In today's competitive market, consumers have multiple options when it comes to selecting a product. Product design acts as a commanding feature in the product mix. Although product design has been recognized as an influencing attribute, the cognition and affective states of consumers with regard to product design has not been explored. The study investigates cognition and affective states with regard to electronic products based on Mehrabian and Russell's Framework. Cognition and affective states are internal states of an individual in response to a stimulus that leads to a particular response. They are paramount in developing the intention to purchase and in creating an opinion about a product based on its product design. The study aims to identify how product design leads to cognition and affective states within a consumer and its influence on purchase intention, particularly for electronic products like televisions, computers, mobile phones and air conditioners. The findings show that the product design of electronic products has a very strong influence on the cognition and affective states of the consumers. The study implies that consumers judge a product and attach emotions to the brand depending on product design. FullArticle...

The present study analyzes the impact of Modern Organized Multi-Brand Retail Trade (MOMBRT) stores on the livelihood of street vendors in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar. The study is based on a primary survey carried out using a structured questionnaire during November 2020 to January 2021 among different categories of street vendors in both the cities. The categorization of street vendors is made on the basis of their business location and types of items they sell. Using pooled regression method and descriptive analysis, the study concludes that street vendors are not affected by MOMBRT stores due to three major reasons: first, MOMBRT stores are at the initial stage of operation confined to tier-I and tier-II cities; second, the street vendors adopt new business strategies to keep their business afloat amid growing competition from the organized retail sector; and third, the market of the informal sector is much higher than the formal sector. As such, the impact on the livelihood of street vendors is negligible. While the advent of the digital age has created many opportunities for marketers, it has made the behavior of consumers more complex, forcing them to explore new and innovative strategies. Buzz marketing is one of them. This study seeks to examine the impact of buzz marketing on purchase intention. The paper also investigates the mediating role of brand awareness in buzz marketing and purchase intention. The study is based on a sample of 155 social media users. Data collection was done using a well-structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 21 and PLS-SEM. The results of the study reveal that buzz marketing has a positive and significant impact on purchase intention. The results also indicate that brand awareness mediates the relationship between buzz marketing and purchase intention. Marketers can use the results of the study to gain insights into consumer behavior and develop effective buzz marketing strategies. FullArticle...

This study seeks to understand the influence of facilitating conditions and driving forces on the binge-watching behavior of young consumers. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. The primary data was collected from young consumers in the age group of 16 to 39 years, displaying heavy content consumption behavior. The study used convenience sampling and regression analysis for collecting and testing data, respectively. The findings of the study showed that binge-watching behavior of young consumers is determined by pre-binge driving forces like facilitating conditions, cognitive elements, promotional effects, and behavioral addiction. Moreover, it is also influenced by age, gender, and employment status. FullArticle...

ncreasing consumerism, changing lifestyle of modern consumers, shifting needs, trends and preferences, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic have collectively resulted in mushrooming of e-commerce startups, which has subsequently led to impulsive and unsustainable consumer behavior. For facilitating and enhancing consumer satisfaction and experience 24/7, these e-commerce establishments keep innovating and launching different products and services, easy payment methods like Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), instant credit, credit card, etc. to lure consumers. Undoubtedly, the payment industry, in the form of e-wallets, has witnessed a paradigm shift recently owing to digitalization and easy Internet access. There is an increasing trend of impulsive buying among millennials and Gen Z in India currently. The study explores the impact of BNPL schemes on the impulsive buying behavior of millennials and Gen Z. Further, the risks and constraints faced by these popular cohorts are also highlighted in the study. Over 100 millennials and Gen Z were contacted personally as well as via Google Forms for the purpose of data collection. Kruksal-Wallis Test was used for analyzing the data. The findings show that BNPL schemes significantly impact the purchase behavior of millennials and Gen Z. The BNPL ecosystem shows tremendous opportunities for the growth of new fintech startups in India. FullArticle...

Smartphones have evolved into an important appendage for consumers and are now ubiquitous and increasingly used for several reasons. The simplicity and convenience of mobile devices has given a boost to e-commerce, forcing companies to focus on ways to enhance online shopping experience. Companies face new realities as the environment evolves, and a better understanding of how consumers use their mobile phones during the purchasing process is critical. This study analyzes the role mobile phones play in influencing major shopping decisions of consumers. The purpose is to understand the impact of smartphones on the way people purchase different products and services both in brick-and-mortar and online retail. The data was collected from a sample of 227 respondents across all regions of India. The study found that mobile device use does have an impact on the shopping behavior of consumers. The findings may be useful to businesses who use or plan to use mobile channel to communicate with their customers. FullArticle...

Transitioning from consumption of conventional to eco-friendly products is very rarely a spontaneous decision for consumers. To do so, the consumers need to have enough trust in the 'greenness' of the product and in the claims of manufacturers, as they cannot verify them even after consuming the product. The findings of this study, based on a survey in India, revealed that consumer trust acts as a mediator between awareness of green products and purchase intention. Further, trust also plays a moderating role in the relationship between concern for the environment and purchase behavior of consumers. As the world is striving hard to attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this study has practical implications for marketers and policymakers who build strategies and appeals to promote sustainable and responsible consumption. FullArticle...

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a measurement scale that can be used to study the effect of in-store environmental factors on impulsive buying behavior. A questionnaire consisting of 52 items was framed. The data structure was identified using factor analysis, and reliability of the measurement instrument was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and measures of composite reliability. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis was performed using Fornell and Larcker criteria to assess construct validity. This study identifies nine factors of the store environment that may influence impulsive buying of customers. In view of the limited research on store environment and impulsive buying in India, the measurement instrument developed in this study is necessary and beneficial for future research in the area. The results of this study also have practical implications for marketers in the retail industry. FullArticle...