Malaysian Online Shoppers and Impulse Buying: What Drives the Click?

The digitalisation of retail has significantly altered consumer behaviour, particularly in the context of online impulse buying. In Malaysia, a notable decline in online shopping activity from 80% in 2019 to 61.3% in 2023 raises critical questions about the drivers of unplanned purchase decisions. This study seeks to examine the key psychological and technological factors that influence online impulse buying behaviour among Malaysian consumers. An empirical approach was employed using a structured questionnaire distributed to Malaysian online shoppers. A total of 234 valid responses were obtained. The study utilised both SPSS and structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the reliability, validity, and correlations among six independent variables (website interactivity, web design, trust, enjoyment, convenience, and user reviews) and the dependent variable, impulse buying behaviour. The regression analysis revealed that user reviews and convenience were the strongest predictors of online impulse buying among Malaysian consumers, with both showing statistically significant positive effects. Trust, website design, and interactivity had positive but statistically insignificant impacts, while enjoyment showed no meaningful influence. The model explained 38.3% of the variance in impulse buying behaviour, indicating a moderate explanatory power with no multicollinearity detected. JEL Codes: M31, D12, L81 Keywords: Online Impulse Buying, E-commerce, Consumer Behaviour, Malaysia.