When it comes to shopping, even the most hesitant consumer has a particular style. This month Moxy chooses five characters from television and film whose behavior in a retail environment highlights a certain type of customer. Whether we’re examining the shopper who is simply looking through the glass, with no intention to buy, or the shopaholic, who buys and buys in a blind frenzy, these five characters show that the act of shopping is far more than just a simple transaction.

 1. The Vengeful Shopper: Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman

Nothing can ruin the experience of shopping like a rude salesperson. But how many of us have contemplated getting a little revenge? Vivian did. When Edward takes her shopping—after her unsuccessful solo experience—being spoiled and getting all those pretty clothes isn’t enough. She needs a little revenge. And she uses a good tactic, by visiting the pretentious saleswoman while carrying thousands of dollars in clothing from other luxury retailers. The look on the face of the mean saleswoman who refused to assist Vivian is priceless.

2. The Fighter: Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic

Shopping scenes are abundant in Confessions of a Shopaholic. But sometimes you have to fight for what you want. Which Becky literally does when she goes to a sample sale and ends up in a catfight over the last pair of Gucci boots—that she can’t really afford (but they’re such a bargain!). The lesson? Never put down an item you want. You might need to sweat for it.

3. The Boy Scout: Kevin McCallister in Home Alone

I don’t know if Macaulay Culkin’s character was actually a boy scout, but when it comes to shopping he certainly took the “always be prepared” oath to heart. In addition to getting the basics like “the milk, eggs and fabric softener,” Kevin also knew to be ready for questions from the savvy store clerk who was wondering why such a young boy would be shopping by himself. After effectively fibbing that his mother was in the car and his father was at work he finally made it through the checkout and headed home. Despite the apparent double-bagging of young Kevin’s purchases, he finds himself in a quandary that haunts anyone who lives within walking distance of their local grocery store—the bags break and all of his purchases fall to the ground. Does it matter how he recovers? No—viewers are all too busy sympathetically thinking, “Doh!”

4. The Window Shopper: Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

We first see Holly Golightly as she is getting out of a cab on 5^th Avenue in the early hours of the morning. Looking up at the Tiffany’s sign, with all the reverence of a devout Catholic standing in a church archway, she walks over to one of the store’s windows. Dressed to the nines—from the night before—in a floor length black gown, cat eye sunglasses and jewels adorning her neck and hair, she removes a croissant from a paper bag and drinks a deli coffee as she gazes longingly at the jewels in the window. Holly’s life is not all glitz and glamour; when she’s not at Tiffany’s she is living in a sparsely decorated walk-up apartment and living off of money given to her by a variety of men. This transient lifestyle gives her an occasional case of “the mean reds.” The reds are much worse than the blues: “Suddenly you’re afraid and you don’t know what you’re afraid of.” The only thing that can dispel Holly’s anxiety is a trip to Tiffany’s. What’s so special about Tiffany’s? “The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there,” Holly explains. Retail therapy has become increasingly popular over the years, but in these tough financial times some of us have to make do with simply window shopping. Find your retail happy place and go there; just grab a cup of coffee and window shop to your hearts content.

5. The Fanatic: Carrie Bradshaw in Sex & the City

On a show where fashion was basically a character in and of itself (much like the city of New York), it’s hard to pick just one scene that captures a consumer trend. The show was set and filmed in New York City from 1998-2004, a time when the city was all designer labels and impossible-to-get-into A-list clubs and restaurants. Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Dior, Fendi, Prada, if you didn’t know the language of labels before then, you were certainly fluent after 6 seasons. Carrie’s fashion appreciation bordered on obsession (in the first season she jokes that she has a substance abuse problem: “expensive footwear” and later she realizes that she’s spent $40,000 on shoes—the equivalent to a down payment on her apartment) and her fellow fashionistas could all relate when she looked at a perfect pair of pink Christian Louboutin heels and said, “hello, lover.”

Written by Kim Coughlin and Gabriela Lessa for Moxy Magazine, August 2011. Photo credit: flickr.com user turtlemom4bacon.