A meta-analysis of consumer impulse buying

This study provides a meta-analysis of the impulse buying literature and examines common antecedents for impulse buying behavior. An exploration of the impulse buying literature results in the establishment of three overarching constructs used as independent variables: dispositional, situational, and sociodemographic variables. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to assess which variables are shown to have the strongest effect on impulse buying and suggest that the dispositional/situational interaction variables have the strongest relationship with impulse buying followed by dispositional, situational, and sociodemographic main effects, respectively. Specific dispositional, situational, and sociodemographic constructs are explored further along with moderating effects. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Pre- and post-purchase stage in impulse buying: The role of mood and satisfaction

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of impulse buying tendency and pre-purchase mood on impulse buying. The study further considers the effect of impulse buying on post-purchase mood. In this context, this research examines how pre-purchase mood affects post-purchase mood, with customer satisfaction as a mediating variable. The results reveal that consumer impulse buying tendency and pre-purchase mood encourage impulse buying positively. In addition, it is found that impulse buying has no influence on post-purchase mood. Moreover, satisfaction has a partial mediator role between pre-purchase mood and post-purchase mood.     

Diversity in deprivation: exploring the grocery shopping behaviour of disadvantaged consumers

Social exclusion has received much attention in recent years among governments and policy makers. While there are many aspects of social exclusion, of particular interest to marketing and consumer behaviour is the issue of the accessibility of consumer goods and services to socially excluded groups. The purpose of the research reported in this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the grocery shopping behaviour of disadvantaged consumers. The research was conducted with a sample of consumers living in a deprived residential area in Scotland. While the participants were mainly characterized as 'economic shoppers', they were heavily dependent on the local convenience stores, due, mainly, to the financial and mobility restrictions they faced. The experience of 'social exclusion' was not homogeneous within the sample, varying with other aspects of disadvantage, including social support networks, illness, age, family situation and mobility. The implications of this research are discussed and potential research directions highlighted.     

Organizational buying behaviour for perishable-food packaging in grocery retail

This qualitative study investigates the structure of the buying centre, the buying process, and the factors that influence buying decisions for perishable-products packaging. This empirical investigation is based on the case study of a major Quebec food retailer. We show that the purchase of packaging changes significantly depending on whether the product is considered more or less strategic for the organization, which determines the required level of packaging customization. Buying centre structure becomes more complex as packaging customization increases. Given the multi-functionality and the interdisciplinarity of packaging, we propose a multi-criteria analysis grid to improve buying decision efficiency and to streamline communication between the various levels of the buying centre.     

Do promotion and prevention focus influence impulse buying: The role of mood regulation,shopping values,and impulse buying tendency

Earlier researchers have observed that an individual consumer's mood plays a significant role in increasing the impulsiveness, which leads to impulsive buying. The literature on shoppers' motivational traits has profoundly acknowledged the impact of these traits and mood regulation constructs on individual shopping values. The present study is a pioneer attempt proposing a comprehensive model, which incorporates three main antecedents (motivation, mood and value) of buying behaviour that influence the consumer purchasing decision. The paper empirically explores the liaison between the regulatory focus (promotion-focused and prevention-focused motivations), mood regulation (mood monitoring, mood clarity and mood repair), shopping values (hedonic and utilitarian), and impulsive buying behaviour. The outcomes suggest that two regulatory focus motives influence mood clarity. Mood repairing and mood monitoring impact hedonic shopping values, which has a substantial impact on consumers' impulsive buying tendency. The paper closes with theoretical and practical inferences, limitations, and discussion on the potential scope for future research.     

Virtual store layout: an experimental comparison in the context of grocery retail

Interface design and the interaction between customer and computer are factors critical to business effectiveness over the Web. A key aspect of conventional retailing is store layout; an analogous aspect in virtual retail is virtual store layout. This paper reports on an experimental investigation into the use of three different layouts in online grocery retailing: freeform, grid, and racetrack. These three most common conventional retailing layout types were transformed into virtual layouts for computer-mediated interfaces. Subjects in Greece and the UK participated in a laboratory experiment: they were given a planned shopping task with money to spend, and performed their shopping through a virtual store with layout as the manipulated variable. The results show that layout significantly affects online consumer behavior, but that predictions generated from the literature of conventional retailing about differences in the outcome of layouts do not generally hold in a virtual setting. Some of the findings can be explained by reference to research in Human Computer Interaction (HCI).     

