Research has found many different factors can influence purchase decisions, one of which is social presence. This research aims to examine how gender and self-construal can influence the effect of social presence on consumers. Using survey methodology, this study found no gender difference in terms of friends' influence on purchase decisions or their use of mobile phones to contact friends while shopping alone. The results do indicate that people who are more interdependent are more likely to contact friends when shopping alone than those who are less interdependent.