Intriguing Insights #011 - Inverted Inspirations

Today’s piece is inspired by an article I read about how impulse purchases are on a downward trajectory as grocery buys are steadily moving to a more phygital interface. 

What this does is the gum, or sweets or even cold beverage you picked up on an impulse when you were at the kirana store, are no longer finding their way into your shopping cart as you sit down with utmost intent to complete the chore of grocery shopping online or over the phone.

As I thought about this new reality another one came to mind. Is it just that impulse buys have been injured by intent. Or have purchases which were a thing of intent now moved to a more impulsive behaviour.

Let me explain this further. Items that you purchased after much deliberation now make their way rather easily, with minimum resistance, into your cart. A few factors I believe are aiding this trend.

1. There is whole new audience who have moved from a physical world of retail to e-commerce. This means products that they would have planned and stepped out buy with intent now randomly appear before them as they scroll through online sites.

2. With WFH and limited accessibility to house help, consumers are now a lot more involved with many new activities around the house. So this is creating a new category of relatively low cost yet high involvement products. To list a few, earphones, kitchen accessories, cleaning material, etc.

3. The third factor while similar to the second is more about a new lifestyle than the functionality to aid that lifestyle. So office clothing is replaced  by relaxed casuals, entertainment and sports have moved indoors, making way for products which may have not been needed in the erstwhile daily schedule.

So what does this do, as you go online to buy essentials, you are faced with an blockbuster deal on a pair of earphones, or a heat resistant kitchen ladle or maybe a vacuum cleaner you just can’t do without. Now items which would have been thought through purchases are almost aping impulse buys. 

Welcome to the topsy-turvy new normal.