Personal values and impulse buying: The mediating role of hedonic shopping motivations

This research is the first to examine how personal values (resultant conservation and resultant self-enhancement) relate to impulse buying, and how hedonic shopping motivations mediate this relationship. We draw on information from a preliminary sample of 510 Portuguese respondents and a MTURK sample of 249 Americans, and use structural equations modeling to test the research model. The results from both samples denote some consistency, showing that both resultant self-enhancement and resultant conservation are indirectly related to impulse buying, highlighting a mediating role for hedonic shopping motivations.     

Consumer perceived value and impulse buying behavior on mobile commerce: The moderating effect of social influence

This study examines how the consumers' perceived values (utilitarian and hedonic values) impact their impulse buying behavior (IBB) in the mobile commerce (m-commerce) context. Moreover, we view interpersonal influence as a moderator and test its impact on the correlation between the consumers' perceived value and their IBB. Data were collected through a survey in China (n = 199). The results show that environmental stimuli significantly influence consumer perceived values (i.e., perceived utilitarian value and perceived hedonic value), and the consumers’ perception of hedonic value significantly and directly impacts their IBB. In addition, the interaction effect of perceived hedonic value and interpersonal influence significantly affects IBB. The findings provide valuable guidance for m-commerce retailers to induce consumer IBB.     

The effects of sales promotion strategy,product appeal and consumer traits on reminder impulse buying behaviour

This article investigates factors of marketing communications and consumer characteristics that induce reminder impulse buying behaviour. Study 1 applies the antecedent, process and consequence approach to investigate the essential differences between reminder impulse buying and pure impulse buying. The results of Study 1 reveal that reminder impulse buying significantly differs from pure impulse buying on motivation, buying goal and decision evaluation. Study 2 further examines how sales promotion strategy might affect reminder impulse buying, with product appeal and consumer traits as moderating factors. Both sales promotion strategy and its interaction effects with product appeal are found to have significant influences on reminder impulse buying. Specifically, an instant‐reward promotion promotes stronger reminder impulse buying than a delayed‐reward promotion. Furthermore, both a utilitarian product appeal with a price discount promotion and a hedonic product appeal with a premium promotion can encourage greater reminder impulse buying.     

Green apparel buying behaviour: A study on Indian youth

Changes in demographics and availability of global clothing brands have brought several changes in Indian apparel industry. Green or organic clothing brands are becoming popular among Indians and likely to contribute to the revenues of apparel sector. Global and national apparel manufacturers have introduced organic clothing lines to cater to ecological conscious consumers. The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII), past green behaviour, green peer influence and green apparel knowledge on Indian youth's green apparel buying behaviour. A mix of convenience and random sampling was used for data collection. The sample (n = 981) comprised of youth of age group 18–24 years. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings suggest that past green behaviour influenced green apparel buying behaviour. Green peer influence and green apparel knowledge had no impact on green apparel buying behaviour. Moreover, CSII had no influence on green apparel buying behaviour. The findings differ from earlier studies that suggest influence of social norms and peer group had an effect on green buying behaviour. Practical implications of the present study are discussed.     

Satisfaction and image as mediators of store loyalty drivers in grocery retailing

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of satisfaction and image as mediators of four store loyalty drivers (store location, service quality, assortment, and price) within a comprehensive cause–effect model. The analysis employs a more holistic view of the store loyalty model than is common in a retailing context. It is based on the consistent macro-oriented National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI) approach. This makes it an important cross-over study, both enabling a comparison of results across industries and providing a more solid base for model validation. The data source is a survey among customers of a chain-based Norwegian grocery store which is analyzed by partial least square (PLS) and covariance-based structural equation (LISREL) estimation. A change in customer's perception of store image, where image is measured as a reflective ‘overall’ latent variable, has the expected direct significant effect on loyalty. But in addition, image will also serve as an important mediator between satisfaction and loyalty, and this is a rather uncommon result in a retailing context. Another significant finding is that a customer's perception of store assortment only influences perception of image and ultimately loyalty indirectly via satisfaction, whereas price evaluation and service quality works directly both through image building and satisfaction creation. Satisfaction creation seems to be more important for store loyalty than image building.     

