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- International Journal of Management (IJM)
Volume 9, Issue 2, March–April 2018, pp. 88–92, Article ID: IJM_09_02_010
Available online at
http://www.iaeme.com/ijm/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=9&IType=2
Journal Impact Factor (2016): 8.1920 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com
ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510
© IAEME Publication
IMPULSE BUYING AND PURCHASE DECISION
Dr. C. Swarnalatha
Professor and Head-Management Studies,
Anna University Regional Centre, Madurai, Tamilnadu, India
S. Soundhariya
Research Scholar, Mother Teresa Women’s University,
Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu, India
ABSTRACT
Increasing disposable income of the consumers has transformed the buying
pattern to a greater extent. Before shopping by people was very rare phenomenon but
nowadays shopping is part and parcel of most of the households in which shoppers
spend substantial amount on impulse buying. Impulse buying refers to sudden urge
for the customers to buy something. Impulse buying is unplanned buying which means
purchasing on the spot which is triggered by stimulus. Impulse purchase refers to
sudden and immediate purchase decision made inside the store by customers. Impulse
buying occurs at a moment. Impulse buyers react to marketing stimuli from
environment. Many marketers say that impulse buying is all about seeing the products.
To make visibility of products tools like visual merchandising is used. Retailers
nowadays feel that catching the eyes of the consumer in today’s scenario is no easy
task. In-Store display helps the consumers to do impulse purchase and reduce time
consumption by consumers. Stores should be arranged in such a way that it promote
impulse buying. Consumer purchase new products impulsively when their innate
desires and need for excitement, fun are satisfied. External stimuli and internal stimuli
play a major role in impulse purchase. External stimuli arouse internal stimuli in
purchase decision.
Key words: Impulse Buying, Visual Merchandising, External Stimuli, Internal
Stimuli.
Cite this Article: Dr. C. Swarnalatha and S. Soundhariya, Impulse Buying and
Purchase Decision. International Journal of Management, 9 (2), 2018, pp. 88–92.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=9&IType=2
1. INTRODUCTION
Impulse purchase refers to sudden buying. When a customer experiences sudden urge to
purchase something impulse purchase occurs. When a customer buys impulsively they do not
worry about consequences. Low involvement products are highly sought in impulse buying
because consequences of wrong decision do not affect customer more. Short life products are
fast moving consumer products. Impulse buyers are generally sensitive to their feelings and
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- Impulse Buying and Purchase Decision
emotions. Impulse buyers always feel sudden urge to buy because they are responsive to
affective states and they lack cognitive control. POPAI(2012) point of purchase advertising
international says that 76% of decisions by the consumers in the store are unplanned.
According to that report impulse purchasing was high in organized retailing comparing to
unorganized retail.
2. FACTORS INFLUENCING IMPULSE BUYING
Certain factors which trigger the impulse purchase of the customer are age, gender, time spent
inside the store, internal perceptions, external factors like attractive display, store layout,
store atmospherics and promotional offers. A person’s internal perception like emotion, time
pressure, lifestyle, money and personality affects impulse purchase. Store atmospherics such
as general interior design such as color, lighting, aroma, music and equipment helps
customers to stay more time inside the store leading to impulse purchase. Other factors are
arrangement of merchandise, display of merchandise, point of sale promotional materials and
in store stimuli such as shelf signs, end of aisle displays, conspicuous product displays. Point
of purchase is one of the important tools in impulse purchase. Display at point of purchase in
any store draws more attention and improve sales. Though shoppers have a list in their hand
for purchasing they do impulse purchase when they are attracted by external stimulus. When a
shopper navigates inside a store he can change from shopper to buyer due to displays present
inside the store. Good displays inside the store remind the customers about the need and make
him to do impulse purchase. Visual merchandising elements inside the store create need for
the customers to purchase the product. In-Store promotional technique helps the customer to
stay more time inside the store .If customer stays more time inside the store impulse purchase
occurs. Price is also one of the factors which are reason for impulse purchase of the
customers. Sudden price drops and discounts attract customers.
