The Role of Impulse Buying in Online Stores: An Empirical Study of Indonesian Consumers

Abstract

This study examines the influence of sales promotions on impulse buying behavior, mediated by website quality, in Indonesia's competitive online retail market, particularly focusing on Berrybenka's e-commerce platform. The research employs a quantitative descriptive verification approach, utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through SmartPLS for data analysis. Data was collected from 400 respondents in Bandung, West Java. The theoretical framework is grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), investigating the relationships between e-commerce characteristics, sales promotions, and website quality in driving impulse purchases. Results demonstrate that sales promotions positively and significantly influence both website quality and impulse buying behavior. Similarly, website quality shows a significant impact on impulse buying. The findings indicate that sales promotion implementation is appropriate, while both website quality and impulse buying measurements fall into good categories. This research contributes to the existing literature by uniquely combining three rarely integrated factors: sales promotion, website quality, and impulse buying in a single study. The findings extend TRA applications in e-commerce contexts and provide practical insights for online retailers in Indonesia's rapidly growing digital marketplace, particularly relevant during after the COVID-19 pandemic when internet penetration and online shopping have increased significantly.