The Impact of Promotion, Product Quality, and Trust toward Online Impulsive Buying Decisions: The Mediating Role of Flow Experience

: Online purchasing has experienced significant growth, with approximately 40 percent of total online purchases classified as impulsive. However, there is a gap between the potential rise in online purchases and the proportion of impulsive purchases, which remains at 40 percent. To address this gap and boost short-term sales for producers, this study aims to evaluate the impact of promotion, product quality, and trust on online impulsive buying decisions, considering the role of flow experience as an intervening variable. The research employs a descriptive quantitative method, collecting data through questionnaires using a Likert scale. The study was conducted in the D.K.I Jakarta area, involving 246 respondents. Data analysis was performed using path analysis to examine the relationships between the independent variables (promotion, product quality, and trust), the intervening variable (flow experience), and the dependent variable (online impulsive buying decisions). The findings reveal that promotion has a positive and significant influence on online impulsive buying decisions. Moreover, promotion significantly impacts flow experience, which in turn mediates the effect of promotion on online impulsive buying decisions. On the contrary, product quality and trust do not significantly affect either online impulsive buying decisions or flow experience. This suggests that promotional activities are crucial for enhancing impulsive purchases online, while product quality and trust play a lesser role in this context.


Introduction
The rapid technological advancements in recent years have significantly transformed shopping behaviors, offering unparalleled convenience and accessibility.Developments like ecommerce platforms, mobile apps, and digital payment systems have simplified consumer access to a diverse array of products and services with just a touch, fostering an experience of instant gratification.This shift is reflected in the growing popularity of online shopping, driven by lower prices, diverse product options, convenience, time savings, access to customer reviews, and the availability of rare items (Chetioui & Bouzidi, 2023).A study by We Are Social in 2023 revealed that Indonesians spent about USD 55.97 billion or IDR 851 trillion on online shopping from 2022 to January 2023, emphasizing the substantial influence of digital commerce on consumer behavior.
Despite the ease provided by online shopping, it has also resulted in an increase in impulsive buying behavior among consumers.Impulsive purchases, which are unplanned, are influenced by several factors, including hedonic values such as pleasure, excitement, and selfreward (Babin as cited in Nghia et al., 2022).According to a Global Web Index survey of 11,049 respondents from 12 countries, 84% of customers made unplanned purchases, with impulsive buying comprising 40% of online consumption (Saleh as cited in Zafar et al., 2021).This behavior is common across generations, with Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers all showing significant levels of impulsive buying driven by attractive offers and self-reward motivations.Understanding online impulsive buying is essential for online businesses as it helps them create effective marketing and communication strategies (Milakovic & Ahmad, 2023).Engaging consumers through online stimuli can increase sales, so it is crucial for companies to understand the factors that influence impulsive purchases to capitalize on market opportunities.Previous research identifies several internal and external factors that affect online impulsive buying.A major internal factor is the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), which strongly drives impulsive purchases (Chetioui & Bouzidi, 2023).Other factors include consumer trust and experience, where higher trust levels and positive past experiences can facilitate impulsive buying (Bao & Yang, 2022).
Live streaming shopping is another emerging trend that impacts impulsive buying behavior.
According to research by Huo et al. (2023) actors such as social presence, flow experience, and sales promotions during live streams encourage impulsive purchases.This is consistent with Arijaya (2022) findings, which indicate that individuals who focus on promotions are more prone to impulsive buying.Additionally, the role of social presence as a stimulus is supported by Muzdalifah (2023) research, which shows that retailers' motivational activities have a substantial impact on online impulse buying.Promotions involving scarcity, like time-limited deals, are also effective in driving impulsive buying.Cengiz & Şenel (2023) found that perceived scarcity increases FOMO, which in turn heightens the tendency for impulsive purchases.Additionally, social media and influencers play a significant role, with effective influencers capturing attention and eliciting responses through engaging messages (Kotler as cited in Putri & Fikriyah, 2023).Influencer recommendations have a notable positive effect on impulse buying (Putri & Fikriyah, 2023).
Product quality and customer reviews are other important external factors influencing impulsive buying.Tumanggor et al. (2022) revealed that offering high-quality products can significantly boost impulsive purchases.Furthermore, top contextual reviews on attractive bundle offers engage users and trigger impulsive behaviour (Zafar et al., 2021).Positive customer reviews are particularly influential in this regard (Putri & Fikriyah, 2023).
The design and functionality of a website are essential in encouraging online impulse purchases.The quality, ease of use, and complementary relationship of a website significantly influence impulsive buying behavior online (Akram et al., 2018).Retailers need to provide high-quality websites to positively impact consumer purchasing decisions (Putri & Artanti, 2021).
Although extensive research has been conducted on the factors affecting online impulse buying, gaps in understanding remain why only some consumers engage in this behavior, even as online shopping trends rise.Zafar et al. (2021) highlight that only 40% of online consumption is impulsive, raising questions about the underlying reasons for the self-control exhibited by the majority of consumers.Addressing this gap is crucial for businesses to develop strategies that can convert planned purchases into impulsive ones, thereby increasing sales.
Additionally, the rise of live streaming shopping as a key driver of impulsive buying behavior presents new research opportunities.While studies have begun to explore this area, further research is required to explore the interaction between social presence, flow experience, and promotional strategies in the context of live streaming.
This study aims to examine how promotions, product quality, and trust affect online impulsive buying decisions, with flow experience acting as a mediating variable.By understanding these relationships, this research aims to provide insights into the factors driving impulsive purchases, enabling businesses to develop more effective marketing strategies.This study will contribute to both theoretical knowledge and practical applications in the field of online consumer behavior, balancing the pure and applied aspects of the subject.

