A structural model of fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior

Purpose - This study aims to examine the causal relationships among fashion involvement, positive emotion, hedonic consumption tendency, and fashion-oriented impulse buying in the context of shopping. Design/methodology/approach - A self-administered questionnaire developed from the literature was administered to 217 college students during a scheduled class. They were enrolled at one metropolitan university in a southwestern state in the USA. A structural equation model using a correlation matrix with maximum likelihood was estimated by LISREL 8.53. Findings - Fashion involvement and positive emotion had positive effects on consumers' fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior with fashion involvement having the greatest effect. Hedonic consumption tendency was an important mediator in determining fashion-oriented impulse buying. Research limitations/implications - This study was limited to college students at one metropolitan university in a southwestern state in the USA and to general fashion products. Practical implications - Retailers may encourage consumers' positive emotion through strategies such as store design, product displays, package design, and sales. A focus on entertainment, interest, and excitement may be as important as getting the right mix of merchandise and pricing. Other retail strategies might be to stress the relative rationality and non-economic rewards of impulse buying in advertising efforts; to make impulse purchases more risk free through convenient return policies; and to increase enablers such as offering credit and extending store hours. Originality/value - Few studies exist for predicting fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior. This study addresses the need to examine impulse buying behavior related to fashion products.