Showing posts with label moving impulse purchases online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving impulse purchases online. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Would you buy a candy bar or two to get free shipping?


As more purchases move online the candy companies are facing a dilemma.  

According to Hershey's 56% of shoppers always or often buy a snack at checkout.  No doubt due in part to frustration from waiting on long checkout lines.  (Gasparro, 2017)

But how can candy companies replicate that in an online environment?

Some are trying to use the same technique and are offering up a variety of items at the end of the transaction under headlines like - "have you forgotten," or "other people have purchased." 

But a more interesting idea might be to help consumers reach their free shipping minimums.  We've all experienced that moment when you realize that you are just a few dollars short of free shipping, so you buy one more item to reach the threshold.  Why can't that item be a candy bar or two?

Another option would be to offer customers a coupon to get them to add the item to their list.  Once a product is on the list, chances are that it will remain there and be repurchased.

So what do you think?  Do you make impulse purchases online?  What prompted the purchase, and what did you buy?  Do you think any of the ideas discussed will be effective?  Do you have a different idea that might work?


Gasparro, A & Haddon, H. (2017, October 16)  Food Companies Revamp for a Digital World.  wsj.com. Retrieved August 13, 2018, from  https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-food-companies-get-people-to-make-impulse-purchases-online-1508119561

Geller, G. (2019, December 3)  Recreating The Impulse Buy Online.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved December 4, 2019, from