Aim The authors seek to explore the impact of celebrity endorsement through social media on consumer behavior, specifically on impulsive buying. Methodology The quantitative research approach was adopted, and a questionnaire was administered to university students in 3 cities (Gavle, Uppsala, and Stockholm). The primary data was collected from the students’ responses to the questions (127-members survey). For achieving the results mentioned in the results chapter, SPSS 17 was used for the data analysis. In the study, secondary data was collected through scholarly journals, books, and articles. Findings The findings show that the popularity of the celebrity affects the buying behavior of customers (purchase motivation or purchase intention). The results revealed that marketers need to use recognized factors to motivate and influence consumers’ buying intention on social media as suggested by the consumer. The perception of the customers is that Marketers will do well to control the purchasing behavior of customers, and if possible the influence of celebrity endorsement through social media on impulsive buying. Contribution to the study Theoretical contribution This study adds a theoretical contribution to impulsive buying towards consumers’ buying behavior in the emerging field of marketing theory. Celebrities can play a vital role in influencing customers through using social media platforms which can impact their buying decision. In addition to the social media effect, the authors have chosen to continue the Pavlovian model for consumer behavior, adapting it to success, as did the other two separate factors that lead to an impulse purchase which is the convenience of e-commerce and impulse decision. The theory explores the actions of consumers in detail and aims at a much deeper understanding of thought and shifting attitudes based on both external and specific environmental factors. Managerial contribution Celebrities create positive awareness through their influence and arouse the need in the mind of customers. Motivated customers are interested in buying and making instant decisions. The attitude of graduate students could be vital for marketers to promote products through this channel.  The research asks actually that if, in the case of support for the chosen celebrity and not just any celebrity, details should be collected and a commonly known celebrity is strategically positioned then the research would change their preconceived ideas about certain target markets. Limitations and suggestions for future research The authors recommend that the results presented are not generalizable to other universities or countries. The focus of this study is limited to a particular segment with various constraints, in changing situations, to obtain students’ perceptions of different opinions and methods to influence the decision-making behavior of consumers with celebrities' help through social media. The point of view may differ from one demographic segment to another, so the authors will recommend extending/expanding the sample size with various demographic features for similar studies in the future. The impulsive buying behavior of customers is largely influenced but still, there is a gap between the product category and customers’ preference. Furthermore, the new study can be done on how consumer buying behavior may affect based on contextual influence such as involving time pressure, situational impact based on the channel of promotion(online and offline ), as the number of customers, is increasing very rapidly.

E-handeln växer i rask takt på grund av digitaliseringen och har på så sätt påverkat företagen till att vara mer online idag. Det har även gjort att den digitala sensoriska marknadsföringen behöver utvecklas för att kunna påverka konsumenters beteenden även online. Marknaden behöver anpassa sig för att kunna påverka konsumenterna till att genomföra impulsiva köp på andra sätt än vad som tidigare gjorts i fysiska butiker.  Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur kundernas sinnen påverkas av digital sensorisk marknadsföring, som sedan leder till ett impulsivt köp, vid onlineshopping inom mode. Med tanke på syftet men också för att kunna bidra med vidare forskning kring ämnet formulerades forskningsfrågan frågan: * Hur påverkar digital sensorisk marknadsföring konsumentens impulsiva köpbeteende inom mode online?  I denna studie valdes en kvalitativ metod med en induktiv ansats att användas. Elva respondenter intervjuades med semistrukturerade frågor. Studien valde att studera konsumenter i Sverige, där också ett urval från populationen gjordes. Det eftersom att hela populationen inte kunde undersöka, där urvalsgruppen bestod av kvinnor i åldrarna 20-35.  