ABSTRACT
The study of consumable goods and services is tied directly to lifestyle. Grubb and Grathwohl studied the symbolic value that purchased products held in the eyes of those who bought them. Such a study was later conducted by Alpert and Gatty in 1969. The consumption-style approach defined by Uusitalo and by Arndt and Uusitalo is more of an explicative perspective of consumer behavior and of segmentation criteria research. Cosmas analyzed the link between lifestyles and modes of consumption. Studies by Valette-Florence and Jolibert were designed to better target and explain consumption practices. The two most recognized geosocial market segmentation research tools are PRIZM and Cluster Plus. A similar method was proposed in France by COREF with the definition of Ilotypes and Geotypes. The development of geosocial segmentation in the United States, Europe, and Asia fits into this tradition of identifying consumption practices objectively.
