Have you ever gone shopping with a list but ended up going home with a bunch of other stuff
that were not in your list? If this happens often, you may be suffering from a behavioral blunder
called impulse buying. And you're not alone! Nearly 90% of shoppers buy more than what they had planned. Consumer goods businesses profit from this while the typical shopper struggle with his/her personal finances as a result of this. One compulsive shopper even said that he does not have a choice in this matter and he just can't control it. The causes of impulse buying revolve around one’s emotions and his/her inability to regulate them. More particularly, those who buy on impulse tend to be individuals who have weak ability to control their emotions.
Impulse buying can be induced by anxiety and unhappiness on a person who sees it as a way to relieve himself/herself of such anxiety or unhappiness. Such person treats shopping as a pain reliever. When he/she feels anxious or unhappy, instead of facing his/her problems, he/she rushes to the mall and splurges on a nice meal, fancy clothes, cosmetic products, electronic gadgets, and so on. His/her inability in controlling his/her buying impulse directly stems from his/her weakness in handling his/her own emotional pains.
Impulse buying is also associated with sensory stimulation and hedonic motivation. This means that those who love to shop may just be happy people who constantly seek fun and thrill in their lives. These people subscribe to the mantra that you only live once. So, businesses decorate their stores and design their marketing efforts in order to appeal to this type of shoppers. The more attractive and stimulating the physical environment is, the more likely that they will make an unplanned purchase.
In general, impulse buyers are status-conscious and image-concerned people who always desire to look good in the eyes of others. They are aware that society puts emphasis in materialistic pursuits and that other people judge their value based on their perceived status. The need for respect and favorable treatment from others is so great among this type of shoppers that they are willing to grab every opportunity to improve the way they are seen.
So, the next time you go shopping, aside from bringing your shopping list with you, make sure that you are neither unhappy nor very happy. And before you even touch that item that’s not in your list, be aware of your motivation for wanting to buy such product. Ask yourself whether you are motivated by wanting to relieve some anxiety or unhappiness, by sensory stimulation, or by a strong desire to look good in the eyes of other people. It’s important for you to determine this in order to stay in charge of your emotions, and in turn, your finances.