Theory of Reasoned Action
As stated by Purwanto (2020), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is a social psychology theory introduced by Sheppard.Within social psychology, TRA focuses on the factors that determine behavior, specifically the attitude towards the behavior and the subjective norm.
Attitude refers to one's positive or negative feelings towards a particular action, whereas subjective norm is the individual's perception of others' expectations, which impacts their intention to perform or avoid the behavior under consideration (Natawibawa et al., 2018).

Impulsive Buying
Occasionally, customers might buy products without any prior planning or specific conscious thought.Such purchases don't take much time for decision-making (Nagadeepa, 2021).In previous research, impulsive buying was clarified as unplanned purchases caused by contextual marketing and social cues (Liao as cited in Sun et al., 2023).Impulsive buying is characterized by sudden and immediate purchases without any prior intention to shop, either for specific product categories or to fulfill specific purchasing tasks (Beatty and Ferrell as cited in (Deshpande, 2021).Parboteeah (cited in Nagadeepa, 2021) defines impulsive buying as an unplanned purchase triggered by a stimulus and made on the spot.Following the purchase, customers often undergo emotional and/or cognitive reactions.
There are several indicators of impulsive buying according to Herlina and Widyaningrum (2022), which include: 1. Irresistible Urge to Buy: This condition occurs when consumers have an instant and persistent desire, leading them to be unable to resist the urge to make a purchase.

Positive Buying Emotion:
This is when consumers experience joy and satisfaction from making impulsive purchases.

Consumer Mood Management:
This refers to the consumer's desire to change their mood through impulsive buying.

Cognitive Deliberation:
This is a state where potential consumers feel a strong urge to act without considering the consequences.

Unplanned Buying:
This occurs when consumers shop without a clear plan.
6. Disregard for Future: This condition happens when consumers make impulsive purchases without considering future implications.

Flow Experience
The flow theory proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975 was developed to uncover the reasons why individuals engage in autotelic behavior (self-driven activities).This theory explains that a person will achieve a flow experience when they possess the necessary skills and face challenges, with online flow emerging from the interaction between these two components (Kazancoglu and Demir, 2021).Csikszentmihalyi (as cited in Sanjaya & Faiyah, 2022) describes the flow experience as an optimal condition where an individual is completely immersed and focused on an activity.
The flow experience is also effective in fostering positive emotions in individuals.Those who achieve certain internal goals and overcome challenges during this process feel active and motivated.Regardless of the type of activity, it has been observed that the flow experience enhances a sense of discovery and quality of life, making individuals feel more joyful and happy (Sağtaş et al., 2023).Regarding online shopping, Csikszentmihalyi (as cited in Kazancoglu & Demir, 2021) asserts that consumers aim to manage their actions and fate, experiencing profound happiness and pleasure.This experience is so gratifying that consumers are willing to pay significant costs to attain it.
Here are the indicators of flow experience according to Arif (2018): 1. Full Attention to the Product: When in the flow zone, an individual's attention becomes automatically focused and difficult to divert.During this focused state, the perception of detailed experiences feels very clear.It's as if the person is performing activities in slow motion, allowing them to observe and internalize all details clearly.
When someone is overly focused on the online shopping experience, they may be more susceptible to impulsive urges to purchase products without deep consideration.
2. Experience of Enjoyment: When someone experiences flow, all worries become irrelevant.They feel an incredible sense of freedom.The activities they engage in are so enjoyable and absorbing that they no longer care about other issues that have been bothering them.In online impulsive buying, the enjoyment and engagement from the online shopping process can immerse consumers in the experience.
3. Ability to Take Risks: When experiencing flow, self-consciousness fades, and the person no longer worries about themselves, allowing them to explore new possibilities.
When a person stops worrying about themselves, they can function fully and see their true selves.In the context of online impulsive buying, this reduced self-consciousness can be a major driver for taking risks without considering the consequences.

