Types of Shoppers

Week Three Assignment - Write an essay that discusses different types of shoppers. On what basis will you categorize them? Give each type a name. Use some humor.


My Teachers Comment - Excellent description, examples, and organization. Work on subject-verb agreeement

Shopping is part of our daily life. It is defined as examining an item with the intention of purchasing it. Like different items on the market, there are also different types of shoppers. Some shoppers buy items for a short use and return it later, some would say they will never buy anything but ends s-v agreementup with number of shopping bags in their hands, or those who like to take advantage with price cuts and sale events. For me, the three types of shopper based on their behavior towards shopping are “buy now, return later” shoppers, “never say never” shoppers, and the “raging bull” shoppers.

First, there are the “buy now, return later” shoppers who literally buy items for a short use and return them later on. This type of shopper is usually a person who will attend a one day special event. For example, I have a friend who bought a nice dress at Bloomingdales for a big party that day. It is so funny because we can still see the tag price of the dress dangling on the side. The next day, she returned the item at the store. I know this is not a good practice but I cannot blame her for wanting her money back for a dress that cost hundreds of dollars and just worn in a couple of hours. I suggested that next time, maybe she can resort to a rental place for gowns and dresses. A “buy now, return later” shopper can also be a person who just to test and compare items. My cousin who is into technology usually buys several gadgets such as a laptop or a cell phone, to test its quality, efficiency, and features. It allows him to compare that particular gadget to other brands and competitors. After testing, he retains what he likes the best and he returns the other items at the store.

The second type of shoppers are the “never say never” shoppers. These people are the kind of shoppers who say they will never spend a single cent but end up with several shopping bags in their hands. One time, me and two of my cousin went to San Francisco to have fun. We rode the cruise and our photograph was taken. After the cruise, they will develop the film and it will be available at the photo booth for purchasing. While we were on the boat, one of my cousins said, “I don’t want to spend money so I will never buy that picture.” When we went down off the boat, we approached the photo booth and the photographer held our photo at a distance. My cousin who said that she will never purchase the photo suddenly snagged the picture, looked at it for a moment and suddenly uttered, “How much?” My other cousin and I laughed loud because she had conviction when she said she won’t purchase the picture, but then she was the first to buy a copy. This still brings laughter to us whenever we recall that moment. Sometimes, I also become a “never say never” shopper. Before going to the mall, I would tell everybody that I will never buy an item because I want to save money. At the end of the day, before I knew it, I already have ten shopping bags on my hands.

Lastly, the “raging bull” shoppers are people who love sale events. In shopping, the color red refers to sale events, hence the name “red-tag” sale events. Like a raging bull aiming to its red flag target, the “raging bull” shoppers are constantly on the lookout for the latest sales. They fall in line for hours or even days to get the advantage of the huge price cut ranging from 50% to 75% mark down. I have heard of this story where a new Dollar Store will open in Gilroy and they have announced that the first 10 people would be able to purchase a 1 gigabyte I-pod shuffle for just $1 which originally cost $99 at that time. In my opinion, Thanksgiving Day sale event is the biggest sale event of the year. I have experienced falling in line as early as 4am in the morning just to purchase an item on a sale price. This is also the only time of the year that I have observed when the parking lots all over the area are jam packed. It also felt like there were hundreds of bulls that raced inside the mall or store because of the rummage all over the floor.

Like what the saying says, “A problem can be solved in many and different ways,” shopping can be done in many different style, strategy or behavior. As long as the person is able to satisfy his or her wants and needs through shopping, it does not matter whether he or she is a “buy now, return later” shopper, “never say never” shopper, or a “raging bull” shopper.