Effect of service recovery on customers’ perceived justice,satisfaction, and word-of-mouth intentions on online shopping websites

As consumers become better informed and more demanding about their purchase of services, service provider's failure to satisfy all consumers during delivery of service is unavoidable. Consequently, to alleviate consumer dissatisfaction that results from service failure has become important. However, empirical consensus has been lacking on the effects of various service recovery activities. Thus, this study examines the impact of different types of service recovery on customers’ perceptions of justice, post-recovery satisfaction, and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. The results indicated that consumers’ perceptions of distributive and interactional justice differ by the types of service recovery and supported significant relationships among perceptions of justice, satisfaction, and WOM intentions. The results implied that consumers respond differently to different types of service recovery and that consumers particularly favor apology among types of service recovery.     

The power of beauty? The interactive effects of awe and online reviews on purchase intentions

Prior research has established that online consumer reviews can have significant influences on the evaluations of a product or a service. In particular, studies show that negative (vs. positive) reviews lead to unfavorable evaluations because they heighten purchase risk. The present research seeks to examine a contextual cue that can alleviate this potential problem. Across three studies, this research demonstrates how the emotion of awe – elicited by a beautiful product in the advertisement – can reduce the perception of purchase risk, leading to favorable consumer evaluations of a product or service even though it has negative reviews. The implications of this research are beneficial for advertisers by highlighting the potentials of eliciting awe (e.g., by utilizing beauty) in their advertisements.     

Effects of social media on consumers’ purchase decisions: evidence from Taobao

Given the rapid growth of social media, it is important to understand the effects of social media on consumers’ purchase decisions in the e-commerce environment. However, although some e-commerce sites have started to link themselves to social media to enhance user interactions, previous studies of social media and service management have shed little light on the effects of social media on consumers’ purchase decisions. This study proposes a theoretical research model that includes social media factors, social impact transfer factors, and e-commerce outcome factors. We posit social interaction ties and social media commitment as key elements of social media. An online questionnaire was conducted to test the research model and hypotheses based on survey data collected from Taobao, the largest e-commerce site in China. The analysis results indicate that social interaction ties have significant positive effects on social impact transfer factors and trust in online vendor, whereas they do not directly influence visit intention. Social media commitment plays a crucial role in increasing social impact transfer factors and e-commerce outcomes. The findings reveal the different effects of normative and informational social influences on consumer purchase decisions. Further implications are discussed.     

The effectiveness of coupons on the restaurant consumers’ purchase decision

Coupons have been used as promotional and marketing campaigns with the key objective of boosting sales through new customers or bringing back existing ones (Venkatesan & Farris, 2012). Coupons are distributed to consumers through digital formats, smartphone applications, and print formats (Restaurant Business, 2015). The focus of this research is to examine the effectiveness of coupons as a marketing contrivance on the restaurant consumers’ purchase decision including the most efficient mode of transfer. A cross-sectional survey⁴ was used and collected from 247 participants. Frequency distributions, cross-tabulation, chi-square, and independent sample t-tests were used to assess consumer motivations, behaviors, and attitudes toward coupons.     

Selling digital services abroad: How do extrinsic attributes influence foreign consumers’ purchase intentions?

This article investigates, through the country-of-origin effect and value-in-use lenses, how the implementation of digital services creates opportunities for cultural industries to expand internationally. We argue that intrinsic attributes of cultural content such as the capacity to entertain are difficult to parameterize because they are somewhat experiential and subjective. This means that extrinsic cues are essential to foreign consumers when making a decision to purchase digital services. We specifically evaluate the influence of Britishness, cultural distance, exoticness, brand image, and flag-brand congruence on the purchase intentions of consumers in foreign markets. This study employs a unique consumer dataset with information on the internationalization of British cultural digital services. The depth and breadth of the survey data collected through collaboration with a UK media industry partner with a globally recognised brand is significantly richer than data used in previous studies. In particular, the study exploits a survey with 5,200 usable data points from consumers residing in fourteen geographically dispersed countries. Findings support theoretical predictions that Britishness, cultural distance, exoticness, brand image and flag-brand congruence are positively linked to the purchasing decisions. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Social bundling: A novel method to enhance consumers’ intention to purchase online bundles

Bundling in retail has been argued to improve sales volume and speed, which can improve retailers’ operation performance. However, recent research finds that the purchase quantity requirement in traditional bundling deters non-buyers from becoming buyers. This paper proposes “social bundling,” as a novel method that alleviates the quantity requirement while satisfying the bundling benefits for consumers and retailers. We empirically test a theoretical model that explains the advantages and disadvantages of social bundling vis-à-vis traditional bundling in influencing consumers’ intentions to purchase in bundles. We conclude that social bundling outperforms traditional bundling in driving intention to purchase in bundles.     