Promotion
Promotion serves as a crucial component of the promotional mix, extensively utilized by vendors and marketers to compete, sustain competitive advantages, and enhance sales by encouraging consumer purchasing choices (Nagadeepa, 2021).Kotler & Armstrong (2018) define sales promotion as a temporary incentive intended to encourage the buying or selling of products or services.The goal of promotion is to generate consumer demand and facilitate rapid purchasing decisions by customers (Chauhan et al., 2023).Promotion fundamentally aims to increase the number of new customers, influence customers to try new products, encourage more purchases, counter competitors' promotional activities, boost impulse buying, or foster closer cooperation with resellers (Ratnasari et al., 2023).
There are several indicators of promotion, which include: 1. Price Reduction or Discount: According to Chen & Chou (as cited in Destari et al., 2020), discount programs are the most widely used sales promotion strategies, both online and offline.This is done by lowering prices to increase a company's product sales and create shopping emotions that play an important role for consumers.
2. Buy One Get One Free (BOGO): Also known as BOGOF (Buy One Get One Free), BOGOHO (Buy One Get One Half Off), and 2-for-1, is a common promotional strategy used by companies to boost their product sales.According to Chen & Fang (2020), BOGO is an effective promotional strategy to attract consumers and increase sales.
BOGO can enhance impulsive buying and encourage consumers to try new products.
3. Rebates or Cash Refunds (Cashback): According to Kotler and Armstrong (2018), similar to coupons, but the price reduction occurs after the purchase rather than at the retail outlet.
4. Bundling or Price Pack: According to Kotler and Armstrong (2018), offering consumers savings from the regular price of a product.Manufacturers mark direct price reductions on the label or packaging.Price packs can be a single package sold at a reduced price (such as two products for the price of one) or two related products combined into one (such as a toothbrush and toothpaste).Price packs are highly effective-often more effective than coupons-in stimulating short-term sales.
5. Premiums: According to Kotler and Armstrong (2018), premiums are goods offered for free or at a low cost as an incentive to purchase a product, ranging from toys included with children's products to phone cards and DVDs.Premiums can be received inside the package (in-pack), outside the package (on-pack), or through mail, such as McDonald's happy meal packages.
6. Purchase Ideas: Promotion of purchase ideas is a marketing strategy that encourages consumers to buy newly launched or newly arrived products in the store.
Various types of purchase idea promotions can be used, such as sampling, demonstrations, trade shows, special offers, and publicity (Kotler, 2020).

Product Quality
Broadly speaking, a product is anything that can be offered to the market to satisfy a want or need.This includes physical goods, services, experiences, events, people, places, properties, organizations, information, and ideas (Haque-Fawzi et al., 2021).Rifa'i ( 2018) states that quality involves striving to fulfill or surpass customer expectations across various aspects such as products, services, personnel, processes, and environments.Additionally, quality is a dynamic concept, implying that what is regarded as high quality now might be seen as inferior in the future.
Malau (cited in Tumanggor et al., 2022) states that product quality is the primary activity that must be considered in creating product positioning.If quality declines, consumers will be reluctant to buy.Consumers purchase products that have quality.They will go to great lengths to acquire a high-quality product.According to Kotler and Armstrong (2018), product quality is the characteristics of a product or service that determine its ability to satisfy stated or implied customer needs.Based on the above description, it can be concluded that product quality is a crucial factor influencing the image and acceptance of a product in the market.
Companies must pay attention to these quality aspects to ensure consumer satisfaction and maintain the product's position in a competitive market.Kotler & Keller (as cited in Tumanggor et al., 2022) state the indicators of product quality are: 1. Performance: The ease and convenience characteristics provided by the product.

Durability:
The lifespan of the product in usage within the market.

Conformance to Specification:
The extent to which the product satisfies consumers.

Features:
The product characteristics that add perfection and increase attractiveness.

Reliability:
The ability to consistently satisfy consumers over an uncertain period.
6. Aesthetic: The appeal of the product's design, color, and even size to the senses.

