High and Low Impulsive Buying in Social Commerce: A SPAR-4-SLR and fsQCA Approach

Academic research exploring the phenomenon of impulsive buying using s-commerce platforms is scarce. Little is known about the factors and their prominence in shaping impulsive buying on s-commerce platforms. Current research explored this unexplored terrain by employing a two study research design. Using scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR), study 1 identified 24 factors in four categories (social characteristics of the s-commerce platform, features of the s-commerce platform, social shoppers’ psychographic characteristics, and marketers induced factors) shaping impulsive buying tendency of social buyers. Employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, study 2 identified 12 among 24 factors as the differentiators for high and low impulsive buying. By identifying the factors and the differentiators, this study significantly advance the limited understanding of impulsive buying using s-commerce platforms. Focusing on the differentiators, brands and s-commerce firms can significantly enhance their business.