The impact of TikTok on consumers’ purchase intentions

Aim/purpose – This study investigates how TikTok influences consumers’ purchase intentions by examining the relationships among key factors, including habit, intelligent recommendation, perceived ease of use, perceived cost, perceived usefulness, attitude, and social influence. The research aims to integrate aspects of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to offer a comprehensive model of consumer behavior on TikTok, specifically within the Polish market.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected targeting TikTok enthusiasts, yielding 204 Polish respondents, predominantly comprised of young adults and students. The study employed PLS-SEM using SmartPLS4 software to assess both the measurement model and the structural model. Seven hypotheses were formulated to evaluate the influence of various factors on purchase intention.

Findings – All proposed hypotheses were supported. Habit and intelligent recommendation significantly shape users’ attitudes toward TikTok. Perceived ease of use has a positive influence on perceived usefulness, while perceived cost also significantly impacts perceived usefulness. Both attitude and perceived usefulness are strong predictors of purchase intention. Social influence has a significant, though comparatively smaller, effect on purchase intention. The model explains 85.6% of the variance in purchase intention, indicating strong predictive capability.

Research implications/limitations – For practitioners, the results highlight the importance of leveraging personalized content and intelligent recommendation systems to foster user engagement and drive purchasing decisions on TikTok. Marketers are encouraged to optimize user interface design and minimize perceived cognitive and financial “costs” to enhance perceived usefulness.

Originality/value/contribution – This study contributes to the emerging literature on social media marketing by extending established theories (TAM and TPB) within the context of TikTok. The comprehensive model developed in this study can serve as a framework for future research and practical strategies in digital marketing on short-video platforms.