Hawkins Stern believed heavily in the idea of impulse behaviour. He argued that sudden buying impulses fit alongside rational purchasing decisions to paint a complete picture of the average consumer. Impulse purchases are driven largely by external stimuli and have almost no relationship to traditional decision-making. Stern established four categories of impulse buying. First are the […]

Hawkins Stern believed heavily in the idea of impulse behaviour. He argued that sudden buying impulses fit alongside rational purchasing decisions to paint a complete picture of the average consumer. Impulse purchases are driven largely by external stimuli and have almost no relationship to traditional decision-making. Stern established four categories of impulse buying. First are the pure impulse purchases, like a candy bar at the checkout line of a grocery store. Second, consumers make reminded impulse buys, like placing a display of hot dog buns next to a meat cooler. Third are suggested impulse purchases, such as a warranty for an electronic device. Finally, consumers make planned impulse decisions, where they know they want to buy a product, but are unsure about the specifics.