Impact of the Scarcity and Serendipity Information on Online Impulse Buying Behavior with Moderating Effect of Hedonic Dimensions

Abstract

The phenomenon of impulse buying has become a focal point of interest for both academics and practitioners. This study aims to explore the role of situational factors such as scarcity and serendipity that affect online impulse buying behavior (OIBB) in Pakistan's social commerce (SC) environment. Additionally, the study assesses the moderating impact of the five Hedonic shopping value characteristics, namely adventure shopping, social shopping, value shopping, relaxation shopping, and idea shopping. Data were collected from 340 online buyers from different cities in Pakistan. The data was gathered through a questionnaire adapted from earlier studies. For data analysis, IBM SPSS and SmartPLS 4 software were used. The findings support the study's hypotheses that scarcity and serendipity information have a significant impact on online impulse buying behavior. The study further supports the idea of the moderating effect of Hedonic dimensions. The study's results are helpful for companies that want to understand the factors that preserve customers' online impulse buying behavior and motivate them to initiate the hedonic shopping aptitude. The study can be extended by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches and incorporating the negative effects of Hedonic dimensions to address the underlying causes of unsustainable consumption practices and environmental consciousness.