Did you ever see something so cool you just had to have it? No matter what? That very feeling is what drives impulse sales. “It's anything that a shopper wasn't planning on purchasing. Something that strikes their fancy and they grab it,” says Nichole Mains, owner of Magnolia Elegant Indulgences and Affordables in Bath, ME. And it has to be something unique and unusual and “not smack of commercialism” as Katy Danos, manager of Hazelnut in New Orleans, explains.

Impulse items have to be unique. They have to really call out to your customers. “They usually come in buying something else and then say, 'Oh and give me one of these',” Mains tells Gifts & Decorative Accessories. So, when looking to fill your shop with impulse items, ask yourself if the item is different enough for shoppers to buy it on a whim. You certainly don't want to be stuck with a bowl full of ordinary pens or key chains. No matter what the price, chances are they'll sit there. So it's not only about the price.

But while impulse is not necessarily about price, for many it still is. The limit for impulse is usually $20. “The less it is, the more likely they'll buy it,” says Mains. Shoppers at Magnolia are inclined to buy candy, personal care items and candles. The retailer's better impulse sellers include Lindt Truffles, The Cocoa Room chocolates, Casswell Massey lip balm and Root candles. These are things that customers aren't necessarily coming in to the store to buy, but may pick up if it catches their eye. “I have jewelry at the register that's under $10 and that is something that they'll pick up,” she says.

On the other hand, there are those for whom price is not important. Of course that does depend on clientele. “We find impulse items for us tend to be on the higher end. We have this oyster coffee table bowl that people love. It's not something they're looking for and it's not inexpensive — it's $348 — but if it calls out to them, they buy it. It's not commercial and that's why they buy it,” says Katy Danos of Hazelnut, a gift and decorative accessories shop in New Orleans that caters to the higher-end consumer. In addition to the oyster bowl, customers at Hazelnut are also drawn to glass oil lamps from Glass Dimensions that are priced at $78, leather wallets from Italy that sell for $46 and like Magnolia, candles do well for them. “Seda France candles are good impulse items for us,” Danos says.

Impulse items don't necessarily need to be obviously put on display for customers to buy them. Simply merchandising them with other items in the store will do the trick. Neither Hazelnut nor Magnolia uses the display units that are provided by the manufacturer for any of their lines. They prefer to create their own displays and find the right place for their impulse items. “I set impulse items in different parts of the store. We sell jams and jellies and I will put spreaders with them. I also have impulse items at the register/cash wrap and throughout the store. You can add them in any display,” says Mains. Smaller items, like lip balms and votives, are ideal for placing at the check out counter. Display them in a large bowl or glass container for customers to just grab while paying for their purchases. Like Mains does with spreaders, why not display taper candles with candleholders, or add CDs and cookbooks to your housewares section? These are the types of items that if shoppers were coming in to make a larger purchase, say a serving platter, and see an interesting CD, may decide to throw it into their shopping basket as well.

The owner at Hazelnut also does all the visuals and doesn't put an emphasis on impulse items. “We mix it up our own way. That's how you make a name for yourself,” Danos says. Take a look at what's in your shop and see how you can mix things up. Interesting displays always grab customers' attention. And when they see items at the right price — or perhaps something too cool to leave the store without — it won't take much more effort on your part to make the sale.