Mediating Effects of Browsing on Impulse Buying Behavior for Fashion Products

Abstract

Consumers are prone to engage in browsing because they are, for a variety of reasons, open to spending opportunities that grab their attentions. In-store browsing is the in-store examination of a retailer's merchandise for recreational or/and informational purposes without an immediate intent to buy. Browsers made more unplanned purchases than non-browsers in a regional mall setting. As a form of on-going search, in-store browsing is a central component in the impulse buying process. The purposes of this study were 1) to examine the causal relationships among fashion involvement, hedonic consumption, browsing and impulse buying behavior, and 2) to investigate the mediating effects of browsing on impulse buying behavior for fashion products. A questionnaire was developed from a literature review and measured on a 7-point rating scale. Data were obtained from 413 students attending universities in Busan. The self-administered questionnaire was given during a scheduled class. Using structural equation modeling, the results indicate that the proposed model of this study is appropriate to explain the mediating effects of browsing on impulse buying behavior for fashion products. The model shows that fashion involvement and hedonic consumption are important as antecedents of browsing in fashion stores, and consumers browsing longer in fashion stores would tend to increase the likelihood of experiencing impulse buying behavior. That is, browsing in store plays an important mediating role in triggering impulse buying behavior for fashion products. The results from this study provide some insights into retail marketing theory supporting the trait and behavioral aspects of impulse buying. Future research and managerial implications are addressed.

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