Fear, Regret, and the Urge to Buy : Psychological Pathways to Impulsive Consumption During Crises
Authors
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Bhuvanesh Kumar Sharma
Assistant Professor (Corresponding Author), Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Lavale, Mulshi, Pune - 412 115, Maharashtra
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8133-6758
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Sneha Rajput
Professor, Prestige Institute of Management, Research, Gwalior, Airport Road, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8130-7941
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2026/v56/i7/175325Keywords:
impulsive buying (IB) behavior, COVID-19, pandemic, in-store hoarding (ISH), anticipated regret (AR), scarcity, uncertainty avoidance (UA).Publication Chronology: Paper Submission Date : August 9, 2025 ; Paper sent back for Revision : March 15, 2026 ; Paper Acceptance Date : June 20, 2026 ; Paper Published Online : July 15, 2026.
Abstract
Purpose : This study investigated the psychological mechanisms driving impulsive buying (IB) behavior during crises, focusing on the roles of perceived scarcity (PS), uncertainty avoidance (UA), and in-store hoarding (ISH). It examined how these antecedents influenced cognitive closure (CC) and anticipated regret (AR), which, in turn, affected consumers’ impulse buying behavior.
Methodology : A quantitative research design was employed, and survey data were collected from 281 consumers who had experienced a crisis-induced retail environment. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), and eight hypothesized relationships among PS, UA, ISH, CC, AR, and IB were tested.
Findings : The results indicated that PS, UA, and ISH significantly predicted CC and AR. IB behavior was affected by CC and AR. In the case of direct paths, IB was affected by ISH, although not by PS and UA. The results reflected that the psychological antecedents of impulse buying were via cognitive and emotional mediating factors rather than stimulus-response elements.
Practical Implications : ISH and PS affected impulsive purchases indirectly. Thus, retail organizers could take away the finding that impulse buying increases during crises as a result of CC and AR.
Originality : The findings contributed to a deeper understanding of consumer behavior during crisis conditions by demonstrating that psychological mediators such as CC and AR affect impulsiveness indirectly. The study presented offered a unique proposition wherein a crisis-induced environment was connected with impulsive consumption behavior.
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