History
editThe 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 for the consumer. This changed the focus of definition from the product to the consumer.[1] 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.[2] An increase in impulse purchases has also been linked to the rise of materialism, which often causes people to splurge or make uninformed purchases.[3]
Types of Impulse Purchases
editIn his article titled, The Significance of Impulse Buying Today, Hawkins Stern describes the four different types of impulse purchases that can be seen. The first is called "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 sees a product they have never seen before, and convinces themselves that they need the item even though this is their initial encounter with it. The last type of impulse purchase that Stern includes is "Planned Impulse Buying." This type of impulse buying occurs when a consumer goes into a store to purchase certain items, but also expects to make other purchases based on deals they find in the store.[4]
Research Findings
editIn a study done by Mattila and Wirtz in 2008, they found that when a consumer perceives that their environment is over-stimulating, they are more likely to make an impulse purchase.[5]
Vernon T. Clover found that impulse buying greatly impacts the sales of a store, and without the income that comes from impulse purchases, retailers, such as bookstores in Clover's study, would not be able to stay open. Because of this, Clover implored retailers to make impulse items more readily available for customers.[6]
References
edit- ^ Rook, Dennis W. (1987). "The Buying Impulse". Journal of Consumer Research. 14 (2): 189–199. ISSN 0093-5301.
- ^ Zhang, Yinlong; Shrum, L. J. (2009). "The Influence of Self-Construal on Impulsive Consumption". Journal of Consumer Research. 35 (5): 838–850. doi:10.1086/593687. ISSN 0093-5301.
- ^ Podoshen, Jeffrey S.; Andrzejewski, Susan A. (2012). "AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATERIALISM, CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION, IMPULSE BUYING, AND BRAND LOYALTY". Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice. 20 (3): 319–333. ISSN 1069-6679.
- ^ Stern, Hawkins (1962). "The Significance of Impulse Buying Today". Journal of Marketing. 26 (2): 59–62. doi:10.2307/1248439. ISSN 0022-2429.
- ^ Mattila, Anna S.; Wirtz, Jochen (2008-01-01). "The role of store environmental stimulation and social factors on impulse purchasing". Journal of Services Marketing. 22 (7): 562–567. doi:10.1108/08876040810909686. ISSN 0887-6045.
- ^ Clover, Vernon T. (1950). "Relative Importance of Impulse-Buying in Retail Stores". Journal of Marketing. 15 (1): 66–70. doi:10.2307/1247083. ISSN 0022-2429.
Peer Reviews
editHi MacKenzie! This is Gwendolyn, and here is your peer review! User:Mackenziebrumbaugh/Impulse purchase/Ghodsonuo Peer Review