Consumer spirituality as a protective force against impulsive online buying: An empirical investigation in the context of Viksit Bharat @2047

Abstract

The rise of digital marketplaces has intensified patterns of impulsive and compulsive online buying, creating a segment of psychologically vulnerable consumers whose material consumption is driven by stress, identity uncertainty, and social conformity rather than genuine need. Situated within India's Viksit Bharat @2047 developmental vision which emphasises sustainable and ethical consumption alongside economic growth, this study examines the extent to which consumer spirituality can mitigate such vulnerability. Specifically, it investigates the influence of four theoretically grounded determinants, stress relief, identity crisis, cognitive dissonance, and peer influence, on consumer spirituality among online buyers. Using a two-phase expert-validated questionnaire drawn from the CONSPRIT scale and the Consumer Vulnerability Scale, primary data were collected from 250 undergraduate and postgraduate students in Agra, India, selected through stratified random sampling. Multiple regression analysis (R = 0.721; F = 66.37, p < 0.001) revealed that stress relief (β = 0.382), identity crisis (β = 0.274), and peer influence (β = 0.236) are significant positive predictors of consumer spirituality, while cognitive dissonance did not reach significance (β = 0.091, p = 0.097). These findings suggest that spiritual orientation functions as a protective psychological resource, particularly against stress-driven and socially reinforced overconsumption. The study contributes to the theoretical extension of the CONSPRIT framework and Signaling Theory in the context of online consumer vulnerability, and offers actionable implications for policymakers and e-commerce platforms committed to fostering ethical consumption in India's developmental trajectory.