Wright, Lori

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UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices12-19-2007Are You An Impulse Shopper?Lori WrightUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationWright, Lori, "Are You An Impulse Shopper?" (2007). UNH Today. 808.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/8089/13/17, 11(53 AMAre You An Impulse Shopper?Page 1 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/dec/lw19impulse.cfm.html Are You An Impulse Shopper?Contact:  Lori Wright 603-862-0574UNH Media RelationsDecember 19, 2007EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Chuck Martin can be reached at (603) 750-3020 andcln6@unh.edu.DURHAM, N.H. – As the Christmas shopping season moves into its final days, new researchfrom the University of New Hampshire shows that certain shoppers who exhibit distinctcognitive skills are more apt to be impulse buyers.“Observable Cognitive Function in the Purchasing Process: A Study of Quickly IdentifyingImpulse Buying Behaviors in Consumers” was conducted by students in adjunct professorChuck Martin’s class at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics.The students found that shoppers who exhibit high levels of flexibility or low levels of self-restraint are most likely to make an impulse buy. The students theorize that salespeople canbe trained to spot these cognitive skills in shoppers, thus improving their ability to helpcustomers and increase the salesperson’s efficiency and effectiveness.“The researchers found that these impulse and non-impulse behaviors in shoppers can beidentified in less than a minute, which could instantly indicate to a salesperson who is mostlikely to listen to their sales advice and who is not,” Martin said.Flexibility and self-restraint are two of a dozen cognitive functions known as executive skills.People high in flexibility are able to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, newinformation, or mistakes. They are highly adaptable to changing conditions. People high inself-restraint have the ability to think before they act. They can resist the urge to say or dosomething to allow time to evaluate the situation and how a behavior might affect it.The students found that highly flexible customers browse extensively and tend to walk aroundthe store. They are not loyal to any one brand. They are open to suggestions from salesassociates and easily persuaded to purchase the generic, less-costly version of the item oreven to trade up. If the customers can’t find the product they want to purchase, they tend topurchase another similar product.Consumers with low-self restraint randomly look at products, walking through the aislesgrabbing different items. They appear distracted or scattered, picking up items without apattern. Sometimes they will pick up an item, put it back, then go back and get it forpurchase. Sales are very attractive to these consumers, whether or not they planned topurchase the item – they are the true impulse buyer.These consumers often exhibit the “oohh” factor. For example, during the study, students9/13/17, 11(53 AMAre You An Impulse Shopper?Page 2 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/dec/lw19impulse.cfm.htmlobserved a male shopper at Best Buy in line ready to check out. Upon noticing the discountedDVD rack, he immediately said “oohh” and approached the rack to sort through his options.He wound up purchasing four discounted DVDs.On the other hand, salespeople would be wise to not invest their time with customers who arehighly self-restrained. They are not enticed by sales or salespeople. They may browseextensively and comparison shop, but will leave the store empty handed if they don’t findexactly what they want.Inflexible customers may be the most difficult for salespeople, since they can be openlydifficult and stubborn. These customers are “on a mission” – they know what they want andwalk directly to the department of the store with the item. If it’s not available, they will turnaround and walk out.Fifty students divided into teams of 10 conducted their research at businesses throughout theNew Hampshire Seacoast. The research consisted of observations of shopping behavior,followed by short surveys designed to validate the cognitive functions of self-restraint orflexibility associated with the observed behavior. In 95 percent of the cases, the observedbehavior was validated by the survey results.

Are You An Impulse Shopper?

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
12-19-2007
Are You An Impulse Shopper?
Lori Wright
UNH Media Relations
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Lori, "Are You An Impulse Shopper?" (2007). UNH Today. 808.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/808
9/13/17, 11(53 AMAre You An Impulse Shopper?
Page 1 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/dec/lw19impulse.cfm.html
 
Are You An Impulse Shopper?
Contact:  Lori Wright 
603-862-0574
UNH Media Relations
December 19, 2007
EDITORS AND REPORTERS: Chuck Martin can be reached at (603) 750-3020 and
cln6@unh.edu.
DURHAM, N.H. – As the Christmas shopping season moves into its final days, new research
from the University of New Hampshire shows that certain shoppers who exhibit distinct
cognitive skills are more apt to be impulse buyers.
“Observable Cognitive Function in the Purchasing Process: A Study of Quickly Identifying
Impulse Buying Behaviors in Consumers” was conducted by students in adjunct professor
Chuck Martin’s class at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics.
The students found that shoppers who exhibit high levels of flexibility or low levels of self-
restraint are most likely to make an impulse buy. The students theorize that salespeople can
be trained to spot these cognitive skills in shoppers, thus improving their ability to help
customers and increase the salesperson’s efficiency and effectiveness.
“The researchers found that these impulse and non-impulse behaviors in shoppers can be
identified in less than a minute, which could instantly indicate to a salesperson who is most
likely to listen to their sales advice and who is not,” Martin said.
Flexibility and self-restraint are two of a dozen cognitive functions known as executive skills.
People high in flexibility are able to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new
information, or mistakes. They are highly adaptable to changing conditions. People high in
self-restraint have the ability to think before they act. They can resist the urge to say or do
something to allow time to evaluate the situation and how a behavior might affect it.
The students found that highly flexible customers browse extensively and tend to walk around
the store. They are not loyal to any one brand. They are open to suggestions from sales
associates and easily persuaded to purchase the generic, less-costly version of the item or
even to trade up. If the customers can’t find the product they want to purchase, they tend to
purchase another similar product.
Consumers with low-self restraint randomly look at products, walking through the aisles
grabbing different items. They appear distracted or scattered, picking up items without a
pattern. Sometimes they will pick up an item, put it back, then go back and get it for
purchase. Sales are very attractive to these consumers, whether or not they planned to
purchase the item – they are the true impulse buyer.
These consumers often exhibit the “oohh” factor. For example, during the study, students
9/13/17, 11(53 AMAre You An Impulse Shopper?
Page 2 of 2http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/dec/lw19impulse.cfm.html
observed a male shopper at Best Buy in line ready to check out. Upon noticing the discounted
DVD rack, he immediately said “oohh” and approached the rack to sort through his options.
He wound up purchasing four discounted DVDs.
On the other hand, salespeople would be wise to not invest their time with customers who are
highly self-restrained. They are not enticed by sales or salespeople. They may browse
extensively and comparison shop, but will leave the store empty handed if they don’t find
exactly what they want.
Inflexible customers may be the most difficult for salespeople, since they can be openly
difficult and stubborn. These customers are “on a mission” – they know what they want and
walk directly to the department of the store with the item. If it’s not available, they will turn
around and walk out.
Fifty students divided into teams of 10 conducted their research at businesses throughout the
New Hampshire Seacoast. The research consisted of observations of shopping behavior,
followed by short surveys designed to validate the cognitive functions of self-restraint or
flexibility associated with the observed behavior. In 95 percent of the cases, the observed
behavior was validated by the survey results.


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