Harnessing the power of app attributes on online fashion impulse purchasing among femaleMuslim shoppers

Purpose Online marketers idolise impulsive buyers. Mobile shopping app (MSA) attributes become the driving antecedent of this motive, and unfortunately, it is not uncommon for shoppers to regret their purchasing decisions. Using baseline cognitive dissonance theory (CDT), this study aims to examine MSA attributes as the primary cognitive elements of online impulsive buying and their effects on post-purchase regret. Design/methodology/approach The online survey adopted a purposive sampling technique to collect data from 432 respondents among Muslim female shoppers who will be tested using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. Findings Performance attributes (perceived ease of use, innovativeness of technology) and technical attributes (visual design, navigation design, collaboration design) are significant predictors of online fashion impulse purchases that affect post-purchase regret among female Muslim shoppers. In contrast, perceived usefulness (performance attribute) and information design (technical attribute) do not predict online impulse purchases. Research limitations/implications This study design focuses solely on the perspective of female Muslim shoppers when shopping for fashion via MSA; it does not consider other types of products purchased via e-commerce. Practical implications MSA developers must design better policies to increase impulsive fashion purchases through MSA attributes. Creating effective marketing strategies for online marketers is crucial to encourage impulsive purchases while minimising post-purchase regret. Social implications Through MSA and its attributes, female Muslim shoppers are spoiled by abundant, hedonic and increasingly impulsive fashion displays. However, online marketers favour this motive because it can increase sales and revenue. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that integrates app performance and technical attributes to predict online impulsive purchases and their implications for post-purchase regret from the perspective of female Muslim shoppers, thus expanding the existing literature.