Is it Time to Kill the Term ‘Consumer’?

In the mind of some, the word could even be considered offensive due to the fact that it pejoratively stereotypes people as little more than selfish materialists whose entire lives are bent on Conehead-like massive consumptive behavior.

In Search of a Better Word
If we cease to use the term consumer to describe those who purchase products, with what do we replace it? "Customer" is a better word, but that still doesn't do it justice. Perhaps a more preferable term is "people." 8thBridge was built on the conviction that brands should reshape themselves around people. Retailers should view their customers as real people, gauging the value of their influence beyond just the three transactional data points — name, product purchased and purchase amount.