Written by: Colleen McGee

Why We Buy What We Do Not Plan To

Have you ever walked into a store looking for one specific thing, and ended up leaving with 5 different things you had not intended on buying? Or scrolling through your phone which led to a purchase you hadn’t previously been looking for?

Impulse buying is characterized as a lack of self-control or even carelessness. In reality, impulse buying is a powerful intersection of psychology, emotion, and intentional marketing strategy.

What Is Impulse Buying?

Dennis W Rook, a consumer behavior researcher, wrote in his article “The Buying Impulse” that impulse buying is a spontaneous, emotionally driven act that happens without previous planning. These decisions happen fast with little thought and can often feel rewarding to consumers at the moment.

Emotion Overriding Logic

Emotions play a big role in how much consumers indulge in their buying impulses. Consumers tend to purchase items based off of their feelings varying from excitement to stress and even boredom. This emotional response reinforces the behavior because it creates temporary ease.

Psychology proves that emotions can override analytical thinking, making impulsive buying feel satisfying in the moment, even if it is followed with regret once emotions are stabilized.

Impulse Buying Is Being Intentionally Encouraged

Marketers are purposely designing environments where there is an increased chance of spontaneous purchases. Think about the last time you went through a checkout line and had to consciously resist adding a few more things to your cart. They are strategically putting small, easy purchases in customer’s faces as they wait in line to pay. The same thing goes for the store layout. Different items are purposely placed near others to increase the chances of customers buying more.

Urgency is another way marketers have been able to maximize impulsive buying. Signs like “Limited Time Only”, “Only 3 left in Stock” or “Sale Ends Tonight”. The concept of scarcity increases a customer’s urgency to buy that item now.

Sensory cues that influence emotional states can also play a role in lower buying resistance. This may be triggered by music, scents, product displays, and even lighting.

Last but certainly not least, digital conveniences has enormously increased impulsive buying. Features like one-click checkout, saved payment information and personalized recommendations has made purchasing increasingly easier, making it harder than ever to resist.

Individual Differences

Not all customers are inclined to impulse buying due to different personality traits. Emotional regulation and self-control levels varying between people influences the likeliness of them making a spontaneous purchase. While some respond to emotional triggers, others tend to react more cognitively. It is important for marketers to understand the difference so that they are able to tailor strategies more effectively.

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Why Does This Matter for Marketers

This is important for marketers to recognize and understand because little details can be the deciding impulsive decision factors. The environment, emotion, and timing heavily influence purchasing decisions. Creating urgency, reducing purchase friction, appealing to emotional rewards, and designing an appealing experience.

Overall, impulsive buying proves that people are not purely rational decision makers. Many different factors go into every purchase, and it has a lot to do with how certain psychology can influence purchasing.

References:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sold/201207/what-motivates-impulse-buying

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2489410?seq=1

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sold/201207/what-motivates-impulse-buying
https://medium.com/@colin-cooper/the-psychology-behind-impulse-buying-how-pricing-strategies-affect-shopping-habits-4fe4c547e9c3
https://medium.com/@colin-cooper/the-psychology-behind-impulse-buying-how-pricing-strategies-affect-shopping-habits-4fe4c547e9c3
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2489410?seq=1