The GfK MRI Psychographic Sourcebook

Survey of the American Consumer: Part 2
III. Fashion & Shopping
A. Buying Styles Segmentation
This segmentation looks at the varying attitudes, behaviors and product choices of consumers in five segments:
• Penny-Pinchers—Nuances of quality and desirability are not paramount to these consumers, who judge all purchases by a single
criterion: cost (the lower the better). Brand loyalty is less important than a “cents-off” coupon, and they express little interest in
technology, nutrition or the environment, unless it will save them money.
• Conscientious Consumers—These consumers know what they’re paying for and shop for bargains, but cost is only one of the factors
they consider when shopping. Buying American products and environmentally safe products also matter. They are conscious of quality,
loyal to their brands and highly unlikely to try new products or make impulse purchases.
• Buyers of the Best—Low price is not the objective to consumers in this segment; it’s quality that matters most. They are careful to buy
the best, and brand loyalty trumps all other considerations in their purchases. They favor environmentally safe products, are extremely
comfortable with new technology, and always check the ingredients and nutritional content of food products they buy.
• Habitualized Havers—These consumers find comfort in tradition, even when it’s just their own – they buy what they have always
bought, and see little reason to change. They are brand loyal, but only in the sense that once they’ve found a brand they are
comfortable with, they stop looking.
• Swayable Shopaholics—They shop for no other reason than that they want to; price, quality, brand, ”Made in America”—nothing
matters so much to them as the emotional payoff from a simple act of buying. Impulse buyers, these consumers are willing to pay extra
for image-enhancing products, and easily switch brands for the sake of novelty or variety.
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