Classification of Mall People, Essay Example

In the thousands of malls across the United States, there are several different types of people that visit these shopping palaces to have a unique and exciting experience.  Just as no mall is exactly the same as another, it is clear that there are various classes of people that visit malls in order to achieve different objectives.  The key in classifying groups of people in the mall is to analyze exactly the purpose for which each group has come to visit the mall in the first place.  After careful analysis, it is clear that there are three main groups or classes of people at the mall.  These classes are the individuals that have a main focus or purpose for visiting the mall, individuals who are impulsive or emotional buyers, and individuals who have nothing they desire to purchase whatsoever.

Of these three groups of people, the first group is the large group of individuals who have a specific purpose for visiting the mall.  These individuals are usually looking to make a very pointed purchase and only wish to visit the store or location where the purchase can be made.  In many cases, these individuals are males that dislike the hassle of visiting a crowded area full of people that simply get in the way of their purpose.  This class of people cannot be pointed out based on economic or financial status, age group, race or social class.  Instead, these people are very easy to pick out amongst the masses of people walking throughout the mall.  Each of these persons is likely to be found walking faster than the normal flow of traffic at the mall.  They seem annoyed at all of the people who are in the way and often completely ignore anyone that may try to stop them or take them off of their main purpose.  These are very pointed and focused individuals and usually want to go to the mall, make their purchase and leave as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The second group is less focused and usually visits the mall or the pleasure that they experience by being at the mall amongst a large group of people or hanging out with friends.  These individuals go to the mall knowing that they have something they want to buy but may not know exactly what that is or that they even need this item at all.  In fact, many store clerks prey on these people because they are easily moved to swipe the credit card and make impulsive purchases without clearly thinking out why they need an item or if it is even a necessity.  Younger, upper class people are normally the individuals that make up the bulk of this group.  The stereotypical young people with a credit card have no concept of money or finances at the time of the purchase because they are more interested in the item than how it will impact their finances afterward.

Finally, the third major group of people at the mall is individuals that visit the mall to completely socialize and have absolutely no intention of making any purchases.  These individuals know that they do not have the finances to make purchases at the mall or they simply want to avoid being trapped or coerced to buy something they really do not need.  Instead, these people go with large groups of friends and walk around the mall without a care in the world except to visit with their friends.  Often these are kids that have just earned the privilege to drive or that are dropped off at the mall by their parents.  These young people walk around the mall or lounge around the food courts without making any purchases.  They have no money to spend or the money that they do have is better suited for something else.  In the end, this group is often considered more of a nuisance at the mall and are not ideal for store owners, clerks and shops that are looking to make a profit through sales.