Train tickets purchased, a picturesque hotel by the seaside booked, dinner at a lovely local restaurant reserved, when you realize… I have nothing to wear?! Despite a wardrobe full of flowy summer dresses, silky blouses, and linen balloon pants, you frantically indulge yourself in a last-minute purchase of the latest vacation pieces or leave with an empty suitcase to be filled with holiday looks acquired at your destination. I am certain each of us has experienced an impulse fashion purchase as a tourist, at least once, during the vacation season. The overflow of social media content presenting vacation wardrobe hauls, holiday fashion adds jumping at us from every corner, or yet another newsletter announcing seasonal sales that cannot be missed, with prices of tops starting at 2 euros, definitely do not aid in conscious decisions, to say the least. All of these aspects create space for tourists to perform impulsive purchases of fashion. 

Shopping is often the most significant spending category on vacations, accounting for about one-third of total tourism expenditures (Meng & Xu, 2010). Reportedly, 86.8% of overseas tourists to the United States consider shopping as the number one leisure/recreational activity, with an average expenditure of $375 per visitor (Li et al., 2018). A significant portion of these purchases are fashion items, since acquiring clothing and accessories is linked with an important emotional charge. 

Based on a thorough academic literature review, this paper will analyse the reality of tourists’ impulse purchases of fashion pieces, before and during their journeys. First, the concept of impulse buying, its main drivers, and consequences will be defined. Then, the specific case of impulse purchases of fashion by tourists, their contexts, and implications will be presented. Finally, strategies to manage and prevent impulse buying will be listed. 

 

Understanding Impulse Buying: Definition, Drivers, Consequences

Impulse buying represents the act of making unplanned and spontaneous purchases, often driven by emotions, desires, or a sudden urge. It involves buying items without careful consideration or prior intention, and the decision to make the purchase is typically taken abruptly (Saleh, 2025). As defined by Sharma in a meta-analysis of impulse buying, it is “a sudden, hedonically complex purchase behavior in which the rapidity of the impulse purchase precludes any thoughtful, deliberate consideration of alternative or future implications”(Amos et al., 2013). While impulse buying is generally unplanned, not all unplanned purchases are impulsive acquisitions. The fundamental difference lies in the feelings that accompany those behaviours. An unplanned purchase may happen when you remember your need for a product, without an urge or extreme emotions. For instance, a few days before your upcoming trip, you recall that the only swimsuit that you own broke last year, and you need to purchase a new one. You happen to be near a store and make a logical, conscious buy, without excessive emotional charge (hopefully choosing the most sustainable option). Meanwhile, acquiring the 20th polyester bikini for 100 euros, on a whim, just because it has a pretty strawberry pattern, and you are leaving for the only vacation this year, is indeed an impulsive purchase. There are three main criteria that characterise impulsive buying: it is spontaneous and has a positive emotional charge, the buyer presents a low regard for the price or consequences, and it involves a hedonic temptation for immediate self-fulfillment through consumption.

In their meta-analysis, Amos, Holmes, and Keneson define three overarching drivers of impulsive buying: dispositional, situational, and socio-demographic variables (Amos et al, 2013). Dispositional characteristics present as chronic traits specific to an individual that tend to impact any kind of daily activities. Those main factors that influence impulsive purchases include: 

• Impulse Buying Trait (IBT)/impulsiveness is a personal predisposition to a lack of behavioral control and surrendering to temptation. Individuals with higher impulsive traits are more likely to experience spontaneous buying stimuli and engage in actual impulsive purchases.
• Hedonic tendency presents as a state when people buy driven by the desire for pleasure and surface-level satisfaction rather than logical needs, functional benefits, and reason. This behaviour is particularly relevant for tourists who are present in this unusual state, who tend to search for pleasure and excitement.
• Materialism is a constant desire to possess material objects. People with materialistic tendencies are more likely to participate in abrupt, unplanned shopping.

