Analysing impulse purchasing in cross-border electronic commerce

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of product information on impulse purchases in a cross-border electronic commerce (CBEC) setting from the perspective of cue stimulation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a research model of impulse purchases in CBEC based on the cue utilization theory and Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. The research model was tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling. Data were collected from the consumers of a popular CBEC platform in China.

Findings

A high-quality product description has a significant positive effect on concentration but not on curiosity and autotelic experience. A high-quality product display has a significant positive effect on concentration, curiosity and autotelic experience. High-quality product content has a significant positive effect on curiosity and autotelic experience but not on concentration. Curiosity and autotelic experience both have a significant positive effect on impulse purchases; however, concentration has no such effect on an impulse purchase. Curiosity and autotelic experience have a full mediation effect between product display and impulse purchases and between product content and impulse purchases, respectively.

Originality/value

This study integrates the S-O-R model and cue utilization theory to construct a theoretical model of product information-flow experience-impulse purchases. According to the model, we can understand how product information influences consumers' impulse purchases in CBEC.

Citation

Zhu, W., Yan, R. and Ding, Z. (2020), "Analysing impulse purchasing in cross-border electronic commerce", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 120 No. 10, pp. 1959-1974. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-01-2020-0046