Triggering impulse buying: The impact of store promotions, customer satisfaction, and excitement on consumer behaviour in South Africa

Research Aims: Drawn upon Stern’s Impulse Buying Theory, which posits that environmental and situational cues can trigger impulse purchases without prior intention, this study aims to investigate how store environmental factors (store atmosphere, salespersons, smell) and shopper stimuli (purchasing power, promotions, excitement) influence satisfaction, and how satisfaction subsequently leads to impulse buying among female grocery shoppers in South Africa. In South Africa, women represent the majority of household grocery decision-makers. Understanding the factors that influence their unplanned purchasing behaviours is critical. Design/methodology/approach: Using a questionnaire, data was collected from 300 female grocery shoppers in South Africa and employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the data. Research Findings: All proposed hypotheses were supported. Store promotions, smell, excitement, and purchasing power had significant influence on satisfaction. Store atmosphere and salesperson interaction had weak but positive relationships. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study applies Stern’s Impulse Buying Theory within a South African context, offering learnings into how sensory and situational factors influence female consumer behaviour in grocery retail. Keywords: Impulse Buying, Grocery Retail, Store Promotions, Customer Satisfaction, Excitement