Abstract
This study studies the impulsive purchase behavior of supermarket consumers of the Kathmandu valley and determines the important elements affecting the consumer buying pattern. The major goal is to determine the amount of impulsiveness of supermarket buyers and the demographic and behavioural features related to such a behavior. The study is based on primary data collected from a sample of 100 grocery shoppers using a standardized questionnaire. The respondents were randomly picked using the convenience sampling approach. Data were thoroughly coded and analysed using SPSS software. Various statistical tools such as percentage analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation and regression analysis were used to study the association of variables and to analyse the pattern of consumer behavior. The results indicate that the clients of supermarkets in Kathmandu Valley have a significant propensity to impulsive purchase behavior. Impulsive buying shows strong association with demographic parameters such as gender, age, occupation, marital status and monthly income. The research shows that the most likely people to make impulse buys at the supermarket are younger and more financially independent consumers. The study is limited to the clients of supermarkets of Kathmandu Valley which provides a focused insight of the local consumer behavior. Future research is suggested to cover larger geographical coverage and other affecting variables such as packaging, cultural factors and lifestyle impacts to improve the comprehensiveness and generalizability of the findings.
Keywords: Consumer Behavior, Customer, Impulse Buying Behavior, Product Promotion, Psychology of Purchasing.