The influence of culture on students' impulsive buying behaviour in the Vaal Triangle area

Abstract

Impulse buying or unplanned purchases by consumers constitute a major proportion of purchases in certain product categories. Studies in the United States widely reported that impulse consumer buying behaviour accounts for up to 80% of all purchases in certain product categories, and it has been suggested that purchases of new products result more from impulse purchasing than from prior planning. South Africa is a nation of shoppers with increasing numbers defined as impulse buyers who respond to glossy adverts such as „never to be beaten bargains‟ and „buy one get one free‟. Culture has a profound effect on why people buy. Culture affects the specific products people buy as well as the structures of consumption, individual decision-making and communication in a society. Since South Africa has quite a diverse group of different cultures, it has been of great importance to determine whether cultural differences had an influence on impulsive buying behaviour. The primary research objective was to assess the influence of different cultures on consumer impulsive buying behaviour of students. The findings of this research study did not clearly indicate if culture had an effect on students‟ impulsive buying behaviour.