Social Shopping Research Articles

What drives social shopping in social commerce platform? The effects of affordance, self-congruity and functional-congruity

PurposeSocial group system and social tagging system, which leverage the psychological mechanisms underlying group influence and social tags to drive consumer behaviors, have been prevalent in the social commerce platform. However, limited studies have examined how the affordances of social group system and social tagging system influence consumers’ social shopping behavior. The purpose of this study is to examine the formation of social shopping behavior in the social commerce platform.Design/methodology/approachCombining affordance theory with dual-congruity theory, we develop a model to examine how the affordances of social group system and social tagging system influence consumers’ social shopping behavior through the underlying self-congruity and functional-congruity processes. We empirically validate the research model using a multimethod approach, including an instrument development study and a field survey study.FindingsOur empirical findings show that social support positively influences relational identity, while it has a nonsignificant effect on social identity. Social interactivity positively influences relational identity and social identity. Furthermore, social tagging quality and social endorser credibility positively affect perceived diagnosticity and perceived serendipity. Finally, relational identity, social identity, perceived diagnosticity and perceived serendipity collectively determine consumers’ social shopping intention.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the theoretical understanding of social shopping in social commerce and offers practical implications for designing an effective social group system and social tagging system to boost product sales.

The Antecedents of Utilitarian and Hedonic Motivations for Online Shopping Satisfaction

Empirical studies indicate that utilitarian and hedonic shopping motivations have a profound effect on customer satisfaction in a physical brick-and-mortar shopping environment. Studies have also started to surface which underscore the importance of these motivations in the realm of e-commerce. The study, therefore, seeks to determine the antecedents of utilitarian and hedonic motivations for online shopping satisfaction. A quantitative research method with a descriptive research design was implemented in this study. The data was collected through a survey method from a sample of 215 online shoppers in an emerging economy, South Africa. The study utilised previously validated scales. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the factors that influence utilitarian and hedonic motivations for online shopping satisfaction. The results reveal that information availability, cost saving, wider selection, convenience, and efficiency are the antecedents of utilitarian dimensions that determine online shopping satisfaction, while status, adventure, social shopping, idea shopping, and gratification are considered the antecedents of hedonic motivations of online shopping that influence satisfaction. The results of the study offer insight into why consumers engage in online shopping by determining the factors that influence utilitarian and hedonic motivations. Accordingly, the study offers practical recommendations to e-retailers on how to best serve their customers by focusing on the individual building blocks of utilitarian and hedonic shopping motivations.

Research and Analysis of the Development of Live E-commerce on Xiaohongshu

This article analyzes the competitiveness and development prospects of the buyer e-commerce model on Xiaohongshu in the social e-commerce field. Firstly, by examining Xiaohongshu's community ecosystem, buyer resources, social shopping experience, and innovative brand partnerships, the unique advantages and business value of Xiaohongshu's buyer e-commerce model are revealed. Secondly, combining market demands and trends analysis with buyer resource and operational cost analysis, the feasibility and development prospects of Xiaohongshu's buyer e-commerce model are discussed. Lastly, from the perspective of competitor analysis and summarizing prospects, recommendations are provided to further optimize buyer resources, strengthen brand partnerships, control operational costs, enhance user experience, and improve community management. These suggestions aim to consolidate Xiaohongshu's leading position in the social e-commerce field, create better shopping experiences and marketing platforms for users and brand merchants, and achieve sustainable business growth.

Examining the impacts of e service quality on social shopping intention: A developing country perspective

Examining the impacts of e service quality on social shopping intention: A developing country perspective

Understanding the impact of national culture differences on customers’ online social shopping behaviours

The growth of social media (SM) has contributed to the retail industry. Academics and professionals are specifically intrigued by how the fusion of SM might address the issue of establishing a relationship between consumers and sellers. By integrating insights drawn from the Informational Social Influence Theory (ISIT) and the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM), our study developed a model to comprehend factors affecting customers' online social shopping behaviours across various cultural environments. Our study utilised SEM/PLS to analyse data collected from 2305 respondents in four different countries. Findings revealed that the ISIT can be used to understand customers’ online social shopping behaviours. Our study indicated that normative social influence (NSI), informational social influence (ISI), utilitarian value (UTV), perceived member familiarity (PMF), and perceived information quality (PIQ) are key drivers of customers social behaviours in the developed societies, while hedonic value (HDV), perceived member closeness (PMC), perceived member similarity (PMS), and perceived member expertise (PME) are key drivers of customers social behaviour in the developing societies. The results demonstrated that a “one-size fits-all” paradigm is inadequate to capture the heterogeneity of customers social behaviour through various cultures. The theoretical and managerial implications were demonstrated.

