Thesis (M.Phil.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2005. / "Submitted to Department of Information Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-103)

Nowadays, most consumers prefer products with originality, fashion and innovation, and seek for quality and design. In addition, by the effects of the popularized knowledge of media products, the increasing educational level, the change of social concepts and the frequent interaction between human-beings, the demand of multimedia merchandises is raising and the expenditure is also increasing. The purpose of this study is to discuss the impact factors of purchase behavior by impulse buying and the relationship between the background knowledge to products and the purchase intention in multimedia expos in Kaohsiung area. After deleting invalid questionnaires, 501 of 550 research objects who were the consumers in the multimedia expo in Kaohsiung were taken into this study. The results which were made by research tools such as impulse buying scale, impulse buying behavior factors scale, product knowledge scale and purchase intention scale through statistic methods including reliability test, item analysis, factor analysis, descriptive statistics, independent samples t test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson's product-moment correlation and level regressions are as follows. (1) Significant differences can be seen in the catalogues of gender, marital status, age, educational level, occupation, average monthly wagers upon impose buying and the impact factors of behavior in the Multi Media Expo.(2) Consumers of various age or occupation have different knowledge level regarding the products. (3) Significant differences of purchase intentions between consumers in various educational levels in the multimedia expo. (4) Positive significant impacts of purchase intentions impacted by impulse buying especially in some promotion ways of advertisement, shopping situation and payment terms. (5) Significant influences of the impact between the consumers¡¦ shopping intentions and product knowledge. (6) Significant impacts in impulse buying personality to impulse shopping behavior and purchasing intention with positive interference between impulse shopping personality and purchasing intention. Negative impact occurs on shopping situation and purchasing intention regarding to impulse buying personality. (7) Significant interference impact on knowledge of products and shopping intention regarding to impulse buying personality. To conclude, except explaining and discussing the applications of the research result, the following suggestions were also mentioned to the exhibitors. (1) Combine marketing policies and product advertisement to raise the marketing performance. (2) Arrange better endorsements to attract the crowds. (3) Flexibly utilize quantitative promotions and main commodities to create a purchasing rush. (4) Properly plan the expo venue and improve the service quality to create situational stimuli. (5) Exercise various paying methods to improve the shopping intention of young people. (6) Make the best use of the consumers¡¦ product knowledge to improve shopping intention. (7) Utilize the interference impact of impulse shopping personality to raise the consumers¡¦ shopping intention. Moreover, some advices for future research were also mentioned.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management / Chihyung Ok / Carol W. Shanklin / Impulse buying has gained interest from both researchers and practitioners because of its contribution to sales and profits. The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of mobile food vending in the United States. Open-air selling by vendors may encourage consumers to buy food on impulse. Food sold on streets involves sensory cues that strongly induce impulse buying. Unlike normal buying behavior, impulse buying is greatly affected by emotion, but it may also be explained by cognition. Although impulse buying of food is a prevalent phenomenon, little academic research has been conducted regarding food consumption impulse. Further, there remains a lack of clear understanding of the link between emotions and impulse buying. The purpose of this study was to explore and empirically test consumers’ impulse buying behavior of food from street vendors and to identify determinants such as sensory cues, arousal and pleasure as emotional responses, perceived risk as a cognitive response, and the urge to buy impulsively. In particular, Study 1 proposed a theoretical model identifying the effects of sensory cues on arousal, pleasure, and perceived risk and, in turn, the urge to buy impulsively and impulse buying behavior. Study 2 proposed food neophobia and perceived human crowding as a possible moderator that may function in the relationship between emotions and impulse buying. Data were collected from 361 consumers who were 18 years or older and had purchased food from mobile vendors at a participating festival or event in the United States. The proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. In terms of direct effects, Study 1 found that sensory cues were positively related to arousal, pleasure, and the urge to buy impulsively and were negatively related to perceived risk; arousal and pleasure were positively associated with the urge to buy impulsively; perceived risk was negatively associated with the urge to buy impulsively; and the urge to buy impulsively was positively linked with impulse buying behavior. Further, arousal, pleasure, and perceived risk partially mediated the relationship between sensory cues and the urge to buy impulsively. Study 2 concluded that perceived human crowding moderates the effect of arousal and pleasure on the urge to buy impulsively and, in turn, impulse buying behavior. Food neophobia had no moderating effect. The study findings add to the understanding of consumer impulse buying in the context of street food. In addition to its contribution to the literature, practical applications that mobile food businesses could use to attract and retain customers are provided. The study concludes with general discussions of limitations and areas for future research.

In recent years, the sales promotion techniques provided by marketing strategies has increased and has become an important factor in the fashion industry. In todays society customers have more knowledge and easier access to information online. Due to the growth of consumer awareness, businesses need to gain insight on how limited-time promotion techniques affect consumers.  Accordingly, the purpose is to gain insight and understand how millennials' impulse buying is influenced by limited-time promotion when purchasing fashion products online, and explore if hedonic and utilitarian motivation appear and lead millennials to a purchase decision. The aim is to develop a more recent and essential knowledge within this topic due to the poverty of recent studies on if limited-time promotion influences millennials impulse buying behavior.  The empirical findings that were collected using a multiple-method qualitative study of four focus-groups and six semi-structured interviews with people originated from Sweden. The findings were analyzed and discussed with the literature that have been presented to determine their similarities or differences.  The conclusion of this thesis demonstrates millennials in Sweden's awareness of businesses marketing strategies, and that they are detached to the process. Throughout the thesis, millennials' attitudes towards the businesses promotions in the market is saturated, and that they are not influenced by limited-time promotion online since the knowledge that there will soon occur a discount again. Although the increased awareness of millennials in Sweden, utilitarian and hedonic motivations tend to create impulse-buying behavior online. Furthermore, to attract millennials in Sweden some factors have been identified.

