Analyzing Consumer Impulse Purchasing Behaviour Using Observational Data

Impulse Purchase Behaviour

Impulse buying is a popular behavior today. The recent researches of Consumer Buying behavior show that 40% of consumer spending is made impulsively. Despite the significance of this category, it is still difficult to define.

Researches explaining reasons for impulse purchases began appearing by the end of the 1940s. At the time, it was determined as a marketing phenomenon by Clover (1950) who mentioned that impulse buying is unplanned purchase behavior and depends on the product category.

The field of consumer impulse purchasing behavior was analyzed by different researchers (Applebaum (1951), Stern (1962), Kollat and Willett (1967), McNeal (1973), Rook and Hock(1983), Hoch and Loewenstein (1991), Kacen and Lee (2002), Karbasivar and Yarahmadi (2011), Cheng et al (2013)). Nevertheless, the question of how to distinguish impulse purchase among others still needs an answer.

Based on the research of consumer products giant Procter&Gamble Co, the first three to seven seconds are the most critical in the decision-making process. The “First moment of truth”, as marketers call this phenomenon, determines the significance of the first seconds when consumers choose exactly what products they will purchase (Nelson and Ellison, 2005).

Objectives

The general objective of this research is to emphasize the relationship between final purchase and critical factors that may influence it. Two main objectives will be reached:

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  To measure the influence of “Gender” towards “Final purchase”

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  To measure the influence of “Impulse decision” towards “Final purchase”

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  To explain “Age” and “Company” distributions of the impulsive purchasers, as demographic characteristics

Theoretical Framework

Based on the theoretical review above, the following framework provided the model for further research, as depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Theoretical Framework