Unplanned In-Store Purchase Behavior of Organic Grocery Product Users: Effect of Consumer Innovativeness Traits and Traditional and Digital Promotional Stimuli

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship of consumer innovativeness traits and traditional or digital in-store promotional stimuli and their effect on in store unplanned shopping of organic products. Within a framework of trait theory, consumer buying behavior theory and decision-making processes, SEM and r software applied to U.S. retail organic user panel data showed a unique, positive relationship of hedonistic, price-consciousness and quality-seeking traits with domain-specific (organic products) consumer innovativeness. This had a direct, positive effect on traditional and digital stimuli use, as well as leading to unplanned shopping and spending of organic goods. Knowing the traits of those who utilize traditional and digital promotions adds to trait theory and domain-specific innovativeness, an essential dimension under trait theory. Within the decision-making process, it also adds to and clarifies traditional and digital stimuli’s effect on organic users’ unplanned shopping behavior in a technologically changing, post Covid pandemic era.