Here’s the thing that drives me crazy: when someone says they made an “impulse purchase,” most people just accept it and move on. But that’s exactly when you should lean in and start digging deeper.
After 15 years of studying customer behavior, I can tell you this – there’s no such thing as a true impulse buy. What we call “impulse” is just decisions made so fast that people can’t immediately explain their reasoning.
And when we accept “impulse” as an answer, we’re missing the gold mine of insights sitting right in front of us. (Listen to the accompanying podcast, unraveling the concept of impulse decisions).
The mattress that wasn’t really impulse
Let me tell you about Brian. He bought a mattress at Costco on a Saturday and swore it was totally impulse. “I didn’t plan it, it wasn’t on sale, I just saw it and bought it,” he said.
But when we dug deeper, here’s what we found: Brian hadn’t slept well in almost two years. He’d been thinking about a new mattress, trying different solutions, but nothing worked. That Saturday at Costco, with his wife and kids in tow, he had a big meeting coming up. His wife looked at him and said, “If you need it, let’s get it.”
Boom. Mattress purchased.
In his mind, it was impulse. In reality, he’d been creating space in his brain for a new mattress for 24 months. The sun, moon, and stars just aligned that Saturday at Costco. Read the Mattress Interview in more detail.
Why people say “impulse” (and why you shouldn’t accept it)
There are two main reasons people use the word “impulse,” and both should be red flags for anyone trying to understand customer behavior.
Reason 1: It’s a shut-down word
When customers say “impulse,” they’re often trying to get you to stop asking questions. They’ve made a decision so quickly that they haven’t connected the dots themselves. It’s not that they don’t have reasons – they just haven’t taken the time to think through something that felt automatic.
Think about it this way: we make thousands of buying decisions, and we get really good at processing all the information in our heads quickly. When you ask someone why they picked a certain drink from the refrigerator, they might say “just felt like it.” But if you slow them down and ask the right questions, you’ll uncover real forces at play – what they needed in that moment, what they were avoiding, what habits kicked in.
Reason 2: It’s lazy product development
The second reason people use “impulse” is even worse – it’s an excuse for not doing the hard work of understanding customers. I hear product teams say, “Oh, our products are just impulse buys. People will buy them when they buy them.”
That’s not strategy. That’s hoping.
If you think something is random or impulse, you’re basically saying you can’t predict when it will happen. So you just wait. And waiting is one of the deadly sins in my book.
The real story behind “impulse” decisions
Here’s what’s actually happening when someone makes what looks like an impulse purchase:
They’re processing information faster than they can explain.
We’ve all gotten really good at making decisions quickly. It’s like driving – you’re constantly making split-second choices about speed, distance, lane changes. When something unexpected happens, you react instantly based on thousands of previous experiences. Buying works the same way.
There’s always context you’re missing.
That “random” gum purchase? Maybe they have a job interview later and want fresh breath. Maybe they quit smoking and need something to do with their hands. Maybe their kid loves to blow bubbles and they saw it was the right brand.
The irrational becomes rational with context.
Every time we dig deeper into what seemed like an irrational decision, we find it was completely logical given everything the person was dealing with.
How to unlock the real story
When someone tells you their purchase was “impulse,” here’s what to do:
Don’t accept it. That’s your cue to go deeper, not to wrap up the conversation.
Help them remember. Ask about timing, location, what else was happening. “When exactly did this happen? What day of the week? What were you wearing? Who were you with?” These details help people reconstruct the moment and remember the context.
Look for the struggling moment. There’s always something they were trying to solve, even if it wasn’t obvious. The key is helping them connect dots they haven’t connected themselves.
Ask better questions. Instead of “Why did you buy that?” try “What was going on in your life when you decided you needed this?” or “What would have had to be different for you not to buy it?”
Your assignment
Next time you go to your refrigerator for a drink, stop. Notice how quickly you scan the options and make a choice. What’s pushing you toward certain options? What’s pulling you to the one you pick? What are you avoiding? What habits are kicking in?
You’ll realize you’re not just grabbing something randomly – you’re processing a bunch of forces faster than you can articulate.
And next time someone on your team or a customer uses the word “impulse,” remember: that’s not the end of the conversation. That’s where the real work begins.
Because understanding the real reasons behind customer behavior isn’t just better research – it’s better business.