Consumer intentions to engage in s-commerce: a cross-national study

Social media has reached global proportions; yet, little is known about how consumers engage with firms in ways that lead to social commerce (s-commerce) – an emerging area of importance in the literature. This study addresses this gap and extends previous research by examining factors that influence consumers’ intentions to engage in s-commerce in four countries: Chile, Spain, South Africa and Australia. Specifically, this study develops and tests a model of consumers’ intentions to engage in s-commerce through brands’ Facebook pages incorporating personal variables (involvement in brands’ products and services, satisfaction with brands’ Facebook page), trust variables (message credibility of Facebook posts, trust in firms’ Facebook) and social variables (peer communication, social media dependency, online social interaction propensity) on predicting intentions to purchase products and services through brands’ Facebook pages if s-commerce was available to them. The findings show that the main drivers of s-commerce engagement are message credibility, trust in the brands’ Facebook, involvement, peer communication and online social interaction propensity, as influencers of consumer satisfaction with brands’ Facebook and social media dependency, which in turn drive intentions to engage in s-commerce. Contributing to theory and practice, these relationships are discussed for the four countries involved in the study.     

Drivers of E-store Patronage Intentions: Choice Overload,Internet Shopping Anxiety,and Impulse Purchase Tendency

The dotcom era has infused a rapid increase in the usage of e-commerce in India, making online shopping the new way of retailing. This study investigates online consumers’ e-store patronage intentions, specifically modeling the ties from broad dispositional traits including choice overload, Internet shopping anxiety, and impulse purchase tendency among online shoppers. Based on the responses of 243 online shoppers, the findings suggest that consumers’ e-store patronage has a positive relationship with choice overload such that availability of larger assortments online results in a higher possibility of consumers’ patronage toward such e-tailers. Choice overload in the online context was also found to positively influence consumers’ impulse purchase tendency and showed a positive effect on Internet shopping anxiety. Furthermore, results indicate that the impulse purchase tendency of online shoppers had a significant positive effect on e-store patronage intentions, while Internet shopping anxiety was found to negatively affect the patronage intentions of shoppers.     

The interplay of social influence and nature of fulfillment: Effects on consumer attitudes

Sales promotional activities account for a significant portion of the integrated marketing communications budget of most companies because brand managers realize the effectiveness of these activities in meeting certain marketing communication objectives. However, there are times when promotional plans backfire, and promotions go unfulfilled. Much of this is reported in the media, and these reports are likely to trigger discussions about the companies involved in the nonfulfillment. Although much research has focused on the impact of sales promotional activities on consumers' responses and attitudes, not much has focused on how nonfulfillment of promotional promises and social influence might operate to color consumers' perceptions of a company. This article reports on an experimental study that was conducted to investigate this issue. Results indicate significant effects of the nature of fulfillment on corporate credibility, brand attitude, and patronage intentions; significant social influence effects on brand attitude, patronage, and switching intentions; and an interaction effect of social influence and fulfillment on switching intentions. The implications for brand managers and marketing communications managers are discussed, and areas for future research are proposed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effects of possession- and social inclusion-defined materialism on consumer behavior toward economical versus luxury product categories,goods versus services product types,and individual versus group marketplace scenarios

The paper builds on and extends the current understanding of materialism by investigating the effects of two forms of materialism (i.e., possession- and social inclusion-defined) on consumer behavior (i.e., purchase and patronage) toward products of different categories (i.e., economical versus luxury) and types (i.e., goods versus services) in different marketplace scenarios (i.e., individual versus group). Using data partitioning on a random sample of 323 consumers to generate usable cases for three interrelated studies, the paper reports that the effects of possession- and social inclusion-defined materialism are consistently accentuated in the purchase of luxury goods rather than economical goods, whereby consumers with high levels of possession- and social inclusion-defined materialism are more likely to purchase luxury goods than consumers with low levels of possession- and social inclusion-defined materialism. However, the paper finds that possession- and social inclusion-defined materialism have no significant effects on the individual and group patronage of economical and luxury services. The paper concludes with the implications of these findings for theory, practice, and future research.     

