According to the latest ONS data, retail sales and online spending have increased by 4.5% year-on-year, with almost all sectors experiencing growth. At the same time, household spending has increased by 0.9%.
Not only are consumers spending more overall, but they’re also shopping more spontaneously. Studies have shown UK shoppers are shopping more frequently but buying fewer items per trip, suggesting consumers are likely increasing the frequency of smaller impulse purchases.
To better understand this behaviour and its impact on retail, leading specialist bank, Vanquis, has surveyed 2,000 members of the public to explore how often people spend on impulse, what they’re buying and how much they’re spending.
The findings reveal that the average Brit will make 42 impulse purchases over the course of the year, costing £943.44 on average per person, or £64.4 billion nationwide*. However, this number rises sharply among younger adults. Those aged 25–34 spend an average of £131.03 each month on non-budgeted items.
When it comes to what consumers are impulsively buying, food and snacks top the list. More than half of Brits (51%) admit they often spend money on food and snacks outside of their regular monthly budget. This category attracts impulsive purchases across nearly all demographics, especially among 25-34-year-olds (66%) and those earning £75k+ (67%).
For convenience retailers, purchases of crisps and savoury snacks remain predominantly impulse-driven, particularly in single portions and grab bags. However, healthy snacks are also driving more spending in this sector. The UK’s healthy snacks market is estimated to be worth £3 billion.
Clothing and fashion items rank as the second most common impulse purchase, with 43% of Brits saying they often buy them on a whim. This is more common among women (52% compared to 34% of men), and those aged 16-24 (51% compared to 39% of over 55s).
Cheaper fast fashion purchases are on the rise again after a dip last year, increasing 13% in the first quarter of 2025. Aggressive promotional discounts and a rising interest in trend-led fashion are key reasons for this shift. With younger shoppers especially susceptible to emotionally or socially driven online purchases, impulse buying is quickly becoming a core part of how this demographic engages with fashion, both online and in-store.
Restaurants, cafés and takeaway brands are also seeing the benefit of spontaneous buying, with 31% of respondents admitting to regularly ordering takeaways or dining out on impulse, making this the third-most common impulse purchase.
While studies have shown dine-in experiences have dipped slightly since 2019, with the number of people who say they never order food or drink at restaurants increasing 5% year-on-year, almost half of 16–34-year-olds have redeemed restaurant app rewards in the past six months. The average Brit will spend £84 per month on eating out, with discounts a clear factor in driving more sales.
Beauty and skincare products came in fourth, with 1 in 5 (20%) of Brits admitting to buying them on impulse. Beauty miniatures appear to be a significant factor in fuelling this impulsive spend, with these minis outpacing overall beauty sales.
The British Beauty Council projects that the UK beauty sector will reach £31.5 billion in 2025, an increase of 3% from last year. The sector already surpassed the growth rate of the overall economy last year by four times.
One of the biggest factors behind the UK’s impulsive spending behaviour is the growing influence of social media. Vanquis’ survey reveals over half of Brits say social media, such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, has influenced them to buy something on impulse (56%), with 17% saying they do so frequently.
Unsurprisingly, younger generations are more susceptible to social media’s influence. Over a third (35%) of 16-24s say they are influenced frequently (35%), with only a fraction of young people (10%) saying they have never been influenced to make an impulse purchase thanks to social media.
Social commerce in the UK overall is projected to more than double, from £7.4 billion in 2024 to nearly £16 billion by 2028. TikTok sits at the forefront of this boom, with its influence on the UK’s social commerce landscape growing rapidly. Last year alone, the number of active sellers on TikTok Shop doubled to over 200,000, with TikTok also saying in-stream shopping has increased by 120% already this year.
Tim Schwarz, head of brand at Vanquis, commented on the findings: “With social media increasingly shaping what, how and when people spend, the path to purchase is becoming faster and more instinctive, especially for younger consumers.
“Impulse buying is becoming an even bigger part of the retail landscape, which creates an important opportunity for retailers to lean into this spontaneity. Those who can create seamless, easy shopping experiences and meet consumers where those impulses happen will be best positioned to boost their sales.”