Meanwhile, situational antecedents are the external events or stimuli that encourage the customer to purchase impulsively.  The main examples are:

• Social influence can have either positive or negative effects on impulsive buying. Reportedly, the presence of friends, colleagues, shop assistants increases the likelihood of an impulse purchase, meanwhile, family members tend to discourage such behaviour.
• Moods and emotions, be it positive, such as pleasure, excitement, or negative, such as stress, depression, fatigue, are both determinants of a higher chance of impulsive acquisitions of products. 
• Marketing presents as the ultimate tool to encourage impulse buying. A number of marketing strategies, such as special experiences including beautiful smells, pleasant sounds, promotions, and website layouts, all aim to lead you towards an impulsive purchase. 
• Retail environment plays a crucial role in sales efficiency. The store layout, aesthetic, music, lighting, etc., are essential in influencing impulse buying by creating a welcoming atmosphere that enhances emotions.
• Time pressure is another crucial and highly debated factor. Some studies suggest that limited time enhances the likelihood of impulsive purchase, as such a situation often accelerates decision-making, leading to emotional rather than logical choices (Liang & Yu, 2024). On the contrary, other studies show that time pressure can negatively impact impulsive buying due to discomfort and risk aversion tendencies associated with time-constrained consumption. Lie et al. argue that the impact of time pressure depends on an individual’s travel experience. For tourists with more travel experience, time insufficiency had a positive impact on impulse buying, meanwhile, the opposite effect was observed within tourists with less travel experience. This phenomenon was connected to the differing levels of confidence in intuitive decision-making under time pressure between those two groups. (Li et al., 2021)
• Product attributes, such as features, price, and quality, can influence impulse buying positively or negatively, depending on one’s preferences.
• The available budget, the amount of money available at hand at the time of a possible purchase, has a higher positive impact when the sum is more significant.

Finally, the socio-demographic variables are namely the age, gender, income, and ethnicity of potential customers. The interaction between dispositional and situational variables has reportedly the strongest influence on impulse buying, followed by dispositional variables, then situational variables, and finally sociodemographic variables (Amos et al, 2013).

 

Impulse buying of fashion pieces in a tourism context

Following the logic of impulse buying presented above, it is clear that the combination of fashion and tourism presents as an environment very conducive to abrupt purchases. Tourism is perceived by the majority as an unordinary time, a period of absolute pleasure and excitement (Gaczek et al., 2021). As a tourist, in a new space, one almost becomes a different person. This “escape mode” creates space for behavior led mainly by emotions rather than reason – you desire to treat yourself to the fullest, look your best. Hence, to achieve that ultimate pleasure, one of the most significant indulgences is shopping for fashion pieces, be it right before your trip or during (Kam et al., 2018). In such an environment, the dispositional characteristics are thriving, hedonic tendencies and materialism are shining. Meanwhile, situational antecedents such as social influence, mood, marketing, visual merchandising, or special product attributes most often create a space that highly encourages, almost requires, impulsive fashion purchases. The Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model can aid in summarizing this behaviour. The context of being on vacation in a new, exciting place, the environmental factors (stimulus), influence a tourist’s emotional state (organism), which then evokes a clear response in the form of an impulse purchase (Bowes & Djafarova, 2021; Liang & Yu, 2024).

Reportedly, impulsive purchases are significantly greater for fashion merchandise than for supermarket or general products purchases. This aligns with fashion decisions being driven by emotions rather than functional needs (Amos et al, 2013). Even though at the very moment of the purchase, the choice seems like the best decision one could possibly make, the consequences of extensive impulse buying are significant. Once the shopping high has settled down, upon returning from holidays or even still during the stay, an impulsive buyer may often regret their decision. When they logically realize that the item is not exactly what they imagined it to be, the dress may not fit all that well, or the top actually is incredibly itchy, the post-purchase regret will appear. Reportedly, 52% of women and 47% of men regret their impulsive acquisitions (Saleh, 2025). Moreover, this abrupt unplanned buying may cause financial strains. Finally, the entire process is packed with emotions, which can quickly turn from happiness and excitement to frustration and anger when the reality of the illogical purchase becomes clear. Furthermore, such shopping behavior particularly impacts entire ecosystems. The majority of the items are fast fashion, which is one of the most polluting industries, from the very oil drip that will be transformed into polyester fibers to the microplastics released from a bikini. Such clothes are often produced in factories that violate human rights. However innocent a tourist’s impulsive fashion buy may seem, it most probably has an enormous environmental and social impact.

