Flash sale and online impulse buying: Mediation effect of emotions

Flash sale (FS) is a marketing strategy that is widely used and developed in sales through e-commerce. The implementation of the FS strategy is to provide discounts or special propositions on products offered within a certain time limit. Time restrictions aim to encourage consumers’ emotions to make impulse buying (IB). This study examines the effect of consumer emotions as a mediating variable on IB among Shoppee consumers in Indonesia caused by FS activities that are not carried out on certain important days. The required data were collected through the distribution of online questionnaires to respondents who, in the last three months, had made transactions through Shoppee e-commerce platform. A total of 150 questionnaires are analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results of the analysis show that the flash sale strategy carried out by the Shoppee e-commerce platform in Indonesia has a direct effect on increasing consumer emotions. This means that the higher the intensity of the FS promotion, the stronger the influence on consumer emotions. Emotions increase IB. FS has no significant effect on increasing IB. Subsequent findings show that FS indirectly has a positive and significant effect on IB through emotions. In other words, this study proves that the emotions are a mediating variable in online IB. This study is helpful for companies in developing appropriate strategies for their promotions in utilizing consumers’ impulse buying behavior by using strategies that trigger consumers’ emotions.