In general there are five factors which influence impulse buying
Internal Factors
External Factors
Situational Factors
Demographic Factors
Internal factors refer to feelings, mood, emotions, hedonic and shopping enjoyment of the
customers. External factors refer to store related factors like visual merchandising and
shopping environment. Situational factors refer to availability of time and money advice from
close relatives and friends who are important part of decision making process. Demographic
factors refers to age, gender, education level, culture of the customers
3. LOW INVOLVEMENT DECISION MAKING
Item to be purchased or service to be utilized is not costly then the risk of wrong decision is
short lived. Marketers through subliminal cues are influencing consumers without their
conscious awareness. Low involvement products are mostly targeted by marketers for better
visual merchandising like point of purchase display to do impulse purchase by customers. Eg:
when drink coke and eat popcorn were flashed on a movie theatre screen , It was reported in
1950 by Jim Vicary that coca-cola sales increased by 18 percent and popcorn sale grew by 52
percent.
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- Dr. C. Swarnalatha and S. Soundhariya
4. DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND IMPULSE BUYING DECISION
MAKING
Normal decision making process involves cognitive thinking. Consumers generally do an
extensive research before arriving at a particular decision. Impulse buying decision making
takes place at a spur of moment. Buyers temporarily goes out of control due to excitement and
purchase decision is made. In case of white goods and costly goods normal decision making
process is followed and decision making by customers is longer. In case of low cost products
like fmcg, beverages , food, cosmetic categories decision making time is shorter and mostly
impulse. Decision making time for consumers is very less during impulse buying due to
affective response. Impulse buyers do not think about consequences while buying the product
because their unplanned reaction is mostly response to the stimulus. In case of low cost
products post purchase dissatisfaction by consumers is very less.
4.1. Impulse Buying Stimulus
Impulse buying occurs due to both external and internal stimuli. The external stimuli trigger
the internal stimuli to purchase the product. The internal stimuli for impulse purchase were of
hedonic and emotional influences. Hedonic refers to creating desire for fun and excitement.
External influence like visual merchandising and store environment leads to pure and
unplanned purchase behavior. Pleasant and highly stimulating store environment leads to
impulse buying. Window display is one of the store characteristic which has strong influence
on impulse purchase. Consumer emotion is a mediating factor in impulse purchase. The store
atmosphere like sounds, views and odor are important stimulus to produce impulse buying.
Shopping environment or store environment is positively related to store trust and gives good
image of merchandise in the store. Good arousals like sound and scent invoke pleasure which
positively influences the consumer behavior. Store environment factors also include ambience
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- Impulse Buying and Purchase Decision
such as music and lighting. Proper lighting in the store helps shoppers to examine the
merchandise, create positive effect and arrive at purchase decision. Improper lighting creates
negative effect in the minds of customer. Customers who enjoy shopping are more likely to
do impulse purchase. Visual merchandising helps the customer to find the product they are
looking for and reduces the time wasted by customers for searching the product and visual
merchandising displays helps the customers to do more impulse purchase. Sometimes even
when the customers are not in the mood to purchase the product the attractive store
environment with good display, offers, music and good aroma evokes positive emotions
which lead to impulse purchase.
Consumers who come to store are planning consumers, partially planned consumers and
impulse buyers. Planning consumers generally plan in advance what are the products to be
brought and which brand to be purchased. Partially planned consumers mostly decide
products to be brought alone and not the brand. Impulse buyers take decision after seeing the
product. Marketers through external factors attract partial buyers and impulse buyers to make
purchase decision.
5. CONCLUSIONS
Retailers should provide customers conductive environment to do impulse purchase.
Consumers shop for both utilitarian and hedonic reasons. Consumers who enjoy shopping
mostly do impulse purchase. Retailers should pay more attention to point of purchase display,
promotional signage and window display which are the important store environment
characteristics which brings more sales to the retailers through impulse purchase. Every
segment of shoppers is different. Retailers should conceptualize point of purchase display,
light, music, window display, store layout, store design according to target shoppers. Impulse
buyers bring extra profit to the store compared to normal shoppers so retailers mostly try to
attract impulse buyers through attractive store environment and layout. Retailers should create
interest to the customers by providing proper information of the product, increasing visibility
of the product through proper displays and should convert the interest into purchase decision.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/index.asp 91 editor@iaeme.com
- Dr. C. Swarnalatha and S. Soundhariya
REFERENCES
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[9] ww.popai.cz/files/publishing/shopper-engagement-study_5165.pdf
[10] https://retailnext.net/en/blog/todays-shopper-her-new-shopper-journey
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