my career in reality television.

So do I want to live vicariously through reality television? No. I definitely have no desire to ride around in an RV with drunken co-eds or eat creepy crawlies or even be crowned Miss I’ve Never Heard of This Small Town but What the Heck I Love Any Kind of Be-Jeweled Headgear. But it is nice to sit down, flip on the TV, and lose myself in the suspense and emotion of “reality.”

Riding the bus to the end of the line

I love lists. Every kind of list. And when I find a good tip in a list, I want to share it. So here is my latest favorite list tid-bit:

Ride the bus to the end of the line.

I found this travel related tip in Real Simple magazine (also see the full list on their website). The author points out that this isn’t safe or advisable everywhere, but even taking the local bus a few stops outside your set travel area or “area of familiarity” is fun.

The picture at the beginning of this post is from a time when I took the bus to the end of the line (or pretty close to the end). Doesn’t it just scream “endless possibilities”? I studied abroad in Scotland during college and I made it point to travel throughout the country as much as my academic schedule and bank account allowed me. Some of my favorite adventures happened when I just got on the bus and saw where it took me. This particular picture is from a beautiful Friday afternoon that took my flatmate and me to the edge of Edinburgh on the shores of the Firth of Forth. We packed a lunch, grabbed our cameras, and let the bus lead us to the edges of the city we were living in for a semester. The firth was gorgeous and the houses, monuments, side streets, and people we saw along the way were a whole new side of Edinburgh we never would have known had we not took an afternoon adventure.

Edinburgh is an amazing city, and I highly recommend spending a week or two there if you get the chance (plus you have fairly easy access to other cities and towns in Scotland by train and bus). I loved that I had the chance to explore this city over the course of four months. Much of that exploration was by way of the local bus system and walking. Looking back on the experience makes me want to explore the Twin Cities more than I have in the past – to be a tourist in my hometown. I’m the type of person that likes to know where I’m going and I almost always try to memorize the route I’m going to take to get there. But I think I’ll heed the travel advice above and spend an afternoon seeing where the bus (or maybe my car, I don’t always trust Metro Transit beyond getting downtown and back) takes me. Maybe I’ll discover a new part of the cities I never knew existed. Stay tuned…

Even if you can’t make it across the pond, try riding to the end of the bus line in your city. Get out of your familiarity zone! You will not regret it (especially if you happen to find a beautiful spot to relax, clear your mind of life’s crises, and enjoy the view).

The Naming of a Blog

What to write... what to write...

The first bit of information should probably be a mission statement of sorts. I've decided to start a blog for a couple of reasons. The first: because I have abundant amounts of time on my hands. I am currently pursuing a career in marketing communications. Last summer I intended to start a blog, but, having just graduated college, was a bit tired of writing. I just completed a nine-month internship. So now as I look for my next career adventure, instead of taking any old job (read: flipping burgers, receptionist, etc.), I've decided to hold out for the perfect job to match my skills and interests. To pass my time and fulfill my second goal - writing more - I am starting a blog. I don't intend to have one central theme or turn this into a career. I simply want a forum to express thoughts and Write More. I used to enjoy writing and hopefully this will help me remember why I enjoyed it. This could be done in the privacy of my own computer hard drive, however, I figure if what I'm writing is of any interest to someone out there in cyberspace, then I might as well make it available to those few people.

This brings me to the naming of my blog: Amanda's Anthology.

As I wrote above, I don't intend to explore only one topic here. I have many interests and often think about a hundred different topics over the course of one day. So allow me to use Answers.com's definition of an anthology:

1. A collection of literary pieces, such as poems, short stories, or plays.
2. A miscellany, assortment, or catalog, as of complaints, comments, or ideas

I don't foresee much literary going on here - although I do enjoy reading, so expect some book reviews. However, the secondary definition suits this blog well: It's a miscellany. And since miscellany doesn't provide a nice alliteration, Amanda's Anthology is born.

Among my many interests are marketing communications, architectural history, cooking and baking, politics, sports, and everyday happenings (think coffee or the weather). And, since I'm in the middle of another presumably lengthy job search (thank you economy and meddling government), I will also provide some tips and tricks for job searching and finding your passion.

To sum up my mission: To provide interesting commentary on a variety of subjects over an indefinite amount of time to willing and open eyes. Pretty vague, I know. But by nature this blog - and blogger - is anything but single-minded.