Mobile Phone Interaction and Impulse Buying in Indian Grocery Chains: An S-O-R Perspective on Emotional and Situational Factors
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Abstract
This study develops an impulse buying model by examining how non-shopping mobile phone use, emotional states, and situational factors affect impulse buying in Indian grocery stores, extending the S-O-R framework to include digital distractions. A mall intercept survey collected data via a structured questionnaire from 326 participants post-purchase, analysed using structural equation modelling via Smart-PLS. The findings support the framework, indicating that non-shopping mobile use increases impulsive buying among Indian consumers. Mobile device usage in non-retail settings influences purchasing decisions, suggesting new shopper marketing strategies to enhance these unplanned purchases. Previous research has identified factors such as personal traits and situational influences on impulse buying, but has overlooked non-shopping mobile use. This study addresses this gap by modelling the effects of such usage on consumer behaviour.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Himanshu Verma, Prof. V.K. Dwivedi, Dr. Priyanka Rai

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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