Factors Influencing Online Impulse Buying Behaviour: An Empirical Study from Northern India

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital commerce, online impulse buying behaviour (IBB) has emerged as a critical area of academic inquiry and managerial concern. Despite its growing prevalence, existing research has not fully explored the complex and interconnected factors that influence IBB, particularly how various individual, promotional, website-related, and situational variables interact through consumers' psychological tendencies. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates the multidimensional antecedents of online impulse buying behaviour (IBB), emphasizing the mediating role of impulse buying tendency (IBT). The research is guided by four key objectives, examining how individual, promotional, website-related, and situational factors affect IBB, and culminates in the development of an integrated conceptual model that places IBT at the core of these relationships. A proportionate stratified sampling approach was adopted to ensure demographic representation across key Northern Indian regions Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, and Chandigarh. A total of 415 online shoppers, each with a minimum of six online purchases in the past year, participated in the study (165 from Punjab, 140 from Haryana, 90 from Delhi NCR, and 30 from Chandigarh). This sampling strategy enhanced the study’s validity, reliability, and regional representativeness. The study employed a quantitative design, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the proposed hypotheses. Results indicate that individual factors such as hedonic motivation and mood states significantly influence IBT but do not directly impact IBB. Promotional factors including discount offers, online reviews, online campaigns, product recommendations, and limited-time deals exert a significant influence on both IBT and IBB. Among website-related features, website aesthetics emerged as a key predictor of both IBT and IBB, while security/privacy and convenience showed partial effects. Regarding situational factors, money availability and credit card usage positively influenced IBB, while time availability showed no significant effect. Mediation analysis confirmed the central role of IBT in linking these factors to IBB. Theoretically, this study advances the application of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), while integrating perspectives from the Competitive Arousal Model and the Consumption Impulse Formation and Enactment Model. This multi-theoretical approach provides a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms driving OIB. Practically, the research offers actionable insights for digital marketers, e-commerce firms, and policymakers by suggesting targeted strategies to stimulate impulse purchases, enhance user experience, and uphold ethical marketing standards. Despite certain limitations such as geographical scope, cross-sectional design, and reliance on self-reported data the study provides a robust foundation for future research. It encourages further investigation into the evolving nature of consumer behaviour, particularly in response to emerging technologies such as AI, AR/VR, and voice commerce.