Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI) Thursday segmentation studies from its massive consumer panel, including new "buying style" breaks covering such categories as investing, banking, cooking, eating and
technology. The "Buying Styles" segmentation divides consumers into six broad categories, all with idiosyncratic consumption patterns: buyers of the best, "habitualized havers," "swayable
shopaholics," "conscientious consumers" and "penny-pinchers." Michal Galin, vice-president of research at MRI, explained: "Adults in the same age group and with similar incomes, for instance, often
have very different risk tolerance when it come to investing... they seek different levels of emotional payback from shopping, and have different filters on the kinds of foods they buy and prepare."
-- Erik Sass
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