UNRAVELLING THE EMOTIONAL CATALYST: SELF-DIRECTION AND HEDONIC VALUES IN GEN Z IMPULSE BUYING IN KERALA'S DIGITAL LANDSCAPE

The digital retail ecosystem in India has undergone a seismic shift, with Kerala emerging as a distinctive frontier characterised by India’s highest literacy rates and deepest internet penetration. This research investigates the complex psychological underpinnings of unplanned digital consumption among the state’s Gen Z cohort. Specifically, the study explores the "Kerala Digital Paradox": how a highly educated, socially conscious youth population driven by the values of Self-Direction (SD) and Hedonic Shopping Values (HSV) navigates the surge of Impulse Buying (IB) in an increasingly gamified e-commerce environment. This study examines the psychological determinants of impulse buying behaviour among Generation Z consumers in Kerala’s digital retail environment. Grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework, the research investigates the influence of Self-Direction (SD) and Hedonic Shopping Values (HSV) on Impulse Buying (IB), with Positive Emotion (PE) serving as a mediating variable. Primary data were collected through a structured cross-sectional survey of 155 respondents aged 18–26 across three major urban centres in Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that both HSV and SD significantly influence impulse buying behaviour, while Positive Emotion acts as a strong mediator in these relationships. The results highlight the critical role of emotional engagement in converting consumer intentions into impulsive purchasing behaviour in a highly literate and digitally connected environment. The study contributes to consumer behaviour literature by validating the applicability of global behavioural models in the Indian context and suggests practical insights for digital marketers to design emotionally engaging strategies.