The rapid advancement of digital technology has brought about a significant transformation in consumer behavior, particularly within the realm of electronic commerce (e-commerce). Platforms such as Shopee have become an integral part of everyday shopping activities, driven by high internet penetration and the widespread adoption of mobile devices (dataSpring, 2021). In Indonesia, Shopee has emerged as the leading e-commerce site in terms of user visits, recording over 134 million visits in September 2024, far surpassing its main competitors, including Tokopedia, Lazada, and Blibli (Semrush, 2024). This phenomenon not only reflects market dominance but also illustrates the evolving dynamics of consumer behavior within an increasingly competitive digital environment.

Amid this rapid growth, the factors influencing customer visits have become a primary focus in digital marketing research. Customer visits represent both exploratory and transactional consumer intentions, influenced by elements such as user experience, promotional stimuli, ease of access, and importantly, time availability (Srinivasan et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2019). One dimension that has remained underexplored in existing literature, yet holds substantial relevance in today’s digital economy, is flexible time the availability of discretionary time outside routine work or primary daily activities, allowing consumers to engage more meaningfully with e-commerce platforms.

Recent trends suggest that access to digital platforms tends to increase during evening hours and weekends, when consumers have greater flexibility to browse and make transactions. Previous studies have acknowledged the influence of time on information-seeking behavior and purchasing decisions, as well as the relationship between navigation experience and access time (Basalla et al., 2021; Necula, 2023). However, there is a notable lack of comprehensive investigations that simultaneously link flexible time to shopping need,the internal motivation to shop and customer visit behavior. This highlights a significant conceptual and empirical gap in the literature on online consumer behavior.

Although variables such as pricing, promotions, and user interface have been widely examined as determinants of purchase decisions and site visits, time as an independent construct has received insufficient scholarly attention (Indriastuti et al., 2022; Wijaya et al., 2021). In the context of modern consumers navigating time constraints and demanding schedules, time flexibility emerges as a critical determinant in digital engagement particularly in e-commerce. As such, understanding how flexible time contributes to shopping needs and customer visits not only enriches theoretical discourse but also offers strategic implications for digital marketing management.

The primary contribution of this study lies in its theoretical enrichment of digital consumer behavior by introducing time as a variable with both direct and indirect effects on purchase intention and visit intensity. The study also provides a unique empirical context by examining a sample of active Shopee users in Indonesia, a market characterized by dynamic demographics and rapid digital adoption in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the findings are expected to

offer empirical novelty by integrating flexible time as a determinant of both shopping behavior and consumer visitation patterns, a relationship that has not been simultaneously addressed in prior literature.

From a practical standpoint, insights into the effects of flexible time can assist digital marketing managers in designing more temporally efficient strategies such as time-based promotions, optimized push notification schedules, and behavioral mapping aligned with peak access periods. Through a time-sensitive approach, e-commerce companies can enhance user engagement and foster greater customer loyalty. Accordingly, this study explicitly aims to examine the interrelationships among flexible time, shopping need, and customer visit, while contributing significantly to the advancement of both theoretical understanding and managerial practices in platform based digital economies.

This study highlights the pivotal role of flexible time in shaping consumer behavior within the e-commerce ecosystem, particularly in the context of the Shopee platform in Indonesia. Flexible time, representing consumers’ autonomy in determining their most convenient periods for accessing digital platforms, has been empirically shown to significantly influence the intensity of user visits. This indicates that digital-era consumers place high value on the ease and convenience of managing their time for online shopping. The more flexibility they have in organizing their schedules, the higher their tendency to explore products, engage with platform features, and make purchases. These findings underscore that time is no longer a constraint in online transactions; instead, it functions as a strategic resource that enhances consumer loyalty and engagement.

These results align with the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, in which flexible time acts as a stimulus that fosters positive psychological conditions in users, such as comfort, personal control, and efficiency (I. Lee, 2016). These conditions shape users’ perceptions and emotional responses (organism), which are subsequently expressed through actual behavior in the form of customer visits. In this context, the freedom to choose shopping times serves as a primary trigger that mitigates common psychological barriers in the purchasing process, such as time pressure, work fatigue, or limited physical access to stores. Shopee, as a digital platform, successfully provides a flexible

shopping environment accessible anytime and anywhere, which ultimately cultivates consumer preferences for frequent and intensive visits.

Beyond providing technical convenience, flexible time fosters a heightened sense of control over the shopping experience. This sense of control empowers consumers to dictate their own consumption rhythms without external pressure (Solomon, 2015). Such autonomy becomes a significant intrinsic motivator, transforming shopping from a functional necessity into a pleasurable experience. When consumers feel empowered to decide when and how they shop, they are not only more active in visiting the site but are also more likely to interact with features such as reviews, wishlists, and personalized promotions.

In this sense, Shopee functions not merely as a transactional platform, but as a digital space that facilitates time-based consumption behavior. This flexibility enables deeper engagement, allowing consumers to browse products at their own pace, which increases both the duration of visits and the depth of product exploration. This experience fosters a sense of attachment and builds long-term platform loyalty, as users perceive that Shopee understands and accommodates their personal time preferences.

Another key finding reveals that flexible time not only affects visit frequency but also triggers the formation of shopping need. This indicates that when consumers have ample time to explore the platform, their internal motivation to make purchases increases. From the SOR perspective, flexible time creates a stimulus that cultivates emotional responses such as desire, excitement about discounts, or fear of missing out (FOMO) (Huo et al., 2023). These emotional reactions intensify shopping need, as consumers feel they have time to contemplate purchasing decisions, evaluate options, and take action without pressure.

