Gender Differences in Factors Affecting Impulsive Buying Behavior

Abstract

Studies focusing on the factors affecting impulsive buying behavior considering gender are scarce. To fill this gap, this study examines whether impulsive purchases are influenced by age, education level, income, and being accompanied by friends and whether these effects differ according to gender. Data were obtained from an online questionnaire. Findings reveal that women are more impulsive when shopping alone than accompanied by a friend. For men, no effect of the presence of friends on impulsivity was found. No significant differences were found between the impulsiveness of men and women. However, while for males there is no evidence that age, education, or income are determinants of impulsivity, for females, a higher impulsivity was associated with younger ages, lower education levels, and higher salaries. With these results, marketers can design more effective marketing strategies to encourage impulsive purchases.