My impulse to shop is getting out of hand! What triggers my impulse buying behavior and how can I shop responsibly?

A sudden force or desire to buy, acting on a sudden thought or feeling of wanting to own something, and responding to a whim without giving much thought why we buy something. This is impulse buying.

How common is impulse buying in the US?

In 2022, one third of respondents all around the US said that they have bought clothes on impulse. Other items that topped the list included food, and grocery and household goods. However, the number of impulse buyers in the US declined a year later when another survey was conducted. 

2023 data shows that on average, a consumer in the US spends approximately 150 dollars per month on things they have not intended to buy.

Another 2021 study on the prevalence of compulsive buying of clothes and accessories found that the Covid-19 pandemic led people to buy more items without much thought.

Factors that trigger impulse buying behavior 

The consumer market is ripe with competition, and products and services undergo innovation at exponential rates and compete in a global market. In effect, companies are prioritizing understanding how consumers behave, interact with them and how they make a decision to buy products and services. 

Companies use this knowledge in making marketing campaigns and effectively reach their audience. 

As consumers, we like to think that we make smart purchase decisions. We think that we are not influenced by these marketing campaigns because we know better. But the truth is, each of us gets tempted to buy products impulsively from time to time. 

However, when impulsivity becomes a habit, companies are able to prey on our weaknesses, 

Here are some factors that influence compulsive buying: 

Our exposure to advertisements and sales promotions from a young age forms our preferences for products and services, studies say. These are called commercial stimuli. We become persuaded to act on these stimuli the more we see and hear sales promotion and advertising.  

During impulse buying, people have the inability to consider the consequences of their action. The desire to feel satisfied through giving in to their emotions wins. 

When is impulse buying unhealthy? 

Our shopping habits, affected by different factors, have a significant impact on our financial health. When it leads us to take on huge and unmanageable debts, cost us our peace of mind, and ruin our relationships, impulse buying reaches unhealthy levels. 

How can we shop more responsibly? 

Ask yourself some questions before a purchase. There is a belief behind every purchase. When we step back for a minute and ask ourselves our beliefs before making a purchase allows us to see what we aim to achieve. 

Here are some questions to guide us: 

• Do we need the product/service? 
• Do we love product/service enough that it will bring us long-term satisfaction? 
• Do we like it and believe that it will satisfy short-term wants? 

Before we have a chance to control our impulsive buying behaviors, we must first understand the why behind our actions, so that we can purchase the things that we truly need, the ones that we love, and those that will give us satisfaction. 

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