Breda University research: Shopping purpose drives unplanned purchases more than hunger

New research from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) questions the widely held advice to "never shop hungry." The study, released in proximity to World Food Day on October 16, posits that the purpose behind a shopping trip is a more significant driver of unplanned purchases than hunger itself.

The study, which analyzed real-world supermarket data from 323 consumers and their receipts, found that hunger did not have a significant effect on most items purchased. The sole exception was snacks and sweets, where each one-point increase in hunger level (on a scale of 0-10) was associated with a 9% rise in the risk of impulse buying.

The most decisive factor for unplanned purchases was the customer's original intention for visiting the store. Shoppers who went to the store merely to "browse" made unplanned purchases in 69% of cases, compared to only 24% for those on regular grocery missions. This represents a nearly nine-fold difference, even when accounting for hunger levels.

Further findings indicated age-related differences. Older consumers, aged 55 and above, tended to make fewer impulse purchases. These groups reported the highest hunger levels in the study but still conducted the fewest unplanned purchases, suggesting that experience and self-control may outweigh the impact of physical hunger on shopping behavior.