This article investigates the pre‐planning of consumer purchasing for a low‐involvement product group. Evidence is presented from the field of chocolate confectionery on consumer intentions to purchase two new brands and on their actual reported purchases. Previously a very high level of impulse purchasing had been assumed to occur in this market but this evidence suggests more routinised behaviour which implies pre‐planning. Suggestions are made for forecasting the sales of new brands from consumer intention to purchase data on the basis of the relationships presented here. Implications for management decision making are summarised and the need for further research investigation is stressed.