Study finds impulse purchases on the decline

The pandemic continues to drive new consumer behaviors.

The majority (69%) of U.S. consumers are less likely to make impulse purchases now than before the pandemic, according to new study by Blis, a location-powered programmatic advertising company.  In fact, shoppers seem to be more financially prudent, with 43% of them classifying themselves as 'bargain hunters', a new barrier for brands to bear in mind when trying to drive loyalty this year. 

Despite concerns around COVID, 58% of consumers still prefer shopping in-store, which is down only 3% points since the pandemic). Over half (56%) of them are also more willing to visit a store after seeing an ad served to them in proximity to the location they are shopping.

In other findings, 67% of the respondents said their loyalty habits had not changed due to the pandemic or supply chain shortages. Also, shoppers are more willing to support businesses after the pandemic, even if that means waiting longer to receive a product (64%).

The findings are part of a new e-guide from Blis: "What consumers want: understanding the psychology of the pandemic-changed shopper". 

"Marketers are constantly facing new challenges in trying to build their relationships with consumers,” said Gil Larsen, managing director, Blis US. “The pandemic rewrote many of the rules, leaving the industry striving to understand consumers' preferences and routines. Our new guide highlights the discrepancies between what marketers think they know and what shoppers are really looking for.”