Factors Influencing Online Impulse Buying Behavior: Evidence from Young Russian Consumers

Nowadays consumers spend a lot of time in shopping environments, and one of them, which is the Internet, is becoming and more significant in their everyday lives. A great number of various factors determines consumer behavior and that makes it complicated and difficult to predict, especially when consumer behavior manifests itself in a form of impulse buying, which happens on spur of the moment. This study examines some of the factors that cause such behavior online and points out possibilities for future research. The factors are divided in three categories: 1. Marketing stimuli that influence online impulse buying behavior: • Price, discount and sales • Bonus and promotion • Scarcity 2. Website stimuli that influence online impulse buying behavior: • Personalization and customized view • Social presence • Telepresence • Use of recommendation agent • Use of search mechanism • Atmospheric cues (store content, ease of use and navigation, visual appeal) 3. Situational stimuli that influence online impulse buying behavior: • Variety of selection and product availability • Return policy The purpose of the study is to explore and define the behavior held by Russian youth towards online impulse buying behavior. This study identifies how gender, income, education and employment of people of group age of 16-30 affect the way they conduct impulse purchases basing on a number of relevant factors as main reference points. Quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering were used in forms of a semi-structured interview and a survey. In qualitative part of the research it was found that Scarcity and Telepresence influence online impulse buying behavior of women and Social presence influences men and people without own source of income. In quantitative part it was found that Price, discount and sales has a weak influence on male respondents, a moderate influence on unemployed respondents and a strong influence on people with lower income, Atmospheric cues have a strong influence on female respondents and a moderate influence on people with higher income, Social presence has a strong influence on male respondents and respondents with lower income, Use of search mechanism has a strong influence on male respondents, Return policy has a strong influence on people with lower income. These findings should help e-retailers and e-marketers to understand their target audience better in order to sell their products in a more effective way and thus strengthen their competiveness and increase profits.