Maintaining Your Marketing Competitiveness Through Marketing Innovations

A revolution is occurring in marketing today due to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to various marketing tasks and functions. In addition, marketing innovations are taking place on Web 3.0, in the Metaverse, in virtual and augmented reality, in omnichannel marketing, in social media, in video marketing, in live streaming, in connected and addressable TV, in voice and visual search, in influencer marketing, in how advertising budgets are allocated, in social shopping, and additional credentials for marketing professionals in a dynamic profession. Marketing professionals and marketing professors must prioritize pursuing continuous education in their field due to the dynamic nature and complex changes in marketing technology and media options.

The Impact of Smart Fitting Rooms on Customer Experience in Fashion Retail

Smart fitting rooms are an innovative technology in fashion retail that leverages Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as computer vision, sensors, augmented reality (AR), and other tools to provide an engaging and tailored shopping experience. The present study investigates how smart fitting rooms might enhance customer experience in fashion retailing. A conjoint experiment (n=122) showed that a smart fitting room is an effective retail technology for enhancing the customer experience. The results show that personalized recommendations, personalized offers, and retailers’ sustainability labels have a relatively high impact on customer experience when buying fashion products. Providing relevant information, using visualizations that complement the real world, and making a comfortable environment in a smart fitting room enhances the customer experience. Moreover, our research has revealed that implementing smart fitting rooms by fashion retailers can lead to a less social shopping experience.

The Influence of Social Commerce Construct on Social Shopping Intention: The Mediating Effects of Customers’ Trust

Online purchasing transactions are rather complicated due to minimal physical interaction. Uncertainty in the condition of goods received and fraud transactions, product delivered not as agreed, unconfirmed cancellation, and goods not sent. All of these things caused to consumer distrust. Nowadays online transactions are increasingly enlivened by the presence of social media which provides e-commerce functions. It is called a social commerce construct as a medium for interaction in purchasing products by consumers which are argued for being able to increase consumer trust and purchase intentions. Based on this, the study aims to investigate the influence of social commerce constructs on social shopping intention through consumer trust in social platform TikTok. The data was collected from TikTok users who had made purchases via TikTok within the past year, and tested using path analysis. The results reveals that the social commerce construct has a direct effect on consumer trust and social shopping intention, consumer trust has a direct effect on social shopping intention, and the social commerce construct has an indirect effect on social shopping intention through consumer trust. It is believed that the output of this study will enrich information for digital marketers and online sellers for their strategies.

The Phenomenon of Social Shopping in Generation Z

Social shopping is an activity to share consumer experiences in shopping online and offline. The phenomenon of social shopping is often seen on social media, where consumers share their experiences in consuming goods or services either through Instagram or Tiktok. This phenomenon is then utilized by potential consumers. When shopping online, consumers often look for product information through reviews from various sources, both online and from trusted people. The group is a reference group which is a reference group for finding information in shopping. Generation Z as digital natives born in the internet era tend to choose online shopping as the main shopping activity. This study aims to explain the phenomenon of social shopping in generation Z and elaborate on the factors that influence generation Z to do social shopping. The research method used qualitative methods by interviewing nine informants selected using purposive sampling techniques. Data analysis is carried out through the process of data reduction, data presentation and conclusions. The results showed that social shopping is a form of consumer concern for other consumers, in order to get true information before buying a product. This is because consumers who provide reviews also often look for information related to the products they will buy through reviews from others. So that social shopping becomes a circle of information search processes in online shopping. 

Research on the Business Model of Pinduoduo Based on User Analysis

In today's digital age, e-commerce platforms have become an integral part of the business ecosystem. These platforms have redefined the traditional way of business transactions through innovative business models and user analysis methods, and have greatly influenced consumers' shopping experience and enterprises' business strategies. This paper aims to deeply explore the business model of an e-commerce platform based on user analysis by taking Pinduoduo as an example, to reveal the successful mechanism and operational points behind it. Analyzing Pinduoduo's business model and marketing strategy by literature review and case comparison methods, this article attributes Pinduoduo's business success to its adoption of social shopping, group buying, low-price goods, and user interaction. Additionally, this paper forecasts Pinduoduo's development prospects from the perspective of user experiences and social interaction. I hope to provide some theoretical support for future researchers.