Trust
Tirtaasari et al. ( 2021) highlight that consumer trust is a key focus for companies, leading them to implement various measures to build trust and attract consumers for transactions of any scale.Deutsch (as cited in Rifa'i, 2019), defines trust as the behavior of an individual expecting positive benefits from someone.Trust is established when the trusted party delivers benefits and meets the expectations of the trusting party.Consequently, trust serves as the basis for collaboration between both parties.
Carnevale & Wechsler (as cited Rifa'i, 2019) defining trust is an attitude that considers an individual or group to have good intentions, be fair, and act in accordance with ethical norms.
Consumer trust can also be built by offering products with consistent quality, helping to solve product-related issues, offering new products that meet needs, showing that the store is interested in customer satisfaction, valuing customers, and providing recommendations and advice on how to best utilize the products (Warsito, 2021).
According to McKnight (as cited in Simangunsong and Morina, 2021), several factors build trust: 1. Ability: This refers to the competence and characteristics of the seller or organization in influencing and authorizing a specific area.

Benevolence:
This relates to the extent to which someone believes the seller will behave kindly towards consumers.September 2024 https://doi.org/10.58291/ijmsa.v3i2.28262 3. Integrity: Integrity pertains to the degree of confidence one has in the seller's honesty to uphold and fulfill the agreements made with consumers.
4. Competence: Competence is the belief in the seller's ability to help consumers in doing something according to their needs.

5.
Track Record: This refers to the past performance history of the seller or organization.
6. Communication: This refers to the quality and effectiveness of communication between the buyer and the seller or organization.

Conceptual Framework
In this study, the conceptual framework aims to establish a research direction that indicates there is an influence of promotion, product quality, and trust on online impulsive buying, with flow experience serving as an intervening variable.

Research Methodology
This study uses a descriptive quantitative research design to test hypotheses regarding the impact of independent variables on the dependent variable.The strategy used is associative or causal.Data will be collected through questionnaires and surveys, typical methods of quantitative research.In this study, the measurement of variables will be conducted through a structured questionnaire designed to collect data related to the independent and dependent variables.Each variable is measured using specific indicators, and each indicator is assessed using a Likert scale, allowing researchers to quantify respondents' attitudes and behaviors.
The validity and reliability of the measurement instruments will be tested beforehand to ensure that the collected data is accurate and consistent.The use of the Likert scale in measurements facilitates data analysis, particularly in quantitative research that requires numerical data to test the formulated hypotheses.The data collected through this questionnaire will then be analyzed to determine the relationships between the variables being studied, with the aim of identifying the influence of the independent variables on the dependent variable.
The study population includes consumers who engage in impulsive online shopping on ecommerce sites and live in Jakarta

Result and Discussion
Respondent Description In this study, the description of respondents includes various demographic characteristics and profiles that help understand the background of the participants.3,000,000 -Rp 5,000,000, 22.8% earning less than Rp 3,000,000, 21.1% earning between Rp 5,000,000 -Rp 10,000,000, 12.6% earning between Rp 10,000,000 -Rp 20,000,000, and 7.3% earning more than Rp 20,000,000.
Additionally, 87.4% of respondents have social media or online marketplace accounts.
Regarding the duration of online shopping experience, 37% have been shopping online for 3-5 years, 27.7% for 1-3 years, 21.1% for more than 5 years, and 13.8% for less than 1 year.In terms of online shopping frequency per month, 38.6% shop 1-3 times, 34.6% shop 4-6 times, 14.6% shop more than 6 times, and 12.2% shop less than once a month.This demographic information provides a comprehensive overview of the participants involved in the study, highlighting their age, location, gender, education level, employment status, income, social media usage, online shopping experience, and frequency of online shopping.Based on the data in the table above, it was found that the square root of the AVE value for each variable with itself is greater than the correlation value with other variables.Thus, the requirement for discriminant validity through the Fornell-Larcker Criterion test has been met.

Structural Model Testing (Inner Model)
This model defines the internal relationships between latent variables.It assesses the impact of independent variables on dependent variables, considering both the type and magnitude of the effects.The R Square (R2) Determinant Coefficient test, which measures how much of the independent latent variables account for the variation observed in the dependent latent variable.Product Quality (X2) does not directly influence online impulsive buying decisions (Y)

Hypothesis Testing Results
Analysis of the effect of Product Quality (X2) on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) shows a path coefficient of -0.114, a T-statistic of 1.176, and a P-value of 0.240.Since the T-statistic is less than 1.96 and the P-value is greater than 0.05, Product Quality (X2) does not have a significant impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y).
Trust (X3) does not have a direct impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y).
The examination of the effect of the Trust variable (X3) on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) shows a path coefficient of 0.065, a T-statistic of 0.695, and a P-value of 0.487.Since the T-statistic is lower than 1.96 and the P-value is higher than 0.05, Trust (X3) does not have a significant impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y).

