Impulse buying behavior: the mobile revolution

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of in-store mobile usage on purchase decision making in order to understand whether and to what extent the use of the device changes the shopper behavior in terms of planned and unplanned purchases even across different retail store formats. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire from 406 respondents interviewed in hypermarket and discount stores, after the checkout. Data were measured through t-tests and the analysis of variance. Findings The mobile intensifies a process of preparation making it popular and the same across the different store formats, confirming how the growing convergence, making store formats less distinctive in the eyes of the consumer, has somewhat flattened and standardized the pre-shopping out-of-store preparation. Practical implications The pervasiveness and the versatility of the mobile, and its ability to influence the decision-making processes, leads to important managerial questions and implications regarding the effectiveness of in-store marketing initiatives and the need to review the mix of out-of-store and in-store investments, with the knowledge that the consumer will continue to become even more prepared and well informed in the future. Originality/value Mobile devices could be used out-of-store, as a tool for shopping preparation, and in-store as a tool for self-regulation. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand how the mobile influences the decision-making process as well as the buying behavior of shoppers.

Smartphone use during shopping and store loyalty: the role of social influence

“…This study investigates how customers' in-store smartphone use influences store loyalty through value dimensions and depending on social influence level. It complements the recent study of Bellini and Aiolfi (2020) that shows that mobile devices could be used out-of-store, as a tool for shopping preparation, and in-store as a tool for self-regulation. This article brings two main broad theoretical contributions to both marketing and information systems research.…”

“…personal phone calls, answering emails or text messages, etc.) (Bellini et al, 2018;Bellini and Aiolfi, 2020;Sciandra and Inman, 2015). Distraction due to in-store mobile use can have both positive (Grewal et al, 2018) and negative effects on sales according to contingency factors (Bellini and Aiolfi, 2017;Bellini et al, 2018;Sciandra and Inman, 2015).…”

Understanding Mobile Showrooming Based on a Technology Acceptance and Use Model

“…Consumers become dependent on their smartphones when they regard them as a necessity, being constantly engaged in their use and unwilling to part from them [64]. Mobile dependency would be related to the consumer desire to be connected continuously [65]. Internet dependency has been shown to affect purchase intentions [66].…”

Past, Present, and Future of Impulse Buying Research Methods: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Accordingly, our sample shows not only studies analysing IB in the general context (41%), but a relevant part concerns the online setting (33%). The remaining slice encompasses both studies investigating IB in specific in-store sites (22%) or multichannel realities (4%), where consumers had interactions with both digital tools and brick-and-mortar realities (e.g., Bellini and Aiolfi, 2019 ).…”

“…Alternatively, other authors favour the adoption of friendship pair interviews or self-scripts (Bayley and Nancarrow, 1998). Friendship pair interviews embody a subset of interviewing techniques where the respondents are recruited Mohan et al, 2013;Bellini et al, 2017;Bellini and Aiolfi, 2019 Categorical variable ranging from 1 (no/planned purchase) to 3 (impulse purchase) Beatty and Ferrell, 1998;Sharma et al, 2010 Number of actual impulse purchases over a given time Jones et al, 2003;Parguel et al, 2017 Number of actual purchases in an immersive virtual store Schnack et al, 2019 as close acquaintances to explore attitudes, motivations, and behaviours in a spontaneous manner. Self-scripts require the respondents to put in writing their experience in a third-person view, thus releasing self-censorship (Bayley and Nancarrow, 1998).…”