Impulse buying behavior: Packaging effects of snack foods

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the packaging effects of snack foods lead consumers to impulsive buying behavior. It is becoming progressively difficult in today's world to attract the attention of consumers in the ever changing and evolving product categories. It therefore becomes necessary to attract the consumers' attention in order to keep the products in the market and to increase the purchase amounts. How do the products that we contact with our eyes or hands on the shelves everyday attract us? The most obvious answer to this is the difference in packaging. The packaging which is considered as silent seller attracts attention with their visuals and takes place in the consumer's memory. In the next purchase the consumer exhibits a familiar attitude for the product. A sense of awareness may lead the consumer to buy the product, even if s/he does not need it. In addition, the products' packaging may lead the consumer to impulsive buying behavior. The many different features of the packaging may appeal to different consumer groups or different consumers' wants and needs and this in turn, exhibits itself in impulsive buying behavior. The study used survey method with 174 participants to investigate the packaging effects on impulsive buying behavior. According to the results of the statistical analysis, factors which are "packaging effects of snack foods, consumer's mood and functions of snack foods packaging" influence the impulse buying behavior of the consumers. Key words: impulse buying behavior, packages, packaging effects, snack foods.