Shoppers buy more spontaneously and pay less attention to promotions

According to a new study by IFH Förderer, which surveyed 3,000 German consumers in October 2023 and July 2024, while 83% of shoppers in 2023 still considered promotions important, this proportion fell to 79% in 2024. The proportion of spontaneous purchases, however, increased: while in 2023 there were 67% fewer spontaneous purchases, by the summer of 2024 this proportion had fallen to 63%.

Prof. Dr. Werner Reinartz, Professor at the University of Cologne, who led the research, noted that the crisis situation is slowly but noticeably improving, which is also affecting purchasing decisions and consumption trends. Sustomer experience, sustainability and new technologies, as well as the “wow factor”, are becoming increasingly important.

While in autumn 2023, the majority of consumers (68%) were still rational and structured in decision-making, by summer 2024 this proportion had fallen to 65% and more consumers (35%) proved to be emotional and spontaneous shoppers. As a result, impulse purchases generated €204 billion in sales, an increase of €23 billion compared to October 2023. In contrast, rational shoppers spent €8 billion less over the same period.

According to Reinartz, with less price sensitivity and an increase in inspiration-seeking emotional shoppers, new opportunities are opening up for retailers. This will affect the way online and physical stores are designed, for example through the introduction of self-service checkouts and other digital services. Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important, for example in the form of offering second-hand goods or providing repair services. Competition is becoming ever fiercer, so enhancing the customer experience, for example through cafés or automated payment facilities, could be key to success.

Lebensmittelpraxis