The Influence of Scarcity Appeal and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Impulse Buying among Generation Z Shopee Users in Surabaya
Keywords:
Scarcity Appeal, Fear Of Missing Out, Impulse Buying, Generasi Z, Shopee.
Abstract
The rapid development of information technology and the dominance of e-commerce platforms like Shopee have triggered a significant phenomenon of impulse buying among Generation Z in Surabaya, driven by digital marketing strategies and users' psychological dynamics. This quantitative study aims to analyze the influence of scarcity appeal and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on impulse buying behavior involving 120 respondents through SmartPLS analysis. The results indicate that both scarcity appeal and FOMO contribute positively and significantly to increasing impulsive buying behavior. The combined contribution of these two variables simultaneously has a very strong influence on explaining the variation in consumers' spontaneous purchasing actions. The main findings confirm that FOMO is a far more dominant predictor than scarcity appeal, indicating that psychological anxiety over missing out on social trends is the primary driver of unplanned shopping actions among Generation Z in the current digital commerce ecosystem.
References
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Redine, A., Deshpande, S., Jebarajakirthy, C., & Surachartkumtonkun, J. (2023). Impulse buying: A systematic literature review and future research directions. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(1), 3–41.
Riadi, M. T., & Septiani, M. (2025). Pengaruh Discount , Live Shopping dan Fear Of Missing Out Terhadap Impulse Buying Gen Z di Bandar Lampung Pada E-Commerce Shopee. 7(4), 1256–1275.
Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2020). The social media party: Fear of missing out (FoMO), social media intensity, connection, and well-being. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 36(4), 386–392.
Sellercraft, C. (2025). TikTok Shop vs Shopee GMV Trends in Southeast Asia 2023–2025: Unpacking the E-Commerce Showdown. Sellercraft. https://sellercraft.co/tiktok-shop-vs-shopee-gmv-trends-in-southeast-asia-2023-2025-unpacking-the-e-commerce-showdown/
Shi, X., Li, F., & Chumnumpan, P. (2020). The use of product scarcity in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 54(2), 380–418.
Wang, Y., Kong, S., Li, M., & Liu, L. (2022). Need for uniqueness moderates the effectiveness of different types of scarcity appeals. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 890350.
Zhao, Y., Li, Y., Wang, N., Zhou, R., & Luo, X. (2022). A meta-analysis of online impulsive buying and the moderating effect of economic development level. Information Systems Frontiers, 24(5), 1667–1688.
Aisafitri, L., & Yusriyah, K. (2021). Kecanduan Media Sosial ( FoMO ) Pada Generasi Milenial. 86–106.
Alutaybi, A., Al-thani, D., & Mcalaney, J. (2020). Combating Fear of Missing Out ( FoMO ) on Social Media : The FoMO-R Method.
Barry, C. T., & Wong, M. Y. (2020). Fear of missing out ( FoMO ): A generational phenomenon or an individual difference ? 37(12), 2952–2966. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520945394
Biraglia, A., Usrey, B., & Ulqinaku, A. (2021). The downside of scarcity: Scarcity appeals can trigger consumer anger and brand switching intentions. Psychology & Marketing, 38(8), 1314–1322.
CNBC Indonesia, T. (2024). Tokopedia & TikTok Kalah Jauh Lawan Penguasa E-Commerce RI. https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/tech/20240719115730-37-556038
Curry, D. (2025). Shopee Revenue and Usage Statistics (2025). Business of Apps. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/shopee-statistics/
Fahriansah, F., Safarida, N., & Midesia, S. (2023). Buy Now, Think Later: Impulsive Buying Behavior among Generation Z in Indonesia. Share: Jurnal Ekonomi Dan Keuangan Islam, 12(2), 386–421. https://doi.org/10.22373/share.v12i2.17453
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Hariyana, N., Izaak, W. C., & Sholihah, D. R. (2024). Respons Konsumen terhadap Seruan Kelangkaan dalam Pemesanan Online. 2024, 403–408.
