With the opening up of the economy and proliferation of mall culture, the economic relevance of impulsive buying behaviour has become significant. Thus, to better understand the phenomenon, it is important to develop an improved understanding of impulsive buying tendency, the inherent tendency that guides and shapes such behaviour.
Given the distinct differences in the behaviour of consumers across cultures, it is important to incorporate an indigenous perspective to understand and measure impulsive buying tendency. Two studies were conducted with the objectives of a) developing an Indian scale to measure impulsive buying tendency, and b) examining the association of impulsive buying tendency with self-control, the big five personality trait constructs, and impulsive buying behaviour. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), responses from 422 consumers were analysed and a two factor 8-item scale was developed that showed excellent reliability and validity scores. In the second study involving 508 respondents, SEM results indicated significant positive relationship between impulsive buying tendency and impulsive buying behaviour; while on expected lines, the relationship between impulsive buying tendency and self-control was found to be inversely significant. Also, results showed significant relationship between impulsive buying tendency and the two personality constructs of conscientiousness and extraversion.
The findings of the study are extremely relevant because previous scales related to impulsive buying tendency have been developed in the context of the developed world. Further, despite the claims that the Indian retail market is the next big destination for almost all global retail stores, there is a considerable void in terms of research pertaining to impulsive behaviour in the Indian context. Thus the important relationships explored in this study could be useful for both retailers/marketers, as well as theorists. Also, the two factor, 8-item measurement scale for measuring impulsive tendency would be useful to researchers and convenient for respondents when used in future research endeavours.
