Impulse Buying Behavior - Coursework Example

Impulse Buying Behavior Student’s Name Institution Impulse Buying Behavior Abstract Impulse buying is the purchasing of a product or services that an individual had not planned to purchase. This is also defined as the immediate purchase of a product with no pre shopping intentions to buy the specified product with no specific reflection (Adelaar et al., 2003). In times of decision making for a consumer, there are several factors that influence the balance bean which is between the affective desires and the reasoning power which are triggered by several internal and external stimuli. Most consumers’ decisions to purchase their products are not made before the consumers visit the shopping places but are made during the time of purchase (Heidarizade & Taherikia, 2010). This behavior of consumers to purchase products that they had not planned to buy leads to the spending of money that would otherwise be used for other uses. Therefore in psychology, impulse buying is affected by emotional and cognitive factors that influence that decision of the consumer to purchase a certain product or service. The research of this paper tries to explain the relationship of one of the external factors which is time and the aspect of impulse buying. Time in this research paper may be during a time of the day, season and specific day of the week (Isen, 2001). Introduction The behavior of the consumer at a certain given time related to the personal characteristics of self control and the aspect of personal impulse purchase. The shopping environment tends to influence the choice of products a consumer purchases. Market research has shown that, shopping environments that are attractive to customers tend to attract the customers to spend more time at the shopping environment. Therefore, time becomes an influential factor that encourages impulse buying to some of the customers who are not strict on buying what they had planned to purchase. This research paper explains the aspect of time and how time influences the impulse buying behaviors of the consumers. Time factors are categorized as temporal factors that affect the choice of a product and the purchasing decision of most consumers. Temporal Perspective and Impulse Buying These are situational factors that influence the decision of a consumer to purchase a product without planning for the purchase. These factors are always specific to the location and time of observation (Adelaar et al., 2003. These factors do have an effect on the purchasing behavior of a customer. Temporal factors include the travel time to the store, the shopping day, the time of the day shopping and capture time. The temporal factors influence the behavior of the individual in purchasing the products from the shopping stores. The time a consumer visits the stores will determine the amount of money and quantity of products that are going to be purchases from the shopping stores. Methodology This study was based on the observation of various consumers at different shopping centers in different time. the factors used in determining the results include time spent by the consumers at the shopping environment, time of the day the consumer does his or her shopping and season of the year in which the shopping is done. Shopping Time and Shopping Environment The time spent in shopping by a consumer was determined and analyzed. Consumer who spends less time at the shop will not be able to observe and see some of the products that are displayed on the shelves of the shop. Some products in the shop needs the customer to spend some time in order to be able to see them and appreciate there values. These are the products which are either in upstairs stores or at the back of the store. Impulse buying is associated with customers who spend a lot of time at the shopping center. These shoppers are likely to develop an interest in a product as they spend more time admiring the product. This will definitely lead to impulse buying. The behavior of the consumer is influenced by the time spent in seeing the product at the shelf. The shopper who use most of their time in shopping also influences that quantity of products the consumer will buy. Consumers who spend a lot of time at the shopping environment may see other shoppers with products that are attractive and may be influences to buy them since they have the money in their pockets. This buying of products as a result of influence from other shoppers constitutes impulse buying. On the other hand, there are customers who spend much of their time looking and searching for the products that they had planned to buy from the shops. Therefore as the shopper spend more time in the shopping environment, more likely they are to make impulse purchases. Some consumers are fond of shopping such that they find shopping as an entertainment. The consumers who find more entertainment in shopping are likely to spend more time in the shopping environment hence the likelihood of making unplanned purchases. Travel Time to the Shopping Environment/Stores The frequency of travel to the shopping environment influences the purchasing power and behavior of an individual. Customers who travel to the stores less frequently may be influenced to buy products that they did not plan to purchase. Such consumers will use impulse buying since they do not have much timer to come back to the shop so whenever they see a product that is o great importance to them and they did not plan to purchase they purchase it immediately. In addition, consumers who make frequent visits to the stores may not necessarily be encouraged to purchase products that they did not plan to purchase. This is because they are aware that, they will soon come back to the store to buy the product. This discourages impulse buying in the since that, such customers will have to go home and plan for such purchases before coming back to the stores to make the purchase. If they find out that they can not afford to make the purchase, such consumers will not go back to the stores to make the purchase. On the other hand, consumers who travel a long distance to the shopping stores will tend to purchase products that they did not plan for compared to the customers who spend less time to travel to the shopping environment. Customer who spend more time travelling to the shopping environment use more fuel and money to travel to the shops hence will buy most of the unplanned products to void returning back to the shopping centers hence reducing the expenses used in travelling to the shopping environment (Heidarizade & Taherikia, 2010). There is also the tendency by individuals who travel to make unplanned purchases on their trips. Some consumers will get involved into