Genom empiri och teori blir det i denna studie tydligt att konsumenter faktiskt blir påverkade av digital sensorisk marknadsföring till att genomföra impulsiva köp. Främst framkom det att synen var den största faktorn till att konsumenter handlar mer impulsivt online. Detta genom, exempelvis, rea, struktur på hemsidan, influencers och sociala medier, etcetera. Det framgick även att många av intervjuernas deltagare inte var så insatta i ämnet om varken digital sensorisk marknadsföring eller impulsiva köp, och därmed inte var fullt medvetna kring hur de genom sinnena blir påverkade i sin konsumtion online. / E-commerce is growing rapidly due to digitalization, and this has influenced companies to be more online today. It has also necessitated the development of digital sensory marketing to influence consumer behavior online. The market needs to adapt to influence consumers to make impulsive purchases in ways different from those previously used in physical stores. The purpose of this study was to examine how customers’ senses are affected by digital sensory marketing, which then leads to impulsive purchases in online fashion shopping. Considering the purpose and to contribute to further research on the topic, the research question was formulated as follows:  *How does digital sensory marketing affect consumer’s impulsive buying behavior in online fashion? In this study a qualitative method with an inductive approach was chosen. Eleven respondents were interviewed using semi-structured questions. The study focused on consumers in Sweden, with a sample selected from the population. Since the entire population could not be studied, the sample group consisted of women aged 20-35. Through empirical data and theory, it becomes clear in this study that consumers are indeed influenced by digital sensory marketing to make impulsive purchases. It primarily emerged that vision was the most significant factor leading consumers to shop more impulsively online. This occurs through, for example, sales, website layout, influencers and social media, etcetera. It also emerged that many of the interview participants were not very knowledgeable about the topic or either digital sensory marketing or impulsive purchases, and thus were not fully aware of how their senses influence their online consumption.

Background: Internet and smartphones enable people to purchase online independent of time and place, and this have resulted in that impulsive purchases on the internet have increased. Different generations have been described to be more or less susceptible to impulse buying. Generation Y, the first generation that grew up with technology, have generally been described as impulsive, while Generation X, who were introduced to technology later in life, have been described as more rational. Further, consumers’ impulsive buying behavior has shown to be crucial and common, especially within the fashion industry. Purpose: The purpose was to investigate how Gen Y purchase apparel impulsively online compared to the older Gen X. Also, which one of them that make most apparel purchases online, and which one of them who do most web browsing of apparel. Further, the authors wanted to investigate how four different factors affect the generations’ impulsive buying behavior in the case of apparel online. These were based on an adjustment of the Revised CIFE-model. Method:  This research was conducted through a quantitative method, and seven hypotheses were formulated based on the theory. An online survey was constructed and shared through social media, and the final sample consisted of 709 respondents from both Gen X and Gen Y. These responses were analyzed through SPSS, and the hypotheses were tested by combining questions. Conclusion: The results showed that Gen Y are browsing more apparel online than Gen X, and also that they more often purchase apparel impulsively online. However, Gen X buy more apparel online in general. The findings further showed that Gen Y are more affected than Gen X by external trigger cues, normative evaluation, and internal factors when it comes to impulsive e-purchases of apparel. There was no difference between the generations’ impulse buying tendency. Findings from the open-ended questions showed that Gen X often are affected by advertising, while Gen Y are more affected by influencers. Sales and special offers influenced both generations.

ABSTRACT Date: 2024 Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Tatiana Bernard, Alexia; Parvin, Maryam; Ram, Mahabad Title: Beyond the Click: Unveiling the Influence of AI Personalization on E-commerce Impulse Buys Supervisor: Emre Yildiz Keywords: AI personalized recommendations, impulsive buying behavior, perceived value, perceived scarcity, perceived positive emotions. Research question: How does AI-powered personalized product recommendations influence impulsive buying behavior in e-commerce, potentially mediated by underlying psychological mechanisms? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the link between AI-powered personalized product recommendations and consumers’ impulsive buying on e-commerce platforms. The research explores how these personalized recommendations might influence customers towards impulsive purchases through perceived value, scarcity, and positive emotions as mediating factors. Method: This study utilized a quantitative research methodology, employing online surveys to collect data from active online shoppers. To ensure a comprehensive sample, both convenience and purposive sampling techniques were implemented, aiming to represent a broad spectrum of online shopping behaviors. Conclusion: This study reveals that AI-powered personalized product recommendations significantly influence impulsive buying behaviors on e-commerce platforms. By examining the mediating effects of perceived value, scarcity, and positive emotions, the research highlights how personalized recommendations can drive impulsive purchases. The findings underscore the importance of sophisticated recommendation systems in enhancing consumer engagement and satisfaction while raising important ethical considerations about consumer manipulation and long-term satisfaction. This study provides valuable insights for businesses looking to balance effective marketing strategies with ethical consumer practices.