Flow Experience (Z) has a direct impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y)
Analysis of the effect of the Flow Experience variable (Z) on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) shows a path coefficient of 0.397, a T-statistic of 6.734, and a P-value of 0.000.Given that the T-statistic is greater than 1.96 and the P-value is less than 0.05, Flow Experience (Z) has a significant positive impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y).

Promotion (X1) has a direct impact on Flow Experience (Z)
The test of the influence of the Promotion variable (X1) on the Flow Experience variable (Z) shows a path coefficient of 0.381, with a T-statistic of 5.975 and a P-value of 0.000.Since the T-statistic is greater than 1.96 and the P-value is less than 0.05, there is a significant positive influence between Promotion (X1) and Flow Experience (Z).
Product Quality (X2) does not have a direct impact on Flow Experience (Z).
The analysis of the effect of the Product Quality variable (X2) on the Flow Experience variable (Z) shows a path coefficient of 0.018, a T-statistic of 0.214, and a P-value of 0.831.Since the T-statistic is less than 1.96 and the P-value is greater than 0.05, Product Quality (X2) does not have a significant effect on Flow Experience (Z).
Trust (X3) does not have a direct impact on Flow Experience (Z) Examining the impact of the Trust variable (X3) on Flow Experience (Z) shows a path coefficient of 0.018, a T-statistic of 0.214, and a P-value of 0.831.Given that the T-statistic is below 1.96 and the P-value is above 0.05, Trust (X3) does not significantly affect Flow Experience (Z).
Promotion (X1) influences online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) as an intervening variable.
Examining the effect of the Promotion variable (X1) on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through the Flow Experience variable (Z) shows a path coefficient of 0.151, a T-statistic of 4.399, and a P-value of 0.000.Since the T-statistic is greater than 1.96 and the P-value is less than 0.05, Promotion (X1) has a significant positive impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z).The role of mediation by flow experience is partial mediation.
Product Quality (X2) does not affect online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.
Examining the effect of Product Quality (X2) on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) shows a path coefficient of 0.007, a T-statistic of 0.207, and a P-value of 0.836.Since the T-statistic is less than 1.96 and the P-value is greater than 0.05, Product Quality (X2) does not have a significant impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z).In this case, there is no mediation.
Trust (X3) does not affect impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.
Analyzing the effect of the Trust (X3) variable on impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through the Flow Experience (Z) variable reveals a path coefficient of 0.010, a T-statistic of 0.185, and a P-value of 0.853.Since the T-statistic is below 1.96 and the P-value is above 0.05, Trust (X3) does not significantly influence impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through the Flow Experience (Z) variable.In this case, there is no mediation.

Discussion of Hypothesis Testing Results
Promotion (X1) has a direct effect on online impulsive purchasing decisions (Y) Consumer behavior theory suggests that promotions can enhance product appeal and prompt quick purchasing decisions with minimal deliberation.Strategies like discounts, special offers, and compelling advertisements can create urgency and stimulate impulsive buying behaviour (Solomon, 2020).This suggests that effective promotional strategies can drive consumers to make impulsive purchases.
This conclusion is supported by Akram et al. (2018) who found that effective promotions can enhance online impulsive buying by adding extra appeal for consumers.This aligns with the findings of Zhang et al. (2019), which indicate that promotions significantly boost impulsive purchases.
The findings of this study suggest that promotional strategies, such as discounts and special offers, are effective in driving impulsive online purchases.For online retailers, this implies that investing in targeted promotional campaigns can significantly enhance sales by triggering spontaneous purchasing behavior among consumers.Retailers should focus on creating timesensitive offers that generate a sense of urgency, thereby increasing the likelihood of impulsive buys.
Product Quality (X2) does not directly influence online impulsive buying decisions (Y) In impulsive buying scenarios, consumer decisions are typically influenced by emotions and external stimuli rather than a rational assessment of product quality ( situations.This suggests that during impulsive purchases, consumers are less concerned with product quality.This is corroborated by Chiu et al. (2018) who found that while product quality is crucial for customer satisfaction, in the context of impulsive buying, emotional factors and promotional situations outweigh the importance of product quality.
In the context of impulsive purchases, consumers appear to prioritize immediate emotional gratification over the rational assessment of product quality.This indicates that while product quality is vital for long-term customer satisfaction and retention, it may not play a significant role in the heat of the moment when consumers make impulsive decisions.Retailers might consider focusing on product presentation and emotional appeal rather than relying solely on the inherent quality of the product to drive impulse buys.
Trust (X3) does not have a direct impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y).
Impulsive purchases are frequently driven by external stimuli such as promotions or engaging shopping experiences, rather than internal factors like trust (Babin & Harris, 2018).n marketing strategies, trust-building elements are more pertinent to purchases that require thoughtful consideration.This suggests that consumer trust does not play a primary role in impulsive buying.This is consistent with Sharma & Klein's (2020) research, which indicates that trust is more significant in planned purchasing decisions compared to impulsive ones, as impulsive purchases are often motivated by emotional impulses rather than rational assessments.
The absence of a direct relationship between trust and impulsive purchasing suggests that trust is more critical in considered purchases rather than in impulsive ones.Online retailers should focus on building trust for long-term customer relationships, but they can leverage other strategies, like enhancing the shopping experience, to capitalize on impulsive buying tendencies.