impulse buying behaviors especially when they are on road trips. During the road trips some commodities may become necessary during the trip hence forcing the individuals to make unplanned purchases. Therefore consumers who make frequent visits to the shopping centers are likely to adopt the behaviors of impulse buying compared to those who make less frequent visits to the shopping environments. Shopping Time of the Day and Season of the Year The time of the day and season of the year influences impulse buying. Individuals who make their shopping during the morning hours of the day are likely to buy more hence increasing the chances of impulse buying. The early shoppers also tend to spend much time in the shopping environment resulting to unplanned purchases. The early shoppers have more time to visit the whole stores of the shopping centers hence they are likely to see and admire products that they have not intended to purchase. In such cases they are forced to make impulse buying. Individuals who do their shopping after 3pm are less likely to engage in impulse buying. This is because later shoppers are also quick shoppers. The late shoppers have little time to spend at the shopping environment have they only make a quick shopping on the items they had planned to purchase. They do not have the whole time to visit all parts of the store but only the specific shelves where the goods they want are found. The season of the year also influences the impulse buying behaviors of most individuals. Most people save money in order to spend during the thanksgiving season and during the charismas season. Therefore, the Christmas season becomes a time in which most retailers and business owners record higher sales of their products. During these seasons many consumers do not have proper plans on how to spend the money they have been saving for sometimes (Hair et al., 2003). There is also the tendency to make impulse purchases during times of celebrations such as birthdays, weddings and burials. During these times most people make purchases that they had not intended to make. These will influence their budgets as the products had not been included in the budgets. Although some have budgeted for the seasons, when such individuals visit the shopping environment, they seem excited and end up purchasing products and services that are not planned. The impulse buying behaviors of many individuals are also higher during this time since most individuals would want to buy unique presents for their beloved ones. Due to this reason most consumers would visit the store with the intention of buying certain gifts, but upon reaching the shopping environment, they find most unique presents that are also suitable for the Christmas season. Results Customers who spend much of their time in the shopping environment have more time to look and search for products in the stores hence have more time to think on what to buy. This may influence the choice of purchase either positively or negatively. There are those customers who spend more time thinking on what to buy an end up buying the products that they did not plan to go and buy (Hair et al., 2003). Consumers who make their shopping in Saturdays tend to spend much of their times in the shopping environment hence they have much time to visit all parts of the store. In such cases they are likely to see some products that they had not planned to purchase. During the week days most individual have less time to spend in the shopping environments hence will only visit the shopping places to but the products they have planned to buy. During the weekends most people visit the shopping places with their families so make shopping. When these consumers go to the shopping stores with their children, the children influences their impulse buying. Most children will demand any products that fascinate them (Isen, 2001). The rate of impulse behaviors is also influenced by the day of the week the consumers make the shopping. Consumers who make their purchases during week days are likely to make less impulse buying than the consumers who make their purchases during the weekends. Those consumers who find less entertainment in shopping do not spend much of their time in shopping environment hence they do not get influenced in purchasing unplanned products and services. There are some consumers who enjoy shopping as long as there is money in their pockets. These consumers will always buy goods that they do not plan to buy. Such behavior is mostly seen in individuals who are either newly weds or have resolved to shopping as one of their hobbies. Such consumers will be found shopping for any products that will fascinate them. Discussion The decision of many customers to purchase their products is dependent on the situational factors. Temporal factors are aspects of time that influence s that rate of impulse buying behaviors of many consumers. The rate of impulse buying behaviors of many individuals is dependent on time. Any factor that will lead to the consumer to spend more time at the shopping environment will influence the impulse buying behaviors of the consumers. Consumers who spend less time at the shopping store regardless of the reason are likely to make less impulse buying. This will hence influence their impulse buying behavior such that they get used only to buying the products that they had planned to buy. On the other hand, consumers who spend much time at the shopping stores are most likely to purchase goods and services that they had not intended to purchase. The time spent at the shopping places and dependent on the time of the day, the season of the year and the day of the week (Hair et al., 2003). Conclusion Therefore, this research paper has successfully explained the various ways in which time perspective influences the impulse buying behaviors of many individuals. The behaviors of most consumers will be time influenced. Most individuals should be able to determine the appropriate shopping time in order to avoid impulse buying. References Adelaar, T., Chang, S., Lancendorfer, K. M., Lee, B., Morimoto, M. (2003). Effects of media formats on emotions and impulse buying intent. Journal of Information Technology, 18(4), 247-266. Hair, J., Bush, R., Ortinau, D. & Ortinau, D. (2002). Marketing Research: Within a Changing Information Environment w/Data Disk Pkg (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Heidarizade, K. & Taherikia, F. (2010). The Causes of impulse buying: Evaluation a model in Iran. Journal of Management Research. Isen, A. M. (2001). An influence of positive affect on decision making in complex situations: Theoretical issues with practical implications. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 11(2), 75-85. Read More

