Shopping involves the purchasing of products by consumers, all of which fall into various shopping product categories that are based on the way consumers think of them and purchase them. The two main categories are convenience goods and shopping goods; two lesser categories are specialty items and unsought goods. Although most shopping products are sold in stores, such as retail, grocery, and specialty stores, some consumer purchases are made through other means, such as catalogue shopping, telemarketing and on-line purchasing (also known as cybershopping). Cybershopping on the Internet is the latest trend in consumer shopping; it is estimated that $300 billion worth of on-line purchases will be made in the first decade of the twenty-first century.

Convenience Goods

Convenience goods are goods that consumers purchase frequently, immediately, and with minimal effort. People do not spend a large amount of time shopping for convenience items. They are usually purchases made...