Breda University: Shopping Purpose, Not Hunger, Drives Unplanned Purchases
New Breda University research challenges the advice to avoid shopping while hungry. The study indicates that the purpose of a shopping trip is a more significant driver of unplanned purchases than physical hunger.
Breda, Netherlands – New research from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) questions the common advice to avoid grocery shopping when hungry. The study, released in proximity to World Food Day on October 16, found that shoppers' original intent for their trip has a significantly larger impact on unplanned purchases than physical hunger.
Researcher Sait Durgun analyzed over 3,000 receipts and found that hunger itself did not significantly increase unplanned purchases across the entire shopping basket. The sole exception was for snacks and sweets, where each one-point increase on the hunger scale was associated with a 9% higher likelihood of an unplanned purchase.
Age also played a role. Older shoppers, aged 55 and above, made the fewest unplanned purchases, despite reporting the highest levels of hunger. This suggests that experience and self-control can override the influence of physical appetite.
The most significant predictor of unplanned purchases was the reason the customer initially entered the store. Shoppers who came solely to browse made unplanned purchases nearly seven times more often than those undertaking a routine grocery run. The research highlights that the planned purpose before entering the store may be more crucial than the level of hunger.