 

Strategies to prevent impulse buying

Having analysed the nature of impulse fashion purchases as a tourist, one may ask what can be done to avoid such shopping behaviour. Impulse buying of fashion is clearly a very complex social phenomenon. While it is virtually impossible to eliminate all abrupt fashion acquisitions, there are ways of reducing possible unplanned and often unnecessary purchases, especially during such extraordinary times as vacations. Following an impactful personal experience of Jane Hoskyn, The Guardian’s journalist suggests a set of clear strategies (Hoskyn, 2025). It is advised to identify your real needs and only after that reflection, make well-thought-out shopping lists and set defined time and budget limits. Buy for the real you, not the idealized version of who you can become when on vacation – make sure that the style suits your body, taste, and lifestyle. Finally, the choices should be holistically conscious – choose second-hand over new pieces (have a look at our vintage shopping maps). However, if you aren’t able to, ensure that the pieces come from responsible productions, certified natural materials. 

Conclusion

Vacation is indeed an unusual time of excitement and pleasure, as if happening parallel to everyday reality. As one takes on the identity of a tourist, reason often tends to be defeated by emotions. Tourists want to relax and treat themselves, which often comes in the form of fashion purchases. This article did not aim at stigmatizing impulse purchases of fashion pieces; it aims to provide logic behind such behaviour, so that the reader becomes aware and can make fully conscious choices. Think twice before your next fashion purchase. Travel in sustainable style.

 

 

 

 

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References:

 

Amos, C., Holmes, G.R. and Keneson, W.C. (2014) ‘A meta-analysis of consumer impulse buying’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(2), pp. 86–97. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2013.11.004.

 

Djafarova, E. and Bowes, T. (2021) ‘“Instagram made Me buy it”: Generation Z impulse purchases in fashion industry’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, p. 102345. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102345.

 

Hoskyn, Jane (2025) ‘My house filled with stuff while my bank account drained’: how I stopped impulse buying, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/feb/27/how-to-stop-impulse-buying (Accessed: 2 June 2025).

 

Li, C. et al. (2021) ‘To buy or not to buy? The effect of time scarcity and travel experience on tourists’ impulse buying’, Annals of Tourism Research, 86, p. 103083. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.103083.

 

Liang, C.-C. and Yu, A.P.-I. (2024) ‘Customer impulse shopping in airports’, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 52(3), pp. 372–385. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-06-2023-0395.

 

Meng, F. et al. (2019) ‘Modeling precursors of impulsive tourist shopping behavior: Evidence from long‐haul Chinese outbound tourists’, International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(3), pp. 344–358. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2266.

 

Meng, F. and Xu, Y. (2012) ‘Tourism shopping behavior: planned, impulsive, or experiential?’, International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research. Edited by D.C. Fowler, 6(3), pp. 250–265. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/17506181211246401.

 

Saleh, Khalid (2025) The State of Impulse Buying (Statistics & Trends 2025), invesp. Available at: https://www.invespcro.com/blog/impulse-buying/ (Accessed: 2 June 2025).

 

Szymkowiak, A., Gaczek, P. and Padma, P. (2021) ‘Impulse buying in hospitality: The role of content posted by social media influencers’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 27(4), pp. 385–399. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667211003216.

 

Um, T., Chung, N. and Stienmetz, J. (2023) ‘Factors affecting consumers’ impulsive buying behavior in tourism mobile commerce using SEM and fsQCA’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, 29(2), pp. 256–274. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667221090991.