How Social Commerce Characteristics Influence Consumers’ Online Impulsive Buying Behavior in Emerging Markets

Abstract

With the rapid development ofsocial commerce, consumers may easily purchase productsthey did not plan to purchase or do not really need when they surf social networking websites and browse posts. However, the literature on social commerce pays little attention to the extant knowledge of online impulse buying behavior (OIBB), especially in emerging markets. This study investigates the role of social commerce characteristics in shaping consumers’ online impulsive buying behavior. Data was collected from 240 Vietnamese consumers with experience in online shopping. Using a Partial Least Square 3.0 analysis, the results indicated that socialization and availability of information significantly influence the urge to buy impulsively, but do not influence impulsive behavior. In contrast, personalization and product selection influence both the urge to buy impulsively and impulsive behavior. The findings also indicated that gender and age do not impact online impulsive buying behavior. Study outcomes offer useful insights to both academicians and practitioners.