A person who shops a lot may do so for several reasons ranging from necessity to the love of new things or luxury.
Below are 15 English terms that may apply to someone who shops a lot.
15 Words for Someone Who Shops a Lot
- Shopaholic
- Reseller
- Compulsive spender
- Neophile
- Sybarite
- Patron
- Pathological buyer
- Aficionado
- Trendsetter
- Spendthrift
- Bargain hunter
- Oniomaniac
- Fashion enthusiast
- Value seeker
- Prodigal
Shopaholic
Shopaholic is a word that applies to virtually everyone who shops a lot. It may apply to you too.
A Shopaholic is a person who enjoys buying things and indulges in the act very often. This is a person who likes shopping and also does it frequently.
Almost everyone likes buying new things. However, we may be discouraged by how much money we have on us.
Not everyone is a Shopaholic and not every Shopaholic shops for that reason alone. A Shopaholic may be primarily driven by something else while he/she actually likes shopping.
For example, you may shop primarily for your business but you are a Shopaholic because you enjoy shopping. Shopaholics however may find it hard to control their urge to buy things even when it is an unwise move.
Reseller
A Reseller is a person who buys goods to resell. A Reseller can identify as a Shopaholic, though most shopaholics are often interested in being the user of what they buy.
A Reseller is required to shop often as long as people are buying frequently from him/her.
A person who shops for items may not be doing so simply for the fun of it or for luxury. While some people buy things they don’t need, some buy a lot of things that they need.
Example:
- Are you a reseller? I’ve noticed you buy these very often and in large quantities.
Compulsive spender
Compulsive spender is another name you can give to a Shopaholic but it doesn’t apply to every Shopaholic.
A Compulsive spender (or Compulsive buyer) is a person who feels the need to spend money, especially on things that he/she doesn’t need.
This is an intense desire to buy things that are unnecessary or buy important things in excess. This is a bad habit of being unable to control one’s expenses.
Example:
- Don’t think I’m a Compulsive spender though. I will find people who need this.
Neophile
A neophile is a person who likes having new things. A Neophile may indulge in extravagant spending just to acquire new things that he/she is obsessed with.
While this word doesn’t necessarily refer to the act of buying things excessively, a Neophile may find himself or herself shopping often just to get new things.
A Neophile can buy the same things again and again just to have them brand. new. A Neophile may also find himself or herself attracted to new products in the market, leading him/her to acquire things that he/she doesn’t actually need.
Example:
- I’m a Neophile and those old clothes repulse me.
Sybarite
This word is derived from an ancient people called Sybaris who were noted to be devoted to luxury and pleasure. A sybarite is a member of the Sybaris. However, the word is now used as an English metaphor.
A sybarite is a person who is devoted to luxury or pleasure. This refers to a person who likes to have pleasure to the fullest and acquires luxury items. A person who shops excessively can be called a Sybarite.
Example:
- I want one more Sybarite as a customer and I’ve made it.
Patron
A Patron is a person who buys things from you regularly. This is a name for a customer that patronizes you from time to time.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she is buying too many things or buying unnecessary things. However, you can use this as a positive reference, even if he/she is a Compulsive spender.
As long as the compulsive spender is buying from you, you have to show full respect, even if you think it is affecting him/her. ‘Patron’ is one of the best words to refer to him/her.
Example:
- Don’t talk to her like that. She’s one of my store’s patrons.
Pathological buyer
If you know what ‘Pathological liar’ means, you should also have an idea of what a ‘Pathological buyer’ is. ‘Pathological’ is used to refer to something abnormal or related to an illness.
A pathological buyer is a person who can’t control his/her buying impulses. This is another name for a Compulsive spender who buys virtually everything his/she is attracted to without thinking of how useful they can be to him/her. This is often termed as ‘Impulse buying’.
A Pathological buyer will shop for things very often and may not get things that he/she needs since he/she just buys attractive things impulsively.
Example:
- We can’t have a pathological buyer keeping our funds.
Aficionado
An Aficionado is a person who likes, knows about, or appreciates a certain topic or activity, and it can refer to a person who enjoys shopping.
You can also use the word to refer to a person who is extremely interested in buying products of certain brands. A person who only buys Adidas products can be called an Adidas Aficionado.
Example:
- I am a Nike Aficionado but I only spend money I can comfortably spare.
Trendsetter
A person may appear to be buying a lot of things or buying things too often. However, he/she may be doing it very consciously even while he/she isn’t reselling or needing what he/she is buying.
