Consumers are still making impulse purchases—and then regretting them: survey

Consumers today are a walking contradiction: tightening budgets while simultaneously making quick purchases.

According to a recent survey by PartnerCentric, 81% of consumers have made an impulse purchase this year. And even as 53% of shoppers say their budgets are tighter in 2026, 41% are still buying non-essentials at least once a week.

The survey of more than 1,000 consumers across Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers also suggests that speed is part of the problem—77% made a purchase within a week of starting their research, and 15% checked out the same day.

And, it seems, with urgency often comes regret. About 62% of respondents said they regretted an impulse purchase, while 34% said it caused financial stress.

Key factors driving at least some of this impulse shopping behavior include roughly 22% of consumers saying they’ve made an impulse purchase directly on social platforms, with TikTok (43%), Instagram (27%), and Facebook Marketplace (15%) leading the pack.

Creators are additionally playing a growing role as more than 1 in 3 consumers said they’ve followed a creator link when shopping, and 1 in 4 made a purchase while browsing a social storefront.

However, while economic uncertainty may be amplifying the behavior—retail therapy, after all, is real—it’s also taking a toll on consumers’ wallets.

Per a December 2025 CNBC report, impulse purchases cost consumers about $2,000 a year.

In the meantime, many shoppers have turned to BNPL to scratch that last-minute online shopping itch. More than 1 in 4 Americans were still paying off debt from the previous season, according to a WalletHub holiday survey from October 2025.