Five groups into which customers can be placed according to the time it takes them to adopt a new product or service. The five categories are:
Innovators – those who are the first to adopt a new product or service
Early adopters – those who adopt a new product or service after the innovators have already adopted it
Early majority – those who adopt just before the ‘average’ person
Late majority – those who eventually adopt through economic necessity or social pressure
Laggards – those who are last to adopt a new product or service

See also:
Adoption curve
Early adopters
Early majority
Customer