Visual Product Aesthetics and Consumer Impulsiveness in Online Shopping

Impulsive buying is a significant driver of online commerce. In the absence of multiple tactics used by physical stores to encourage impulsive buying, the role of visual aesthetics in catching consumer attention in online stores grows in prominence. Given that consumers vary in the significance that visual product aesthetics hold in their purchase behavior, we study if visual product aesthetics play a role in consumers' impulsive buying behavior. We show that the propensity towards impulsive buying behavior increases online purchases, and that the centrality of visual product aesthetics boosts this effect. We further suggest that the phenomenon is particularly relevant for women, the younger population, and individuals with higher disposable income, as they tend to shop online more often than their counterparts. For the management, we demonstrate that visual product aesthetics can intensify impulsive buying behavior and offer a strategic advantage when designing online shopping environments.