4 Brands That Have Mastered Impulse Buys

From strategic product placement, to limited time promotions - there’s many levers brands pull to incite impulse buys. In fact, some companies’ entire business model is impulse buys where they devote serious budget to end caps, check out lanes, and bundling small ads-ons to capitalize on emotional marketing.

It’s reported that impulse purchases account for approximately 60–70% of all purchases in retail stores, and that’s not including online shopping which happens in a few clicks.

There’s many reasons consumers look to indulge in small purchases, from comfort, to rewarding their hard work or a feeling of exclusivity that enhances your self image.

And while we’re all familiar with impulse shopping (thanks Apple Pay) these are the brands that are getting it right and have risen to the top as motivators who get you to open up your wallet.

Amazon

Amazon is an obvious leader in triggering impulse buys. From offering free shipping at a specific purchase value - to promoting "Frequently Bought Together” and “Customers Also Bought” suggestions Amazon does a great job teasing incremental purchases. 

Amazon recommends add-ons right before checkout to boost its average order value.

These suggestions make it easy to add more to the cart with one click. This upselling tactic inspires digital impulses for quick decisions and low effort to remove friction from the purchasing cycle. Avoiding cart review with no second guessing - a shopper can just click to purchase before logic weighs in.

Homegoods

HomeGoods offers a masterclass in triggering impulse buys. While it’s technically a home décor and furnishings retailer, its entire store experience is crafted to encourage spontaneous purchases.

Maybe that's why on a Sunday morning consumers are lined up to get inside when really - how many pillows, pots and pans does someone need? 

Homegoods taps into the excitement of a discovery and feeling of scarcity to make a quick purchase decision. No two visits are ever the same as inventory constantly rotates - leaving shoppers feeling like they're "on the hunt."

Focusing on lifestyle, non-essential goods consumers look to Homegoods for throws pillows, candles, quirky kitchen gadgets, holiday décor — all high-margin, low-commitment items. These items make you feel like treating yourself and not making a big financial decision.

Target

Target is one of the most famous impulse-buy traps in retail — so much so that there's a meme-level truth to: "I went to Target for toothpaste and left with $200 worth of stuff I didn’t know I needed." Target leans into their store layout to inspire wandering, starting with a "decompression zone" with $1-5 items to lure in shoppers right away with guilt free purchasing.

Recently some other brands attempting this are CVS, Old Navy and Marshalls.

As you go through Target's store you'll notice wide lanes and visual endcaps to trigger endless browsing. After you get past the "decompression zone" you'll be hit with visual impact for fun purchases you didn't plan for like clothing, purses, jewelry, beauty and home items first.

So walk carefully if you're planning to just get toothpaste and avoid the Starbucks coffee buy.

Which of these brands have you hooked? Let us know at @Wealth_Elf on Instagram