There are four types of shopper – which are you?

The retail landscape has changed remarkably over the last few years, and the way we shop has naturally changed with it, but not necessarily in the way retailers might have expected.

The conversation has come from an article written by Mark Bouris, which argues that Australia’s major retailers are in recession due to these changing shopping trends, and that small businesses have the most to gain from the swing away from the Coles and Woolies of this world.

I think four distinct buyer types have emerged, when it comes to the regular weekly household shop:

1. The bulk buyer: loves Costco and Aldi, does a massive shop as rarely as possible and will seek out these big discount retailers in order to save some coin.
2. The online buyer: hates shopping centres and the hassle that comes along with them – traffic, parking, crowds. As a result, does their weekly shop online and avoids the shops at all costs.
3. The local shopper: will do the weekly shop at the supermarket in order to secure the best prices on large items but will seek out local stores for quality and service, like the butcher, baker, fishmonger.
4. The greenie: refuses to shop at the major supermarkets due to their huge production and transport emissions and will happily pay a higher price at the local grocer in order to lock in the shortest possible distance from farm to plate.

Which shopper are you?