To buy or not to buy: how young consumers approach new smart products in the social media context

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to explore factors affecting young consumers’ purchasing of new smart products under the influence of social media.Design/methodology/approachTwenty semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with young consumers who used new media, and five extended interviews were conducted with popular smartwatch retailers in Macau.FindingsThe findings reveal that they tend to garner product information from multiple channels of communication. Social media exert the greatest influence. Reliable information, strong branding and interactions with vendors are also influential, although new product pre-announcements may be boring and difficult to understand.Originality/valueThis study presents new insights into diffusion of innovation theory and provides retailers launching smart products with a better understanding of their target young customers’ purchasing behavior.