Thesis (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Lifestyles offer a comprehensive view of behaviour and the motives that underlie many of the purchases made by consumers. Impulsive buying behaviour is a complex phenomenon, and it has not yet been actively researched within a South African context. The aim of this study was to investigate the lifestyle of an impulsive student buyer, and to compile a lifestyle profile of such a buyer. A total of 499 respondents from the particular tertiary institution participated in the study. The sample population reflected young consumers in the age group 17 to 33 years. The students were mostly undergraduates studying in a full-time capacity. This study was exploratory and descriptive in nature. An electronic web-based survey was used as the method of data gathering. The survey was programmed and posted for a period of three weeks on the student portal of the tertiary institution where the survey was conducted. The validation of participation in the electronic survey was done in accordance with the requirements of the sample selection criteria. The questionnaire was tested during a pilot study. Factor analysis and Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to assess the validity of the questionnaire and to determine its internal consistency. Mean scores and standard deviations were computed to divide the data into three groups. To determine the current lifestyle dimensions of the students, the Activities, Interests and Opinion statements (AIOstatements) were factor analyzed. The factor matrix was rotated by means of an oblique rotation of axes, making use of the Direct Oblimin rotation technique. This resulted in a solution of five activity and interest factors, and two opinion factors. Mean scores and standard deviations were computed for all the valid life style characteristics. The frequency of impulsive shopping was measured through frequency distribution. Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient analysis was performed between the differentiating variables, namely lifestyle and impulsive shopping behaviour to establish the relationship between these variables. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and univariate (one way) analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine differences between the groups. The five activity and interest factors that were identified, included clothes shopping/clothing specific lifestyle, social interaction, media usage, fashion oriented clothes shopping/fasion oriented clothing lifestyle, and cultural activities and interests. The two opinion factors identified, were positive vision for the future and importance of training/education. However, the opinion factors did not differ in terms of statistic significance between the groups, and was therefore not used in the consequent typology of the groups. Three groups of student consumers were identified based on the respondents’ perceptions of their activities and interests, and impulsive shopping behaviour. The students were categorized into the following three groups: Group 1: Non-impulsive shoppers – Non-impulsive Conservatives/ Traditionalists Group 2: Low impulsive shoppers – Moderates Group 3: High impulsive shoppers – Impulsive Trendsetters The three groups differed in terms of their activities and interests, and impulsive shopping behaviour. The following activities and interests characteristics were considered important: clothes shopping/clothing specific lifestyle, social interaction and media usage. The activities and interests factors that are responsible for differences between the groups could provide retailers with valuable means to identify market segments, and to satisfy their specific needs. Young South African consumers should not be considered as a homogeneous group of consumers. The South African market is a highly competitive environment providing a wide variety of shops and products to consumers which can be targeted at a specific segment to exert an impact on shopping and specifically impulsive shopping. Therefore the retailer and marketer ought not to underestimate this type of shopping behaviour. Implications for retailers and marketers are stated and recommendations for future research are suggested in order to encourage further investigation in a scientific manner in the field of impulsive shopping behaviour, and lifestyle. