Digital channels are becoming increasingly important in consumer purchase decisions. Yet, the availability of several different channels present consumers the opportunity to switch between one and another, such a phenomenon is called cross-channel free riding. This research aims therefore at exploring whether cognitive dissonance and opportunistic behavior are relevant antecedents of cross-channel free riding.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the post-purchase behavior of customers who experienced cognitive dissonance after exposure to a franchise foodservice advertisement. The study adopted cognitive dissonance theory to explain the dissonance resulting from the combination of advertisements and actual product that consumers received. In detail, the research hypothesized that cognitive dissonance will affect consumers’ post-purchase behavior as well as their efforts to reduce dissonance. Exactly 274 questionnaires were used in the analysis. The results showed that more than 80% of respondents were influenced by advertisements when purchasing menus, and 50% were unsatisfied when the provided menu “was not the same as the advertisement shown.” It was found that advertisement type did not significantly affect either group that experienced dissonance. In terms of satisfaction, however, the former group showed greater dissatisfaction when dissonance occurred (p<.001). Finally, there was a significant difference between the two groups regarding post-purchase behavior (p<.05). Customers with dissonance were likely to ‘express dissatisfaction directly to the store’, ‘leave negative reviews’, and ‘participate in negative word-of-mouth’. Thus, the results revealed that cognitive dissonance could significantly influence customer satisfaction and consequently lead to negative post-purchasing behaviors.

The primary objective of this research is to develop a better understanding of consumer’s post-purchase psychological state by examining the influence of sales promotion and emotional brand attachment on post-purchase cognitive dissonance, taking into account the mediating role of impulse buying behavior. The current study addresses several gaps in literature. Firstly, it is hard to find the direct impact of sales promotion and emotional brand attachment on post-purchase cognitive dissonance. Secondly, to the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the mediating role of impulse buying behavior in consumer research. A sample of 256 respondents was collected from Pakistani retail consumers. The statistical findings of this study show that sales promotion has a significant positive effect on the impulse buying behavior and post-purchase cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, results indicate that emotional brand attachment has a negative influence on impulse buying behavior but has a significant positive impact on post-purchase cognitive dissonance. Meanwhile, impulse buying behavior is a potential mediator between sales promotion, emotional brand attachment, and post-purchase cognitive dissonance relationships. The moderating role of Gender describes that the positive relationship between sales promotion and post-purchase cognitive dissonance will be stronger for women as compared to men at a higher level of sales promotion.