Question

Impulse buying has become a significant problem in our culture with the easy access we have to regular and store credit cards. Consumer psychologists are very interested in why people will so easily give in to their impulse to buy. Is impulse buying a conditioned response? Discuss some of the techniques you believe that retailers use to condition the unwary consumer.

Answer 1

Is impulse buying a conditioned response? Discuss some of the techniques you believe that retailers use to condition the unwary consumer.

Impulse buying can be defined as an impulse purchase or impulse buying is an unplanned decision to buy a product or service, made just before a purchase.

It is a result of dysfunctional impulsiveness (i.e. the behaviour of opting for smaller short-term rewards instead of holding out for larger long-term rewards).

According to Ainslie research,

• We succumb to an impulse because we do not understand the consequences of our behaviour
• We know the consequences are bad, but we feel compelled by some "lower" principle (e.g. "someone made me do it")
• We know the consequences but place too much weight upon satisfying present desires
  

Different types of Impulse Buying

• Pure Impulse: an unplanned novelty purchase
  • Casually browsing and something you like
• Reminder Impulse: seeing a product and remembering that you need it
  • Buying batteries for powering a gadget
• Suggestive Impulse: seeing a product and visualizing a need for it
  • Purchasing a battery because it was advertised with a gadget
• Planned Impulse: taking advantage of a promotional offer with an unplanned purchase
  • Adding items required for a free shipping threshold

It essentially is a conditioned response to - Scarcity.

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