The age-old question in the retail industry has been about who possesses the power of influence. Can the retailer change consumer behavior or do consumers have the power to affect what retailers offer or how they operate? This question is harder to answer than you think, as in most scenarios both retailers and the consumers meet somewhere in the middle. When you think about impulse purchases in a retail setting, you think of candy or gum at the corner store, sunglasses or wallets at an apparel retail chain, even automobile accessories when paying for your car being serviced. While impulse buys are based on consumer behavioral psychology, over the past few decades they have evolved into an effective strategy for retailers to influence shoppers into buying not just these products but anything new that is introduced in the stores.