Creating the right customer experience online: The influence of culture

The effective role of experiential marketing in the differentiation of brands has been documented in both traditional and online services. The digital context of e-retailing makes it both a suitable platform for experiential consumption and an easily accessible shopping method across cultures. In spite of this, investigation of the impacts of cultural differences on the desire for experiential benefits has been very limited in the e-retailing literature. Using Hofstede's (2001) cultural dimensions, this article studies how two student samples of North American and Chinese customers react differently to the experiential values offered on the websites of e-retailing services. The findings support our hypotheses and suggest that offering experiential values on a company's website is more influential for North American than for Chinese customers. More specifically, the influences of experiential values on site involvement and customers' patronage intentions are stronger for North Americans than for Chinese visitors. On the other hand, the impacts of site involvement on site attitudes and the influence of site attitudes on patronage intentions are stronger for Chinese compared with North American customers.     

Influences of retail brand trust,off‐line patronage,clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention

This study examines the influence of retail brand trust, off‐line patronage, clothing involvement, and website quality on online apparel shopping intention for young female US consumers. Data for this study were collected from 200 young female consumers who completed an online survey. Participants were asked to select one of three pre‐determined apparel retail brands that they have either had experience with or were familiar with. Respondents were then asked to keep their selected retailer in mind when completing the questionnaire and were also asked to briefly visit the retailer's website shopping for a shirt or blouse. Factor, correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test our hypotheses. Retail brand trust, off‐line patronage, clothing involvement and two factors of website quality (usability and information quality, visual appeal and image) were found to significantly influence online apparel shopping intention. Off‐line patronage was the strongest predictor of online shopping intention. Implications for multi‐channel apparel retailers were discussed based on these findings.     

Providing a critical service today for tomorrow's consumers: A relational model of customer evaluations and responses in the child care industry

Based on data collected in the important and rapidly expanding child care services industry, this study develops and tests a model that examines the relationships among customers’ evaluations of service performance dimensions, their satisfaction with and trust in the organization, as well as their word-of-mouth intentions and also investigates the role of social status in the proposed relationships. The results show that non-interpersonal (i.e., hard) service quality attributes have a greater impact on customer satisfaction while interpersonal (i.e., soft) service quality attributes have more influence on trust. Word-of-mouth intentions are primarily driven by trust and the hard dimension of service performance. Social status is shown to act as a moderator of many of the relationships in the model. The findings of the study offer important implications for providers of child care and other consumer services that are high in credence qualities.     

Consumer trust in the online retail context: Exploring the antecedents and consequences

This empirical paper explores the antecedents and consequences of trust in the online retail context and examines the moderating role of consumers' familiarity with a Web site in the relationship between Web site quality and trust. Data were collected with an online questionnaire. The research highlights the importance of the Web site interface in consumer online behavior by systematically examining how different quality features affect consumer trust. A multidimensional view of Web site quality with the following dimensions is developed: Web site usability, security and privacy assurance, and product information quality. Trust is shown to lead to positive consequences, such as the formation of positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward the Web site. The study also identifies the moderating role of Web site familiarity in the relationships between aspects of Web site quality and trust. The implications for e‐retailers in terms of Web site design and marketing communications strategy are explored. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The influence of social capital on local retail patronage in an urban setting

Local retail stores are currently facing intense competition from both online retailers and large chain stores. An understanding of local retail store patronage (i.e., patronage of retail stores in one's own community) is essential to the survival and growth of local retailers. Drawing on Social Capital Theory, we theorize and show with store-level survey data the influence of social capital (community attachment and reciprocity) on local retail store patronage in a large urban setting. We find that the impact of social factors differs for residents within the community compared to those outside of the community. We also demonstrate the importance of social factors in comparison to non-social factors. These findings contribute to the literature by extending the impact of social capital on local retail store patronage beyond rural settings, providing insight into urban consumers' decision to patronize local retail stores, and highlighting the impact of community boundaries. These findings also generate practical recommendations for local merchants and stress the importance of building reciprocal relationships with local customers as well as varying communications across community boundaries.     

