Cognitive and Affective Components Induced Impulsive Purchase: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

The paper aims to empirically investigate the role of price-related marketing stimuli and the visual appeal of the user interface (UI) on online impulse buying. The mediating effects of cognitive and affective components, which are influenced by price-related and visual-appeal UI, on online impulse buying are checked. A survey-based research design was employed by floating the structured questionnaire among 370 respondents in both online and offline modes. These responses were further analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) and AMOS software. The result of the study indicated that affective shopping behavior, visual appeal of the website, and cognitive shopping behavior significantly influence online impulsive buying compared to price-related stimuli. Though the direct effect of price-related stimuli on online shopping is insignificant, its indirect effect via affective shopping behavior is highly significant. Meanwhile, the website’s visual appeal, directly and indirectly, affects online shopping behavior. It was also found that affective shopping behavior fully mediates between price-related marketing stimuli and online impulsive buying. In contrast, cognitive shopping behavior is partially mediated by the visual appeal of UI and online impulsive buying. The research results direct that people may engage in online impulsive buying mainly due to affective shopping behavior and the visual appeal of the UI, but at the same time, they are equally price conscious.