Exploring e-deal proneness: the interplay of price consciousness and anticipatory regret Isaac Cheah School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University, Perth, Australia Anwar Sadat Shimul Curtin University, Perth, Australia, and Brian ’t Hart School of Business, Trinity Western University, Langley, Canada Abstract Purpose – This research investigates the factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase e-deals from group buying websites, focussing on e-deal proneness, price consciousness and anticipatory regret. Design/methodology/approach – Three studies (n 5 539) were conducted using data collected from an online consumer panel and tested via structural equation modelling and PROCESS macro in SPSS. Findings – The findings suggest that subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and attitudes positively influence consumers’ e-deal purchase intention. Additionally, price consciousness amplifies the relationship between consumers’ e-deal proneness and purchase intention, and price-conscious respondents are more likely to have the intention to buy e-deals when faced with some form of anticipatory regret. Practical implications – Based on the research findings, practitioners are advised to prioritise social norms and entertainment value when promoting the attractiveness of e-deals, using strategies such as social media and influencer marketing. Brands should also emphasise the value of e-deals by showcasing comparative price savings and discounts to motivate consumers to buy. Originality/value – This paper addresses an interesting and practical issue related to the effects of group buying websites, focussing on e-deal proneness, price consciousness and anticipatory regret. Keywords e-deals, Price consciousness, Anticipatory regret, Theory of planned behaviour, Attitude, Purchase intention Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction Heavily discounted service deals are becoming increasingly popular in online group buying (OGB) websites, such as Groupon and Scoopon. Potential purchasers frequenting these websites often rely on indicators that amalgamate insights from prior consumers’ interactions to shape their buying choices. Deal popularity is an example of such information cues (Sun et al., 2023; Bae and Koo, 2018; Kao et al., 2020). It shows the cumulative number of deals sold to consumers within a specific time duration (Ieva et al., 2018; Luo et al., 2014). Prior studies have firmly established that in conventional retail settings, consumers tend to perceive and evaluate the various cues collectively instead of isolating them individually (Cheah et al., 2015). Through the OGB platform, vendors promote their products and services, whilst the OGB website displays details like the discount percentage, original price, discounted price, minimum number of buyers required, offer expiration time and vendor information (Sun et al., 2023). Consumers who express interest in an offer typically make a prepayment and then receive the purchased goods or services at a later date (Xiao, 2018; Ieva et al., 2018). In contrast to traditional e-commerce, OGB primarily focusses on experiential offerings such as vouchers for dining, entertainment and accommodations (Bae and Koo, 2018; Xiao, 2018). E-deals: price consciousness and regret The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1355-5855.htm Received 25 May 2023 Revised 26 July 2023 28 October 2023 Accepted 28 October 2023 Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics © Emerald Publishing Limited 1355-5855 DOI 10.1108/APJML-05-2023-0459