Hedonic and utilitarian use of user-generated content on online shopping websites

The Internet has made it possible for consumers to share reviews, opinions, and thoughts about products and services on online shopping websites. This user-generated content (UGC), which can be considered to be part of social commerce, is likely to influence other consumers’ attitudes toward a product and subsequent purchase intentions. The purpose of this study was to investigate two major uses of UGC: hedonic and utilitarian, and how they impact purchase intentions, along with users’ trust for different types of comments and reviews. Also investigated are associations between hedonic use, utilitarian use, and trust, with purchase behavior at online shopping websites. Results of this study will add to the domain knowledge related to marketing and how it impacts consumer psychology and behavior. From a practitioner perspective, marketers need to understand the impact of UGC so they can monitor this method of marketing communication as it can impact trust and purchase intentions.     

Antecedents of green behavioral intentions: a cross‐country study of Turkey,Finland and Pakistan

Quality of life of the future generations depends on the efforts of current generations to protect environment. The purchase decisions based on their green behavioral intentions not only helps the society, but also helps companies to gain a green competitive advantage. In this study, the relationships between green satisfaction, green trust, green equity and behavioral intentions are examined. Data were collected from Turkey, Finland and Pakistan with self‐administered questionnaires regarding with green white goods. The hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling. Results of a structural model reveal positive relationships green satisfaction, green trust and green brand equity across three countries. In addition, green brand equity plays a remarkable role in behavioral intentions towards green white goods in general. Managers should consider green trust, green satisfaction, and green brand equity while implementing green marketing strategies in a global marketplace.     

A social commerce investigation of the role of trust in a social networking site on purchase intentions

Trust is a crucial issue in online shopping environments, but it is more important in social commerce platforms due to the salient role of peer-generated contents. This article investigates the relationship between trust in social commerce and purchase intentions and describes a mechanism to explain this relationship. We propose a main and two alternative models by drawing on three concepts: social commerce information seeking, familiarity with the platform, and social presence. The models clarify the mechanisms through which trust, familiarity, social presence, and social commerce information seeking influence behavioral intentions on social commerce platforms. Findings from a survey of Facebook users indicate that trust in a social networking site (SNS) increases information seeking which in turn increases familiarity with the platform and the sense of social presence. Moreover, familiarity and social presence increase purchases intentions. Findings indicate that the main model fits the data better than the alternative ones. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

A cross-cultural analysis of ridesharing intentions and compliance with COVID-19 health guidelines: The roles of social trust,fear of COVID-19, and trust-in-God

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft have been substantially affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on social capital theory, the current research investigates how social trust relates to three types of trust in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines and consumers' ridesharing intentions. Analyzing data from two economically and culturally distinct countries, the results suggest that social trust positively affects trust in platform companies' compliance with COVID-19 guidelines (TPC), but not (or to a lesser extent) trust in drivers' (TDC) and other riders (TRC) compliance with COVID-19 guidelines in both the United States and Bangladesh. Importantly, TPC, TDC, and TRC are positively related with consumers' ridesharing intentions in the United States but not in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the analysis reveals two counterintuitive moderating effects of fear of COVID-19 and trust in God. The results provide important insights on factors affecting the ridesharing industry in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they emphasize the importance of considering cultural context in understanding consumers’ intentions to engage in the sharing economy.     

The impact of channel integration on consumers’ channel preferences: Do showrooming and webrooming behaviors matter?

This study investigates the relationships among channel integration and consumers' online and offline patronage intentions. The theoretical framework proposes perceived empowerment, perceived assortment, and perceived benefits as mediating variables in the channel integration–patronage intention relationship, with consumer showrooming and webrooming behaviors as moderating variables. Data was collected by means of two studies; that is, for search and for experience products, respectively. The proposed conceptual model was tested by employing variance-based structural equation modeling. The results of both studies confirm that channel integration significantly affects consumers’ channel preferences. The mediating roles of empowerment, assortment, and benefits were confirmed for all of the relationships except for the mediating effect of empowerment on the relationship between channel integration and offline patronage intention. Further, showrooming and webrooming moderated the positive impact of channel integration on online/offline patronage intentions. The study contributes to the multi-channel retailing literature by providing useful implications for academicians and practitioners.     

