The explosive growth of e-commerce in the 21st century, particularly in China, has significantly impacted retail landscapes. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) plays a crucial role in influencing consumer purchase decisions, with online reviews and ratings heavily impacting brand perception and product choices. The Double Eleven shopping festival in China exemplifies this trend, showcasing a massive surge in online transactions annually. While positive eWOM can drive impulse buying due to perceived utilitarian and hedonic values, the increasing volume of online stimuli necessitates a reevaluation of impulse buying behavior. Existing research primarily focuses on problematic buying and self-regulation strategies to curb excessive spending. This study offers a novel perspective by exploring impulse-control strategies employed by rational consumers in making deliberate purchase decisions within the context of online shopping frenzies. It examines the role of consumer inertia as a risk-reduction mechanism in navigating the overwhelming information during such events, proposing that consumer inertia helps mitigate the influence of positive eWOM on impulse buying. The study utilizes the S-O-R framework, integrating flow theory to explore the interplay between external stimuli (positive eWOM), internal processes (consumer inertia), and the resulting buying behavior (impulse buying).

Research on impulse buying, initially focused on unplanned purchases in physical stores, has evolved to encompass emotional responses to stimuli. eWOM, encompassing the sharing of positive and negative experiences, significantly influences online shopping decisions. Studies have shown that positive eWOM, especially from trusted sources, boosts purchase intentions. While negative reviews can decrease sales, positive recommendations, particularly those emphasizing self-enhancement and enjoyment, are strongly linked to impulse purchasing. The quality of online reviews (informativeness, persuasiveness, credibility, and quantity) further impacts purchase intentions. These findings highlight the potential for self-control failure due to conflicting goals, inadequate tracking, or self-regulatory resource depletion, leading to impulsive purchases. However, the increase in positive eWOM can trigger reflective self-control, prompting consumers to re-evaluate their beliefs and consider potential downsides before making decisions. Consumer inertia, encompassing cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects, is proposed as a risk-reduction strategy in this context, assisting consumers in navigating the abundance of information and making more rational choices.

This study employed a quantitative approach using a survey administered to Chinese consumers who participated in the 2020 Double Eleven shopping festival. A two-stage sampling process was used, with an initial pre-test for scale refinement and a subsequent formal survey. The final sample included 497 valid responses. The questionnaire measured five variables: positive eWOM, affective inertia, cognitive inertia, behavioral inertia, and impulse buying. Each construct was measured using a five-point Likert scale, with items adapted from previous literature. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model, followed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The SEM analysis controlled for several demographic variables (gender, age, education, occupation, and monthly income). The model fit indices were evaluated using established criteria to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. The statistical power of the model was assessed using R² values.

The CFA results showed good construct reliability and validity for all variables. SEM analysis revealed that positive eWOM significantly contributed to impulse buying (H1 supported). All three types of consumer inertia (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) partially mediated the relationship between positive eWOM and impulse buying (H2a, H2b, and H2c partially supported). Furthermore, behavioral inertia partially mediated the relationships between affective inertia and impulse buying (H3 partially supported) and between cognitive inertia and impulse buying (H4 partially supported). The model exhibited high explanatory power (R² values above 0.50 for all endogenous variables), indicating that the model effectively captured a large proportion of the variance in the dependent variables. The explained variance in impulse buying was above 50%.

The findings confirm the direct influence of positive eWOM on impulse buying. However, they also highlight the crucial moderating role of consumer inertia. The results suggest that even in the context of an online shopping frenzy, consumers employ rational decision-making processes. Consumer inertia serves as a risk-reduction strategy, mitigating the cognitive overload caused by abundant positive eWOM and leading to more informed decisions. The sequential interplay among affective, cognitive, and behavioral inertia, particularly the strengthening influence of affective and cognitive inertia on behavioral inertia, underscores the evolution of brand loyalty and habitual purchasing behavior. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence for the mediating role of consumer inertia in impulse buying decisions. The findings suggest that marketers should focus on building brand trust and loyalty to leverage consumer inertia, fostering repeat purchases even beyond the initial promotional periods.

This study provides valuable insights into impulse buying during online shopping festivals, emphasizing the significance of positive eWOM and the moderating influence of consumer inertia. The findings contribute to both theory and practice, offering recommendations for marketers to cultivate brand loyalty and enhance the decision-making process of consumers. Future research could explore the impact of other factors on impulse buying, such as consumer confusion, and expand the study's scope to other e-commerce platforms and cultural contexts. Further investigation into post-decision processes and the management of expectancy violations could also enrich the understanding of online shopping behavior.

This study's scope is limited to the Chinese context and the Double Eleven shopping festival. The findings might not be generalizable to other cultures or e-commerce events. Furthermore, the study focuses solely on positive eWOM, neglecting other potential factors influencing impulse buying, such as negative eWOM, individual personality traits, and marketing strategies. The reliance on self-reported data through surveys also introduces potential biases, particularly the social desirability bias.