1. Introduction

The rapid development of social media has profoundly changed consumer behavior, but the luxury goods sector is particularly prominent. Today, the development of online platforms has led to more luxury purchases, and impulse buying has become one of the most popular topics in consumer behavior research [1]. A very obvious feature of impulse buying is the lack of planning, and this behavior is usually affected by emotional fluctuations, external influences or stimulation, and a strong desire for instant gratification, which makes consumers more impulsive. Unlike ordinary commodities, luxury goods not only meet the basic needs of consumers but also bring people deeper psychological and social values , such as symbolizing identity, showing their social status, and emotional satisfaction [2]. Today's technology is constantly improving, and the integration of shopping platforms and social media has further promoted the expansion of luxury goods. Luxury platforms such as Farfetch and Net-a-Porter use big data to provide consumers with personalized recommendations, limited-time discounts, and carefully designed crisis information, which promotes consumer impulse [3]. At the same time, many social platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, now attract customers more directly through influencer marketing and live shopping. Such content seamlessly connects entertainment and shopping, making impulse purchases a part of users' daily lives [4]. This innovative shopping model has fundamentally changed traditional consumption habits, and this method has further promoted people's impulse consumption behavior. In this study, we will discuss in depth the key factors that drive online impulse purchases of luxury goods and analyze how these online platforms further promote customer consumption in this process. By exploring the emotional and social drivers behind consumer impulse purchases, the study hopes to provide marketers with clearer strategic guidance and provide practical suggestions for guiding consumers to achieve more conscious consumption.

2. Literature Review

Impulsive luxury purchases are driven by emotional and social factors, especially online. Luxury goods have always had their own unique style, quality, and social status. Consumers buy these products not only for their quality but also to satisfy their emotional needs and strengthen their identity. Owning a luxury item can make people more confident and proud and help them gain a sense of accomplishment and social recognition, which further enhances the appeal of luxury goods to consumers [5, 6]. These purchases are generally seen as rewards for personal achievements or milestones, which strengthens the emotional meaning [7]. Although many studies focus on the emotional factors of luxury consumption, few have explored how these factors drive consumers' impulsive online purchases. With the rapid development of e-commerce, platforms such as Farfetch and Net-a-Porter have successfully created a sense of urgency for customers by providing personalized recommendations and limited-time promotions to consumers through big data, thereby stimulating consumers' impulse purchases [8]. At the same time, social media such as Instagram and TikTok have further amplified this trend by integrating shopping functions into users' daily interactions. Through features such as “shoppable posts” and influencer promotions, these platforms blur the line between browsing and purchasing, making it more difficult for consumers to make decisions on impulse [9].

These platforms have revolutionized the retail industry, but existing research still leaves many gaps unresolved. Current research tends to broaden e-commerce behavior without deeply analyzing the unique characteristics of luxury goods as a specific category. In addition, there are many areas where the long-term impact of personalized advertising and social media strategies on consumer psychology and financial behavior has not been clearly discussed. However, there is also little research on the differences in consumer responses to luxury digital marketing strategies in different cultural backgrounds. These points show that these unexplored areas need more in-depth exploration, combining consumer psychology with the field of digital commerce, especially in the context of impulsive buying behavior.

3. Analysis

Emotional triggers are one of the most important factors that drive consumers to make impulse purchases. Luxury goods are generally a form of self-gratification, which can lead to more emotional desires for happiness, pride, and achievement. Luxury purchases are often linked to success and satisfaction. For many consumers, these purchases are a way to reward themselves for achieving personal success, such as a career promotion or winning a big prize [5]. If someone owns an expensive designer handbag or jewelry, it not only gives material value but also brings a sense of pride and achievement. The symbolism of luxury goods represents status and exclusivity, which further amplifies the psychological value [6]. FOMO is another powerful emotional driver that influences impulse buying. Many luxury brands and digital platforms put pressure on consumers through marketing strategies such as limited-time offers or brand-exclusive product releases. Notifications such as "only 1 left in your size" on platforms such as Farfetch encourage consumers to act quickly without rational interference [9]. Similarly, social media platforms such as Instagram sponsor influencers to enjoy exclusive products to reinforce FOMO, and such behavior can lead consumers to make impulse purchases to keep up with the times and not feel left out [10].