E-commerce in India: Trends, Hurdles, and Growth Opportunities

India's e-commerce future looks promising thanks to rapid tech advancements and shifting consumer behavior. The study dissects upcoming trends, challenges, and opportunities in India's e-commerce scene. It examines how consumer preferences are evolving due to increased smartphone and internet adoption, pivotal factors driving e-commerce growth. Notable trends include the dominance of online shopping, the rise of mobile commerce, and the emergence of social shopping. Furthermore, it highlights formidable challenges faced by the industry, including resource limitations, complex infrastructure needs, regulatory hurdles, and intense competition. The paper suggests strategies to address these challenges. It also underscores the importance of personalized customer experiences, sustainable practices, and cross-border e-commerce for growth and differentiation in India's e-commerce landscape. Ultimately, this paper aims to guide India's e-commerce future by navigating these growth paths, addressing challenges, and seizing opportunities. It provides crucial insights for e-commerce businesses, policymakers, and investors looking for lucrative prospects. Understanding this rapidly evolving market empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions and contribute to India's thriving e-commerce ecosystem.

Bibliometric Study on the Social Shopping Concept

Social shopping has been increasing its impact on e-commerce, motivating companies to rethink their product or service marketing strategies. Also, academics from various countries, aware of this growth, seek, through their scientific publications in various journals, to present studies that allow them to identify elements that contribute to the consolidation of the social shopping concept. Bearing this reality in mind, this study, supported by a bibliometric analysis on social shopping and based on articles published in the last 20 years, seeks to analyze the evolution of scientific research, to identify the most influential scientific publications (for topics related to social shopping) and to detect research opportunities in social shopping, with 39% of scientific publication occurring in the years 2020 to 2022. The study also presents themes that are associated with social shopping, highlighting COVID-19, consumer behavior and online shopping, aspects that companies should consider in their e-commerce strategy. The study also identifies the most influential scientific publications for topics related to social shopping and for detecting research opportunities in social shopping, supported in six clusters.

Revisiting the social commerce paradigm: the social commerce (SC) framework and a research agenda

PurposeSocial commerce (SC) is a new genre in electronic commerce (e-commerce) that has great potential. This study proposes a new research framework to address deficiencies in existing social commerce research frameworks (e.g. the information model).Design/methodology/approachIn the era of Industrial Revolution 4.0 technologies and new social commerce (s-commerce) models, the authors believe that there is an immediate need for a new research framework. The authors analysed the progress of the s-commerce paradigm between 2003 and 2023 by applying longitudinal science mapping. The authors then developed a research framework based on the themes in the strategic diagrams and evolution map.FindingsFrom 2003 to 2010, studies on s-commerce mainly focused on social networking sites, virtual communities, social shopping and analytic approaches. From 2011 to 2015, it shifted to s-commerce, consumer behaviour, Web 2.0, artificial intelligence, social technologies, online shopping, user studies, data gathering methods, applications, service-based social commerce constructs, e-commerce and cognitive factors. Social commerce remained the primary research paradigm from 2017 to 2023.Practical implicationsThe SC framework may be analogous to popular research frameworks such as technology-organisation-environment (T-O-E) and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R). Based on this SC framework, researchers may gain a better understanding by determining the factors of the social, commercial, technological and behavioural dimensions.Originality/valueThe authors redefined s-commerce and developed an SC framework. Practical guidelines for the SC framework and an exemplary research model are presented. Overall, this study offers a new research agenda for the extant understanding of s-commerce, with the SC framework as the next frontier of the theoretical advancements and applications of s-commerce.

Impulsive Social Shopping in Social Commerce Platforms: The Role of Perceived Proximity

Impulsive Social Shopping in Social Commerce Platforms: The Role of Perceived Proximity

Understanding consumers’ continuance intention of social shopping and social media participation: The perspective of friends on social media

This study used an extended version of the expectation confirmation model to explore how friendship factors, along with the three variables in the expectation confirmation model (i.e., confirmation, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction), affect social commerce continuance intention (i.e., social shopping and social media participation). The findings of an online survey of 373 respondents demonstrated the effects of friendship factors on the confirmation and perceived usefulness of social shopping and social media participation, and on users’ continuance intention. The implications of these findings for academics and practitioners are discussed.

Apakah Benar Uang Tidak Dapat Dikendalikan Penggunaannya? Peran Financial planning Dan Financial Behavior melalui Pengendalian Social Shopping

This research wants to find out whether there is an influence between the variables of financial planning, Social Shopping and Financial Behavior. This research is directed at students and sees whether student Financial Behavior is good enough which is influenced by financial planning and Social Shopping carried out. This research method uses a quantitative approach with a correlational design. The correlational design seeks to investigate the values of two or more variables and test or determine the relationships or interrelationships that exist between them in a particular environment. There is a not very strong influence between Financial planning and Social Shopping, there is a weak influence between Financial planning and Financial Behavior, there is a strong influence between Social Shopping and Financial Behavior and the mediating variable Social Shopping has a moderate influence on financial planning and Financial Behavior. Our findings suggest that Social Shopping can be a stimulator of financial planning and Financial Behavior.

