Self-pleasure, pleasing others and impulsive consumption: consumer decision-making under stress

Customer research has paid a lot of attention to consumer impulse buying. The phenomena is intriguing since it is influenced by both external, market-related inputs and a number of internal psychological elements. The research attempts to comprehend the factors affecting impulse buying behaviour of consumers typically when they consider purchasing new products. Furthermore, the effects of different concepts on the impulse buying are discovered, such as impulse buying intention, new product knowledge and promotional signage in the Pakistani context. This study uses a survey method to test a theoretically grounded set of hypotheses. Using a 22 items questionnaire, the data were obtained from 200 respondents and the data were analysed using SPSS. This study findings reveal that new product knowledge and promotional signage has positive and significant influence on consumers’ impulse buying behaviour as well as impulse buying intention, similarly our mediator that is impulse buying intention also has a positive significant influence on consumers’ impulse buying behaviour. There lies a partial mediation between the promotional signage and impulse buying behaviour in the presence of mediator but impulse buying intention has no significant mediating impact between new product knowledge and impulse buying behaviour. The paper supports the importance of new product knowledge and promotional signage as key drivers of consumer’s impulse buying behaviour. It further underlines the importance of consumer’s impulse buying intention with a mediating effect between new product knowledge, promotional signage and consumer’s impulse buying behaviour. Marketers, retailers, executives and managers can have advantage from these findings for future marketing strategies and can acquire new customers by retaining the old ones to achieve long-term performance objectives. Keywords: Impulse Buying, Behaviour, Purchase Intention, Product Knowledge, Promotional Signage.

Consumers’ online impulsive buying behavior has become more and more frequent in the digital era. There is increasing concern regarding the adverse consequences that impulsive buying has generated for consumer wellbeing and the sustainability of our society and environment. In search of a way to decreasing impulsive consumption, this article proposes a comprehensive framework to explore the potential determinants of online impulsive buying behavior from the perspective of consumer characteristics grounded on the literature on sustainability, psychology and consumer behavior. Through an online survey, a total of 425 valid responses were obtained. Extroversion and neuroticism in personality, negative emotions, collectivism in culture and the cognitive and affective factors of impulsive buying tendency are found to be positively correlated with impulsive buying behavior, whereas self-control shows a negative impact on impulsive buying behavior. Furthermore, this study identifies the mediating roles that negative emotions and collectivism play. Specifically, in addition to the direct routes, neuroticism, self-control and the affective factor of impulsive buying tendency can indirectly influence impulsive buying behavior through the mediation of negative emotions, whereas extroversion can indirectly affect impulsive buying behavior with collectivism as the mediator. To conclude, theoretical and practical implications of this research are elaborated to promote sustainable consumption from both the micro and macro perspectives.

Purpose Merchants frequently devise a myriad of marketing stimuli, which often precipitate impulse buying behaviors among consumers. Existing literature has pinpointed individual traits, motivations, resources, and marketing strategies as key drivers of impulse buying behaviors. However, studies on individual traits have predominantly focused on internal psychological characteristics, and it remains unclear how “individual appearance” influences impulse buying. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the theories of Symbolic Consumption and Choice Overload, this research employs a questionnaire survey to dissect the impact mechanisms of body image (appearance attractiveness) on impulse buying. Utilizing SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 28.0, this study conducts an empirical analysis of data derived from 476 samples. Findings Body image positively influences impulse buying, with material pursuit and self-confidence acting as mediators. Self-control serves as a negative moderator in the relationship between material pursuit/self-confidence and impulse buying. Originality/value This research advances the understanding of the influence of body image on impulse buying, transcending the traditional inhibitory mechanism of “self-confidence—impulse buying” and establishing a facilitative framework grounded in Choice Overload Theory. This study suggests that businesses can enhance consumers’ body image perception by using lighting and beauty-enhancing fitting mirrors, thereby increasing impulse buying behavior.

The study aims to analyze the influence (internet addiction, advertising appeal, and price discounts) on the impulsive buying behavior of online fashion products. This type of research is quantitative. Data collection is done by questionnaire method. The population in this study was all female consumers in North Aceh regency who had shopped for fashion products online. Samples are selected using the purposive sampling method. The number of samples in this study was 100 respondents. The results of the study obtained using multiple linear regression analysis techniques processed with the help of the SPSS version 18 computer program, namely Internet Addiction, Price Discount, partially significantly affect online impulsive buying behavior, Partial Ad Attractiveness has no significant effect on online impulsive buying behavior, and simultaneously the three independent variables (Internet Addiction, Internet Addiction, The attractiveness of advertising, and price discounts) significantly affects impulsive buying behavior online.

