Sometimes, the action leads to problems such as feelings of guilt, disapproval by family and friends, or financial difficulties.

Consumer behavior refers to the activities directly involved in obtaining products /services, so it includes the decision-making processes that precede and succeed these actions. Thus, it appears that the advertising message can cause a certain psychological influence that motivates individuals to desire and, consequently, buy a certain product/service ( Wertenbroch et al., 2020). Color. Bright, bold colors can draw customers’ attention and help create the feeling you want to go along with your impulse buys—like red for sale or promotional items. Escape to the glorious Somerset countryside with this joyful and uplifting story of family, love and hope. Hoch, S. J., & Lowenstein, G. F. (1991). Time-inconsistent preferences and consumer self-control. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 17, pp. 492–507.

Data Availability Statement

Gesture: Hershey’s defines this trigger as helping parents—give them a gesture of support to help them with tired, cranky kids, like a distracting treat. Our argumentation is aligned with previous methodological observations positing that research may benefit from the adoption of complementary methods to self-reports ( Scherbaum and Meade, 2013; Bell et al., 2018). Drawing upon this argument, we identify three opportunities for future IB research: theory building and refinement, understanding the role of individual differences, and honing behavioural predictions. Troilo, G. (2015). Marketing in creative industries: value, experience and creativity. Macmillan International Higher Education. Do you ever wonder how impulse buying gets you? There are four main reasons I see for why people impulse buy. They are:

You will often see sampling areas at supermarkets or health and beauty product stores. For example, The Olive Oil Dispensary has sampling areas that give potential customers the opportunity to smell and try a product to see if it’s right for them. Rook, Dennis W. (1987). "The Buying Impulse". Journal of Consumer Research. 14 (2): 189–199. doi: 10.1086/209105. ISSN 0093-5301. JSTOR 2489410. The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/ Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s. Author Contributions This systematic review underscores that the methods employed to assess IB in consumer behaviour research are various. Therefore, we deem appropriate to set out our discussion with a comparison of the different approaches highlighting their fit to the characteristics of IB. Directions for future research are discussed in the following. Research Approaches ComparisonIn a review study, researchers Sarah Xiao and Michael Nicholson suggest that this shopping behavior includes a number of antecedents, such as: Our results might be subject to certain limitations related to the literature selection process. The systematic search process carried out is dependent on our main query. In our search approach we scanned for documents published in renowned academic journals, hence we intentionally excluded conference papers and books. In doing so we cannot exclude having omitted novel experimental literature and monographs studies. Furthermore, with the decision to exclude studies with psychiatric implications such as compulsive buying behaviours, we have potentially neglected a part of the literature adopting psychophysiological tools. Drawing from related clinical literature, the research approaches based on physiological responses might be enriched to define biomarkers or behavioural indicators related to IB. Data Availability Statement 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 that leads them to buy products right away. A key factor for driving impulse buys is physical stimuli. Consumer research has shown that external factors such as retail signage, ambiance, marketing activities, and window displays influence consumer behavior.

Kacen, J. J., & Lee, J. A. (2002). The influence of culture on consumer impulsive buying behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 163–176. Displays that customers can’t help but take a photo of also leverage social proof—but this time, they’re the ones helping sell to other potential customers.Department of Management, Economics, and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy

Signage. Use signage on and around impulse displays to get customers to pay attention, and, as we talked about before, use language that creates a sense of urgency. First things first: You need a budget. If you don’t already have one, then stop right now and get started with our free budgeting app, EveryDollar. Bellman, S. B. (2012). I would rather be happy than right: consumer impulsivity, risky decision making, and accountability. PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa. When you’re having a rough day, does a little retail therapy sound like the cure? Maybe it’s nothing extreme. Maybe it’s just grabbing a new baseball cap or a new pair of earrings. You tell yourself it’s not a big deal—you just want to get something nice to make yourself feel better.

Sometimes you have to let your heart rule your head . . .

You still pay for things like your rent or mortgage, regular bills, utilities, groceries, etc. Butyou don’t spend moneyon things like restaurants, the hair salon, new shoes or a new kitchen accessory. Basically, don’t even set foot in a store unless it’s to buy groceries (that are on your list!).