A consumer does not buy the same products or services at 20 or 70 years. His lifestyle, values, environment, activities, hobbies and consumer habits evolve throughout his life.
For example, during his life, a consumer could change his diet from unhealthy products (fast food, ready meals, etc..) to a healthier diet, during mid-life with family before needing to follow a little later a low cholesterol diet to avoid health problems.
The factors influencing the buying decision process may also change. For example, the “social value” of a brand generally play a more important role in the decision for a consumer at 25 than at 65 years.
The family life cycle of the individual will also have an influence on his values, lifestyles and buying behavior depending whether he’s single, in a relationship, in a relationship with kids, etc.. As well as the region of the country and the kind of city where he lives (large city, small town, countryside, etc..).
For a brand or a retailer, it may be interesting to identify, understand, measure and analyze what are the criteria and personal factors that influence the shopping behavior of their customers in order to adapt.
For example, it is more than possible that consumers living in New York do not have the same behavior and purchasing habits than the ones in Nebraska. For a retailer, have a deep understanding and adapt to these differences will be a real asset to increase sales.