The development of the thrifting fashion trend among college students is influenced not only by economic considerations but also by psychological factors that drive impulsive buying behavior. This study aims to analyze the influence of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Need for Uniqueness on impulsive buying of thrifted fashion products, and to examine the role of Emotional Intelligence as a moderating variable.
This study used a quantitative approach with a survey method. The study population was students of the Management Study Program at Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo, intakes of 2022–2025, who had previously purchased thrifted fashion. The sampling technique used purposive sampling, with 120 respondents. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using the SmartPLS application.
The results showed that Fear of Missing Out had a positive and significant effect on impulsive buying, with a path coefficient of 0.363, a t-statistic of 4.963, and a p-value of 0.000. Need for Uniqueness also has a positive and significant effect on Impulsive Buying with a path coefficient of 0.347, a t-statistic value of 4.930, and p-values ​​of 0.000. In addition, Emotional Intelligence has a positive and significant effect on Impulsive Buying with a path coefficient of 0.384, a t-statistic value of 5.870, and p-values ​​of 0.000. Moderation testing shows that Emotional Intelligence is able to moderate the relationship between FOMO and Impulsive Buying with a coefficient of -0.199 (t-statistics = 2.426; p-values ​​= 0.015), and moderates the relationship between Need for Uniqueness and Impulsive Buying with a coefficient of -0.182 (t-statistics = 2.554; p-values ​​= 0.011). The negative interaction coefficient indicates that Emotional Intelligence plays a role in weakening the influence of FOMO and Need for Uniqueness on Impulsive Buying.
The results of this study illustrate that psychological factors play a significant role in shaping impulsive buying behavior in fashion thrifting. Furthermore, an individual's ability to manage emotions can be a factor that helps reduce the tendency to make impulsive purchases triggered by fear of missing out or the desire to stand out.