In the early 2000s, the internet was a wild and woolly place. People were making impulse buys left and right, and the concept of "I don't need it, but I'll buy it anyway" was all the rage.
The first recorded impulse buy was in 2000, when a man named Bob bought a Tamagotchi for $100. It had been on sale for 20% off.
That guy with the mullet is often credited with popularizing the concept of impulse buying, but it was really just a trendsetter in the making.
As the 2000s came to a close, the internet was in full swing. People were buying things left and right, often without even thinking about it.
A study found that in 2008, 75% of people bought something they didn't need, just because it was on sale. That something was usually a novelty item, like a giant stuffed animal or a fanny pack.
That Study is often cited as the most thorough examination of the subject.
As the decade turned, things took a turn for the worse. People were buying things that didn't even have any practical use, like who-knows-what-it-does-thingamajig.
It got so bad that people started buying things just to spite themselves, like that guy with the spoons.
As the world became more connected than ever, people started buying things that didn't even exist yet, like holographic socks.
It's a brave new world, and people are buying it up!
That's the story of Impulse Buys: A History. Stay tuned for more exciting chapters, and try not to buy too much.