Take a deep breath: Exploring the role of mindfulness in impulse buying

Reducing impulse purchasing can contribute to preserving our ecosystem and enhance consumer wellbeing. The literature is divided on whether mindfulness could reduce or increase impulse purchasing. With three surveys and one experiment, we show that there is a negative relationship between trait mindfulness and impulse buying trait. However, we do not find such a relationship between trait mindfulness and impulse buying urge. Nor do we find an effect of state mindfulness on impulse buying urges or behaviors. We discuss why the notion that mindfulness can reduce impulse buying, might rely too heavily on correlational studies and self-reporting.