In 2023, Shopify reported that nearly 50% of our purchases resulted from impulse buying—a decrease from just a year before. Impulse buying is a powerful—and profitable—habit for retailers to encourage, and that is precisely what many companies do.
Companies employ tactics that lead customers to reach for items they had no intention of buying, put them into their carts, and purchase them. Some tactics are obvious (but no less effective), like massive product discounts. But others are far more subtle. A considerable part of the success of these sale tricks is that many people are predisposed to impulse shopping.
Why Do People Make Impulse Purchases?
Shopping is an activity that makes people feel good because it releases feel-good hormones like dopamine. This hormone release is why concepts like retail therapy are so common. But the feel-good nature of shopping isn’t the only reason people impulse shop.
People also make impulsive purchases because of incentives like sales that make a deal seem too good to pass on, or external influences like social expectations. Even emotions can significantly impact purchasing behavior.
Companies have found successful ways to leverage these reasons in their favor.
How Is Impulse Buying Encouraged?
Impulse buying is encouraged both in-person and online using similar tactics—and these can even go beyond shopping for products and apply to services or subscriptions.
Store Environment
For in-person shoppers, physical stores are filled with subtle elements that encourage shoppers to spend more time and money in them. The layouts of stores seamlessly guide customers through the products, allowing them to see everything. This encourages them to stop and look closely at product displays and, ideally, add a product to their cart.
As shoppers walk through the store, they’ll likely hear music, which has been selected to create a comfortable shopping atmosphere. Some stores even incorporate scents into the store environment, adding appeal to the shopping experience.
Lastly, many physical stores will have salespeople present. They’re there to inform customers of the deals, the popularity of items, and any other ongoing promotions that might entice someone to spend.
Window Displays
Before entering the store, companies use window displays to entice shoppers to walk through their front doors. Window displays attract people by showcasing products that grab attention, are in high demand, or are trendy. These create the desire to get the product while it’s available, bringing shoppers into the store ready to spend. Throughout stores, customers will also find product displays that aim to engage their interest in a similar way.
Point-of-Sale Displays
All the items displayed next to the cash register or along the checkout line are point-of-sale displays, carefully chosen and placed to encourage impulsive spending. Usually, they’re smaller and more affordable items that people find easier to say yes to, like the chocolate bars and gum you’ll encounter while checking out at the grocery store. While they are cheaper items, they can add up for retailers by increasing the amount of each purchase.
Product Samples & Demos
Free samples can improve the shopping experience and entice people to wander into a store. While it’s easy to assume that samples are there to shape a satisfying customer experience, they can also encourage someone to buy a product they might otherwise not consider. It’s so powerful that 68% of customers are persuaded to purchase the product they sample.
Costco, known for its free samples, is an excellent example of a store that uses this sales tactic to its advantage. The free samples draw people to the store; in fact, some people plan their trips there to prioritize getting as many samples as possible. While it might seem counterintuitive, this strategy has a huge payoff for the company—increased sales.
Urgency & Scarcity
Whether there are a limited number of no-deposit online casino offers or buy-one-get-one deals that expire in a week, placing limits on offers creates a sense of urgency and scarcity, encouraging buying action thanks to the sense that the opportunity is fleeting. It adds a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) to the shopping experience, which can trigger the desire to purchase something you might not normally do.
Adding to this sense of urgency and scarcity mentality, particularly online, is messages like “only a few left” or “in high demand.” Often, websites will also include countdowns for the end of a deal or send out frequent reminders of how much longer a deal is available. This reinforces that the opportunity is fleeting and adds pressure to get something before it’s gone.
If customers are signed up for email updates from an online store, these types of urgency or scarcity messages can be sent straight to inboxes, encouraging shopping from people with an existing relationship with a brand.
Influencers & Social Pressure
Social media is a useful tool for encouraging impulse purchases, particularly when influencers are used to promote products or promotions. This not only creates a sense of scarcity but also adds an element of social pressure. Seeing someone else with a product or endorsing it can increase interest and make people more likely to try it.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever wondered why you bought that thing you didn’t need, it might be thanks to one of these common sales tactics. These sales tricks each help trigger the desire to purchase something by appealing to one of the many reasons people are compelled to make an impulsive purchase, whether it’s for a quick pick-me-up, getting an amazing deal, or being afraid of missing out. Whether we are aware of it or not, companies have mastered many techniques that have us reaching for our wallets.
