The Impact of Electronic Word-of-Mouth on Exploratory Buying Behavior Tendencies and Impulsive Purchasing of Sports Brand Products

Abstract

Participation in sports activities can be driven by consumer motivation, which impacts associated behaviors such as wearing certain sports products brands or buying certain equipment. This work explores how individuals who exercise evaluate their outcome of purchasing sports goods by understanding the relationships among electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM), exploratory acquisition of products (EAP), exploratory information seeking (EIS), and impulsive purchasing behavior regarding sports brand goods. A total of 358 questionnaires were collected from university students in Taiwan. After removal of invalid questionnaires, 299 questionnaires were subjected to analysis. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 23. SmartPLS4 was used to test external validity, reliability analysis was conducted using Cronbach's alpha, and structural equation modeling was used to test the model fit. Results indicated that eWOM had a positive relationship with EAP, but did not have a significant positive relationship with EIS. Both EAP and EIS had positive relationships with sports product impulsive purchase behavior. The relationship between exploratory behaviors and impulsive buying suggests that consumers’ searches for new experiences or information can reduce their resistance to unplanned purchases, especially when they encounter appealing products or persuasive marketing cues. This study found that eWOM can efficiently drive EAP, which is significant for more targeted marketing strategies. Encouraging satisfied consumers to share their positive experiences online can strengthen eWOM, thereby stimulating other consumers’ exploratory acquisition behaviors. This differentiation enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying eWOM's effectiveness, and offers a more granular view of consumer decision-making processes in the current technological age.