The Power of Imagination in Addressing the Need for Touch Among Online Shoppers in India

While online shopping offers convenience and efficiency, the lack of tactile engagement presents a key psychological limitation, particularly for consumers with a high Need for Touch (NFT). This study investigates the distinct effects of two motivational dimensions of NFT, instrumental and autotelic, on consumer attitudes toward online shopping and shopping channel preference. It further examines the moderating role of consumers’ imagination ability, a psychographic trait that may serve as a compensatory mechanism in digitally-mediated environments. Drawing on data from 412 Gen Z Indian consumers and employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS v.4, the results reveal a significant negative impact of NFT on online shopping attitudes and preferences, with the effect more pronounced for autotelic NFT. Additionally, the findings suggest that while imagination can help mitigate the limitations of online shopping for those with high instrumental NFT, it fails to do so for consumers with high autotelic NFT, who seek hedonic and sensory-rich experiences. The study further comprehensively introduces the concept of imagination as a compensatory mechanism by incorporating both the visual and tactile imagery, given that tactile experiences are often accompanied by visual cues.