PurposeThis study investigates impulse buying as a consumer behaviour outcome in omnichannel retail through the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory. For such, the authors addressed convenience and channel integration as the stimuli, the relationship among consumer empowerment, trust, satisfaction, and perceived value as the organism, and impulse buying as the response.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted with 229 customers of a Brazilian retailer that adopts the omnichannel strategy. Data were analysed by partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsChannel integration and convenience had a positive influence on consumer empowerment which, in turn, influenced customer satisfaction and trust, producing direct and indirect effects on their perception of value relative to the retailer. In addition, impulsive buying was significantly influenced by perceived value.Practical implicationsThe results indicate that retailers that use the omnichannel strategy need to be alert to the factors mentioned above. The study empirically demonstrates that investing in channel integration increases customer empowerment, which will significantly improve customer trust and satisfaction and, eventually, customer impulse buying from the retailer.Originality/valueThis work contributes to the literature on marketing and consumer behaviour by identifying factors that influence consumers' impulse buying behaviour in the context of omnichannel retail. It suggests that impulse buying may be a relevant variable to understand the reaction of consumers empowered by the integration of the marketing channels and the convenience offered to them in an omnichannel retail environment.

This research explores the main question related to the relationship between social presence and impulsive buying behavior by understanding the role played by customer inspiration and positive emotion in live streaming e-commerce. The data for this study were obtained from 392 respondents who completed an online survey and who had experience in live streaming e-commerce, and the data were analyzed by AMOS 26.0 with a structural equation model. The results indicate that coexistence presence and emotional presence were positively associated with customer inspiration and impulsive buying behavior; However, communication presence showed no significant association. Coexistence presence, communication presence and emotional presence were positively related to positive emotion. Customer inspiration and positive emotion were significantly linked to impulsive buying behavior. Customer inspiration and positive emotion play intermediary roles in the relationship between coexistence presence and impulsive shopping behavior. Customer inspiration and positive emotion play intermediary roles in the relationship between emotional presence and impulsive shopping behavior. This study contributes to the general body of knowledge about live streaming e-commerce by providing a comprehensive theoretical foundation and practical implications that explain impulsive buying behavior in live streaming e-commerce.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-025-03743-4.

In the online shopping context, the proliferation of digital platforms has contributed to an increase in impulsive buying behavior (IBB), which can sometimes lead to regret. This study aims to explore the intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli that influence consumers’ online impulsive buying behavior, which subsequently affects their post-purchase cognitive dissonance, with the moderating role of price consideration (PC). The conceptual framework was formulated using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) model. A total of 813 responses were collected and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that perceived utilitarian value (PUV), perceived enjoyment (PE), fear of missing out (FOM), and green trust (GT) positively impact online impulsive buying behavior (IBB), which, in turn, positively impacts post-purchase cognitive dissonance (PCD). Moreover, a significant moderating role of PC is found in the relationship between IBB and PCD, suggesting that consumers with low price consideration tend to regret their impulsive buying more. The findings provide insights that guide online retail sellers and digital marketers to develop or implement customized strategies based on the intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli that influence customers’ impulsive buying and subsequent post-purchase cognitive dissonance.

This study investigates the influence of streamer characteristics on consumers’ impulsive buying behavior in live commerce, mediated by the social presence and framed within the Hierarchy of Effects (HOE) model. To elucidate this effect further, self-efficacy was incorporated into the proposed model as a moderating variable. A quantitative methodology was employed using online questionnaires distributed to 291 Vietnamese consumers with prior experience watching live streams. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with the SmartPLS software. The results indicate that streamer professionalism and attractiveness significantly enhance consumers’ sense of social presence, positively influencing impulsive purchasing behavior. Furthermore, the findings confirm the moderating role of self-efficacy in the relationships among professionalism, social presence, and impulsive buying behavior. These insights can assist streamers and e-retailers in designing effective live sessions that encourage impulsive purchases. Additionally, this study deepens our understanding of social presence in the live commerce sector. Finally, integrating self-efficacy contributes to a broader understanding of its influence on e-commerce and live-commerce research.

