The Influence of Digital Nudging Techniques on Thai Consumer Impulse Buying Behavior for Fashion Apparel in Online Stores

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: This study examined the impact of digital nudging on the online purchasing behavior of Thai fashion consumers. It identified which of four digital nudging techniques, such as social proof, scarcity, default settings, and visual cues, were the most effective in driving behavior. Additionally, it investigated whether perceived persuasiveness mediates the relationship between these nudges and impulse buying.

Introduction/Background: As more Thai consumers interact with online shopping sites such as Shopee and TikTok Shop, digital nudge strategies based on cues (social proof, scarcity) are used to drive impulse purchasing. Online fashion retailers in Thailand are increasingly using social commerce platforms and mobile applications to engage consumers through visually appealing and interactive digital environments. These platforms incorporate digital nudging techniques to influence consumer decisions and encourage purchase behavior without restricting consumer choice. Although digital nudge strategies have been shown to be successful in Western markets, there is limited research on their impact on Thai fashion shoppers. The current study examined how digital nudge strategies influence impulse purchases among Thai fashion shoppers, using a mediation model that incorporates perceived persuasiveness.

Methodology: A quantitative research design was used in this study. A total of 400 Thai online fashion consumers who had experience purchasing clothing products through social commerce platforms such as TikTok Shop and Shopee within the previous 90 days were sampled via convenience sampling; an online questionnaire (Google Form) was used to collect data. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and all constructs exceeded the recommended threshold of .70, indicating strong internal consistency. Construct validity was supported through the use of previously validated measurement scales and expert review procedures to ensure content relevance and clarity. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and PROCESS mediation analysis were used to analyze data collected from the survey. PROCESS (Model 4) was used to test the mediation effect.

Findings: First, the analysis revealed that the perceived persuasiveness of a platform was significantly and positively correlated with both social proof (β = .355, p < .001) and visual cues (β = .437, p < .001); visual cues had the largest impact on perceived persuasiveness. Second, the findings indicated that scarcity (β = .029, p = .509) and default settings (β = −.010, p = .810) did not have a direct effect on perceived persuasiveness, suggesting these nudging techniques do not affect how Thai fashion shoppers evaluate a platform’s persuasiveness. Third, the study found that digital nudging had a direct effect on impulse buying (b = .604, p < .001), as this technique triggered unplanned purchases among consumers. Finally, while the results of digital nudging affect how persuasive a platform is to be perceived by consumers, this perception did not translate into actual shopping behavior. Therefore, the mediation effect was not supported, as the confidence interval for the indirect effect included zero (indirect effect = .060, 95% CI [−.02, .13]).

Contribution/Impact on Society: This theoretical research builds on persuasive technology models by demonstrating a “null mediation” relationship. It illustrated how digital nudges may elicit impulse purchases both directly and intuitively from an individual’s perspective, without using a person’s perception of persuasion as a mediator. Therefore, the notion that people must be convinced by a platform of its ability to affect them prior to acting has been challenged. In addition, since these nudge triggers can directly stimulate specific types of consumer behavior, more rigorous ethical standards need to be developed so that platform design architects create choice architectures that support the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

Recommendations: Retailers should focus on using visual cues and social evidence to enhance consumer engagement and impulse purchases, as well as on creating aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-navigate interfaces, rather than relying on persuasive messaging. At the same time, designers need to incorporate transparent ethics into their designs to not encourage overconsumption. Researchers should examine potential mediators (i.e., emotional arousal, trust, and fear of missing out) in future studies. The use of cross-cultural studies would provide an opportunity for researchers to study how digital nudges can be used to promote sustainable consumption.

Research Limitations: The current study had limitations due to its concentration on the Thai apparel manufacturing industry. The study also had an age bias toward young people. Therefore, this could limit the applicability of the results to some degree for other industries or demographics.

Future Research: Further studies could examine how the dynamic described above relates to various product lines and cultural environments. Future study is needed to understand the other potential mediating factors (i.e., emotional arousal) and moderating variables (i.e., FOMO, trust) in digital nudging to further clarify the psychological processes behind this. In addition to cross-cultural studies, future studies would also be beneficial for examining various configurations of nudge and consumer response in a variety of markets and behaviors. Finally, future studies should also integrate UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Sustainable Consumption) to better assess the ethical implications of digital nudging.