Elucidating trust-building sources in social shopping: A consumer cognitive and emotional trust perspective

With the popularity and growth of social commerce, scholars and practitioners are particularly interested in how the integration of social media with e-commerce practice may resolve the challenge related to developing consumer-seller trust. Adopting a cognitive-emotional trust perspective, this study investigated the process by which consumers' trust in seller builds in a social commerce setting. Specifically, perceived familiarity, situational normality, cognitive and emotional trust in platform, and social interactivity were proposed as key antecedents of consumers' cognitive and emotional trust in seller. The model was examined with two complementary data sets collected from leading social commerce platforms in China: WeChat Store (N = 430) and Xiaohongshu (N = 397). This work advances the theoretical understanding of consumer's social shopping intention through extending the cognitive-emotional trust perspective and lends insights into the contextualized sources of trust building. In addition, these findings offer practical implications that help practitioners cost-effectively build consumer trust in the social commerce setting.

The Effect of Dimensions of Hedonic Shopping Motivation and Variety Seeking on Impulse Buying Fashion Products in Online Stores

The development of the internet encourages the emergence of online stores in Indonesia. The presence of an online store brings a new phenomenon or lifestyle among the public in buying fashion products, namely by shopping online. The public conducts online shopping to meet the needs of finding variations (variety seeking) and the motivation of hedonic shopping (hedonic shopping motivation) that can cause impulse buying of fashion products at online stores. This study aims to determine and analyze the effect of the dimensions of hedonic shopping motivation and variety seeking on impulse buying fashion products in online stores. The population of this study is consumers who have shopped for online fashion products, and the number of samples used is 150 respondents. Data collection methods by distributing online questionnaires. Data processing techniques use SPSS 25 software and the Likert scale on the questionnaire. The data analysis used is multiple linear regression analysis. From the study results, it is known simultaneously that the dimensions of hedonic shopping motivation and variety seeking affect impulse buying. Partially the dimensions of Hedonic Shopping Motivation, namely Value Shopping, Relaxation Shopping, and variable variety seeking, affect impulse buying, while the dimensions of hedonic shopping motivation are adventure shopping, idea shopping, and social shopping, which have no effect on impulse buying Keywords: Hedonic Shopping Motivation Variety Seeking Impulse Buying.

Pengaruh Dimensi Motivasi Belanja Hedonisme Konsumen Terhadap Impulse Buying Produk Fashion Secara Online pada Facebook

This study object to examine the effect of the hedonism shopping motivation dimension on impulse buying of fashion products online on Facebook in Padang City. This type of research is causative. The population in this study were women with certain criteria and had purchased fashion products without a plan on Facebook in Padang City. Samples were taken using the Cochran formula with 97 respondents and selected by purposive sampling technique. The type of data used in this study is primary data. The analytical method used is multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 21. The results of this study indicate that: 1) shopping adventures have a significant effect on impulse buying of fashion products online on Facebook in Padang City, 2) social shopping has a significant effect on impulse buying of fashion products online. online on Facebook in Padang City, 3) shopping gratification has a significant effect on impulse buying of fashion products online on Facebook in Padang City, 4) shopping ideas have a significant effect on impulse buying of fashion products online on Facebook in Padang City, 5) the role of shopping has an effect significantly to impulse buying of fashion products online on Facebook in Padang City, 6) the value of shopping has no significant effect on impulse buying of fashion products online on Facebook in Padang City.Keywords: impulse buying and hedonism shopping motivation

Antecedents of Trust and Its Impact on Online Social Shopping Purchase Intention Based on Social Exchange Theory

This study attempts to investigate the antecedent factors of trust and its impact on online social shopping purchase intention among Generation Z in Malaysia. This study also seeks to explore the mediator role played by trust in online social shopping purchase intention. The data was collected through an online questionnaire and was analysed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling technique and SEMinR statistics software package. Other than eWoM, the findings indicate that both social presence and logistics service quality have a significant impact on consumers’ trust, which leads to online social shopping purchase intention. The findings also reveal that logistics service quality has a greater impact on trust than social presence. Meanwhile, in the presence of trust, both social presence and logistics service quality have an indirect effect on online social shopping purchase intention. Since eWoM is found to have no significant impact on trust, thus, trust does not mediate the relationship between eWoM and online social shopping purchase intention. The findings of this study provide an alternative view on factors influencing trust building among Malaysian Generation Z consumers., as well as the mediator role played by trust. The study does not only extend our understanding of these factors but also contribute to the body of knowledge in this area. Practitioners and marketers may benefit from these findings by developing a social shopping system that is coupled with an effective marketing strategy to build trust among their consumers.