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of perceived ease of use on mobile shoppers’ inclination to make impulsive purchases in the context of mobile commerce. The authors employ a technology acceptance model to examine how perceived ease of use affects the impulsive tendencies of smartphone users. Additionally, we utilise a motivation orientation framework to understand the moderating effect of utilitarian and hedonic values in the relationship between perceived ease of use and impulsive buying behaviour.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered online survey was conducted on 427 users of mobile commerce applications. Structural equation modelling was employed through SPSS AMOS 26 to analyse the collected data.FindingsAccording to the findings, perceived ease of use has a substantial negative connection with impulsive buying behaviour. This inverse relationship is interesting as it shows that user-friendliness alone may not be enough to drive spontaneous buying. However, hedonic and utilitarian values moderated the connection between perceived ease of use and impulsive buying behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s findings will help marketers, policymakers, organisations and academicians comprehend the significance of hedonic and utilitarian values in driving IBB and making rational decisions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the technology acceptance model and motivation orientations by determining the crucial role of utilitarian-hedonic values in triggering impulsive purchases in the mobile commerce sector of a non-tech savvy developing country.

PurposeImpulsive buyers are a dream segment for retailers and marketers. Stimulants in the retail environment and cognitive aspects evoke a sudden urge the acquisition of products spontaneously. This paper aims to examine key cognitive aspects of impulsive buying behaviour and purchase regret in an online context.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted to collect the data of 317 online consumers with the help of a convenience sampling technique. The structural equation modelling technique was carried out to establish the validity and reliability of measures and examine the proposed relational paths.FindingsThe study results suggest that cognitive aspects recede impulsive buying, resulting in purchase regret. The empirical findings on the impulsive buying behaviour and purchase regret to yield several important implications, including developing marketing strategies and policies to evoke the intentions for impulsive buying behaviour, consumer innovation and balancing the feelings of regret.Practical implicationsThe study also provides some significant contributions to the literature on online impulse buying and its related paradigms.Originality/valueThis study mainly attempted to determine the precursors of online impulse buying and purchase regret from the perspective of hedonic and experiential consumption motivation and consumer innovation. Getting reflections from cognitive dissonance theory and the post purchase evaluation, a theoretical model was developed and empirically tested for impulsive online buyers.

The impact of environmental factors on consumer impulsive buying behavior in the context of e-commerce live streaming: Role of celebrity endorsements and moderating effects of live streaming frequency and shopping experience This study examined the effect of environmental factors like perceived scarcity, perceived discount, time pressure, social pressure and celebrity endorsement on the emotional arousal of online consumers, which further affects their impulse buying. Additionally, the study shed light on the role of two emerging consumer behavioral variables, namely the frequency of watching live streaming videos and live streaming shopping experience. Based on a survey conducted from an online panel of 575 consumers, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for empirical verification. The results confirmed that the frequency of watching live streaming videos and live streaming shopping experience are significant moderators that decrease the influence of emotional arousal on impulse buying in a statistically significant manner. These results indicated the mediating role of emotional arousal towards the relationship between environmental factors and impulse buying, however consumers having a higher live streaming shopping experience and greater exposure to live streaming videos tend to be more rational, capable of learning and thereby refraining from their impulsive buying behavior. This contributes to a better understanding of how consumers learn to restrain their impulse buying in the era of e-commerce live streaming and sheds new light in the existing theories regarding online consumer behaviors in the livestream commerce context.

Mass value addition of shopping centers in several areas is often being the caused of the formation of consumer decisions to buy goods that are not planned and are not needed. This behavior is often known as impulsive buying. This impulsive buying behavior often occurs in modern shopping centers. In the Banda Aceh region as the capital of Aceh Province, there is also a phenomenon of changing consumer spending patterns. One of the enterprise in the retail industry chosen in this study is Matahari Department Store. The grounds of this study is to estimate the impact of personality traits and hedonic consumption on impulsive buying with positive feeling as a mediating variable for Matahari Department Store consumers. This study took samples of 105 respondents who were the consumers of Matahari Department Store Banda Aceh. Systematics on data collection in this research using a questionnaire method. Purposive sampling chosen as the sampling method used in this study. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) chosen as a model analysis to establish whether there is an influence from any of that existing variables. The output of the HLM analysis represent the conclusion that personality traits and hedonic consumption have an influence on impulsive buying, personality traits and hedonic consumption also affect positive feelings, positive feelings also have an impact on impulsive buying, and positive feelings partially moderate the impact of personality traits on impulsive buying. and hedonic consumption on impulsive buying.

