Why shopping intent beats hunger in supermarket impulse buys

Researcher Sait Durgun analyzed 3,819 items across 323 shoppers to determine what truly fills a cart with unlisted goods. While hunger does play a measurable role in the snack aisle—where every point of hunger on a 0–10 scale increases the likelihood of an unplanned treat by 9%—it remains statistically insignificant across the total basket. Age also serves as a critical buffer; shoppers aged 55 and over reported the highest hunger levels yet exhibited the most restraint, pointing to the influence of experience and self-control over biological cues.

The data confirms that the mindset of the shopper dictates behavior more than the state of their stomach. Those entering a supermarket to browse made unplanned purchases 69% of the time, compared to 24% for shoppers on routine grocery runs. Durgun concludes that the most effective way to curb impulse buying is not to eat before arriving, but to define a clear purpose before crossing the threshold.