76% of Ukrainians make impulse purchases: what most often prompts them to buy

Rakuten Viber found out whether Ukrainians make impulse purchases and what drives them to do so. About 20,000 users took part in the survey on the official Rakuten Viber Ukraine channel.

Three-quarters of Ukrainians make unplanned purchases

The survey results showed that 76% of Ukrainians allow themselves to make unplanned purchases. In contrast, 11% of respondents have been trying to limit their spending since the start of the war.

In response to the question “Do you allow yourself to make unplanned purchases?”, the answers were distributed as follows:

• Sometimes — 58%;
• Yes, quite often — 18%;
• No, I plan all my purchases — 13%;
• I used to, but since the war began, I’ve been trying to limit myself — 11%.

What Drives Ukrainians to Make Unplanned Purchases

Ukrainians who allow themselves to make unplanned purchases also explained what drives them to do so. 47% of those surveyed are motivated by discounts or special offers. Another 28% of respondents said they see something in person and buy it simply because they felt like it.

Responses to the question “If you do allow yourself to make unplanned purchases, what prompts you to do so?” were distributed as follows:

• A discount or special offer — 47%;
• Saw it in person and just felt like it — 28%;
• I don’t notice a reason; I just buy on a whim — 7%;
• I was in a bad mood or stressed and wanted to cheer myself up — 4%;
• I was in a great mood or had succeeded at something and wanted to reward and celebrate myself — 3%;
• Ads on social media — 1%;
• Other — 10%.

Note: Research methodology—anonymous online survey, n > 20,000. Key age group—34–45 years old; over 50% of respondents are under 45 years old.

The survey results confirm once again that impulse purchases remain an important part of Ukrainian consumer behavior. At the same time, the main trigger is not advertising or emotions, but tangible economic benefits—discounts and special offers. For businesses, this means that well-designed promotions, limited-time offers, and a clearly communicated product value can be significantly more effective than increasing advertising budgets. However, it is important to remember that long-term loyalty is built not only on discounts, but also on positive customer experiences, product quality, and trust in the brand.