advertisement
advertisement
By Tlalane Dlamini | 2024-10-18
Let’s be honest here: Impulse buying is kind of fun—at least in the moment.
You walk into Spar for diapers, and before you know it . . . boom. Your shopping basket is full of chips and biscuits.An impulse buy is anytime you purchase something you weren’t planning to.
If it’s not planned for in your budget ahead of time, it’s an impulse buy.It can be as small as grabbing a chocolate bar in the checkout line (that wasn’t on your grocery list) or as big as walking into a car dealership “just to browse” and walking out with a brand-new SUV.
Examples of impulse buying:· Chocolate, gum and energy drinks in the checkout line.
n Clothing and shoes
n Video games
n Scented candles
n Home improvement purchases· n Toys to keep the children under control at the store
n Extra cleaning supplies (just in case
n Cars (yes, even cars!)
n Books
‘Treat yourself’ buys coffee and takeout now, for any men reading this, I can see you nodding along, thinking, my wife does this all the time! But hold your horses.
The top impulse purchases are food and groceries, household items, clothing, coffee, toys and takeout. The last I checked, men buy those items too.Retailers love our impulsive shopping habits, but these types of purchases are often a result of our psychological weakness.Impulse shopping, we all do it.
For some, our weakness strikes at the end of a crazy day. For others it’s the strategically placed treats straddling the checkout counters.Impulse buying happens when we want to pamper ourselves, or discover a great deal, discount or buying incentive. But what else makes us vulnerable? The research says that it’s a lot of things; often all at once!
The science suggests that impulse purchases may be motivated by a number of different factors:
1) Enjoyment:
We tend to pick up things that make us happy. The thought of immediate, pure pleasure can be insanely powerful; particularly when we are stressed out. Getting something new or getting a treat is a pick-me-up on a bad day, adds spice to a boring one, and can work as a strong incentive for a lazy day.
2) Loss aversion
The desire to avoid missing out on something good): How often do you fall for the ‘Buy 2, Get 1 Free’ or the ‘Limited Period Price Drop’ deals? Whether it’s t-shirts or shampoo, we pick up things we don’t need if we aren’t sure that it will always be available; or if we think that we are getting a really good deal. The idea that we are getting more for the same amount of money spent speaks to most of us; even when we aren’t trying to save money.
3) Thinking you have spotted a bargain
Ever seen a 20 per cent off (or even five per cent) off sign on treats and suddenly felt that you just have to get some (of whatever the product is)? This happens because our brain can often get fooled by the idea that something MAY be a good deal. And who doesn’t want a good deal?
4) The need to
stockpile
As a species that fears running out of resources; we have a tendency to stock up on things we think we should have. This need gets intensified when we find the resource in question is available for a limited time. Hence, the mad rush on Black Friday.
5) Biased evaluation of use
We are a very optimistic people. We are convinced that we will eat all the food we buy, wear every item of clothing, and use all the household items we pick up. It doesn’t really matter if we are told that this may not happen; we still go ahead and buy optimistically. - buy.com
share story
Post Your Comments Below
THE Shiselweni Regional National Arts and Culture Awards (NACAs) encouraged arts and culture to t...
Eswatini is seeking to increase its current trade valued at E351.3 million with Italy by attracti...
A 16-month-old baby has died while her mother remains admitted in hospital after they both ate fo...
SOCCER - SIHLANGU Semnikati head coach Zdravko ‘Loga’ Logarusic says the team will be...
All material © Swazi Observer. Material may not be published or reproduced in any form without prior written permission.
Design by Real Image Internet
