If you're new to e-commerce, you may not quite have a handle on how to group your potential customers outside of retail and wholesale. Most of you will build retail stores, fewer will build wholesale businesses, and even fewer will do both.
Yet, if you give some careful thought to how you intend to market to your customers, you may find that there are more customers segments you need to identify. Here are examples of some other possible customer groups:
Distributors who will re-sell your product to retailers
Tax-exempt organizations, such as charities or government agencies
Groups or teams, such as associations or athletic leagues
Professionals, as opposed to hobbyists or amateurs
Certified or approved buyers meeting a licensing or other qualification
Note
Customer groups in Magento are not to be confused with customer profiles, such as age, sex, or preferences. A customer can only belong to one Magento group, so profile attributes cannot really be accommodated.
As you contemplate...