The effect of COVID-19 on consumers’ channel shopping behaviors: A segmentation study

COVID-19, combined with firms' multichannel adjustments, has accelerated changes in consumer shopping behaviors. This paper explores these issues through a segmentation study to examine consumers’ pre- and during-COVID-19 channel shopping behavior. Using survey data from 485 U.S. participants, Latent Profile Analysis identified six segments that vary in three dimensions: in-store vs. online behavior pre-COVID-19, in-store vs. online behavior during-COVID-19, and the change in channel shopping behavior from pre- to during-COVID-19. Motivation (utilitarian and hedonic), opportunity (time and physical), and ability play significant roles in explaining the findings, while psychographic and demographic variables play lesser roles. Further analysis revealed that these segments have different channel switching intentions when the focal retailer closed its physical store. These findings add greater understanding and support to the assumption that consumers more frequently shopped online than in-store during- than pre-COVID-19. In sum, this research addresses how changes in the shopping environment may affect consumer segments and their behavior.     

Effects of in-store live stream on consumers’ offline purchase intention

Live stream marketing through social media has attracted the attention of digital retailing marketers in recent years. However, there is a lack of evidence in understanding the influence of in-store live stream on offline purchase intentions. This study aimed to investigate the influence patterns of environmental stimuli on consumers' intention to purchase offline/in-store after watching an in-store live stream session. The Stimuli-Organism-Response (SOR) model was employed as the theoretical framework, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from individuals who had previous experience with in-store live stream marketing. Structural equation modelling was then applied for data analysis, with a total of 234 valid responses. The findings revealed that environmental stimuli have a significant positive effect on consumers' intentions to make in-store purchases, and the attitudes towards influencers and products substantially mediate the relationship between stimuli and purchase intention. More specifically, consumer attitude towards products has a pronounced effect on whether they will make an in-store purchase. The novelty of this research lies in its investigation of the impact that live stream marketing has on offline or in-store shopping experiences. This contrasts with the majority of existing live stream studies, which focus on consumers’ online shopping experiences. In addition, this study broadens the scope of the application of the SOR model to contribute to the growing body of literature on live stream marketing.     

The influence of product involvement on consumers’ interactive processes in interactive television

Based on the classical elaboration likelihood model, we develop an interactive communication behavior model and apply it to the interactive television environment. The model suggests a hypothesis about interactive information searches and how they are impacted by product involvement and hypotheses about how the category of an advertised product impacts the type of information sought. Testing these hypotheses empirically, we verify that product involvement influences the extent of interactive communication behavior, while the type of information being sought is a function of the advertised product category. Implications regarding advertising practice and research are suggested.     

Does music really work? The two-stage audiovisual cross-modal correspondence effect on consumers’ shopping behavior

Marketing Letters - In this research, we explore the impacts of cross-modal correspondence between sound frequency and color lightness on consumers’ shopping behavior. Compared to previous...     

Antecedents to purchase intentions for Hispanic consumers: a ‘local’ perspective

The current study explores consumer attributes such as attitudes, subjective norms, connectedness, and price consciousness and their relationship with purchase intentions of Hispanic shoppers within the locally produced food category. Four hypothesized direct-path relationships and one moderation effect across the four proposed paths were tested via a two-step process in structural equations modeling. Results of measurement model testing suggested that a five-factor model fits well for the Hispanic group. Within the structural model process, a significant positive relationship was found between two proposed paths: consumer attitudes with intention to purchase and price consciousness with intention to purchase. A moderation effect of perceived product availability was found only for the path of price consciousness with intention to purchase. These results suggest that factors such as subject norms and connectedness, often associated with the local food category, may not be important drivers for purchase intentions for the Hispanic food shopper in retail grocery channels. However, other factors relating to attitudes, price consciousness, and product availability may be more salient. From this exploration, implications for marketers are provided and future research directions suggested.     

The factors influencing adolescents’ purchase intentions of state-of-the-art cell phones in Taiwan

To understand why adolescents pursue state-of-the-art cell phones, this study examines the role of materialism in affecting purchase intentions. The vanity traits of adolescents, peer groups, innovativeness, sales promotion, and advertising and celebrity endorsements were considered as antecedents of materialism to examine how they influence purchasing intentions. The findings reveal that materialism is a crucial personal value that motivates adolescents to purchase state-of-the-art cell phones. In addition, the vanity traits of adolescents, peer groups, innovativeness, and sales promotions strengthen materialism. The implications of the findings in relation to the conceptualization and management of adolescents’ materialism are briefly discussed.     

