The Impact of Background Music Rhythm on Impulsive Buying: Moderating Effect of Shopping Attitude

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of background music rhythm on impulsive buying in a real shopping center by combining questionnaire and manipulating background music rhythm. Meanwhile, the moderating effect of consumers’ shopping attitude is also investigated. In this study, 455 customers shopping in malls are selected randomly, 409 data are valid (103 males, 306 females). The results shown that consumers more likely to have impulsive buying, when the background music rhythm is faster. Consumers’ shopping attitude moderated the effect of background music rhythm on impulsive buying, hedonic consumers declined to have more impulsive buying behavior under faster background music rhythm. While consumer with utilitarian attitude had similar number and amount of impulse spending between different background music rhythm. This study had implications for improving consumption in shopping center and using background music to influence consumer behavior.