In recent years, with the rapid development of Internet technology, live streaming e-commerce has gradually become the focus of public attention and has occupied an increasingly important position in consumers' daily lives. The significant difference between online retail and offline retail is whether consumers can directly touch the products, and the perception of the products plays a key role in consumers' purchasing decisions. Therefore, how to display products effectively is crucial for online retailers. This study aims to explore how the product display method of live streaming e-commerce affects consumers' impulsive buying behaviour, and collect consumers' views on live streaming e-commerce through questionnaires. The results show that improving the vividness and interactivity of product displays significantly enhances virtual touch, which in turn promotes impulsive buying behaviour. However, there is a positive correlation between virtual touch and perceived risk, and perceived risk fails to significantly inhibit impulsive buying behaviour, but instead shows a positive correlation, that is, high perceived risk increases impulsive buying behaviour. The conclusions of this study provide new insights into the future interaction model between online retailers and consumers, promote two-way communication, and improve communication efficiency. Through this study, online retailers can provide consumers with an experience closer to offline shopping when using live streaming e-commerce, thereby more effectively prompting consumers to make purchasing decisions.

As social media platforms continue to evolve, the rapid evolution has significantly transformed consumer behavior, particularly among generation Z. TikTok has emerged as a particularly dominant force and therefore this thesis investigates the influence of TikTok User-generated content on impulsive buying behavior towards beauty products among generation Z. Through a qualitative analysis the authors explore the intricate dynamics of TikToks UGC, aiming to uncover trends and patterns that trigger impulsive purchases.  Drawing on semi-structured interviews with Generation Z beauty consumers, the study investigates how TikTok's unique features and content dynamics drive impulsive purchases. The analysis focuses on identifying key trends and patterns in UGC that contribute to spontaneous buying decisions, as well as understanding the role of authenticity, trust, and emotional engagement in this process. The findings reveal that individuals who spend more time on TikTok are more likely to exhibit impulsive buying behavior. Key factors influencing these behaviors include the perceived honesty and expertise of influencers, the relatability and aspirational qualities of content creators, and the repeated exposure to products. Limited editions and perceived exclusivity further amplify the urgency to purchase. TikToks video format, which provides immediate and relatable visual proof of products effectiveness, plays a crucial role in driving these impulsive buying decisions. This study underscores the importance for brands to strategically leverage TikToks platform to engage with Generation Z consumers effectively. By creating honest, relatable content and utilizing the power of repeated exposure, brands can enhance consumer engagement and drive sales, fostering long term trust and loyalty among Generation Z consumers.