How ‘social’ are social media? A cross-cultural comparison of online and offline purchase decision influences

Traditional word of mouth (WOM) involves personal communications among family, friends, and others. Today, social media sites like Facebook offer the possibility of electronic word of mouth (eWOM), a mediated form of WOM. Little is known about the best way for marketers to use social media. Even less is known about international differences in consumer usage of social media and how eWOM influences consumer decision-making. This study helps address that research gap and uses cultural dimensions to compare the use of social media and other information sources for consumer decision-making across 50 countries. The results indicate that the use of information sources that influence online purchase decisions strongly varies by culture. For example, relationship-oriented collectivists rely to a greater extent than individualists on social media, which are an alternative for interpersonal WOM communication. Interestingly culture affects the influence of social media on purchases differently than the influence of traditional WOM through family or friends. Furthermore, there are major differences in online complaint behavior by country, due to cultural variations.     

Do time constraint and emergency purchase situation exert same influence on shopping? A study under haptic touch influence

Marketing literature has identified emergency purchase situation and time constraint as important situational influences. However, both of them are often equated with each other as both require shopping to be done in a short time. This study makes an attempt to eliminate the confusion by studying the impact of two situation variables on product evaluation and purchase intention under the influence of haptic touch. Two studies conducted to test the hypotheses show that while emergency purchase situation has a significant impact under no-touch influence, the same can not be said for time constraint situation.     

Effects of time pressure,type of shopping,and store attributes on consumers’ satisfaction with grocery shopping

The aim of this study is to investigate whether satisfaction with grocery stores is affected by type of grocery shopping in conjunction with time pressure, and which attributes are important for satisfaction. Fictitious grocery stores are constructed according to a fractional factorial design by varying access, price level, supply quality/range, and service quality. In an Internet survey, 1023 Swedish consumers rated satisfaction with major vs. fill-in shopping imagining they were under high or low time pressure. The results showed that satisfaction is higher for fill-in shopping than major shopping, that time pressure has no effect on satisfaction, and that price level, service quality, and product quality/range are more important for satisfaction with major shopping, whereas access is more important for satisfaction with fill-in shopping. It is also found that the importance of attributes for satisfaction depends on type of shopping more than on individual characteristics.     

Determinants of consumers’ purchase behaviour towards green brands

This study applies perceived risk theory to explore the factors that influence consumers’ purchase behaviour towards green brands, including green perceived quality, green perceived value, green perceived risk, information costs saved, and purchase intentions towards green brands. This study focuses on consumers who have the experience of purchasing products from green brands in the food and restaurant service industry in Taiwan. The results of this study show that purchase intentions are positively associated with purchase behaviour. Moreover, the study demonstrates that purchase intentions mediate the impacts of green perceived quality, green perceived value, information costs saved, and green perceived risk on purchase behaviour. Specifically, green perceived risk is negatively influenced by green perceived value and information costs saved and functions as a mediator among green perceived value, information costs saved, and purchase intentions. The study has critical implications for green brand researchers and practitioners.     

What influences consumers’ intention to purchase organic personal care products? The role of social reassurance

Green and organic markets have grown rapidly in recent times, thanks to the increasing global popularity of having a healthier lifestyle. Rising consumer awareness of the risks of synthetic chemicals for humans as well as the environment have boosted the demand for organic personal care products (PCPs). To better understand the micro-mechanisms guiding the organic PCPs buying process, this study builds on the social proof theory by examining the drivers leading this process in two different national contexts. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to conduct a multigroup analysis on a sample of 473 consumers (n = 266 from Spain, n = 207 from Italy). Findings reveal the significant role of environmental value, product knowledge, convenience & quality, and information adoption. Furthermore, the study introduces and validates the new construct ‘social reassurance’ explaining the psychological mechanisms leading the organic PCPs buying process.     

Do they shop to stand out or fit in? The luxury fashion purchase intentions of young adults

A three‐study examination of young adults suggests that their motivation for status in terms of their luxury fashion purchase intentions is impacted by a bandwagon effect. In Study 1, qualitative research informs what fashion items represent status to young adults, how they view these items, and how they view others owning these items. In Study 2, survey research establishes the link between the motivation for status (status consumption) and purchase intention/ownership of these fashion items. In Study 3, a national survey of young adults examines what mediates and moderates the motivation for status to lead to luxury fashion purchase intentions. Results from the three studies indicate that status consumption has a positive impact on purchase intention of luxury fashion. This research also finds that cultural variables have an impact (mediate) the relationship between status consumption and purchase intention. Specifically, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity mediate the relationship between status consumption and purchase intention. Finally, the moderating impact of the bandwagon effect has a significant effect on the relationship between status consumption and fashion purchase intention for the cultural variables of uncertainty avoidance, long‐term orientation, and power distance. Implications for marketers are provided based on the findings.