Flow Experience (Z) has a direct impact on online impulsive buying decisions (Y)
A state of high engagement and comfort during online shopping can increase the likelihood of impulsive purchases because consumers are more focused and involved in their shopping experience (Hoffman & Novak, 2018).Marketing strategies that create engaging and satisfying shopping experiences can enhance the flow experience.This aligns with the findings of Arif (2018) which indicate that a pleasant flow experience during online shopping can boost impulsive buying as consumers feel more involved and enjoy the shopping process.
This study highlights the importance of creating engaging and immersive shopping experiences.Online retailers can significantly benefit from designing their platforms to maximize flow experience, ensuring that consumers are deeply involved in the shopping process, which can, in turn, lead to more impulsive purchases.Features such as live streaming, interactive content, and gamification can be employed to enhance this experience.
Promotion (X1) has a direct impact on Flow Experience (Z) In the context of consumer behavior, flow experience occurs when consumers are fully engaged in online shopping activities, feel joyful, and lose track of time.Attractive promotions can facilitate this condition by providing content and offers that capture consumers' attention and maintain their engagement throughout the shopping process (Mollen & Wilson, 2019).
Research by Liu et al. (2019) supports these findings, showing that effective promotions can enhance consumer engagement and create a more satisfying shopping experience.They found that discounts and special offers can increase consumers' joy and engagement, which are key components of the flow experience.
Promotions that captivate consumer attention and maintain engagement are more likely to lead to impulsive purchases by enhancing the flow experience.For online retailers, this underscores the importance of integrating promotional strategies with engaging content and platform design to maximize their effectiveness.
Product Quality (X2) does not have a direct impact on Flow Experience (Z).
This suggests that product quality does not play a key role in enhancing the flow experience of consumers during online shopping.Flow experience is more related to how consumers engage and enjoy the shopping process.According to the engagement theory, flow happens when consumers feel involved and focused on the shopping activity, influenced by elements like website navigation and interactivity, rather than product quality alone (Hoffman & Novak, 2018).This aligns with the findings of Lee et al. (2019), which indicate that product quality may not directly impact flow experience, as flow is more linked to the interactive and emotional aspects of the shopping process.
For retailers, this means that while product quality is important for long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty, it is not sufficient to create deep engagement during the shopping process.Instead, retailers should focus on more interactive and enjoyable aspects of the online shopping experience, such as such as holding a quiz or game with prizes in the form of shopping vouchers, promo codes, or discount vouchers, and creating live streaming shopping to improve the consumer shopping experience and get them carried away, leading to online impulsive purchases.
Trust (X3) does not have a direct impact Flow Experience (Z) Flow experience is connected to consumer engagement in shopping activities, which is more influenced by interactive elements and factors that make shopping enjoyable and engaging (Hoffman & Novak, 2018).Trust, on the other hand, relates to perceptions of risk and security.
Trust is more pertinent in the context of long-term trust and transaction security rather than direct engagement and flow experience during online shopping activities.The study by O'Brien & Toms (2018) indicates that while trust is crucial for purchase decisions and customer loyalty, it does not significantly affect the flow experience during shopping activities.
Trust appears to be more relevant for planned purchasing decisions and transactions that require risk consideration, rather than for the flow experience associated with engagement and enjoyment in shopping activities.For retailers, this implies that building trust is crucial for long-term customer retention, but it may not significantly impact enhancing engagement or flow experience in the context of impulsive buying.
Promotion (X1) influences online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) as an intervening variable.
Consumer behavior theory suggests that promotions can stimulate consumer engagement and attention, enhancing the likelihood of achieving a flow experience during online shopping (Novak et al., 2020).This hypothesis is supported by Akram et al. (2018), who found that promotions can improve flow experience, subsequently driving impulsive purchases.
Effective promotions can increase consumer engagement and create a deep flow experience during online shopping, which in turn can enhance impulsive buying decisions.For retailers, this underscores the importance of integrating promotional strategies with elements that can enhance the overall shopping experience, such as engaging content and promotions designed to maintain consumer attention.
Product Quality (X2) does not affect online impulsive buying decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.
Product quality is more pertinent to planned purchasing decisions rather than impulsive buys, which are influenced by emotional and situational factors.Flow experience pertains more to engagement and interactivity during the shopping process than to rational evaluations of product quality (Hoffman and Novak, 2018).Therefore, product quality does not play a strong mediating role in impulsive buying.This aligns with the study by Kim et al. (2019), indicating that product quality has more influence on decisions requiring consideration and is less impactful on impulsive purchases driven by flow experience.
Product quality is more relevant in planned purchasing decisions and does not play a strong role in impulsive buying driven by flow experience.For retailers, this means that marketing strategies focusing on product quality might be more effective in encouraging planned purchases rather than impulsive buys, which are more influenced by emotional and situational elements.
Trust (X3) does not affect impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through Flow Experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.
Trust is more relevant in the context of long-term trust and transaction security rather than direct involvement and flow experience during online shopping activities.Flow experience is more related to consumer engagement in shopping activities, which is influenced by interactive elements and aspects that make shopping enjoyable and engaging (Hoffman and Novak, 2018).Trust, on the other hand, is associated with perceptions of risk and security.
These results are supported by a study conducted by Sharma and Klein (2020), which found that trust may not have a significant mediating role through flow experience in impulsive purchases because trust's influence is more relevant in rational and planned purchasing decisions.
Trust is more relevant in the context of planned purchasing decisions and long-term transaction security.In the context of impulsive buying, the flow experience is more influenced by interactive elements that make shopping enjoyable and engaging.Therefore, for retailers, building trust remains important, but strategies to increase impulsive purchases should focus on creating an engaging shopping experience.

