Instrument Development For Weibo Consumer Impulse Buying Intention

Abstract

The rapid development of social networking platforms such as Weibo has greatly changed consumer purchasing behaviour, especially in terms of impulse buying. According to CNNIC data, the user base of social e-commerce in China has reached 713 million people. As of 2023, Weibo has 605 million monthly active users. However, unlike traditional e-commerce platforms or offline shopping environments, the rich multimedia content, unique social features, diverse user base, and algorithm-based recommendation mechanisms of social networking platforms have collectively created a completely new shopping environment. This also means that the factors influencing consumers' impulse buying intention have become more complex. Meanwhile, information overload, user fatigue, and authenticity issues on social networking platforms present new challenges. Therefore, based on Hawkins Stern's Impulse Buying Theory (1962) and Prime Theory, this study develops an instrument to measure Weibo consumers' impulse buying intention. The research instrument is primarily designed to evaluate the following variables: promotion, visual appeal, positive user reviews, product features, price, arousal, and impulse buying intention. A quantitative research method was employed, with a pilot test conducted on 40 respondents aged 18-45 from Jiangsu, China, who had experience shopping on Weibo, to test the reliability and validity of the research instrument. The results indicate that the 7 latent constructs demonstrate good reliability and validity. Future research could further validate these measurement statements for application and promotion in different social networking platform contexts.