What Kind of a Shopper Are You?

Shopping and shidduchim have a lot more in common than just both beginning with the diphthong "sh." Doing a complete shopper profile can actually tell us how you are going to do in shidduchim. What follows are some typical shopper profiles. Where do you fall?

Shopper #1: This shopper loves shopping; in fact, he/she loves shopping so much that they never actually buy anything. They are always worried that a better buy will be in the next store. They can't settle on anything today because who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Shopper #2: This shopper is decision-hindered. He/she will find 3 or 4 items to buy, will bring them all home, will ponder for days, will finally choose one to keep, and will always wonder if they made the right decision.

Shopper #3: This shopper is a label groupie. He/she doesn't care about the item as much as the label that is on the item. Fit, style, color and price are all secondary to the "status" conferred by owning the right label. They are particularly enamored of items where the label/logo is visible on the item rather than tucked away out of sight.

Shopper #4: This shopper is a store snob. He/she doesn't care about the item as much as being able to say they bought something from Store X. Like shopper #3, this shopper is not so much concerned with fit, style, color or price, as long as the item fits into the bag clearly marked "Store X."

Shopper #5: This is a variation on shopper #3, but for this shopper price is a problem. They solve the problem by buying a knock-off of the original label they covet. Some of these knock-offs are fairly well made and will fool much of the public who will see the item--much but not all. Unfortunately, most of the knock-offs do not stand up to the test of time. In short order the 14K gold leaf plating wears off exposing the aluminum beneath. The problem for these shoppers is that just because it says "Cartier" on the label that doesn't make it a "Cartier" on the inside, where it counts.

Shopper #6: This shopper hates the whole process of shopping. They go shopping only when forced to and with a bad attitude. Once in a store they will grab at any item just to say that they bought something and be done with it. They will use as evidence that shopping is an evil activity the fact that what they bought was never quite what was going to fit them exactly right.

Shopper #7: This shopper is highly organized. He/she goes shopping with a detailed list. They know exactly what they want in an item and they aren't going to settle for anything but what they have on their list. The fact that no items match their shopping criteria is shrugged off as being a manufacturer's problem or a store stock problem. They know if they keep on shopping they are sure to find exactly what they are looking for.

Shopper #8: This shopper has neither the time nor the inclination to go shopping on their own. Instead they utilize the services of a personal shopper. It's a love/hate relationship that develops. In a very real sense a personal shopper expects a client to "get naked" so she can assess precisely who she is shopping for. Few people are really honest with their personal shopper. She brings home merchandise for the client to look at, the merchandise doesn't fit well, and the client is angry with the personal shopper. It's not really the shopper's fault if that 15-1/2" collar on the shirt you requested doesn't fit your 18-1/2" neck, nor if the size 6 shoe you ordered doesn't fit on your size 10 tootsies.

Shopper #9: This is a variation of shopper #8, but instead of a personal shopper, a friend or family member is pressed into service. Sometimes this works out well and many times it doesn't for the same reasons as in shopper #8 above.

Shopper#10: This shopper has no real idea of what they are looking for when they go shopping. They start out in the evening wear department, segue over to the swimwear department, turn sharply into the sportswear department and then suddenly find themselves in the lounge wear department. By the time they get to this last department they have finally figured out what they are looking for, and happily walk out with a comfy pair of flannel pajamas, a far cry from the tuxedos/evening gowns they first looked at.

Shopper #11: This shopper is the reverse of shopper #4, the store snob. They know that great brands are frequently to be had at discount and off-price warehouse centers. They are looking for great merchandise at a bargain price. They recognize that they may have to shop for a while to find what they want, but they have the patience and the determination not to overpay just because a store has a recognizable name with cachet. They don't need Fifth Avenue; Route 9 Secaucus is just fine.

Shopper #12: This is the reverse of shopper #3 above, the label junkie. This shopper wants a white shirt but is not willing to pay extra for a snob label. Sears Best suits them just fine; it doesn't have to be Pierre Cardin. They've got the idea that a label is no guarantee of quality or of durability. They're looking for the convenience of wash-and-wear rather than the high maintenance of dry clean only.

There are, of course, many other variations of shoppers; the ones above are the fairly common ones. Some people are blends of two or more shoppers. What's your shopping profile? And how close does your shopping profile come to your shidduch seeking profile?