E-impulse purchase behaviour among Muslim consumers on TikTok Shop: integrating SOBC framework

Purpose This study aims to examine how social media celebrities influence young Muslim consumers’ emotional and identity responses on TikTok Shop, specifically testing the effects of celebrities on positive affect and celebrity identification, and how these organismic states shape the urge to engage in e-impulse purchasing and subsequent e-impulse purchase behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional, quantitative design was used. Data were collected via an online self-administered survey of 186 young Muslim consumers (millennials and Gen Z) who had purchased fashion items on TikTok Shop. The measurement model and structural paths for five hypotheses were tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling in IBM AMOS. Behavioural purchase measures included both count and proportion indicators (arcsine square-root transformation applied to proportion data). Purposive sampling and procedural/statistical remedies for common method bias were implemented. Findings Results indicate that social media celebrities significantly increase positive affect and celebrity identification. Positive affect, in turn, significantly predicts the urge to e-impulse purchase, and this urge significantly predicts actual e-impulse purchase behaviour. However, celebrity identification did not significantly predict the urge to e-impulse purchase, suggesting identification may operate via longer-term identity or relational pathways rather than immediate impulse triggers. Model fit and reliability indices met acceptable thresholds. Research limitations/implications The sample is largely student-dominated and regionally concentrated, constraining generalizability. The cross-sectional survey design limits causal inference; experimental or longitudinal designs are recommended to manipulate situational cues and observe actual purchase responses. Future research should broaden demographic diversity, increase sample size and test moderators/mediators (e.g. religiosity, parasocial relationship depth, gender, product symbolic value and self-monitoring). Consider mixed-methods to capture nuanced cultural and religious dynamics. Practical implications For fashion brands and online retailers targeting young Muslim consumers, influencer selection should prioritize authenticity, moral credibility and value-alignment with Islamic ethical norms rather than reach alone. Emotional experience design on platforms like TikTok Shop (live-shopping, time-limited drops, aesthetic storytelling and gamification) can effectively stimulate positive affect and subsequent impulse purchases – but should be implemented responsibly to avoid promoting excessive consumption. Operationally, platforms must ensure seamless checkout and transparent product information to capture conversion when emotional momentum peaks. Embedding Islamic consumer education (e.g. moderation/wasatiyyah messaging and budgeting tools) may bolster long-term loyalty. Social implications The findings reflect shifting consumption cultures among Indonesian Muslim youth where digital platforms mediate identity expression and community belonging. While TikTok Shop reduces transactional uncertainty through interactive live features, it also intensifies affective triggers for unplanned purchases. Policymakers, educators and Islamic economic institutions should therefore consider media literacy and ethical consumer programs that promote balanced digital spending and responsible marketplace practices consistent with Islamic values. Originality/value This study makes a contextually specific contribution by applying the situation–organism–behaviour–consequence framework to TikTok Shop–based social commerce among Muslim consumers – a combination not previously examined in the extant literature. The findings provide empirical evidence that emotional pathways (positive affect → urge → behaviour) serve as the primary mechanism for impulsive e-purchases in this setting, while celebrity identification appears to operate through longer-term relational and identity-based channels. Although the contribution is contextual rather than paradigm-shifting, it adds culturally grounded specificity to impulse-buying theory and influencer marketing literature, particularly within Islamic consumer behaviour research.