Ramisha Sultana

Sometimes consumers are urged to buy an unplanned product, we call it Impulse buying in the term of psychology. The original definition of an “impulse purchase” was a purchase that unplanned by the consumer that came out of the DuPont Consumer Buying Habits Study that occurred from 1948 to 1965.

The definition of impulse buying was then updated, referring to the intense urge that a consumer feels when they want to buy an item right then, often causing cognitive dissonance to the consumer. This changed the focus of the definition from the product to the consumer.

From there, it has been expressed that impulse purchases are the result of one’s own need to satisfy their wants in competition with their own rational and self-regulatory ideologies. An increase in impulse purchases has also been linked to the rise of materialism, which often cause people to splurge or make uninformed purchases.

Sid Hawkins Stern identified four types of impulse buying. The first is “Pure Impulse Buying” where the consumer breaks their normal pattern of consumption. The next is called “Reminder Impulse Buying”, which is when a consumer forgets to add an item to their shopping list, and when they see the item in the store, they remember that they need the item and purchase it.

The third type of impulse purchase is " suggestion Impulse Buying” where a consumer notices a product they have never seen before and convinces themselves that they need the item. The last one is “Planned Impulse Buying”. This type of impulse buying occurs when a consumer goes into a store with certain items in mind, but is waiting for deals to tempt them to make the purchase.

What is the psychology behind impulse buying? Impulse buying disrupts the normal decision-making models in consumers’ brains. The logical sequence of the consumers’ actions is replaced with an irrational moment of self-gratification. Impulse items appeal to the emotional side of consumers. Some items bought on impulse are not considered functional or necessary in the consumer’s life.

Impulse buying is not only inspired by a variety of internal psychological factors but also influenced by external, market- related stimuli. In a review study, researchers Sarah Xiao and Michael Nicholson suggest that this shopping behavior includes several antecedents, such as personality traits, buying beliefs and attitudes, sociocultural values, and demographic factors. These factors are linked to internal factors (such as emotions) and external factors (such as environmental stimuli). Self-gifting, or retail therapy, is another form of impulse buying one uses to manage their mood. Let’s look at a quick example: You love cake and you see one at the bakery. Your brain activates a series of urges, desires, and impulses to eat it.

These urges are stimulated by external stimuli like the cake design, the smell of the bakery, etc. You buy the cake without thinking about it. Hofmann explains that, because of your past experiences with cake, your brain forms a cluster of links: (1) the concept of cake, (2) the positive effect generated by the cake, and (3) the repeated patterns of behavior that led to the positive effect.

5 reasons we impulse buy: Earlier we discuss the psychological elements behind impulse buys, now let’s look at what drives shoppers to buy instantly.
1. Feeling of getting a deal: Impulse buying doesn’t always mean spending an entire paycheck in fancy products. People also buy products because they feel it will save them money in the long run. According to Slickdeals’s survey, 52% of respondents would rather take advantage of a deal

than pay full price. Sales promotion tendsto impact sales because consumers are price-conscious.

Therefore, they are likely to buy products that offer greater savings. 2. Physical stimuli: Consumer research has shown that external factors such as retail signage, ambiance, marketing activities, and window displays influence consumer behavior. Internal factors include personality and psychological factors like emotions and self-control. While external factors include store environment, background music, salespeople, and promotions.

3. Instant gratification: When we feel a rush of emotion, such as stress, anxiety, or excitement, it’s harder to make rational buying decisions. Think about the last time you needed to finish a task, but found yourself browsing Amazon for hours. Or wanted to eat more veggies, only to order wings from Food Panda at night. Research from Princeton University shows that your brain battles between short-term rewards and long-term goals. When a shopper in your store sees something they need, the logical part of their brain tries to reason with them. It will tell them saving the 2000TK would be good for their bank accounts, and they don’t need that shirt, while the emotional side of their brain doesn’t think about the future, and sees instant gratification as the ultimate reward. Which side of the brain wins? It depends. In retail, consumer research suggests that shoppers are more likely to spend in stores. The senses intake all the environmental cues and
generate a strong response, which leads to purchase without hesitation. In the end, in-store and inline shopping offer a hit of dopamine that consumers crave for instant gratification.

It’s that sensation retailers take advantage of in their stores that encourages people to buy.

4. Product placement: Ever think about why you spend more than you wanted to when
shopping? It’s because of strategic product placement, which entices you to buy more. Retailers don’t put products in random places by accident. For example, your window display is ideal for
differentiating and attracting customers to your store. Previous studies also suggest that window displays have a positive influence on impulse purchases when the products are high in demand.
Retailers can create displays that generate an exciting shopping experience, which can lift shoppers’ moods and encourage impulse sales. Point-of-purchase displays are another placement tactic retailers use to encourage impulse buyers. This way, shoppers can browse featured products while they wait in line and can add them to their cart at the last minute.

5. Novelty: Impulse buys don’t always come from promotions and strategic displays. Sometimes it’s all about the novelty of being new and original. If products look unique and special, in-store or on social media, shoppers will notice them. Research from Ridgeway, Kukar-Kinney, and monroe found that impulse buyers seek novelty items and are hyperactive. These sensation seekers experience positive feelings when finding new stuff which leads them to buy products
right away.

There is no single business who don’t apply Impulse buying strategies. It has a great effect on our buying tendencies.