Online luxury goods with price discount or onsite luxury goods with luxury services: Role of situation-specific thinking styles and socio-demographics

Today, the luxury goods and service market is growing faster than ever. However, despite its growth, we do not know much about the ways in which consumers choose to shop online or in store when buying luxury goods. We also lack insight into the factors that can affect such luxury consumption decisions. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether consumers prefer to buy luxury goods online at a discounted price or would rather buy luxury goods in store with additional luxury services at a cover price. This study also examines the extent to which such decisions can be driven by their situation-specific thinking styles as well as other socio-demographic variables. The results show that participants adopted a rational thinking style when deciding to buy luxury goods online with price discounts. On the other hand, an experiential thinking style was evoked when participants chose to visit a store offering luxury brands and luxury services. In addition to momentary thinking orientations, gender as well as income were found to be relevant to a consumer's choice in a shopping platform when seeking luxury brands. More details about the study's findings and their implications are discussed below.     

When Do Online Consumers Shop in an Offline Store: The Moderating Effects of Product Characteristics

This study serves as an initial attempt to demonstrate empirically how online consumers react to the offline channel extensions (i.e., opening physical stores) of e-tailers. Specifically, we examine how the attributes of offline channels influence consumer intentions to switch to offline channels and how they also lead to incremental demands on online channels. We investigate how these effects vary across highly complex utilitarian and hedonic products. The results of the study indicate that although store openings encourage online consumers to shop there when purchasing highly complex utilitarian products, the addition of offline stores results counterintuitively in incremental patronage of the online channels when consumers shop for highly complex hedonic products. This study validates the guiding role of product characteristics in designing offline channels for e-tailers and suggests that incorporating product type and complexity into the design is likely to contribute to the development of stores tailored to specific consumer segments.     

Validating the search,experience, and credence product classification framework

Prior research identifies the influential factors for patronage intentions as product classes, retailer attributes, and risk perceptions. The Internet's ability to offer easy information search, therefore to reduce certain types of risk for products mandates evaluation of a new product classification framework called Search, Experience, and Credence. To test the nomological validity of the SEC-framework, this study investigates whether the SEC-products influence the (1) level of importance consumers place on retailer attributes, (2) level and types of risks consumers perceive, and (3) consumer patronage intentions for Internet and physical stores. The relationships between the (4) importance consumers place on retailer attributes and their risk perceptions, and (5) risk perceptions and patronage intentions for Internet and physical stores are investigated. The findings indicate while the importance of retailer attributes is equally significant across the four product classes, the SEC-products influence consumer risk perceptions and purchase-intentions for online and physical-stores. The relationship between important retailer attributes and risk perceptions is also significant.     

Beyond window signs: Understanding the affect‐based effects of window signs on store patronage intentions

Store managers commonly use window signs to decorate their stores and, more importantly, to communicate store‐related information to their customers. This research investigates the role window signs play in influencing consumers’ attitudes and store patronage intentions. Empirical evidence from two studies (data from a real‐life store environment and from an experimental setting) indicates that window signs generate positive inferences to consumers about the store image and the store promotion value, which ultimately influence consumers’ patronage intentions. Furthermore, this study proposes and tests a model suggesting that window signs represent a diagnostic cue from which consumers infer a sense of place identity. The results show that place identity partially mediates the relationship between consumers’ attitude toward window signs and consumers’ store patronage intentions. Moreover, this study includes the store manager's perspective and finds evidence that retail managers have positive attitudes toward window signs, which encourage them to rely on this promotional tool to announce store promotions. Implications of the findings for the role of window signs are discussed.     

Influence of congruity in store-attribute dimensions and self-image on purchase intentions in online stores of multichannel retailers

Online stores of multichannel retailers continue to lag pure internet retailers with reference to consumers' shopping intentions and sales. This study develops and tests a framework in which (a) trust and attitude (conceptualized as a second-order construct with hedonic and utilitarian dimensions) influence purchase intentions, (b) congruity between the multichannel retailer's land-based and online stores (conceptualized as a second-order constructs made up of seven dimensions: aesthetic appeal, navigation convenience, transaction convenience, atmosphere, service, price orientation, and security) influences trust in and attitude toward the online store, and (c) congruity between consumers' self-image and perceived image of the online store influences trust in and attitude toward the online store. The findings provide robust support for the framework and have strong implications for theory and practice.