Shopping needs that develop under flexible time conditions are often more intense and personalized. Leisure time allows consumers to internalize promotional information and align it with their individual preferences. In such circumstances, purchase decisions are not solely driven by impulse but are supported by rational evaluation conducted in a relaxed and controlled manner. Consumers feel that they govern the consumption process rather than simply reacting to marketing strategies. Consequently, flexible time not only stimulates purchase urgency but also enhances the quality of decision-making in online shopping.

The emotional comfort derived from flexible time significantly strengthens the relationship between consumers and the Shopee platform. When consumers shop in conditions of their own choosing, such as at night, during rest, or in a calm mood, shopping is no longer perceived as a chore, but as an enjoyable activity worth repeating. In such scenarios, shopping need becomes more than a mere reaction to market stimuli; it becomes an expression of digital lifestyle, where consumption is designed according to personal tempo (Turchyn, 2021).

Furthermore, the shopping need formed under flexible time conditions directly drives customer visits. When consumers experience an internal urge to buy, they are more likely to access Shopee's app or website frequently. This relationship indicates that shopping need is a key driver of digital visit behavior.

It applies not only to functional shopping but also to exploratory behaviors, product discovery, or the desire to stay updated with the latest deals. Visits to the platform thus serve as tangible expressions of prior intention and motivation.

As shopping needs intensify, visits become more intentional and frequent (Moe & Fader, 2004). Consumers tend to allocate specific time to browse Shopee, read reviews, compare prices, and even develop purchasing strategies based on available promotions. These activities strengthen consumer engagement and establish visits as routines rooted in actual or perceived needs. This demonstrates how shopping need mediates the relationship between flexible time and increased visit activity.

The mediating role of shopping need between flexible time and customer visit underscores the dynamic nature of digital consumer behavior, which is shaped through the interplay of external and internal factors. The flexibility in consumers’ schedules creates a setting in which platform-generated stimulation such as promotions and discounts are internalized as needs rather than just information. This internalization leads to psychological impulses that drive concrete actions, namely, visits to Shopee. Therefore, shopping need emerges not only as a mediating variable but also as a critical component in understanding digital consumer decision-making pathways.

Positive user experiences associated with flexible time present opportunities for platforms to design more personalized, time-based marketing strategies. Such strategies may include sending push notifications during evenings or weekends, scheduling promotions based on user activity patterns, or customizing app interfaces to support various time conditions. When consumers feel their time is respected and that the platform is present when they are ready to shop, brand-consumer relationships become stronger and more enduring.

Conceptually, this study reinforces the SOR framework within the context of digital consumer behavior. Flexible time, as a stimulus, influences the organism—through emotional needs and consumption preferences, which in turn results in a response in the form of active platform visits. This process unfolds under conditions where users feel comfortable, in control, and satisfied. As such, time-based strategies emerge as a central approach in shaping sustainable digital behavior.

The implications of these findings are relevant not only to researchers but also to e-commerce practitioners and digital marketers. In an increasingly competitive landscape, deep understanding of how time influences consumer psychology and behavior is a strategic asset. Platforms like Shopee must continuously refine their interaction strategies to align with users’ needs for time flexibility. This includes integrating time-sensitive features, personalizing user experiences based on temporal preferences, and adapting promotional campaigns to match modern consumers' life rhythms.

Recognizing that consumers are seeking not just products but experiences that resonate with their lifestyles, flexible time must become a core element in system design, user interaction, and digital communication strategies. This study provides both empirical and theoretical evidence that time is not merely an environmental variable, but a strategic lever for enhancing engagement, shaping

needs, and building customer loyalty. Shopee and other e-commerce platforms can leverage these findings to strengthen their positioning in a fast-evolving digital landscape centered on comfort, autonomy, and personalized shopping experiences.

This study concludes that flexible time plays a vital role in shaping digital consumer behavior, particularly on the Shopee e-commerce platform in Indonesia. Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, the research finds that flexible time defined as the user’s ability to choose when to engage with the platform has a direct and indirect effect on customer visit behavior, with shopping need acting as a key mediating variable. Consumers who experience greater autonomy over their time tend to develop stronger internal motivations to shop, which in turn leads to increased platform visits. This finding not only advances the theoretical framework of digital consumer engagement but also introduces temporal flexibility as a novel construct in understanding online shopping motivations.

From a practical standpoint, these findings offer significant implications for e-commerce strategy and digital marketing design. Shopee and similar platforms can leverage time-based personalization such as scheduling promotions during peak leisure periods, optimizing push notifications for evening hours, and offering flexible navigation tools to enhance engagement. Furthermore, by reinforcing users’ sense of control over their shopping experience, platforms can shift shopping behavior from a necessity to an enjoyable routine, thereby increasing customer loyalty. In sum, time should be regarded not only as a contextual variable but as a strategic lever in the development of user-centric, emotionally resonant digital commerce environments.

For future advanced research, scholars are encouraged to explore the longitudinal impact of flexible time on consumer loyalty and purchasing behavior over extended periods, particularly across diverse e-commerce platforms beyond Shopee. Further studies could also integrate psychographic and demographic moderators such as age, digital literacy, or work-life balance preferences to examine whether the effects of flexible time vary across user segments. Moreover, employing mixed-method approaches, such as combining PLS-SEM with in-depth interviews or digital ethnography, may offer richer insights into the emotional and cognitive mechanisms underlying shopping need formation. Investigating the role of AI-driven personalization and its interaction with flexible time could also contribute to a deeper understanding of how algorithmic interventions shape consumer engagement in real-time.