Impulse Purchases Still Strong

Given all the economic uncertainty American shoppers face, here’s a seemingly surprising finding: almost three-quarters of them made unplanned buys in-store in the past month. Underlying such impulse purchases are two major factors: consumers’ continued cautious optimism and the power of brick-and-mortar retail experiences.

Those are among the findings in a new study from Optimum Retitled titled “U.S. Consumer Spending Habits: Insights for Retailers for 2026.”

“This new data reinforces how critical it is for retailers to be prepared for shoppers with varied purchasing motivations,” said Sam Vise, CEO of Optimum Retailing, an in-store experience management platform. “Consumers today are cautious, but not unengaged. What’s changing is that shoppers are more intentional about when and why they make unplanned purchases; the moment and experience must both feel correct. It’s up to retailers to meet shoppers where they are with the right mix of value and smarter merchandising strategies.”

Optimum’s findings also underline the importance of quality in-store retail experiences today, the company ways. Only 5% of shoppers say in-store shopping doesn’t feel worth it anymore, indicating a clear opportunity for retail leaders to drive sales and engagement.

“Brick-and-mortar retail continues to play a vital role in consumer decision-making, especially when shoppers’ budgets are tight,” Vise said. “However, shoppers finding value in-store isn’t a given either. Our data underscores that U.S. consumers won’t settle for less than clear store layouts, relevant products and meaningful incentives — factors that can drive loyalty and spark unplanned purchases among shoppers.”

Optimum drew its conclusions from a survey of 1000 U.S. consumers in June, who were asked about  their current spending habits and attitudes toward discretionary spending. At the time of the survey, all respondents were 18 years or older and had made discretionary purchases in the past six months.

Click here for more survey results.