When shopping for a big ticket item, are you a “Fretting Frugal” or a “Social Adventurer?” According to The Complex Shopper study conducted by The Integer Group and research partner Decision Analyst, there are four distinct shopping profiles. Here’s a preview:
Fretting Frugal:
Finds big-ticket shopping as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. He or
she is nervous about making the wrong choice and is price-conscious and
easily overwhelmed. They may delay big purchases or pass the
responsibility to someone else.
Experience Lover:
Shopping is a labor of love. Generally older and female, she values her
relationship with brands and is more likely to make repeat purchases
with the same company.
Passive Purchaser:
Let’s get this over with … this older, high-income-earning male wants
his purchases quick and easy. He doesn’t waste time researching and he’s
not loyal to brands.
Social Adventurer:
Believes what you buy is a reflection of your style and personality.
She is urban, more likely to be a person of ethnicity and upwardly
mobile. She engages via social media to connect with the brand and lets
others know about her experience. The study researched 8 big-ticket purchase categories: automobiles, flooring, furniture, major appliances, major vacation travel, single-serve coffeemakers, vacuum cleaners and windows/doors. Each shopper group experiences vastly different emotions and behaviors based on the item for which they are shopping. For instance:
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Fretting Frugals are most excited by and get the most enjoyment
shopping for vacation travel, and the least excitement and enjoyment
shopping for tires.
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An Experience Lover needs a great deal or a sale before buying
items for her home, like flooring, a single-serve coffee maker or a
vacuum cleaner.
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More than half of Passive Purchasers have not enjoyed any major
vacation travel in 6 months or more, and they were the least excited of
any group (51%) about the process.
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About 80% of Social Adventurers buying vacuum cleaners are
surprisingly either very or extremely excited about the purchase (versus
46% of the next closest segment – Experience Lovers).