Social influence is closely related to FOMO, and the two factors influence impulse buying behavior in a complementary way. While FOMO creates an emotional pressure that requires consumers to be impulsive, social influence provides the social context and validation needed to reinforce purchasing decisions. These factors are even more pronounced and influential on social media platforms. The Internet has created a digital world in which social proof and peer behavior influence consumer choices. On platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, influencers and celebrities promote luxury goods as part of their ideal lifestyle. In their promotions, they showcase branded clothing, designer handbags, and exclusive accessories of these luxury brands, and their promotions give these brands a more successful and desirable image. This content is made more credible by influencers and celebrities, making fans more likely to trust and follow in the footsteps of these influencers. The connection between influencers and FOMO is obvious in the way exclusive luxury goods are presented. These limited edition or limited-time promotions are often promoted by influencers, which in turn increases the urgency for these consumers to purchase before the opportunity is lost. When influencers emphasize that a luxury watch is a “limited edition,” the underlying psychological impact can cause fans to make an impulsive purchase in order to gain recognition, social status, or lifestyle. This relationship demonstrates how influencers can leverage emotional and social motivations, connecting them to transform passive interest into impulsive behavior.

In addition to influencers, peers also play a large role in establishing social norms for luxury consumption. Social media allows users to share their purchases, creating a sense of publicity and competition by leveraging the large number of people who buy a product. When people see their friends showing off their luxury purchases, they may feel compelled to follow in their footsteps, improve their social profile, and be part of a similar trend [11]. This pressure to follow trends exacerbates the urge to buy luxury goods, especially when it is combined with narratives that promote FOMO factors such as “last chance” or “exclusive price reduction.” Social media algorithms can amplify peer pressure by constantly displaying luxury-related content. This exposure and validation makes it difficult for consumers to resist impulse buying driven by social influence. Social influence occurs primarily through two means: first, through inspirational content created by influencers and celebrities, and second, through the visibility of peer behavior on social media. Both of these influences interact with emotional drivers such as FOMO to create a powerful nudge for consumers, encouraging impulse buying behavior. This section highlights the importance of how these digital platforms use social influence to influence consumer decisions, highlighting the need for more careful spending strategies.

Shopping apps and social media platforms have completely changed consumer behavior by transforming browsing into active purchases. Their impact lies in creating seamless, targeted, unique, and engaging experiences that can drive impulse purchases of luxury goods. This section explores the specific mechanisms through which shopping apps and social media platforms influence consumer decision-making and explores their interrelated roles. Shopping apps such as Farfetch and Net-a-Porter use advanced technology and user-friendly design applications, which play an important role in driving impulse purchase behavior. Their impact is most evident in three aspects: Shopping apps incorporate artificial intelligence and make product recommendations based on users' previous browsing. Someone who browses for luxury sneakers may later see related product recommendations with phrases such as "you may also like" or "trending now." This approach further attracts consumers' interest and subtly encourages unplanned purchases [12].

These platforms often use time promotions such as limited-time sales or exclusive discounts to create a sense of urgency. Notifications such as "only for 24 hours" or countdowns on the product pages of most promotions greatly promote consumers' impulse purchases, allowing impulse emotions to take over rationality. Features such as one-click checkout and digital wallets have significantly reduced the number of steps required to make a purchase. Shopping apps make buying easier by removing complicated steps like filling out forms, which encourages impulse purchases. For instance, users can quickly buy a product with just a few taps without overthinking. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have also changed how consumers interact with luxury goods by seamlessly combining entertainment and shopping. These platforms not only increase the visibility of luxury items but also make it easy for users to go from browsing to buying.

Features like “shoppable posts” and “buy now” buttons let users purchase items directly from the app. When someone sees a luxury product in their feed, they can click and complete the purchase instantly. This convenience has made the relationship between entertainment and shopping more blurred and indistinguishable. Reducing decision time can make consumers more likely to make impulsive decisions [13]. But influencers and celebrities also play an important role in promoting luxury goods. On TikTok and Instagram, these influencers use different ways and means to attract and showcase products. There are many influencers on TikTok who are creating content about unboxing videos of luxury goods, and the number of views is in the hundreds, which shows that more users are interested in luxury goods. Consumers generally trust influencers or celebrities more, which gives them a great advantage in promoting luxury goods.

