Understanding Impulsive Buying Behavior in the Digital Ecosystem: the Roles of Engagement, Marketing Stimuli, and Social Pressure

The rapid expansion of e-commerce within contemporary digital markets has fundamentally reshaped consumer purchasing behavior, shifting it toward instant gratification and spontaneous purchasing. Moving away from traditional technology adoption models like UTAUT2, which struggle to account for purely affective and unplanned behaviors, this conceptual paper applies the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to examine the determinants of online impulse buying behavior in modern live-commerce environments. The proposed model posits those external digital stimuli—specifically interactive marketing stimuli and real-time social pressure—influence the consumer's internal organism state (heightened consumer engagement and the fear of missing out), which subsequently drives the behavioral response of online impulse buying. Rather than viewing impulse buying as an isolated internal urge, this research redefines it as a structured behavioral response generated by a highly synchronized digital ecosystem that blends entertainment with immediate purchasing options. The proposed conceptual model provides significant theoretical implications by advancing the S-O-R framework within real-time, interactive retail settings. Furthermore, it offers practical insights for digital marketers and platform developers, suggesting that optimizing live social proof, implementing seamless one-click interfaces, and triggering dynamic emotional responses are critical strategies for accelerating online conversions.

Impulsive Buying Behavior; Consumer Engagement; Interactive Marketing; Social Pressure; Conceptual

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