Impulse Shopping at the Age of eCommerce
When I was a kid, supermarkets used to place comic books and candy bars strategically at the checkout counters so that mothers would give in and buy something to keep their child quiet while they packed up the groceries. Even today, my local grocery store keeps gum at the checkout and I often reach out and grab a pack while I am waiting in line, because it catches my eye.
Supermarkets make money out of impulse buys. They lure in shoppers with bright displays, free tastings, smells and colors. Think back to the last time you were in a supermarket — how many things did you add to your cart that were not on your shopping list because there was a special offer, or it was a new product, or you just found it attractive?
But when you visit an online grocery store — there is much less impulse shopping. Shoppers can’t be attracted by smells or tastes. We do not browse the shelves searching for something and grab other items on the way. Online grocery shoppers are focused — we search for what is on our list, add it to our cart and check out.
Interestingly, in eCommerce in general, impulse buys have increased. The ability to shop from a smartphone means we can buy whatever we like at any time of day or night, if we are at work or in bed. We think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I had a bigger coffee cup?” and we buy it that same minute. Same day delivery has led to an even greater increase in this phenomenon.
An increase in impulse buying has been noticed in every sector — except for grocery. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that online consumers tend to be more habitual and less adventurous. Online grocery consumers do not browse, they are less interested in purchasing new products or trying new brands. Certain shoppers believe that they save money when they shop online exactly because they make fewer unplanned purchases. Customers regularly use price comparisons to ensure that they are not overspending on their groceries. This tendency to shop with thought is the antithesis of the impulse buy!
However, although there are less impulse buys when doing an online grocery shop, the average basket purchased online has a greater value than the average basket purchased at an equivalent brick and mortar store.
This could be because online shoppers often buy in bulk, especially heavier items such as beverages and cleaning products, that can stored for a long time. It could also be because the average person will do less online shops each month than actual visits to stores — so the basket size is larger, and the opportunities to impulse buy are less.
Online supermarkets are looking to personalization as a way to increase impulse purchases. Offering a shopper other items from a brand they regularly purchase, or items that pair well with things they have already bought, can increase unplanned purchases. Another method being employed by snack food companies is offering snacks at the end of the shop so that a customer can increase their basket size and benefit from free delivery or other perks.
If eCommerce has increased impulse shopping in general but led to a decrease in impulse shopping in the grocery sector, there are lessons to be learned. Do online supermarkets want to invest time and effort into increasing impulse buys if the average basket is larger anyway? Or should they take advantage of the general trend to shop impulsively and give their customers more opportunities to do so? What is certainly true is that online supermarket shoppers behave very differently from brick-and-mortar supermarket shoppers — even if that shopper is the exact same human being!