Today's platforms will design content specifically for users based on algorithms. For example, if some users buy a lot of watches or always browse watches, the platform will give them more watch-related products, which will make users interested in continuing to browse related content and enhance their desire. With the combination of entertainment and shopping, social media platforms make impulse purchases of luxury goods easier and more tempting. Such convenience, attractive content and personalized recommendations have a great impact on modern consumer behavior.

4. Discussion

People buy luxury goods impulsively because of emotions, whether it’s the happiness that luxury brings or the fear of missing out on something special. Social factors such as peer pressure and influencer marketing also play a role. Digital platforms, such as apps and social media software, play a key role in creating an environment that better promotes impulse purchases by seamlessly integrating commerce and user experience. These behaviors are more pronounced among younger consumers and those with higher incomes, and these groups are more responsive to carefully planned marketing strategies. While marketers can benefit from these insights to better shape their marketing campaigns, it is important to cultivate mindful consumption to overcome impulsive buying behaviors. Future research can explore the long-term psychological impact of impulse purchases of luxury goods and how digital platforms influence consumer satisfaction.

4.1. Implications

Digital platforms such as shopping apps and social media have become one of the most important ways for marketing to influence consumer behavior. The results of this study provide several key reasons for the marketing activities that have increased luxury goods consumption. The first is to use consumers’ emotions to control their impulse purchases: platforms can make recommendations and time sensitivity by emphasizing the screening of customers’ browsing history. One way is that marketers can create campaigns that focus on limited time offers or “unique” product releases to increase consumers’ pressure and impulse psychology [11]; the second is to strengthen the cooperation with influencers: influencers play an important role in guiding consumer decisions through luxury goods. For example, brands will cooperate with influencers who match the brand image to increase awareness and attract more consumers to purchase. Marketers can also focus on micro-influencers who interact with niche groups and gain great influence. The third is personalized recommendations: the system recommends products based on the user’s browsing history or past purchases. Such algorithms increase the possibility of reaching the top. Applications like Farfetch can integrate predictions of consumer preferences to customize the consumption experience to suit users best. While marketers benefit from these strategies, consumers face challenges in managing their consumption habits. Spend with care: Consumers should build habits in their minds to resist impulse buying. They can set a budget before making a purchase and evaluate whether the product will help them in the long run. Understanding psychological triggers: Understanding the underlying logic of emotions such as FOMO and how such factors manipulate emotions can help consumers resist unnecessary purchases. Social media platforms can also contribute to creating a more transparent and ethical shopping experience. Advertising transparency: Platforms such as Instagram should clearly label and categorize each advertisement to help consumers better identify and influence content [14]. Ethical algorithm design: Social media companies can design algorithms that prioritize user well-being by limiting promotional content. Reducing advertising for luxury goods can help alleviate excessive spending [11].

4.2. Policy and Regulation Recommendations

Governments and regulators should use specific measures to promote ethical marketing and protect consumers from trade-offs and pros and cons. First, it is important to formulate a regulation on influencer marketing. The government can disclose the brands that influencers have a partnership with when they promote their products, which can increase transparency and significantly reduce the impulse and misleading behavior of consumers [15]. Second, strengthening the management and supervision of digital platforms is also indispensable. These agencies can control the way advertisements are pushed on these shopping apps and social media platforms, and clearly explain these regulations to these shopping platforms. This will prevent these platforms from secretly manipulating consumers, protect consumers, and allow them to make their own consumption choices. Future research should focus on the following areas. The first is the long-term impact of impulse buying: the impact of cyclical purchases of luxury goods on consumers' psychological factors and financial status should be explored in depth. The second is cross-cultural differences: the relationship between emotional reasons and online luxury consumption behavior in different cultural backgrounds. The last one is the sustainability of luxury marketing: it can evaluate how brands can maintain the effectiveness of impulse buying strategies while adding sustainable development applications to promote environmental protection and social responsibility. Through these efforts, it is possible to balance the relationship between luxury marketing and consumer weighing of pros and cons, and move towards a more transparent and sustainable direction.

5. Conclusion

Impulsive purchases of luxury goods are largely driven by emotional factors such as happiness, satisfaction and fear of missing out (FOMO), and are reinforced by the temptation of peer following and influencer endorsements. Digital platforms have created a unique network system that makes shopping seamless, unique and attractive. From a marketing perspective, strategies that emphasize uniqueness, compulsion and personalization are very helpful in driving sales. However, these strategies also demonstrate the importance of promoting careful consumption among users.