Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, vol. 15, no. 1 (winter 2007), pp. 79–90. © 2007 M.E. Sharpe, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1069-6679 / 2006 $9.50 + 0.00. DOI 10.2753/MTP1069-6679150106. MODELING INFLUENCES ON IMPULSE PURCHASING BEHAVIORS DURING ONLINE MARKETING TRANSACTIONS Xiaoni Zhang, Victor R. Prybutok, and David Strutton The online shopping environment still represents a comparatively new, and largely unexplored, market- ing channel. Not surprisingly, little is understood regarding the nature of and influences on impulsive consumer purchases during online marketing exchanges. This paper investigates these and related issues. Associated results tentatively suggest that significant relationships may exist between gender, subjective norms, consumer impulsivity, purchase intention, and actual purchase behavior in online marketing environments. Managerial and theoretical implications are developed and discussed. Xiaoni Zhang (Ph.D., University of North Texas), Assistant Pro- fessor of Information Systems, College of Informatics, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY, zhangx@nku.edu. Victor R. Prybutok (Ph.D., Drexel University), Regents Professor of Decision Sciences and Director of the Center for Quality and Productivity, College of Business Administration, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, prybutok@unt.edu. David Strutton (Ph.D., University of Mississippi), Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Marketing and Logistics, College of Business Administration, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, strutton@unt.edu. Not long ago, few viable shopping options existed through which consumers could avoid congested parking lots or tiresome trips, out-of-stock merchandise, lengthy check- out times, and indifferent retail service levels. At the time, consumers had little choice but to slog ahead reluctantly. Obviously, for increasing numbers of Web-savvy consum- ers, such constraints no longer apply. More people than ever have shopped online during 2005. In response, e-marketers are increasingly pursuing promotional tactics intended to convert Web viewers into Web customers (i.e., consumer conversion). One approach through which such consumer conversion might logically be initiated entails purposively designing sites in ways that stimulate more impulsive consumer behavior. By the time an e-shopper has reached a site, and began thinking “I really shouldn’t” (purchase that item), truly savvy e-marketing organizations might have already designed its Web site to loosen consumers’ normal levels of self-control (Baumeister 2002), so long as they are delivering appropriate value to said consumers, of course. The promotional tactical thrust recommended here is consistent with traditional marketing definitions of impulse purchasing. Such definitions long reasoned that augmented products, rather than consumer-related factors, provide the primary stimulus that induces consumers to purchase impulsively (Stern 1962). Since Stern’s seminal research, the impulse purchasing construct has emerged as a broadly recognized social-psychological trait. It is, for example, broadly understood that most consumers purchase impulsively at least occasionally (Bellman, Lohse, and Johnson 1999; Donthu 1999). Relatedly, certain purchase circumstances are thought to inhibit impulse purchases. Such conditions would typically entail situations in which consumers’ self-control or self-regulatory responses are bet- ter able to gain or retain mastery over their naturally arising impulsive tendencies. In contrast, other purchase conditions exist wherein consumers are more likely to yield to their naturally arising buying impulses (Roberson, Shaver, and Lawrence 1991). Online marketers who are better able to discriminate between online consumption conditions that are more (or less) likely to stimulate impulsive shopping behaviors would clearly enjoy a competitive advantages—as- suming that those same marketers were also able to act strategically based on their insights. And likely, regardless of how impulsive the typical online shopper actually is, there are few, if any, online retailing site sponsors that would not welcome the opportunity to create a site and a consequent visitation experience that encouraged even more online shopper impulsiveness. Brick-and-mortar stores have long been designed in ways intended to encourage impulse purchasing. In traditional stores, it is not uncommon, for example, to hear public announcements about great deals currently available for only a short while. Not by accident did “blue light” spe- cials emerge as part of the American cultural lexicon. But absent the ability or opportunity to attract the requisite