This study aims to analyze the influence of TikTok social media and store atmosphere on impulsive buying behavior among Generation Z at the Minisopink Store PVJ Mall Bandung. Impulsive buying is often triggered by emotional and external stimuli, and this phenomenon is often found among Gen Z, who are strongly influenced by social media content and store atmosphere. Although the implemented marketing strategy has followed consumer trends, its implementation is considered not optimal in utilizing the potential for impulsive buying. This study uses a quantitative approach with descriptive and verification methods to understand the influence of these two variables. The research sample was obtained through a questionnaire distributed to respondents who met specific criteria, namely having shopped at the Minisopink Store PVJ Mall Bandung, following the store's official TikTok account, and actively using TikTok social media. The distributed questionnaire measured the extent of the influence of TikTok social media and store atmosphere on impulsive buying behavior. The results show that TikTok social media has a positive and significant influence on impulsive buying among Gen Z. Engaging TikTok content, such as promotional videos and other creative content, can trigger emotions and encourage the desire to buy products impulsively. On the other hand, store atmosphere, including elements such as interior design, lighting, and music, also showed a positive influence on impulse buying behavior. However, the effect was not significant, indicating that the store atmosphere is not yet fully capable of creating a strong enough emotional appeal to encourage impulse buying. This finding indicates that Minisopink's digital marketing strategy through TikTok has not maximized the potential of features such as hashtags and interactive videos (stitch), which can further increase user engagement. Furthermore, store atmosphere elements such as music also need to be improved to create a more immersive and engaging shopping experience.

The objective of this research is to identify and analyze the factors that of influence of consumers The purpose of this research is to analyze and determine the factors that influence consumer’s impulse buying behavior in mini market (convenience store) based on influence of variable store atmosphere, in-store browsing, in-store layouts, salesperson, promotional approach, reference group, use payment card and shopping emotion. This study attempts to analyze post-purchase consumer regret and investigates the influence of impulse behavior to post purchase regret.The sample was collected and analyzed from 244 respondents of convenience store shoppers in ages in Greater Jakarta region. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and AMOS were used for data analysis and hypotheses testing.Results indicate that there is a significant effect of the impulse buying behavior in the four variables; the role of salesperson, sales promotion, the participation of reference groups and payments made by debit card. As a result, this study addresses concerns about disappointed consumers after making an impulsive purchase.This study emphasizes the importance of friendly and ready to help the consumers in sales person’s role to encourage consumers to make impulsive purchases. The readiness and friendliness of employees in serving consumers can occur when companies often provide training to employees.Employees must pay particular attention and effort put into effect reward and punishment system that can increase work motivation. Furthermore, reference groups have an effect on impulsive buying behavior, and the tendency of consumers to shop more is high when accompanied with a mutual friend. In addition to sales person and reference group, promotions made by the store can also attract consumers and encourage them to make purchases impulsively. Additional value that can encourage the purchase of impulsive payment system is by using a debit card instead of credit card. In further research, the convenience store consumers do not make purchases in large quantities so payment using credit card does not give a significant effect while consumers can use a debit card in lieu of cash. Other research results show consumers regret after making an impulsive purchase. The negative consequence of consumer disappointment is that consumers become disloyal even spreading negative word of mouth. Thus, the company needs to explore these impacts in more detail and determine the factors that can reduce consumer disappointment This study examines the factors that cause and impact impulse buying behavior. The study was conducted at convenience stores in Greater Jakarta region. The results showed the impact of impulse buying behavior on consumer regret after doing impulse buying.

<p><span>Efficient online transactions now thrive through websites (e-commerce) and mobile apps (m-commerce). With the growth of m-commerce, marketers aim to boost profits by understanding impulsive buying behavior. This study investigates factors influencing online impulse buying (OIB) in m-commerce by analyzing key variables. Data were gathered via questionnaires from 449 Indonesian consumers who had made digital payments and impulsive purchases using smartphones. The framework includes sales promotion (SP), attractive advertising (EA), and mobile digital payment systems (MDPS) as situational factors; hedonic shopping motivation (HSM) as a motivational factor; and impulsiveness (I) and smartphone addiction (SA) as personal traits. Analysis used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), with gender, income, and smartphone usage time as control variables. Results show that EA, MDPS, HSM, I, and SA significantly influence OIB, while SP does not. For consumer segmentation, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) outperformed ISOmap and principal component analysis (PCA), achieving a silhouette score of 0.72. A paired t-test (p<0.01) confirmed t-SNE’s superior clustering accuracy. These findings reveal that t-SNE better captures consumer segmentation patterns, helping businesses refine marketing strategies and deepen their understanding of psychological drivers behind impulsive m-commerce purchases.</span></p>