Macro-level change and micro level effects: A twenty-year perspective on changing grocery shopping behaviour in Britain

In this paper we summarise key elements of retail change in Britain over a twenty-year period. The time period is that covered by a funded study into long-term change in grocery shopping habits in Portsmouth, England. The major empirical findings—to which we briefly allude—are reported elsewhere: the present task is to assess the wider context underlying that change. For example, it has frequently been stated that retailing in the UK is not as competitive as in other leading economies. As a result, the issue of consumer choice has become increasingly important politically. Concerns over concentration in the industry, new format development and market definition have been expressed by local planners, competition regulators and consumer groups. Macro level changes over time have also created market inequality in consumer opportunities at a local level—hence our decision to attempt a local-level study. Situational factors affecting consumer experiences over time at the local level involve the changing store choice sets available to particular consumers. Using actual consumer experiences thus becomes a yardstick for assessing the practical effectiveness of policy making. The paper demonstrates that choice at local level is driven by store use and that different levels of provision reflect real choice at the local level. Macro-level policy and ‘one size fits all’ approaches to regulation, it is argued, do not reflect the changing reality of grocery shopping. Accordingly, arguments for a more local and regional approach to regulation are made.     

The expansion of modern trade food retailing in Thailand

With a population of nearly 70 million people, Thailand is a large and attractive emerging market, drawing investments from various foreign food retailers since the 1980s. An economic crash and currency devaluation in 1997 brought both new challenges and opportunities, and led to a renewed wave of expansion, but also calls for regulation, which had not been strictly enforced. Thailand has been host to transnational retailers from many countries, several of which ultimately withdrew. The competitive landscape has continued to evolve, with a range of new store formats, expanded services, smart phone applications and online shopping, and a push to expand both private label brands and ready-to-eat foods. However, some of these offerings appear to have potential conflicts in terms of Thai consumer behaviour. Thai culture places low importance on time; few shop online, and the majority of consumers have low incomes, and thus may not be attracted to visit modern trade retailers for the same reasons as customers in the retailers' home markets. Despite this, Thailand is currently the second largest global market for 7-Eleven and Tesco's number two international market. This presents a paradox in that Tesco operates hypermarkets, while 7-Elevens are convenience stores. Do Thais want hypermarket style volume discounts, or higher priced convenience, or both? Thais traditionally have shopped in wet markets and enjoy fresh foods, which contradicts attempts by many retailers striving to sell ready-to-eat foods. Many Thais are concerned about face and status, which may be a barrier towards buying private label brands. This paper describes the history and expansion of food retailing in Thailand and also highlights how cultural differences may affect consumer behaviour. As the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) aims to open borders more broadly, there will likely be more expansion of stores and potentially more cultural differences. Whether transnational or domestic, food retailers may need to further consider aspects of culture and consumer behaviour to determine whether to adapt their strategies, rather than copy and paste formats from abroad.     

Impulse buying tendency in live-stream commerce: The role of viewing frequency and anticipated emotions influencing scarcity-induced purchase decision

Despite the prevalence of scarcity-induced sales promotion in live commerce, scholarly inquiry began to address impulsive buying recently. This research traces live-stream shopping experiences to scarcity-induced purchase decisions. Grounded in the stimulus-Organism-Response paradigm, this research examines the mediating role of viewing frequency in the relationship between past purchases and impulse buying tendency. The aim is to unravel the relationship between impulse buying tendency and scarcity-induced purchase decisions by examining the mediation of anticipated emotions. A self-administered online survey with 376 respondents using criterion-based judgment sampling techniques. The data was validated through a two-step SEM approach using SmartPLS3 package. The result supports that viewing frequency and anticipated emotions fully mediated the relationship between past purchases and future purchase decisions. This study contributes to appreciating the importance of viewing frequency in live-stream commerce strengthening the performance of impulse buying tendency and triggering anticipated emotions (regret and rejoices) in a scarcity-induced purchase decision.     

