I hear ya...

When it comes to the supermarket I don't easily fall for impulse purchases. Result of having to make do with very little money for way too long.

But another major reason... the noise levels in the supermarket. The ceilings don't absorb sound it seems, and noise levels are horrific, especially during tourist season, which is most of the year these days.
That many people in a place with lots of hard surfaces, the constant bleeps from the cash registers (scanning) added to that, drive me up the wall.
It's too much for my sensitive head. Meaning I go in and out as fast as I can. No time to shop leisurely and be exposed to impulse purchases. I have one desire only: get out asap!
I don't even know half the stuff that's for sale anymore these days as I never really shop around for reasons mentioned.

The only thing that does work is smell: before Sinterklaas, Dec 5th, they deliberately start baking the special Sinterklaas cookies just before 5 when people are hungry.
That CAN get to me if I happen to be there then.

That's an interesting addition to the impulse buying strategy.

I wonder if there is a fragrance that cause people to react impulsively?
{Note to Self: gotta start paying attention to the smells in stores more}

I'm wondering how deep our tendency to impulse buy really is?
Has anyone ever noticed it while at a bar or club?
I know the smell of popcorn at the theater makes me want to buy stuff at the concessions stand.
Am I being manipulated or did I really want that popcorn?

With all I learned long ago about how sales does and doesn't really work, by the time I knew about impulse buying, I was just amused.

I don't care that some vendors will make a higher profit than others on a given product. Heck, sometimes I knowingly pay double for something small (like sodas) simply because I realize I'm saving much more valuable time and gasoline, not driving to another location for it.

The thing I realized about all of it, the whole sales hook-or-by-crook stuff, is that the real key to not feeling sucked in, is basic self-awareness and responsibility. Decide what you want to buy, what you want to pay for it, and then go get it. If you find later you might have saved a few dollars elsewhere, chalk it up to education costs, or even better, to the use you had from your copy of the thing between when you got it, and when the lower priced one was available. That's got real value after all.

Bottom line, from my experience, there's a lot more self-delusion going on amongst the SALES people, than there is amongst their customers.

Lol

Colour is another one, I think. I am very sensitive to colour. The neatly sorted and displayed towels in a warehouse can make me want new towels and actually check them out. I wanted pink, which they didn't have, but the aqua towels made me drool! I almost decided to switch to aqua for my bathroom.
Even now, writing bout it, I'm thinking, "Dang, I want those towels!!"

When most meat was bought at the butcher's, there was this silly green lettuce-like things in between the different meats. This makes the meat look fresher and more easily makes people buy it.
When it comes to food there's some colours that put people off. I believe purple and black (not 100% certain anymore).
I remember this from a course I once did.
So colour is also used to make us buy.

Maybe a little of both, first you have to like popcorn.

In college I took a marketing class. Part of the marketing strategy is to appeal to the senses... get people to think they need and want something by manipulating their senses.

When I was on Mackinac Island I went into a Native American store to get some sage. I checked out the CD's while there but didn't get one... I didn't need it, could listen to music on my laptop if I wanted to. The second time I went into the store I heard the music playing and got the CD they were playing. The song playing appealed to my senses, I wouldn't have bought it had I not heard the song they were playing.