A trendsetter is a person who starts a trend or makes one more popular. A trendsetter can be used to refer to a person who buys clothes or other products that are trending. This can also be considered Luxurious buying.
A trendsetter is a Shopaholic and may also be a Compulsive or Pathological buyer if he/she can’t control buying impulses.
Example:
- We know she’s a trendsetter so we have to give her what she wants.
Spendthrift
Spendthrift is another quality that may make a person shop excessively. As mentioned earlier, a person’s constant shopping can be justified by certain things like purpose and finance.
A person may buy things but want to use them or resell them. A person may also buy a lot of things while he/she has the money to pay for them.
A spendthrift is a person who is very wasteful with money. This is the kind of person who finds it hard to save because he/she spends a lot of money. A spendthrift can be someone who shops a lot with all the money he/she has without considering how wise it is.
A Compulsive buyer can be considered a spendthrift, as he/she buys things based on how they attract him/her without thinking of how useful they are or how wise it is to his/her finances.
Example:
- You’ve been a spendthrift since day one. I can’t lend you money.
Bargain hunter
Not everyone who shops a lot buys things that they don’t need. However, some people buy way more than they need, sometimes out of greed. This is a term for people who buy things out of their love for promos.
A bargain hunter is a person who looks for the best offers in the market to buy his/her product. A bargain hunter may buy more products than he/she needs if they can be offered to him/her at a discount. However, a bargain hunter doesn’t necessarily shop excessively.
A bargain hunter looks for promotional offers to save money or maximize its value. However, a bargain hunter may buy excessively if he/she can get the desired products at a cheap rate.
Bargain Hunters may also be lured to buy things that they think are exceptionally cheap, even if they are not needed.
Example:
- She’s such a bargain hunter, yet she’s horrible at saving money.
Oniomaniac
If you are familiar with how ‘mania’ is often used, you should understand that this word refers to a psychological problem. Buying things excessively or frequently may not be found normal. Compulsive spending (buying) is a problem too.
An Oniomaniac is a person who suffers from Oniomania (an abnormal impulse to buy things or a condition characterized by this impulse). This is a name for a person who buys that he/she doesn’t need without thinking.
Like a Kleptomaniac steals things that he/she may not need, an Oniomaniac feels the urge to buy random things even when he/she has no use for it
Example:
- I can be an Oniomaniac in this kind of store so I like someone else handling my funds.
Fashion enthusiast
A Fashion Enthusiast is a person who is interested in fashion and keeps up with the trends. A Fashion Enthusiast doesn’t necessarily shop too often or excessively.
However, a fashion enthusiast may feel the urge to buy things often just to keep acquiring trending outfits.
This has to do with the constant shopping for clothes, pants, shoes, and other things that are worn on the body. Also, a Fashion Enthusiast mostly goes for brand products.
Example:
- I am a Fashion Enthusiast but I need to control how I spend, these days.
Value seeker
Value seeker is another name for a Bargain Hunter. A person can detest spending or buying expensive things while still spending a lot of money.
A value seeker is a person who looks for promotional offers or the cheapest offers to buy from. A value seeker may buy an excessive amount of something that is found cheap. However, this is not an essential feature of a value seeker.
A value seeker may be someone who is easily made to buy things with promotional offers. However, a value seeker is often conscious of his/her finances and doesn’t necessarily buy things in excess.
On the other hand, a value seeker can be extremely frugal and buy less than what he) or she needs.
Example:
- You are a value seeker but try to stick to items you actually need.
Prodigal
Prodigal is the right adjective for a Spendthrift. While many people buy luxury things because they have the money, some don’t consider how much they have when buying things.
Prodigal refers to a person who spends extravagantly or wastefully. A prodigal person may have a lot of money but spends excessively on things that are not needed without thinking of saving.
A Shopaholic may be considered a prodigal if he/she is spending excessively or isn’t considering how to keep his/her finances stable.
Prodigal simply refers to the act of being wasteful in one’s spending. A prodigal person will buy things often and may even go for luxury items as long as he/she still has enough money to afford those items.
Example:
- I know how prodigal you can be when it’s not your money.
Many words and names apply to people who shop a lot and one of the most common ones is ‘Shopaholic’ which refers to everyone who enjoys shopping and does it often.
Another positive word for someone who shops often is ‘Patron’. The article above features 15 words for someone who shops a lot, including the negative and the positive and the reasons they shop.