Due to intense competition, retail stores are today forced to come up with exciting new sales promotional ideas to remain a relevant choice for customers. Gift giving is a sales promotional tool which has previously demonstrated to increase customer satisfaction and spending - an ideal situation for any retailer. However, gift giving has only been researched and confirmed for retailers that offer consumable goods. It has yet to be measured in a context where it is of greater difficulty for the customer to spend more than planned. This research fills that void by conducting a field experiment at a retail store offering durable shopping products.The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect gift giving has on gratitude, obligation, satisfaction, impulsive buying, and spending at a retail store offering durable shopping products. Through a field experiment, the study tests the effect on these variables of both small and large gifts and explore whether customer spending increases alongside the gift’s monetary worth.To complete the purpose of the study, a case company representing a durable shopping products retailer was selected. A field experiment was setup with two experimental groups and one control group. The results from the manipulation were collected through questionnaires which included questions pertaining to the study’s five variables. The collected data was then analysed through the statistics program SPSS.The only emotion that is affected from providing gifts in this retail environment is obligation, a negative emotion, which in turn decreases customer satisfaction. Since giving a gift only evokes negative emotions, it is concluded that a durable goods retailer should not use gift giving as a sales promotional tool. Additionally, when given a large gift, customer spending decreases considerably. This could imply that gift giving does not work in this retail environment, or that an extraneous variable affected the experiment’s outcome.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe išanalizuota ir įvertinta vartotojų elgsenos veiksnių įtaka sprendimo pirkti priėmimo procese, iškeltos vartotojų elgsenos problemos, susiję su vartotojo sprendimu pirkti bei pateikti siūlymai, kaip šias problemas spręsti. Pirmoje darbo dalyje teoriniu aspektu tiriama vartotojų elgsenos samprata, pateikiamos skirtingos Lietuvos bei užsienio autorių nuomonės apie vidinių ir išorinių veiksnių įtaką vartotojų elgsenai bei vartotojų sprendimo priėmimo procesui. Antroje dalyje nagrinėjama UAB „MSF Lithuania“ įmonės veikla, atliktas tyrimo metodikos pagrindimas bei iškelta pagrindinė tyrimo hipotezė. Anketinės apklausos metodu nustatytos demografinės charakteristikos ir veiksniai, turintys daugiausiai įtakos parduotuvės „Marks & Spencer“ vartotojui priimant sprendimą pirkti, bei jų priklausomybė, SPSS programa susisteminami tyrimo metu gauti duomenys, patvirtinama ar atmetama hipotezė ir daromos išvados. / In Master‘s Work analized and evaluated consumer‘s behaviour factors that influence the purchase decision making process, also raised the problems related to the customer purchase decision and made recommendations to solve these issues. The first part examined the theoretical aspects of consumer behaviour concept, compared Lithuanian and foreign author‘s opinion on the internal and external factors that influence consumer behaviour and customer decision making process. In the second part examined “MSF Lithuania“ Ltd. activities, investigated methodology validation and raised fundamental research hypothese, by questionnaire survey method determined consumer behaviour factors that affect “Marks & Spencer“ customer purchase decision the most. By SPSS program systematized the data obtained during the investigation, confirmed or rejected hypothese and draw conclusions.

Den digitala utvecklingen i dagens samhälle ger konsumenter reklam och erbjudande vart de än kollar. Via sociala medier når företag lätt ut till sin målgrupp och kan med små medel påverka konsumentens behov. Detta har skapat ett nytt sätt att konsumera där konsumenter inte endast handlar nödvändigheter utan skapar ett eget behov i takt med att den ständiga exponeringen för nya produkter. Denna exponeringen leder till impulsiva köp. I denna studie har en kvantitativ enkät och en kvalitativ intervju använts för att kartlägga konsumentens köpbeteende. Syftet är att undersöka de interna och externa faktorer sompåverkar konsumenternas impulsiva köpbeteende. Den kvantitativa enkäten användes för att ge en generell bild av konsumenternas köpbeteende för att sedan kompletteras med intervjuernas mer djupgående svar. Studiens resultat presenteras och analyseras utifrån tre utvalda kategorier som varit grund till enkät- och intervjufrågorna. Kategorierna utgår från studiens valda teoretiska perspektiv som innefattar modellerna Consumer Impulsive Formation Enactment (CIFE) och The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R). Modellerna används som hjälpmedel för att kartlägga konsumenternas beteende gällande såväl interna som externa faktorer. Utifrån modellerna har ett eget teoretiskt ramverk utvecklats för studien. Modellen