This study on impulse buys comes on the heels of a social media trend known as “little treat culture”. Credit: Undrey via Shutterstock.

A new online study commissioned by personal budgeting programme You Need a Budget (YNAB) has surveyed over 2000 US adults to get the figures behind the impulsive spending craze.

Nearly all (94%) of US consumers admit to spending impulsively, with purchases like dining out (55%) and clothing (53%) being among the most common sources.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Among impulsive spenders, 53% of them cited emotional fulfilment as the leading cause of their quickfire retail therapy.

This study on impulse buys comes on the heels of a social media trend known as “little treat culture” where people impulsively treat themselves for a quick boost of happiness. The term “little treat” has over 55 million views on TikTok.

This practice is exacerbated by shopping events such as Amazon’s Prime Day, which offers discounted products online and feeds into the ‘fear of missing out’ mindset, which is among the top three causes for impulsive spending (20%).

The holiday season also presents issues, as 68% of US consumers say they are more tempted to spend throughout the months of October to December.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Unsurprisingly, 55% of the surveyed consumers use credit cards to pay for their impulsive purchases, while 64% regret these purchases. GlobalData finds that the phenomenon of ultra-low interest rates has seen the growth of alternative credit suppliers such as buy now, pay later providers, which are key enablers for impulsive spending.

However, for many, impulse buying has a sneaky way of adding up. It is shown to delay big financial goals for more than half of impulsive spenders (52%) and sometimes causes financial stress for 47%.

Almost 56% of US consumers are using a form of budget or spending plan, but 51% have accrued debt over the past year due to impulsive spending.