AUTHOR=Zhang Jingjing , Jiang Nan , Turner Jason James , Pahlevan-Sharif Saeed 

TITLE=The Impact of Scarcity on Consumers’ Impulse Buying Based on the S-O-R Theory

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792419

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792419

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=The global COVID-19 pandemic impacted the healthcare systems of every nation. The scarcity of medical protective equipment led to impulse buying at the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in China which resulted in stockpiling and the increase of prices by the retailers and insufficiencies for front-line workers. This situation impacted epidemic control work and market order and is the context from which this paper identifies how the scarcity of medical protective equipment affects Chinese consumers’ impulse buying based on the theories of S-O-R model and bandwagon effect. The research provides insight into the mechanism of mediation (fear of missing out) and moderation (bandwagon) in the relationship between scarcity and impulse buying.  This study uses convenience sampling, surveying 488 Chinese consumers through an online questionnaire. Smart-PLS was used to test the hypotheses.The empirical findings demonstrate that scarcity makes consumers fear missing the chance of getting protective medical equipment, leading ultimately to impulse buying. Besides, the scarcity effect on consumers’ impulse buying depends on other consumers’ follow up behaviour under such emergency situations.The findings provide managerial insight and a point of reference in implementing a scarcity strategy. The findings will also prove useful to the Chinese Risk Response Department as it continuously improves its responses to the risk of consumers’ impulse buying during a pandemic. Also, This study consolidates and takes research forward in the areas of impulse buying and consumer behaviour, confirming the mediating effect of fear of missing out and the moderating effect of bandwagon in the relationship between scarcity and impulse buying.