A Typology of Consumers Based on Their Phygital Behaviors

Grzegorz Maciejewski () and Łukasz Wróblewski
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Grzegorz Maciejewski: Department of Market and Consumption, Faculty of Economics, University of Economics in Katowice, 40-287 Katowice, Poland
Łukasz Wróblewski: Department of Market and Consumption, Faculty of Economics, University of Economics in Katowice, 40-287 Katowice, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-22

Abstract: The article aims to identify consumer types based on their attitudes and behaviors toward phygital tools and solutions. The analysis was based on the authors’ empirical research. The research was conducted on a sample of 2160 Polish consumers. The study employed an online survey technique. To determine the types of consumers, a 20-item scale was used, allowing the respondents to express their attitudes toward solutions and tools that improve shopping in the phygital space. The extraction of types was carried out in two steps. The first was cluster analysis, conducted using the hierarchical Ward method with the square of the Euclidean distance, and the second was non-hierarchical cluster analysis using the k-means method. As a result of the analyses, three relatively homogeneous types of consumers were distinguished: phygital integrators, digital frequenters, and physical reality anchors. The behaviours of consumers from each type were examined in the context of their impact on sustainable consumption and the sustainable development of the planet. The proposed typology contributes to developing consumer behavior theory in sustainable consumption environments. It provides practical implications for designing customer experiences that are more inclusive, resource-efficient, and aligned with responsible consumption patterns. Understanding how different consumer groups engage with phygital tools allows businesses and policymakers to tailor strategies that support equitable access to digital services and foster more sustainable, adaptive consumption journeys in an increasingly digitized marketplace.

Keywords: phygital consumers; phygital consumption; sustainable consumption; consumers behaviours; customer experience; hybrid shopping; digital economy; sustainable consumption; sustainable marketing; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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