Impulse purchasing: a qualitative exploration of the phenomenon

Abstract

This paper reviews the literature on unplanned purchasing and impulse purchasing in particular. Various definitions and explanations of the phenomena are examined. Because impulse purchasing may often be deemed socially undesirable, it is argued that a qualitative research approach is particularly appropriate in order to gain maximum insight. A study employing enabling techniques (including self scripts, laddering and pyramiding) demonstrated that interviewees were remarkably consistent in their descriptions of the impulse purchase experience. There were, however, variations of the behaviour which might form the basis of a classification scheme. Most studies have only focused on retail impulse buying. This study explored the subject across both retail and direct buying contexts.