VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

personal shopper

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌpɜːsənl ˈʃɒpə/
US/ˌpɜːrsənl ˈʃɑːpər/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A person whose job is to help customers choose and buy clothes or other goods, often in a store or for a private client.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a personal shopper' or 'personal shoppers'.

    Patterns

    • work as a personal shopper
    • hire a personal shopper
    • a personal shopper for someone

    She hired a personal shopper to find a dress for the wedding.

    The department store offers a free personal shopper service for its members.

    He works as a personal shopper for busy professionals who have no time to shop.

  2. nouncountablecomputing

    A service or app that selects products for you based on your preferences, often online.

    Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'personal shopper service' or 'online personal shopper'.

    Patterns

    • use a personal shopper
    • an online personal shopper

    The app acts as a personal shopper, suggesting gifts you might like.

    Many websites now include a personal shopper feature to help you narrow down choices.

Word forms

pluralpersonal shoppers

Common combinations

personal shopper service
The luxury brand launched a personal shopper service for its top clients.
online personal shopper
She uses an online personal shopper to buy clothes without visiting stores.
hire a personal shopper
If you hate shopping, you can hire a personal shopper for a few hours.
work as a personal shopper
He used to work as a personal shopper at a high-end boutique.

Synonyms and how they differ

stylist
A stylist focuses on creating a look or image, often for public appearances, while a personal shopper mainly selects and buys items for a client.
buyer
A buyer usually works for a store, choosing stock to sell, whereas a personal shopper works directly for an individual customer.

Word family

personal shopping noun
The activity or service of shopping for someone else, often as a job.
personal shop verb
To shop for a particular person, usually as a service.

Commonly confused: personal shopper or shopaholic?

personal shopper vs shopaholic

A shopaholic is a person who loves shopping and buys too much; a personal shopper is a professional who shops for others.

Practice

She was too busy to buy a gift, so she hired a ______ to choose something for her sister.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “personal shopper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words