Promotions and the Intention–Behaviour Gap under Economic Pressure

In increasingly promotion-intensive retail environments, consumers’ evaluations of promotional offers are shaped not only by marketing stimuli but also by prevailing economic conditions. This study examines how economic pressure influences consumers’ perceived promotional value and how such perceptions translate into purchase-related outcomes.
Drawing on survey data from 498 consumers with recent exposure to retail promotions, the study develops and tests a structural model linking economic pressure, perceived promotional value, purchase intention, and behavioural response. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), the measurement and structural models are assessed for reliability, validity, and explanatory power.
The findings indicate that economic pressure positively influences perceived promotional value, which subsequently shapes purchase intention. Purchase intention, in turn, exerts a significant effect on behavioural response, encompassing both purchasing and sharing-related actions in response to promotional offers. Mediation analysis using bootstrapped indirect effects supports an indirect pathway, whereby perceived promotional value influences behavioural response through purchase intention. Although the explained variance of the model is modest, the hypothesised relationships are statistically robust and theoretically meaningful.
By highlighting the mediating role of purchase intention, the study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how value perceptions formed under economic pressure translate into consumer behaviour in promotion-driven markets. The findings offer practical insights for retailers in designing promotional strategies that effectively convert perceived value into consumer action, particularly in economically constrained contexts.