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With growing social media usage, social media influencers’ (SMIs) are getting more popular within the realm of social media marketing and are widely used by brands. Previous studies have shown SMI marketing influences consumers’ impulsive buying behavior in prominent ways such as by SMI-generated content, trust in SMI and SMI credibility, SMIs’ emotional appeal, SMI visual attractiveness and SMI expertise. Thus, to further elaborate on current knowledge, the purpose of this study is to describe the influence of social media influencers’ on consumers' impulsive buying behavior. A qualitative study including features of both a cross-sectional and a case study approach was conducted. It was found that SMIs’ individual characteristics and personal connections with consumers as well as SMI-generated content and SMIs’ demonstrated knowledge enhance trust and further influence impulsive buying behavior (IBB). Further, key patterns identified the interplay between SMI appearance, inspiration and trust showing that visually attractive SMIs increase trust, thus influencing impulsive buying behavior among consumers. Findings emphasize how characteristics influence each other to influence IBB as well as, how each characteristic recognized, independently influences IBB among consumers.

Attention on impulsive buying behavior has been increased from both researchers and marketers, as the negative consumption experience resulting from this unplanned buying could harm the business severely in terms of brand building, reputation as well as a loss of customer. By reviewing previous literatures, we have identified that there is still little research about the post-consumer behavior of impulse purchases, namely on consumers’ regret triggered from what they have bought impulsively. The purpose of this study is to discover the triggers of buyer regret from impulse purchase, which is presented by the research question “What are the triggers of buyer regret from impulse purchases?” By conducting a quantitative research, we proposed a conceptual model of impulse purchase regret that consists of six hypotheses. The technical tool that we used to test the conceptual model is a SPSS extension called AMOS, whereas the analysis method uses the application of structural equation modeling. We collected our primary data (187 viable responses) via a questionnaire through convenience sampling. By testing all the data with AMOS, we received the following result: 5 hypotheses are accepted and 1 hypothesis is rejected. This result indicates that upwards counterfactual thinking (CFT) on forgone alternatives, a change in significance, and under consideration are positively related to impulse purchase regret; external stimuli and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII) have indirect influence on impulse purchase regret. By applying our theoretical background to analyze the result, we suggest that consumer’s rational buying thinking still plays an important role in post evaluation stage of impulse purchase, even though it disrupts the rational buying process in the beginning. Lastly, we believe that several parties could benefit from our research, they are marketing, academia as well as consumers.

Second-screen viewing - the use of smartphones, tables and laptops while watching television program - has increased dramatically in the last few years, which multi-screen usage could be considered as a new opportunity for marketing communication. This study will investigate the social media (as second screen) communication effects of TV drama series focussing on the effectiveness of characters' fashion content in leading to consumers' impulsive buying. Narrative transportation theory, use and gratification theory, flow theory, social comparison theory and para-social theory are developed and adopted in an S-O-R framework in this study. A quantitative research approach will be used to conduct online survey focusing China second screen marketing phenomenon. Results of the study provide a guide to understand the newly emerging second screen process with theoretical and managerial perspectives.

As a result of the prosperous growth of electronic commerce businesses and the rapid progress of the information technologies, various innovative e-commerce business models are emerging. In recent years, there is a new and very successful e-commerce business model called ¡§One Deal a Day.¡¨ It is surprising that the way how the One Deal a Day violates many principles of doing good business in the past. For this reason, the purpose of this thesis is to study why and how One Deal a Day can succeed by analyzing the empirical data collected from WOOT! which is the starter of One Deal a Day business model. Overall, the unique characteristics of One Deal a Day include single item only at any moment, 24 hours only or even shorter of selling, great discounts, funny story as marketing tactics, and full of uncertainty. Based on these characteristics and literature, we conclude the success of One Deal a Day is resulted from hedonic consumption and impulse buying behaviors. According to the analysis of empirical data, when the selling time is shorter and more uncertain, or when the price is cheaper, it will encourage more impulse buying. However, the time pressure will negatively moderate the impact of the price on impulse buying. From the aspect of consumer loyalty, we found that One Deal a Day business model is easy to build up consumer loyalty. In addition, when the selling time is shorter and more uncertain, it will attract more consumers with high loyalty, but less new consumers.

As the e-coupon group-buying is getting popular, there are many sellers using e-coupon group-buying as an advertising strategy by providing e-coupon with big discount. However, there were many complaints from consumers saying that they couldn¡¦t reserve the services on peak time as they wished. It turns out that the sellers could not achieve the advertising effect but the negative image. We found the good time for sellers doing advertising by selling e-coupon is on the off-peak time. Based on above observation, this study tried to explore whether the service industry can enhance the impulse buying behavior and thus improve yield management performance by selling e-coupons through mobile devices. An online experiment with questionnaire was implemented to collect research data. The research results include: (1) The quantity of e-coupon provided by the sellers will not have significant impact on time pressure perceived by the consumers directly. However, if the limited quantity lets consumer recognize its scarcity, it will increase consumer perceived time pressure and perceived value as well. (2) In addition to the perceived scarcity, the e-coupon discount also has positive influence on consumer perceived value. (3) The shorter distance the location of the store is, the better perceived location will be. (4) The consumer impulse buying intention will be impacted by the perceived time pressure, perceived value, perceived location and impulse characteristic of the consumer. Among them, the perceived value has highest influence and the second is consumer impulse characteristic followed by the perceived location.