Bridging artificial intelligence-based services and online impulse buying in E-retailing context

Artificial Intelligence (AI) often refers to computational agents that act intelligently. This paper explores the impact of AI-servicer quality performance on online impulse buying through information quality, system quality, and utilitarian and hedonic motivations. Primary data from 470 online shoppers in China were collected through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was employed. Our results indicate that AI service performance positively influences the information quality and system quality of shopping websites. Furthermore, system quality and information quality positively affect online impulse buying. However, the impact of system quality on online impulse buying is more significant for customers with higher hedonic motivations. The effect of information quality on impulse buying is more significant for customers with higher utilitarian motivations. This study contributes to the services and consumer behaviour literature. It extends stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory in the AI context by examining the role of AI-based services provided by shopping websites in influencing online impulse buying.