What Causes Impulse Buying Urge When Consumers Watch Television Home Shopping?

Researchers usually attribute the growth of television home shopping (THS) to the fact that people make impulse purchase on THS channels. By applying Beatty and Ferrell (1998)’s impulse buying model and incorporating two new antecedents (perceived risk and the attractiveness of host and celebrity) which are unique to THS, this study investigates the antecedents of viewers’ impulse buying urge. Analysis of a questionnaire survey with 262 subjects, utilizing structural equation modeling, reveals that impulse buying tendency has the strongest impact on viewers’ impulse buying urge, followed by THS-channel browsing behaviors and positive affect. In addition, viewers who perceive less risk toward THS and have less time to go out shopping are more likely to browse THS-channel channels. The authors also find that positive affect is primarily enhanced by attractive hosts and celebrities.

Citation:

Dungchun Tsai, WeiWei Chen, and Hsien-Kai Chen (2011) ,"What Causes Impulse Buying Urge When Consumers Watch Television Home Shopping?", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Zhihong Yi, Jing Jian Xiao, and June Cotte and Linda Price, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 351-353.