heter DIA-modellen och är en sammanfattning av studiens teoretiska perspektiv och används för att kartlägga impulsiva konsumentbeteende i den digitala modehandeln. Modellen utgår ifrån följande kategorier: digitalt köpbeteende, impulsivt köpbeteende och affektiv påverkan. En slutsats som kan dras av denna undersökning är att de miljöpåverkande och externa faktorerna spelar en stor roll i skapandet av konsumenternas behov. Resultatet visade att respondenterna ansågs sig göra oplanerade köp som en följd avett behov som uppkom först när de presenterades för produkten i fråga. Detta visade sig även ha en större påverkan på de yngre respondenterna som påverkades i större utsträckning via sociala medier och dess omgivning. De interna faktorer som visade sig vara avgörande var utvärderingen och motiveringen av köpet. För vidare studier kan förslagsvis skillnader påmän och kvinnors impulsiva köpbeteende undersökas för att se om där finns skillnader. Studiens begränsningar är det utvalda kategorier som undersöker hur interna och externa faktorer påverkar impulsivt köpbeteende. Om konsumenten ansåg sig kunna motivera sitt köp i utvärderingsprocessen var möjligheten större att denne gjorde impulsiva inköp. Så som konsument gäller de att ställa sig själv och sin omgivning frågan: ” Hallå, behöver duverkligen den där?” / The digital development in today's society gives consumers advertising and offers wherever they look. Companies can easily reach their target group and easily influence the consumer's needs through social media. Today consumers not only buy their necessaries but also what they consider they want. This exposure leads to impulsive purchases. I denna studie har en kvantitativ enkät och en kvalitativ intervju använts för att kartlägga konsumentens köpbeteende. Syftet är att undersöka de interna och externa faktorer som påverkar konsumenternas impulsiva köpbeteende. Den kvantitativa enkäten användes för att ge en generell bild av konsumenternas köpbeteende för att sedan kompletteras med intervjuernas mer djupgående svar. Studiens resultat presenteras och analyseras utifrån tre utvalda kategorier som varit grund till enkät- och intervjufrågorna. Kategorierna utgår från studiens valda teoretiska perspektiv som innefattar modellerna Consumer Impulsive Formation Enactment (CIFE) och The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R). Modellerna används som hjälpmedel för att kartlägga konsumenternas beteende gällande såväl interna som externa faktorer. Utifrån modellerna har ett eget teoretiskt ramverk utvecklats för studien. Modellen heter DIA-modellen och är en sammanfattning av studiens teoretiska perspektiv och används för att kartlägga impulsiva konsumentbeteende i den digitala modehandeln. Modellen utgår ifrån följande kategorier: digitalt köpbeteende, impulsivt köpbeteende och affektiv påverkan. En slutsats som kan dras av denna undersökning är att de miljöpåverkande och externa faktorerna spelar en stor roll i skapandet av konsumenternas behov. Resultatet visade att respondenterna ansågs sig göra oplanerade köp som en följd av ett behov som uppkom först när de presenterades för produkten i fråga. Detta visade sig även ha en större påverkan på de yngre respondenterna som påverkades i större utsträckning via sociala medier och dess omgivning. De interna faktorer som visade sig vara avgörande var utvärderingen och motiveringen av köpet. För vidare studier kan förslagsvis skillnader på män och kvinnors impulsiva köpbeteende undersökas för att se om där finns skillnader. Studiens begränsningar är det utvalda kategorier som undersöker hur interna och externa faktorer påverkar impulsivt köpbeteende. Om konsumenten ansåg sig kunna motivera sitt köp i utvärderingsprocessen var möjligheten större att denne gjorde impulsiva inköp. Så som konsument gäller de att ställa sig själv och sin omgivning frågan: ” Hallå, behöver du verkligen den där?

Influencer marketing is a new marketing strategy that has risen in popularity to be used by businesses during the last decade. Even though studies have been previously made on influencer marketing, little research has been made specifically on influencer marketing in combination with their discount codes being offered. The main purpose of this research paper is to examine the connection between the discount codes and the effect it might have on consumers' purchase intention, behavior and impulsive buying. Furthermore, the satisfactory levels after a purchase due to influencer marketing has been examined as it has not been seen in previous studies. The findings revealed that consumers are directly affected by influencer discount codes, causing impulsive buying to a certain level and affects the purchase intentions and decision-making in a faster manner. Furthermore, consumers who had purchased products due to influencer marketing obtained a high satisfactory level post-purchase. The same result could be seen both with and without discount codes. These results contribute to a positive insight of influencer marketing for businesses as the majority of the consumers were satisfied with their purchases. The research paper is written in english.