Shopper marketing composes of activities or strategies that retailers must execute in order to gain a good understanding of the people who buy from them. It deciphers consumer behaviors and shopping preferences so that brands can target their audiences better through promotional tactics that are well-tailored after each buyer demographic.

Whether you focus mainly on digital marketing or traditional B2C campaigns, shopper marketing should be an integral part of your overall sales and marketing strategies. It has many different phases and aspects. Categorizing your consuming public according to their shopper personalities is not only an initial step but a crucial one, as it lets you get to know the people who buy from you, use your products, and keep your business alive.

Sales expert Mark Hunter named the following as the typical kinds of people who enters your shop or pay your e-commerce site a visit:

1. Loyal customers

Your loyal customers should be your apple of the eye. They may only account for about 20% of your consumer base, but they generate more than half of your total income. So, most of your focus and attention should be on keeping this demographic satisfied and supportive of your brand, which we will discuss later on.

2. Bargain hunters

As the label suggests, discount-hunting customers are after markdowns. They may visit you often, but their purchasing decision is mainly influenced by how much they can save from buying from you.

3. Impulse buyers

Impulse shoppers are the ones who don t have a specific item in mind prior to showing up in your store, but if they spot an item that instantly piques their interest or sparks a need, they d buy it on a whim. What s good for them at the time of their visit is what they ll take.

4. Shoppers in need

In contrast to impulse buyers, need-based customers have a clear intention of purchasing a particular product in mind. They are sure buyers if what they need is available through you.

5. Wanderers

You can also call these people window shoppers. They don t have a concrete need to address or a desire to buy, but they hop from store to store for the experience and hope of finding a good community to belong in. If they find something they like on your site, they might stop to browse and buy.

As pointed out, a significant part of your attention should be invested in your group of loyal customers. The other personalities should not be neglected, though. Find out what role each type of customer plays in your market and how you can captivate them in the second part of this article, which will tackle more about shopper marketing.