Consumer impulse buying behavior: the role of confidence as moderating effect

Area of Science:

• Consumer Behavior
• Psychology
• E-commerce

Background:

• Impulse buying is influenced by various factors, but the interplay of social comparison, materialism, and negative affect remains underexplored.
• Understanding moderating variables is crucial for a comprehensive view of impulse buying dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a framework examining the relationships between social comparison, materialism, negative affect, and impulse buying.
• To investigate the moderating role of confidence in these relationships within the Vietnamese e-commerce context.

Main Methods:

• Structural modeling and experimental analysis were employed.
• Data were collected from 249 young online shoppers in Vietnam.

Main Results:

• Social comparison significantly impacts materialism but not negative affect.
• Negative affect and materialism both significantly influence impulse buying.
• Confidence positively moderates the links between social comparison and both materialism and impulse buying.

Conclusions:

• Materialism and negative affect are key drivers of impulse buying, influenced by social comparison.
• Confidence plays a vital role in moderating these effects, offering insights for e-commerce strategies.
• Findings enhance marketers' understanding of impulse buying for strategic planning.