The Influence of Marketing Stimulation and Situational Factors on Impulse Purchasing Behavior of Vietnamese Consumers

Today, with the increasingly improved standards of living, consumers’ demands are becoming more diverse. As daily purchasing activities are becoming less planned, impulse purchases are increasingly the norm. This paper focuses on factors influencing consumers’ impulse purchase behavior in three of Vietnam’s largest cities (Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh) based on a review of previous research as well as an analysis of effects of marketing stimuli and situational factors. Data were obtained from 264 Vietnamese consumers who have made impulse purchases using an online survey. Hypothesis testing and path modeling demonstrated that among four marketing stimuli factors, except for price incentives, all have a significant positive impact on impulsive purchase behavior. In addition, time pressure and ability to pay have a significant impact on impulsive purchase behaviors of urban Vietnamese consumers. These findings enrich the extant knowledge on the relationship between marketing stimulation, situational factors and impulse purchasing behavior. They also have important implications for firms that aim to stimulate changes in consumers' psychological desires, thereby stimulating consumers to engage in impulsive purchase behavior.