Conclusions
Based on the results and discussion of hypothesis testing concerning the effects of promotion, product quality, trust, and flow experience on impulsive online purchasing decisions, with flow experience serving as an intervening variable, the findings are as follows: 1. Promotion (X1) has a positive and significant impact on impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y).
4. Flow experience (Z) has a positive and significant effect on impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y).
7. Trust (X3) does not significantly affect flow experience (Z).Retailers can incorporate features like live streams, interactive content, and gamified elements to increase consumer involvement and time spent on the platform, thereby boosting impulsive buying.
(3) Product quality does not significantly influence impulsive online purchasing decisions, either directly or through flow experience as an intermediary variable.This implies that product quality is more relevant in planned purchasing decisions and does not play a significant role in impulsive buying driven by flow experiences.Retailers should recognize that while these factors are important for customer satisfaction and retention, they do not significantly drive impulsive buying.Instead, focusing on the emotional and interactive aspects of shopping may yield better results in encouraging spontaneous purchases.(4) Trust does not significantly affect impulsive online purchasing decisions, either directly or through flow experience as an intermediary.This suggests that trust is more relevant in purchasing decisions requiring careful consideration and long-term transaction security, rather than direct involvement in the shopping experience.From a practical perspective, this indicates that while trust-building is crucial for fostering customer loyalty and ensuring repeat purchases, it may not be the primary driver in spontaneous, emotion-driven buying scenarios.
Therefore, online retailers should focus on creating a seamless and engaging shopping experience to boost impulsive purchases, while continuing to build trust to support planned purchases and long-term customer relationships.Furthermore, future research could explore how trust might interact with other variables, such as perceived risk or customer satisfaction, to influence impulsive buying behavior in different contexts, such as in mobile shopping apps or social media platforms.

Recomendation
Based on the conclusions presented, here are some suggestions from the researcher: (1) Considering the high impact of the bundling indicator within the promotion variable, the researcher suggests that business owners enhance promotional strategies.Develop more targeted and engaging promotional campaigns that cater to the emotional triggers of consumers, such as time-limited offers or exclusive deals, to drive impulsive purchases.(2) Similarly, for the flow experience variable, the time distortion indicator has the highest impact.
The researcher recommends that online business owners enhance the consumer's flow experience and more focus on it.Improve the overall shopping experience by creating engaging platforms where consumers can easily lose track of time, such as through interactive features or entertaining content.(3) Leverage Urgency.Create a sense of urgency with strategies like flash sales or limited-edition product releases to tap into the consumer's irresistible urge to buy.

Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research
While this study offers valuable insights into the factors influencing impulsive online purchasing, several limitations must be addressed.Firstly, the research focused on a narrow set of variables-promotion, product quality, trust, and flow experience.Future studies could expand this scope by examining additional mediators or moderators such as consumer personality traits, social influences, or technological advancements, which could provide a more comprehensive understanding of impulsive buying behavior.Secondly, the study's findings are based a specific consumer demographic and geographic location-Jakarta.
This may limit the generalizability of the results.To enhance the representativeness of future research, it is recommended to extend the study across a broader geographic area, including different cities and regions within Indonesia as well as international contexts.This broader perspective could yield a more diverse understanding of consumer behavior in impulsive online purchasing.
. The population is limited to individuals aged 18 and older, Indonesian consumers with internet access, and adequate online shopping skills.According to Hair et al. (cited in Alawiah & Utama, 2023) the respondent sample size should align with the number of indicators in the questionnaire, assuming a range of n x 5 to n x 10 per observed variable (indicator).In this study, the sample size is determined using the formula: Sample Size = Number of Indicators x 10.Therefore, with 30 indicators, the maximum sample size is 8. Promotion (X1) significantly influences impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through flow experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.9. Product quality (X2) does not significantly impact impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through flow experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.10. Trust (X3) does not significantly affect impulsive online purchasing decisions (Y) through flow experience (Z) as an intermediary variable.From the hypothesis testing results and the issues discussed in the previous chapters, it can be concluded that the factors enhancing impulsive online purchases are: (1) Only promotion significantly influences impulsive online purchasing, both directly and through flow experience as an intermediary variable.This means that consumers are more driven by emotional and external stimuli rather than rational evaluation in impulsive purchasing decisions.Retailers should prioritize promotions that create urgency and engage consumers, such as flash sales or bundled offers, to effectively trigger impulsive purchases.(2) Flow experience's influence on impulsive online purchasing indicates that a high level of engagement during the online shopping process, such as watching live shopping streams or playing games on e-commerce apps, increases the likelihood of impulsive purchases.Deep and satisfying experiences make consumers more focused and involved, leading to impulsive buying.Enhancing consumer engagement through immersive shopping experiences is key.

Table 1 Outer Loading result
The test results based on the table above display indicators that have passed the test with Outer Loading values for each variable above the minimum threshold of 0.70.In other words, all constructs or variables in this study have passed the test.Some indicators that did not pass, with Outer Loading values below 0.70, have been removed.These include Promotion -Purchase Ideas, Product Quality -Features, Product Quality -Aesthetics, Trust -Track Record, Trust -Communication, Online Impulsive Buying -Cognitive Deliberation, Online Impulsive Buying -Disregard for Future, Flow Experience -Full Attention to the Product, Flow Experience -Experience of Enjoyment, and Flow Experience -Ability to Take Risks.

Table 2 Reliability test result
The test results based on the table above show that the Cronbach's Alpha and Composite Reliability values for each variable are above the minimum threshold of 0.70.It can be concluded that all variables in this study have good reliability.

Table 3 Convergent validity result
The test results based on the table above show that the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values for each variable are above the minimum threshold of 0.50.In other words, all constructs or variables in this study are valid.

Table 4 Discriminant validity with cross loading result
From the table above, it can be seen that the loading values on each targeted construct are higher compared to the loading values on other constructs.Thus, it can be concluded that the variables Promotion (X1), Product Quality (X2), Trust (X3), Online Impulsive Buying (Y), and Flow Experience (Z) have good discriminant validity.

Table 6 R Square (R2) Determinant Coefficient test
The table above shows that the R² value for the variable Flow Experience is 0.155.An R² value of 0.155 indicates that only 15.5% of the variance in Flow Experience (Z) is explained by the independent variables.This is considered to be a low value.The R² value for the variable Online Impulsive Buying (Y) based on the table above is 0.364.An R² value of 0.364 indicates that 36.4% of the variance in Online Impulsive Buying (Y) is explained by the independent variables.This is considered to be a moderate value.

Table 7 Model Fit
Based on the data above, it can be seen that the SRMR (Standardized Root Mean Square Residual) value is 0.064.A value below 0.08 indicates a good fit between the model and the data.The NFI (Normed Fit Index) value is 0.847.A value close to 1 indicates a good fit.