Measuring ease of use of mobile applications in e-commerce retailing from the perspective of consumer online shopping behaviour patterns

Scientifically judging and comparing different mobile e-commerce retailing applications (apps) are essential to increase online shopping efficiency and enhance design for system improvement. In this research, the use of mobile apps in e-commerce retailing is viewed as an information operation process, and distance of information-state transition (DIT) theory is introduced to measure the “convenience” of mobile apps to obtain service information. Thus, a novel DIT-based evaluation method for the ease of use of mobile apps in e-commerce retailing from the perspective of consumer online shopping behaviour patterns is proposed. Three representative Chinese enterprises, namely, Tianmao Mall, Jingdong Mall and Suning Easy-to-buy, are chosen as study objects. Moreover, the corresponding ease-of-use indicators of three mobile apps under typical online shopping behaviour patterns are evaluated quantitatively. Results show that this research has important implications not only for online consumers but also for designers of online shopping systems.     

An empirical analysis of buying behaviour in UK high street womenswear retailing using the Dirichlet model

Clothes shopping behaviour is thought to be characterized by a high degree of segmentation but there appears to be little previous research to validate these assumptions. In addition, the belief that clothes shoppers are fickle has led to scepticism regarding the ability of empirical models to analyse consumer behaviour in this sector. However, an empirical analysis of 'Fashiontrak' data compiled by Taylor Nelson Sofres plc using the Dirichlet model highlights regular and predictable patterns of consumer behaviour; there appears to be little difference between how shoppers frequent womenswear retailers and how they buy fast-moving consumer goods brands despite major structural differences between the two (such as purchase frequency, pricing levels, durability of the product). The implications that these observations have on customer loyalty, marketing planning, store patronage and store location and performance planning are discussed.     

Factors influencing buying behavior of Lebanese consumers towards fashion brands during economic crisis: A qualitative study

The purpose of this article is to contribute to an understanding of the impact of the Lebanese economic crisis on fashion buying behavior. It uses a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with 29 Lebanese consumers. The study reveals that consumer fashion purchases are motivated by emotional, social, and functional drivers. It also indicates that subjective norms, such as societal and cultural values dictate buying behaviors. The findings provide further insights into social media and highlight its influence on shaping trends and making fashion products desirable. The article concludes that Lebanese consumers exhibit impulsive buying behavior, and explains how fashion brands can remain relevant amidst a wrenching economic crisis.     

The role of time preference and credit card usage in compulsive buying behaviour

College students represent a lucrative market for businesses selling a wide array of goods and services, including credit. One area of concern regarding credit debt is its association with compulsive buying behaviour. This study analysed compulsive buying behaviour within an economic framework using a college student sample. Data were collected from 7342 students enrolled in a major Midwestern university. Regression analysis revealed that income, rate of time preference, money attitudes, credit card usage and gender were significantly related to compulsive buying. This study provides useful information for developing, or revising, university policies regarding financial education and counselling, as well as curriculum considerations.     

A comparison of online and offline consumer behaviour: An empirical study on a cinema shopping context

The main objective of this study is to analyse online vs. offline differences in consumer behaviour. To this end, through a proposal applied to cinemas in shopping centres, this study considers values and lifestyles as major factors that influence behaviours and intentions. The partial least squares (PLS) approach is used to evaluate the model. A multi-group analysis is conducted to compare consumers who buy tickets online with those who do so at a box office. We consider 391 valid cases. The results obtained show a link between the use of technology and its effects on behaviour. The relationships between values and behaviour as well as between behaviour and future intent are stronger among online consumers than the effects of lifestyles on behaviour. We consider relevant theoretical and empirical perspectives and offer critical recommendations of use to shopping centre managers, movie theatres, and intermediaries of this sector.     

Food shopping behaviour in Scotland: the influence of relative rurality

Despite a number of studies investigating consumer food purchase behaviour, few studies actually address the nature of the rural consumer. This may have implications for the generalization of much research on food purchase behaviour, as official estimates of the UK rural population vary between 8.5% and 24%. This paper compares and contrasts the food shopping behaviour of customers in rural and urban areas in Scotland. Particular focus is given on respondent characteristics, attitudes towards rural and urban locations, distance travelled for food shopping purposes and store patronage. Results from the research emphasize the notion that rural and urban retailing should be conceptualized as a continuum rather than being regarded as dichotomous, and a conceptual framework is proposed.