IJBA Volume 3, Issue 1, 2023

The Role of Cultural Dimensions in Shaping Impulse Buying Behavior among Young Consumers: A Study of the Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka
Asanga Ranasinghe, Chok Nyen Vui, Mamata Bhandar, Supaprawat Siripipatthanakul

ABSTRACT
With the advent of digital connectivity, customers, especially young customers are getting more and more exposed to world trends and apparel styles in the world of fashion today providing opportunities for marketers to promote impulse buying of products or services that are greatly influenced by the cultural background of these customers. This study aims to determine the role of the cultural dimensions in shaping the impulse buying behavior of young customers in apparel shopping, specifically in Sri Lanka. The study is based on the qualitive research that uses primary data through twenty semi-structured interviews, and secondary data related to cultural dimensions of Sri Lanka collected through Hofstede’s official website. Moreover, a thematic analysis technique has been adopted to analyze the interview responses. The findings revealed that young customers in Sri Lanka engages in impulsive buying occasionally. Usually, the categories that get bought impulsively are cloths, beauty and personal care products while their purchase decisions is generally based on others’ opinions as Sri Lanka is a collectivist society where people value family, extended family, or extended partnerships. It was observed though Sri Lankans prefer a more long-term orientation, this study found that most customers saw short term utility value in their clothing based on the most recent trends and styles rather than buying for their future usage.

Keywords: impulse buying behavior, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, uncertainty avoidance, individualism-collectivism, power distance, long-term-short-term orientation, masculinity-femininity

Bibliography
Ranasinghe, A., Nyen Vui, C., Bhandar, M., & Siripipatthanakul, S. (2023). The Role of Cultural Dimensions in Shaping Impulse Buying Behavior among Young Consumers: A Study of the Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Behavioral Analytics, 3(1), 26.

In-text citation
(Ranasinghe et al., 2023)
Ranasinghe et al. (2023)

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