Abstract
This research aims to investigate the influence of baby food e-store image (for ages 0–3) on consumers’ purchase intention, mainly based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model. Perceived value is additionally tested as a mediator of the relationship between baby food e-store image and consumers’ purchase intention. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among consumers of baby food e-stores that specialize in ages 0–3. The final sample comprised 584 valid responses. To test the hypotheses in the relationships among latent variables, structural equation model analysis was used in this study. The findings showed that design image, order fulfillment image, communication service image, and security image of baby food e-stores have positive effects on consumers’ perceived value, while perceived value mediates the relationship between baby food e-stores and consumers’ purchase intention. As a result, more perceived value would be created between online stores and their consumers with a higher level of value. Two managerial implications derived from this study explain how to manage baby food e-stores and how to promote online baby food undertakings. Particularly, consumers’ perceived emotional and functional value can be shaped by four dimensions of baby food e-store image, e-store design image, order fulfillment image, communication service image, and security image, which finally determines their purchase intentions. The originality and value of this study enriches the importance of consumers’ perceived value in the field of online store image. Moreover, this study demonstrates that baby food e-store image increases consumers’ perceived value and purchase intention.
Highlights
China’s three-child policy has accelerated the arrival of the “baby boom” across the country, and the rapidly growing number of newborn babies in China has introduced a stable target consumer group in the maternal and baby markets
The e-store design image, order fulfillment image, communication service image, and security image have a significant positive effect on emotional value and functional value. This shows that baby food e-store image has different effects on consumers’ perceived value
The research conclusion shows that improving online store image is an effective way to improve the perceived value of online consumers
Summary
China’s three-child policy has accelerated the arrival of the “baby boom” across the country, and the rapidly growing number of newborn babies in China has introduced a stable target consumer group in the maternal and baby markets. The increase in the number of newborn babies and the increase in the proportion of second child and third childbirths indicate that the maternal and baby products market will continue to expand in the few years. That both physical store sales and online platform sales will likely show a rapid growth trend (Xinhua News Agency, 2021). Monitoring data from Analysys Enfodesk, a major market tracking company, shows that the retail scale of maternal and baby online retail in 2019 reached $ 77.6 billion (Analysys Enfodesk, 2020)
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