• Retailist Roundup
  • Posts
  • The Art of the Impulse Buy: How Retailers Can Drive Delight, Not Just Dollars

The Art of the Impulse Buy: How Retailers Can Drive Delight, Not Just Dollars

Ecommerce has completely redefined impulse buying—what was once limited to last-minute candy at the checkout is now 40% of all online purchases, revealing just how powerfully digital platforms are shaping spontaneous shopping habits.

July 11, 2025

📢 Hey, Retailist Roundup readers! If impulse buys used to mean gum at checkout, why are 40% of all e-commerce purchases now made on a whim and what does that say about how we shop today?

News from Retailist

Consumer psychology, behavioral economics, and game design have replaced proximity to checkout as the leading cause of impulse purchases and, if done right, the consumer gets a jolt of delight instead of fresh cavities.

Have an exclusive scoop on a retail story? Click here to email our team.

In the news: Top headlines this week

Amazon Prime Day set to lift US online sales to $23.8 billion, Adobe estimates. Online spending during this week’s 96-hour Amazon Prime Day event is projected to hit $23.8 billion, a 28.4% increase from last year—as shoppers hunt for back-to-school deals, according to Adobe Analytics. [Reuters]

Tariffs drive US clothing imports from China to 22-year low in May. U.S. apparel imports from China dropped in May to their lowest monthly level in 22 years, as steep tariffs and strained trade relations continue to erode China’s dominance in the U.S. clothing market. [Reuters]

Retailers avoided a worst case scenario in Vietnam. But executives say Trump’s trade deal could still hit consumers. Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced that Brazil will impose reciprocal tariffs in response to U.S. President Trump’s newly announced 50% tariff on Brazilian exports, set to begin August 1, citing a new law allowing proportional countermeasures. [CNBC]

J.C. Penney to hold down prices for back to school, holiday despite Q1 declines. J.C. Penney’s Q1 net sales fell 4.3% to $1.3 billion, but strong gains in beauty, jewelry, home, men’s, and kids’ lifted performance. While net loss widened to $69 million, adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $2 million, excluding restructuring costs. [Retail Dive]

RetailMeNot: Parents budgeting, cutting back on back-to-school spend. Back-to-school shoppers are cutting back this year, with parents planning to spend an average of $389 for K–12 students—down from $506 last year—while college spending is expected to drop from $821 to $598, as budget concerns top the list of stressors, per RetailMeNot. [CSA]

Job Board: This week’s Top Openings in DTC, RetailTech, and more

Want to submit a role to our talent board? Email [email protected].

✈️ Upcoming Industry Events

ABOUT RETAILIST

Retailist Magazine is an outlet focused on modern commerce as it relates to digital innovation. The publication examines our culture’s ever-evolving relationship with marketing, commerce and traditional retail. Our goal is to connect our audience to quality content and award programs for retail brands to tell their story of innovation.

These experts stand at the helm of their niche in retail and provide readers with real-time, trending insights to ensure you remain on the bleeding edge of commerce innovation. Contributing thought leaders include C-suite executives from Vistaprint, Hubspot, Wix, Printful, Global-e, Zapaygo, TradeGala, Birdie, Inurface Media, and more.