Marketers and retailers don't really see people as individuals — they see them as two things.
Consumer vs. Shopper.
It's an irritatingly jargon-filled theory that marketers and retailers are still trying to tweak to better understand how humans buy things.
The theory says that the consumer part is a person's self-perception and attitude, while the shopper side represents buying behavior. People supposedly shift back-and-forth between the two sides.
Fern Grant, SVP strategic planning for MARS Advertising, blew up all that marketer jargon at the SHOP conference at the University of Arkansas, reports Retailing Today.
There's no difference at all, she says. And worse, the notion of people "morphing" between these two states is holding everybody back.
“It is really getting in our way of understanding who people are as human beings,” Grant said. “Our experiences as a consumer can prompt a different shopper experience and our experience as a shopper can influence us as consumers.”
She said that the "person" sits at the center of the discussion, rather than in one of the preset "consumer" or "shopper" boxes. Buyers don't see themselves as consumers or shoppers, yet brands can't seem to wrap their heads around that.
NOW SEE: The Secrets Of The Apple Store's Success >More From Business Insider
