Why online consumers have the urge to buy impulsively: roles of serendipity, trust and flow experience

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate some determinants of impulse buying in online shopping and then indicate the underlying mechanism regarding why consumers have the urge to buy impulsively.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 315 valid data were collected from consumers who had online shopping experience through an online survey. These data were then analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses and proposed model.

Findings

The results illustrate that consumers' serendipity, trust and flow experience facilitate impulse buying. Some inner relationships among the three factors have also been illustrated. Finally, antecedents of trust and flow experience were examined from a perspective of perceived information value.

Originality/value

This research provides new insights into existing literature on impulse buying in online shopping by developing a well-organized framework, which emphasizes the role of serendipity in motivating the urge to buy impulsively. Besides, it also extends the understanding of flow experience and trust in the process of online impulse buying.

Citation

Bao, Z. and Yang, J. (2022), "Why online consumers have the urge to buy impulsively: roles of serendipity, trust and flow experience", Management Decision, Vol. 60 No. 12, pp. 3350-3365. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-07-2021-0900