Abstract: The flow experience theory provides a new perspective for understanding compulsive buying behavior. Based on the questionnaire survey in online and offline consumers, this paper analyzes the relationships among shopping flow experience elements, consumer concentration and pleasure-compulsive buying behavior, and compares the differences of the relationships between online channel and offline channel. The results show that perceived shopping challenge of consumer has a significantly positive effect on consumer concentration, but has no effect on consumer pleasure in offline channel; in online channel, perceived shopping challenge has no impact on consumer concentration and pleasure; no matter in which channels, shopping skill will positively affect consumer concentration and pleasure significantly; both consumer concentration and pleasure will positively influence the compulsive buying behavior significantly in online and offline channels. The conclusion expands the external validity of flow experiential theory in explaining compulsive buying behavior and helps consumers to improve their shopping skills, concentration and experience.

Key words: flow experience, compulsive buying tendency, online channel, offline channel