Pandemic conditions, such as COVID-19, not only caused market uncertainty but essentially influenced changes in consumer behavior, prompting a focus on safety and social distancing, leading to increased emotional engagement with brands. This study investigates the impact of consumers’ emotional states (pleasure, arousal, dominance) as well as demographic factors on online impulse buying behavior. A purposive sample of 390 participants was collected conveniently for further analysis. The novelty of the results challenges previous literature by demonstrating that all three emotional states significantly influence online impulse buying behavior, with pleasure exhibiting an unexpected inverse effect. Contrary to prior findings, a sense of control (dominance) positively correlates with impulsive buying. Age is associated with emotional states and impulse buying behavior while gender influences pleasure and arousal. In addition, income impacts arousal, dominance, and impulse buying behavior. These findings underscore the need for marketers to develop digital marketing strategies that strike a balance between brand consistency and emotional connection with consumers in the ever-evolving “new normal” business landscape.