Impulse Shopping Regaining Power

By Lucy Mitchell
Jan 14 2011

A study by the Federal government released today shows that impulse buying in the US has steadily increased over the past two years.

Impulse items have long been a standard for most retail outlets around the US. It is no mistake the candy bars and other such items are placed at the checkout counters in these stores. They are meant to grab attention and stimulate the brain of a shopper to force a purchase.

However, the mind of most consumers was able to beat out the desire to impulse purchase when the US economy was in recession mode. Most retail outlets reported that their impulse items were not doing the trick and as such they were looking for ways to get these items back in front of the customers.

But it would appear it was simply a case of financial jitters that kept consumers from buying such items. All retail outlets around the nation reported that they are selling more impulse items now than they have in the past two years.

Several retail companies have actually started moving higher profit items up closer to the checkout lines, attracting even more buyers. Wal-Mart is considered the forerunner is this department, adding larger shelving units at the registers to allow for more impulse items.

According to recent statistics, impulse items account for $48 billion a year in income for many retail outlets around the US. The bulk of these items are candy and health related and reside on shelves in most retail stores.