Impulse and Indulgence: The Psychology of Unplanned Luxury Consumption
Hong Kong, 25 September 2025 – As novelty and exoticism become increasingly appealing to consumers, luxury purchases are taking on new psychological significance. High-end acquisitions, particularly when unplanned, offer more than status; they provide a temporary escape from everyday pressures. Yet despite their prevalence, spontaneous luxury purchases remain surprisingly underexplored. To address this gap and help hospitality and tourism practitioners capitalise on the behaviour of luxury consumers, Professor YooHee Hwang and Professor Sam Kim of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), working with a co-author, explored the emotions driving unplanned luxury consumption among US and Asia consumers.
“In today’s consumer-oriented world”, the researchers begin, “tourists and shoppers seek value in products and services that are both novel and exotic”. In particular, luxury experiences help to fulfil buyers’ need for self-actualisation by conferring status and projecting a positive image to others. Luxury shoppers tend to prioritise quality and variety over price, giving them unique sociodemographic profiles and consumption patterns that are of keen interest to marketers.
Surprisingly, however, conspicuous gaps remain in understanding of this consumer segment. “There is scant research investigating unplanned luxury purchases”, say the authors – even though such purchases have been shown to be relatively common. Another omission relates to the difference between purchases of luxury goods and luxury experiences. “Furthermore”, the researchers add, “the underlying reasons for consumers’ emotions about unplanned purchases are not well understood”.
To fill these gaps, the researchers sought to combine the two streams of literature regarding unplanned purchases and luxury purchases. First, to demonstrate the prevalence of both trends, they asked 96 US adults to recall their most recent spontaneous luxury purchase. They found that “90% (vs. 10%) of unplanned luxury purchases were goods (vs. experiences)”. There were various reasons for these purchases, including moving to a new place and taking advantage of a sale. “In summary”, the researchers note, “unplanned purchases of luxury goods and experiences are common”.
The next step was to formulate theories regarding the emotions that drive consumers’ unplanned luxury purchases, which to date have not been well understood. “Unplanned luxury purchases are in opposition to self-regulated behaviour”, the researchers posit. This can generate a sense of escapism, as unplanned purchases play a pivotal role in temporarily relieving anxiety and daily pressure. “Consequently”, the authors explain, “individuals who make unplanned luxury purchases are likely to exhibit positive emotions as they temporarily deviate from daily regulations and pressures”.
They proposed that the sense of escapism resulting from spontaneous luxury purchases depends on whether consumers are buying goods or experiences. “Experiences persist in our memories, whereas material goods typically dwell outside our memories”, the authors note. “Converging evidence has shown that escapism is an integral part of luxury experiences but not of material goods”. Therefore, they proposed that escapism is more closely related to unplanned purchases of luxury experiences rather than goods.
The authors also predicted that such escapism can lead to positive emotions, in turn increasing brand closeness. Immersive experiences – such as travel – can enhance both emotional value and perceived worth, leading to stronger positive emotions. These emotions, in turn, can increase a sense of closeness to the brand, especially for luxury purchases, which tend to “reflect the self”.
They further hypothesised that the price of luxury experiences can increase the perception of escapism gained through spontaneous luxury purchases. “Rarity and exclusiveness” – which are conferred by high price – “magnify perceptions of escapism”, the authors explain. This is only true for luxury experiences, however, as buying material goods does not entail escapism. “We predict that the perception of escapism remains low regardless of the price of luxury goods”, they explain.
To test these hypotheses, the authors conducted four studies surveying Asian and American luxury consumers. In the first, they collected data from 160 adults from Hong Kong to examine the relationship between unplanned purchase type (luxury goods vs. luxury experiences) and escapism. As hypothesised, “unplanned purchases of luxury experiences (vs. luxury goods) involved higher levels of perceived escapism”.
Study 2, which involved respondents from the US, revealed that escapism mediates the relationship between unplanned luxury purchases and positive emotions, demonstrating that buyers often seek refuge in luxurious experiences to boost their mood. “The indirect effect of escapism on the influence of unplanned luxury purchase type on positive emotions was significant”, the researchers report.
Studies 3 and 4 further examined the idea that unplanned luxury purchases create a powerful emotional journey. Study 3 showed that escapism and positive emotions work together in sequence to strengthen consumers’ closeness to the brand, especially when they purchase luxury experiences rather than goods. In Study 4, consumers’ sense of escapism was more intense when the luxury experiences came with a higher price tag, making them feel rarer and more exclusive. This ultimately strengthened consumers’ positive feelings and deepened their brand attachment.
This study makes major theoretical contributions. It is not only the first to combine the two streams of literature on luxury purchases and unplanned purchases; it also distinguishes between unplanned purchases stemming from internal and external motivations. “Previous studies in luxury purchases have mainly focused on negative emotions, such as guilt, regret, or remorse”, the researchers add, “because luxury purchases are often unnecessary and have limited utilitarian value”. Their study goes beyond this negative view by demonstrating that unplanned luxury purchases can actually generate positive emotions.
Their findings also have valuable managerial implications for the hospitality and tourism industry. “Positive emotions and brand closeness can be attained through unplanned purchase marketing tactics centred around escapist experiences”, the authors say. “Specifically, we suggest that destination marketers can capitalise on escapism by varying the temporal and spatial structure of experiences”. For example, luxury marketers can use biophilic design to integrate greenery or natural elements into the servicescape and help tourists escape hectic city life.
Destination marketers should also develop strategies to encourage consumers to make unplanned purchases of luxury experiences – rather than luxury goods – at the tourism destination. Destination marketers can collaborate with luxury goods marketers to design experiences at travel destinations that simultaneously heighten positive emotions about the destination and enhance consumers’ closeness with the brand”, the researchers advise.
Although unplanned purchases of luxury goods often occur at tourism destinations, unplanned purchases of luxury experiences tend to be made before tourists arrive at the destination. “Hence, destination marketers should leverage various channels to promote unplanned purchases of luxury experiences before arrival”, the researchers say. In particular, luxury shopping businesses at tourist destinations should target millennials, who are more likely to make unplanned purchases than members of Generation X or “baby boomers”.
The authors also recommend that luxury marketers maintain the monetary exclusivity of luxury goods and services, as introducing too many accessible and intermediate products can dilute consumers’ sense of escapism. “Additionally”, the researchers say, “luxury shopping marketers should refrain from last-minute discounts and deals to stimulate unplanned purchases”. Rather, they say, “marketers need to understand how unplanned shopping can temporarily assuag consumers’ unpleasant emotions and provide an opportunity to momentarily escape from their everyday routine”. This may be especially important at times when negative mood is high, such as during and after public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
YooHee Hwang, Minjung Shin and Seongseop (Sam) Kim (2025). Unplanned Purchases of Luxury Goods and Experiences. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 49, No. 1, 45–56.
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About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management
For more than four decades, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category in ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2024 for the eighth consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the “Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services” category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2024/2025 for eight years in a row; rated No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism” subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017; and ranked No. 2 in the world among university-based programmes in the “Hospitality and Leisure Management” subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 for the ninth consecutive year, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.
The School is driven by the need to serve its industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge. With a strong international team of over 90 faculty members from 21 countries and regions around the world, the SHTM offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees. Through Hotel ICON, the School’s groundbreaking teaching and research hotel and a vital aspect of its paradigm-shifting approach to hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is advancing teaching, learning and research, and inspiring a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry.
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