Effects of Singles’ Day atmosphere stimuli and Confucian values on consumer purchase intention

Abstract

Purpose Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival was originated in China and is characterized by gathering promotions to create consumer shopping atmosphere. Its rapid rise has affected Asia and the world, becoming the world’s largest shopping festival beyond Black Friday. The success of Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival demonstrates Chinese experience of online shopping festive atmosphere marketing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival atmosphere and Chinese cultural background, especially Confucian values, on Chinese consumers’ purchase intention in Singles’ Day Online Shopping Festival. Design/methodology/approach This paper conceptualized consumers’ most perceptive atmosphere characteristics as the three dimensions of perceived economic temptation, perceived festival entertainment and perceived mass participation. Taking Confucian values as moderators, based on the stimulus-response theory, this study constructed an influencing factor model of consumer purchase intention in online shopping festival, collected data of 398 Chinese consumers by questionnaire, and used structural equation modeling for hypotheses testing. Findings The results showed that online shopping festival atmosphere and Confucian values affect purchase intention; the two factors of “keeping face” and “listening to others” of Confucian values play moderating roles in the effect of online shopping festival atmosphere on purchase intention. Research limitations/implications The sample of this study was biased toward the young and well-educated consumers; besides, this study focused on young consumers’ purchase intention of online shopping festival, rather than their actual consumption behaviors. Practical implications Confucian values have deeply influenced China and other Asian countries, especially East and Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile they are the fastest growing regions of e-commerce in the world, the paper provides theoretical basis and reference for the e-commerce enterprises in the Confucian cultural societies to improve the atmosphere marketing of online shopping festivals, and attracts consumers to shop online, having particular significance in shedding light on the Asian “e-commerce Miracle.” Social implications This study found that Singles’ Day purchase intention is dependent on online shopping festival atmosphere stimuli, Confucian values and their interaction. Marketing researchers should consider both online shopping festival atmosphere as a marketing tool and the influence of consumer cultural values, so as to help e-commerce platforms and e-commerce merchants establish shopping festival marketing strategies that suit consumers’ cultural values. Originality/value This paper addressed an interesting practical issue related to the effects of online shopping festival atmosphere stimuli and cultural values on consumer online purchase intention.