Influence of Sales Promotion on Impulse Buying: A Dual Process Approach

Abstract

This study investigates how sales promotions influence the psychological processing that precedes impulse buying. Applying a dual process theory, we distinguish between Reflective and Impulsive processing pathways. Through a survey study on 470 consumers, we tested four sales promotions characterized by different rewards (monetary versus nonmonetary) and gratification typologies (immediate-reward versus delayed-reward). The study further analyses the effects of promotion-induced affect, in terms of arousal and valence, as well as the influence of individual impulse buying tendency and sales proneness. Results show that impulsive responses are influenced by promotion-induced affect and individual differences, while reflective responses differ depending on the reward typology. The results contribute to the extant literature by discriminating the effects of sales promotions on the Reflective and Impulsive systems. Implications for retailers and promotion managers concerning the formulation of effective promotion strategies are discussed.