These factors do have an effect on the purchasing behavior of a customer. Temporal factors include the travel time to the store, the shopping day, the time of the day shopping and capture time. The temporal factors influence the behavior of the individual in purchasing the products from the shopping stores. The time a consumer visits the stores will determine the amount of money and quantity of products that are going to be purchases from the shopping stores. Methodology This study was based on the observation of various consumers at different shopping centers in different time.

the factors used in determining the results include time spent by the consumers at the shopping environment, time of the day the consumer does his or her shopping and season of the year in which the shopping is done. Shopping Time and Shopping Environment The time spent in shopping by a consumer was determined and analyzed. Consumer who spends less time at the shop will not be able to observe and see some of the products that are displayed on the shelves of the shop. Some products in the shop needs the customer to spend some time in order to be able to see them and appreciate there values.

These are the products which are either in upstairs stores or at the back of the store. Impulse buying is associated with customers who spend a lot of time at the shopping center. These shoppers are likely to develop an interest in a product as they spend more time admiring the product. This will definitely lead to impulse buying. The behavior of the consumer is influenced by the time spent in seeing the product at the shelf. The shopper who use most of their time in shopping also influences that quantity of products the consumer will buy.

Consumers who spend a lot of time at the shopping environment may see other shoppers with products that are attractive and may be influences to buy them since they have the money in their pockets. This buying of products as a result of influence from other shoppers constitutes impulse buying. On the other hand, there are customers who spend much of their time looking and searching for the products that they had planned to buy from the shops. Therefore as the shopper spend more time in the shopping environment, more likely they are to make impulse purchases.

Some consumers are fond of shopping such that they find shopping as an entertainment. The consumers who find more entertainment in shopping are likely to spend more time in the shopping environment hence the likelihood of making unplanned purchases. Travel Time to the Shopping Environment/Stores The frequency of travel to the shopping environment influences the purchasing power and behavior of an individual. Customers who travel to the stores less frequently may be influenced to buy products that they did not plan to purchase.

Such consumers will use impulse buying since they do not have much timer to come back to the shop so whenever they see a product that is o great importance to them and they did not plan to purchase they purchase it immediately. In addition, consumers who make frequent visits to the stores may not necessarily be encouraged to purchase products that they did not plan to purchase. This is because they are aware that, they will soon come back to the store to buy the product. This discourages impulse buying in the since that, such customers will have to go home and plan for such purchases before coming back to the stores to make the purchase.

If they find out that they can not afford to make the purchase, such consumers will not go back to the stores to make the purchase. On the other hand, consumers who travel a long distance to the shopping stores will tend to purchase products that they did not plan for compared to the customers who spend less time to travel to the shopping environment. Customer who spend more time travelling to the shopping environment use more fuel and money to travel to the shops hence will buy most of the unplanned products to void returning back to the shopping centers hence reducing the expenses used in travelling to the shopping environment (Heidarizade & Taherikia, 2010).

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