Factors Behind Unplanned Purchases Triggered By Children In Urban China

The structure of the traditional Chinese family has changed drastically over the past thirty years. Significant trends such as older parents, delayed marriages, postponed childbearing, single child and single-parent families are profound social changes that have a significant impact on the lives of children. These have collaboratively changed the patterns of children's influence on family consumption behaviors that are often cited in literatures that deal with family decision-making.This study investigates the elements that are relevant to children making purchase requests that would trigger unplanned purchases, as well as the role of parents on such behaviors.Statistical analysis, regression and logistic regression were employed to systematically find out the factors which influence the number of requests made by children and factors which consequently affect the number of unplanned purchases made by parents following a child's request. In addition, the degree to which parents is aware of their children's influence on their spontaneous purchases is also examined.The results found that developmental stage of the children, frequency, and time spent are important factors of shopping, these are used to form managerial and marketing implications are relevant that in China.