What is "customer base"

n. A group of customers and/or consumers that a business serves.

The customer base is the group of customers who repeatedly purchase the goods or services of a business. These customers are a main source of revenue for a company. The customer base may be considered the business's target market, where customer behaviors are well understood through market research or past experience. Relying on a customer base can make growth and innovation difficult.

Companies with a customer base consisting mainly of large companies may increase their customer base by pursuing small and mid-size companies.