Customer Experience in Social Commerce: Thematic and Intellectual Structure Mapping Using Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The customer experience (CX) in Social Commerce (SC) as a research area gained momentum in two decades after scholars discovered its influential role in loyalty, repurchase intention, competitive advantage, and overall firm performance. Importantly CX, despite being a frequently studied topic, a thorough bibliometric study of the CX construct in the context of SC has never been studied; we look to cover this lacuna in literature. Specifically, this study aims to use bibliometric evaluation to gain a comprehensive interpretation of CX in the SC context. We collated one hundred sixteen articles from Scopus and Web of Science. Then, we combined bibliographic coupling and keyword analysis to map the scientific evolution of the CX construct in SC. We found five clusters using a bibliographic coupling, following a meticulous content analysis; they included: (1) CX and group buying, (2) CX and Swift guanxi, (3) CX and information support, (4) CX and emotional support, and (5) CX and Impulse buying. We believe that the findings would be helpful for decision-makers and policymakers who desire to improve their understanding of CX in SC, in addition to scholars working in the SC field.