Shopper Could Be Defined as One Who

¶ … shopper could be defined as one who visits stores in search of merchandise or bargains. A commercial agent who compares the merchandise and prices of competing merchants. A commercial employee who fills mail or telephone orders. A newspaper containing advertisements and some local news, usually distributed free. Also known as agent, bargain hunter, client, and customer. (Www.wordpower.com) Never one to procrastinate, Jane is contemplating a Christmas gift for her 9-year-old grandson.

She knows he loves the latest gadgets -- after all, he's the one who talked her into getting a PC and e-mail -- and she wants something fun for him to play with. Dylan, on the other hand, has a pretty fair idea of what he's looking for: a digital camera for his free-lance photography business.

He wants to make a smart choice, which means understanding the features of digital cameras, comparing brands, maybe reading some objective reviews, and finding a sales source knowledgeable enough to answer some pointed questions and always wants to know which store in his neighborhood offered the best selection. And then there's Mary. A speed demon on the slopes, she just eyeballed an ad for a set of ultra-hot red-and-black Rossignol Rebels, with alloy bindings and power poles. She wants them right now or never. Three kinds of shoppers.

Three distinct sets of shopping needs. Shopping, the pursuit of the majority of the population is one of the most important ways in which people can discover their own individuality and gain reassurance of their authenticity. Modern Shoppers are defined by the prevalence of wants and desires over needs, and by their individualism. We discover who we really are through our tastes and preferences, such as liking red wine rather than white, or Lord of The Rings rather than Harry Potter.

But in order to know that we like these things we first have to try them - that is to consume them. (www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/oxf-wri.htm) We 'buy' our identity through what we purchase, but that we discover what we are like by exposing ourselves to a wide range of products and services. The shopper today assumes they are better placed than the experts to judge what is in their own.