Innovation science and technologiy Volume 2 Issue 4 (2026)
Fomo-driven Purchasing in E-commerce Flash Sales: an Integrative Conceptual Framework
Muhammadiminov, Abdukodir, Damayanti, Arciana, Javliev, Nuriddin
Abstract
Flash sales on e-commerce platforms have become one of the most widely used promotional formats in digitalretail, generating billions of dollars in transactions during single-day events worldwide. Yet the psychological mechanismsthat make these events effective — and potentially harmful to consumers — remain undertheoretically integrated. Thisarticle examines how the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) operates as a central mediating force between platform-leveldesign stimuli and consumer purchase behavior during flash sale events.This study adopts an integrative review approach, synthesizing peer-reviewed literature published between 2019 and2025. Sources were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using keyword combinations coveringFOMO, scarcity marketing, social proof, impulse buying, and e-commerce interface design. The conceptual frameworkwas constructed by mapping findings onto the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theoretical model.The review demonstrates that FOMO is not simply a personality trait but a context-activatable psychological state thatplatform designers can deliberately trigger. Countdown timers, low-stock alerts, and real-time social proof indicatorsfunction as environmental stimuli that elevate FOMO, which in turn amplifies both impulsive and compulsive purchasing.However, the same tactics that boost short-term conversions risk eroding consumer trust and generating post-purchaseregret when overused or deceptively applied.The article makes three contributions: first, it reframes FOMO as a strategically activatable state rather than a stable trait;second, it integrates scarcity theory, social proof theory, and behavioral economics within a single SOR-anchored model;and third, it introduces ethical boundaries as a structural dimension of the framework, connecting platform design choicesto long-term brand outcomes.
FOMOflash salese-commerceimpulse buyingscarcity marketingsocial proofurgency cuesSOR frameworkdark patternsconsumer psychology
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