Perceived VUCA exposure and impulse buying: dual emotional pathways as mediators

Purpose This study aims to extend the impulse-buying literature by examining how perceived VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) conditions in everyday life carry over into consumers’ shopping mindset and emotional responses through the lens of cognitive appraisal theory. It demonstrates that consumers’ appraisals of VUCA generate two distinct emotional pathways: a hedonic pathway driven by shopping-related positive emotions (PE) when VUCA is appraised as an opportunity, and an anxiety-driven pathway characterised by fear of missing out (FOMO) when it is perceived as a threat, both of which mediate impulse buying (IM) behaviour. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews with 28 respondents from diverse demographic and occupational backgrounds were conducted to explore the emotional pathways through which VUCA exposure may influence IM. Data from 597 participants were then collected through quantitative research in major Vietnamese urban markets and provinces and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings VUCA dimensions influence IM through different emotional pathways. Volatility and ambiguity mainly increase IM through FOMO, while complexity has mixed effects: it increases IM through shopping-related PEs but reduces it through lower FOMO. Uncertainty shows no clear indirect effect. Self-control moderates only the PE-IM relationship. Practical implications The findings offer practical insights for marketing managers to design adaptive and responsible strategies that acknowledge consumers’ emotional responses in VUCA contexts, while helping consumers recognise psychological vulnerabilities and strengthen self-control to reduce excessive IM. Originality/value This study extends the existing knowledge about IM by conceptualising perceived VUCA as a macro-level environmental condition that has largely been overlooked in impulse-buying research.