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Lewenstyl bied ‘n uitgebreide en omvattende beeld van verbruikers se gedrag en die motiewe onderliggend aan die aankope van verbruikers. Impulsiewe aankoopgedrag is ‘n komplekse fenomeen en ‘n studierigting waarin beperkte navorsing in Suid- Afrika gedoen is. Hierdie studie poog om ondersoek in te stel na die lewenstyl van ‘n impulsiewe studente-aankoper en om dan gevolglik ‘n lewenstyltipering van hierdie student te doen. ‘n Totaal van 499 respondente het aan hierdie studie deelgeneem. Die steekproef is uit jong verbruikers in die ouderdomsgroep 17 tot 33 jaar geneem. Die studente was meerendeels voorgraads voltyds ingeskrewe studente. Hierdie studie was verkennend en beskrywend van aard. Data is deur middel van ‘n elektroniese webgebaseerde-opname versamel. Die vraelys is tydens ‘n loodsstudie getoets. Die vraelys is geprogrammeer en vir ‘n tydperk van drie weke op die portaal van die studente aan die betrokke tersiêre instansie geplaas. Die vraelys het uit vier afdelings bestaan. Die kontrole van die deelnemers aan die elektroniese opname is in ooreenstemming met die steekproefseleksiekriteria opgestel. Faktorontleding en Cronbach se koëffisiënt alfa is gebruik om die geldigheid en interne konsekwentheid van die vraelys te ondersoek. Deur gebruik te maak van gemiddelde tellings en standaardafwykings is die data in drie groepe verdeel. Om die bestaande lewenstyldimensies van die studente te bepaal, is die Aktiwiteite, Belangstellings en Opinie-stellings (AIO-stellings) aan faktorontleding onderwerp. Die faktormatriks is volgens die skuinsas-rotasietegniek met behulp van die Direct Oblimin-metode geroteer. Vyf aktiwiteite-en-belangstellingsfaktore en twee opiniefaktore is uit die data verkry. Gemiddelde tellings en standaardafwykings is vir al die geldige lewenstyleienskappe bereken. Die frekwensie van impulsiewe aankoopgedrag is deur middel van frekwensieverspreiding gemeet. Pearson se produk-moment korrelasiekoëffisiënt-ontleding is op die data toegepas om die korrelasies tussen die onderskeie veranderlikes, naamlik lewenstyl en impulsiewe aankoopgedrag, te bepaal. Meervoudige ontleding van variansie (MANOVA) en enkelvoudige ontleding van variansie (ANOVA) is gebruik om verskille tussen die groepe te bepaal. Die belangrikste aktiwiteite-en-belangstellingsfaktore wat geïdentifiseer is, sluit klereaankope/klere-spesifieke lewenstyl, sosiale interaksie, mediaverbruik, modieuse klereaankope/modieuse klere-lewenstyl en kuns en kulturele aktiwiteite en belangstellings in. Die belangrikste opiniefaktore sluit positiewe toekomsvisie en belangrikheid van opleiding in. Die opiniefaktore het egter nie statisties beduidend tussen die groepe onderskei nie en is gevolglik nie in die tipering van die groepe gebruik nie. Drie groepe studenteverbruikers is geïdentifiseer, gebaseer op die respondente se persepsie van hul lewenstyl en impulsiewe aankoopgedrag. Die drie groepe is soos volg gekategoriseer: Groep 1: Nie-impulsiewe kopers – Nie-impulsiewe Konserwatiewes/ Tradisioneles Groep 2: Lae impulsiewe kopers – Gematigdes Groep 3: Hoë impulsiewe kopers – Impulsiewe Tendensaanwysers Die drie groepe het volgens hul impulsiewe aankoopgedrag en aktiwiteite en belangstellings verskil. Die volgende aktiwiteite en belangstellingseienskappe is oor die algemeen die hoogste aangeslaan: klereaankope/klere-spesifieke lewenstyl, sosiale interaksie en mediaverbruik. Die aktiwiteite en belangstellings wat beduidend tussen die groepe onderskei, kan moontlik aan kleinhandelaars waardevolle inligting bied om marksegmente te identifiseer en om aan die behoeftes van die onderskeie verbruikersgroepe te voldoen. Jong Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikers behoort nie as ‘n homogene groep verbruikers beskou te word nie. Die Suid-Afrikaanse mark is hoogs kompeterend met ‘n wye reeks winkels en produkte wat op ‘n spesifieke segment gerig kan word om sodoende ‘n impak op aankope en spesifiek impulsiewe aankope uit te oefen. Die kleinhandelaar en bemarker behoort derhalwe nie hierdie tipe aankoopgedrag gering te skat nie. Implikasies vir die kleinhandelsektor en bemarker is gestel en aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing word gemaak ten einde toekomstige navorsing op ‘n wetenskaplik gefundeerde wyse op die gebied van impulsiewe aankoopgedrag en lewenstyl aan te moedig.