Iyer, G. R., Blut, M., Xiao, S. H., & Grewal, D. (2020). Impulse buying: a meta-analytic review. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(3), 384–404.
Jiang, N., & Turner, J. J. (2022). The Impact of Scarcity on Consumers ’ Impulse Buying Based on the S-O-R Theory. 13(June), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792419
Juliandhani, A. F., & Tjahjawati, S. S. (2024). Analisis komparatif dampak fear of missing out (FOMO) terhadap impulse buying pada generasi milenial dan generasi Z di Kota Bandung. Journal of Management and Digital Business, 5(2), 669–684. https://doi.org/10.53088/jmdb.v5i2.1838
Katadata, I. (2024). Transaksi Belanja Online di Indonesia 2024. Katadata Insight Center. https://katadata.co.id/digital/e-commerce/685ba4184c37a
Kemp, S. (2024). Digital 2024: Indonesia. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-indonesia
Lestari, I. W. (2025). Daftar e-commerce paling sering diakses 2025, Shopee masih juara. GoodStats. https://goodstats.id/article/e-commerce-paling-sering-diakses-2025-shopee-masih-juara-wyZqk
Momentum Works, S. (2025). E-Commerce in Southeast Asia Report 2025. Momentum Academy.
Nuraini, L. (2025). PENGARUH SCARCITY PERSUASION, PRICE DISCOUNT, DAN PERCEIVED VALUE TERHADAP IMPULSIVE BUYING DALAM PLATFORM E-COMMERCE: SHOPEE LIVE STREAMING. Journal of Innovation Research and Knowledge, 5(1), 897–912.
Przybylski, A. K., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C. R., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848.
Rahmandani, S. A., & Rahmidani, R. (2025). PENGARUH SCARCITY MESSAGE DAN SHOPPING ENJOYMENT TERHADAP IMPULSE BUYING MELALUI FEAR OF MISSING OUT (FoMO) SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING STUDI PADA KONSUMEN LIVE STREAMING SHOPEE DI KOTA PADANG THE INFLUENCE OF SCARCITY MESSAGE AND SHOPPING ENJOYMENT ON I. In Sibatik Journal | Volume (Vol. 4, Issue 6, pp. 981–1000). https://publish.ojs-indonesia.com/index.php/SIBATIK
Redine, A., Deshpande, S., Jebarajakirthy, C., & Surachartkumtonkun, J. (2023). Impulse buying: A systematic literature review and future research directions. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(1), 3–41.
Riadi, M. T., & Septiani, M. (2025). Pengaruh Discount , Live Shopping dan Fear Of Missing Out Terhadap Impulse Buying Gen Z di Bandar Lampung Pada E-Commerce Shopee. 7(4), 1256–1275.
Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2020). The social media party: Fear of missing out (FoMO), social media intensity, connection, and well-being. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 36(4), 386–392.
Sellercraft, C. (2025). TikTok Shop vs Shopee GMV Trends in Southeast Asia 2023–2025: Unpacking the E-Commerce Showdown. Sellercraft. https://sellercraft.co/tiktok-shop-vs-shopee-gmv-trends-in-southeast-asia-2023-2025-unpacking-the-e-commerce-showdown/
Shi, X., Li, F., & Chumnumpan, P. (2020). The use of product scarcity in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 54(2), 380–418.
Wang, Y., Kong, S., Li, M., & Liu, L. (2022). Need for uniqueness moderates the effectiveness of different types of scarcity appeals. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 890350.
Zhao, Y., Li, Y., Wang, N., Zhou, R., & Luo, X. (2022). A meta-analysis of online impulsive buying and the moderating effect of economic development level. Information Systems Frontiers, 24(5), 1667–1688.
Published
2026-07-13
How to Cite
Jana Prasetya, D., & Nanik Hariyana. (2026). The Influence of Scarcity Appeal and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Impulse Buying among Generation Z Shopee Users in Surabaya. International Journal of Economics, Business and Innovation Research, 5(04), 3999-4013. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v5i04.5170
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