The Influence of Promotional Strategies and Discount Programs on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Mobile Phones at Gadgetmart Pontianak

Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economics and Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, (2025), pp. 1~8, Article ID: 1132 ISSN 2723-6250 (online) DOI: https://doi.org/10.33122/ejeset.v6i2.1132 Research Article The Influence of Promotional Strategies and Discount Programs on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Mobile Phones at Gadgetmart Pontianak Tri Oktavica Nariswanti*, Muhammad Ebuziyya Alif Ramadhan Faculty Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Pontianak, Pontianak, Indonesia, 78124 *Corresponding Author: | Phone: +6289529917742 ABSTRACT This study aims to analyze the influence of promotional strategies and discount programs on consumer purchase decisions in the smartphone retail sector at Gadgetmart Pontianak. This study employs a quantitative approach using an associative method to examine the relationships and effects among variables. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed to 100 respondents selected using purposive sampling techniques. The collected data were analyzed using validity tests, reliability tests, classical assumption tests, and multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicate that promotional strategies and discount programs simultaneously have a significant effect on consumer purchase decisions. Partially, both variables have a positive and significant effect; however, discount programs exert a more dominant influence than promotional strategies. These findings provide empirical evidence that purchase decisions in smartphone retail are not only influenced by promotional communication but are more strongly driven by price incentives perceived by consumers. This study has practical implications for retail managers in designing more effective and selective marketing strategies and opens opportunities for future research to incorporate additional variables such as product quality, brand image, and after-sales service to obtain a more comprehensive understanding. Keywords: Promotional Strategies; Discount Programs; Consumers’ Decision 1. INTRODUCTION The development of digital technology and the internet has transformed the way people communicate, work, study, and conduct transactions. In this context, smartphones have evolved into multifunctional devices with increasingly advanced camera capabilities, processing power, and multitasking features, shifting their role from mere communication tools to essential instruments in daily activities. This condition reinforces the position of smartphones as necessities embedded in modern lifestyles (Syahputra et al., 2025). The growing dependence of society on digital technology has driven the increase in smartphone demand and created a broad yet highly competitive market. Competition occurs not only among manufacturers but also among retailers that must compete in product offerings, services, and increasingly aggressive marketing strategies (Maky et al., 2024). Amid such competition, companies strive to expand market share through various marketing approaches designed to influence consumer behavior (Fera & Pramuditha, 2021). In Pontianak City, interest in smartphones with the latest features remains relatively high; however, purchase decisions are increasingly influenced by promotional activities and price incentives. Well-designed promotions can generate consumer interest and guide purchase decisions, while poorly managed promotions may weaken purchase intention (Munif et al., 2024). Competitive pressure in the mobile phone industry also requires business actors to be more adaptive, as consumers have numerous alternatives and can easily compare offers across sellers (Alnando & Hutapea, 2021). Gadgetmart Pontianak is one of the mobile phone retailers that has been operating since 2018 and is located on Tanjung Pura Street. Based on sales reports, Gadgetmart’s revenue increased by 13.25% in 2023 and rose again by 5.04% in 2024. Although these figures indicate growth, they also raise critical questions: whether the increase is driven by the effectiveness of promotions and discount programs or by other factors such as device replacement trends, new product launch cycles, or changes in local economic conditions. In addition, offline retailers such as Gadgetmart face challenges that are not immediately visible from growth figures alone, including price competition with e-commerce platforms, margin pressure caused by repeated discounting, and shifts in consumer preferences toward online purchases that offer ease of price comparison and fast delivery. Under these conditions, promotions and discounts may act as a double-edged sword— stimulating short-term transactions while potentially reducing profitability and fostering greater price sensitivity among Page 1 of 8 Nariswanti & Ramadhan Electronic Journal of Education, Social Economic and Technology, Vol. 6, No. 2, (2025), pp.1~8, Article ID: 1132 consumers. Conceptually, marketing is a system of business activities aimed at planning, pricing, promoting, and distributing products to meet consumer needs while achieving organizational objectives (Yulianti et al., 2019). Marketing also emphasizes fulfilling consumer needs and desires through exchange processes that include product design, pricing decisions, and value delivery to target markets (Paramansyah et al., 2020). In the context of Gadgetmart, these marketing activities are reflected in bundled sales offerings, in-store consultation services, and installment programs designed to lower purchase barriers. In practice, Gadgetmart implements sales promotions through discounts, product bundling, and installment programs during specific periods such as new product launches and year-end sales. Sales promotion is understood as a set of tactical tools controlled by companies to generate the desired response from target markets (Ramadani, 2019). Gadgetmart also utilizes customer communication through after-sales services and direct promotional information delivered via customer databases, aligning with the role of promotion in the marketing mix to inform, persuade, and remind consumers about products (Diyatma & Rahayu, 2017). In this context, consumer attitudes toward promotional elements become important, as they shape consumers’ propensity to purchase (Azam & Sukandani, 2020). In addition to promotions, Gadgetmart offers price discounts ranging from 5% to 30% on smartphones, accessories, and supporting devices such as power banks and earphones. These discounts are also applied to certain brands or older stock as a strategy to accelerate inventory turnover. Price discounts are essentially reductions granted by sellers to buyers under specific conditions or activities (Tjiptono, 2015). However, in competition with online platforms, frequent discounting may encourage consumers to delay purchases until promotional periods and increase expectations of lower prices, thereby risking margin erosion. Previous studies indicate that promotions and discounts play an important role in influencing smartph (...truncated)