Consumer intentions to purchase on foreign multi-sided digital platforms: a context of the COVID-19 pandemic†

Witek-Hajduk, Marzanna Katarzyna; Grudecka, Anna

doi:10.2478/ijme-2022-0007

Abstract

Objectives

To explore the determinants of consumer purchase intentions on foreign multi-sided e-commerce platforms (MSPs) within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods applied

The study relies on a survey of a representative sample of 810 Poles. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyze the data.

Findings

The study confirms the influence of the perceived usefulness and legal protection of online purchases, changes in retailers’ activity during the pandemic, and perceived value of purchases on a MSP on purchase intentions.

Originality/value

The article provides insight into consumer online behavior, i.e., determinants of the intention to purchase via MSPs, including those not extensively studied yet. It also takes into account the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study's results may be valuable both from the prism of its contribution to the literature on consumer behavior and to business practitioners.

References

Agkeyan-Simonian, M., Forsythe, S., Kwon, W.S., Chattarman, V. (2012), The role of product brand image and online store image on perceived risks and online purchase intentions for apparel, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 325–331.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ajzen, I. (1991), The theory of planned behavior, Organizational Behavior and Human Decission Processes, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 179–211.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Antonides, G., van Raaij, W.F. (2003), Zachowanie konsumentów. Podręcznik akademicki, PWN, Warszawa.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ardiansah, M.N., Chariri, A., Rahardja, S., Udin, U. (2020), The effect of electronic payment security on e-commerce consumer perception: an extended model of technology acceptance, Management Science Letters, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 1473–1480.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ashraf, A.R., Thongpapanl, N., Auh, S. (2014), The application of the technology acceptance model under different cultural contexts: the case of online shopping adoption, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 68–93.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bian, X., Moutinho, L. (2011), The role of brand image, product involvement, and knowledge in explaining consumer purchase behaviour of counterfeits. Direct and indirect effects, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45, No. 1/2, pp. 191–216.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bilgihan, A., Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. (2016), Towards a unified customer experience in online shopping environments. Antecedents and outcomes, International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 102–119.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bower, A.B., Maxham, J.G. (2012), Return shipping policies of online retailers: normative assumptions and their long-term consequences of fee and free returns, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 76, No. 5, pp. 125–143.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Chellappa, R.K., Pavlou, P.A. (2002), Perceived information security, financial liability and consumer trust in electronic commerce transactions, Logistics Information Management, Vol. 15, No. 5/6, pp. 358–368.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cho, Y.C., Sagynov, E. (2015), Exploring factors that affect usefulness, ease of use, trust, and purchase intention in the online environment, International Journal of Management and Information System, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 21–35.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
De Mooij, M., Hofstede, G. (2002), Covergence and divergence in consumer behavior: implications for international retailing, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 78, No. 1, pp. 61–69.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Delafroz, N., Paim, L.H., Khatibi, A. (2009), Developing an instrument for measurement of attitude toward online shopping, European Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 166–177.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Eastlick, M.A., Lotz, S. (2011), Cognitive and institutional predictors of initial trust toward an online retailer, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 234–255.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fan, Y., Ju, J., Xiao, M. (2016), Reputation premium and reputation management: evidence from the largest e-commerce platform in China, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 63–76.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fang, J., George, B., Shao, Y., Wen, C. (2016), Affective and cognitive factors influencing repeat buying in e-commerce, Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 44–55.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fornell, C., Larcker, D.F. (1981), Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 39–50.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Friedman, B. (2000), Trust online, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 43, No. 12, pp. 34–40.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
García-Machado, J. (2017), Assessing a moderating effect and the global fit of a PLS model on online trading, Marketing Instytucji Naukowych i Badawczych, Vol. 4, No. 26, pp. 1–34.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ha, S., Stoel, L. (2009), Consumer e-shopping acceptance: antecedents in a technology acceptance model, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 62, pp. 565–571.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hagiu, A. (2015), Strategic decisions for multisided platforms, MIT Sloan Management Review – Top 10 lessons on strategy, Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 4–13.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hagiu, A., Wright, J. (2015), Multi-sided platforms, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Vol. 43, pp. 162–174.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M. (2014), A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), 1st edn, Sage, Los Angeles.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hair, J.F., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M. (2011), PLS-SEM: indeed a silver bullet, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 139–151.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hallikainen, H., Laukkanen, T. (2018), National culture and consumer trust in e-commerce, International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 97–106.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Henseler, J., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M. (2015), A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 115–135.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hsiung, H., Scheurich, S., Ferrante, F. (2001), Bridging e-business and added trust: keys to e-business growth, IEEE Explore, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 41–45.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Huang, S.L., Chang, Y. (2017), Factors that impact consumers’ intention to shop on foreign online stores, Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, pp. 3981–3991.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ivory, M.Y., Sinha, R.R., Hearst, M.A. (2001), Empirically validated web page design metrics, CHI′01: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference in Computing Systems, March, pp. 53–60.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Katz, M.L. (2019), Multisided platforms, big data, and a little antitrust policy, Review of Industrial Organizations, Vol. 54, pp. 695–716.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kelly, E.P., Erickson, G.S. (2004), Legal and privacy issues surrounding customer databases and e-merchant bankruptcies: reflections on Toysmart.com, Industrial Management and Data Systems, Vol. 104, No. 3, pp. 209–217.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kim, D.J., Ferrin, D.L., Rao, H.R. (2008), A trust-based consumer decision-making model in electronic commerce: the role of trust, perceived risk, and their antecedents, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 544–564.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kim, D.J., Song, Y.I., Braynov, S.B., Rao, H.R. (2005), A multi-dimensional trust formation model in B-to-C e-commerce: a conceptual framework and content analyses of academia/practitioner perspective, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 143–165.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kim, H., Niehm, L.S. (2009), The impact of website quality on information quality, value, and loyalty intentions in apparel retailing, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 23, pp. 221–233.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kim, H.W., Chan, H.C., Gupta, S. (2007), Value based adoption of mobile internet: an empirical investigation, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 111–126.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Koh, T.K., Fichman, M., Kraut, R.E. (2012), Trust across borders: Buyer-supplier trust in global Business-to-Business e-commerce, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, Vol. 13, No. 11, pp. 886–922.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kohli, S., Timelin, B., Fabius, V., Moulvad, V.S. (2020), How COVID-19 is changing consumer behavior – now and forever, Mc Kinsey, retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/how-covid-19-is-changing-consumer-behavior-now-and-forever. [17th January 2021].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Koklič, M.K., Vilda, I. (2009), A strategic household purchase: consumer house buying behawior. Managing global transitions, International Research Journal, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 75–96.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kooli, K., Mansour, K.B., Utama, R. (2015), Determinants of online trust and their impact on online purchase intention, International Journal of Technology Marketing, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 1–19.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kühn, S.W., Petzer, D.J. (2018), Fostering purchase intentions toward online retailer websites in an emerging market: a S-O-R perspective, Journal of Internet Commerce, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 255–282.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lu, L.C., Chang, H.H., Yu, S.T. (2013), Online shoppers’ perceptions of e-retailers ethics, cultural orientation and loyalty. An exploratory study in Taiwan, Internet Research, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 47–68.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lwin, M., Wirtz, J., Williams, J.D. (2007), Consumer online privacy concerns and responses: a power–responsibility equilibrium perspective, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 35, pp. 572–585.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Manchala, D.W. (2000), E-commerce trust metrics and models, IEEE Internet Computing, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 36–44.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
McKnight, D.H., Choudhury, V., Kacmar, C. (2002), The impact of initial consumer trust on intentions to transact with a web site: a trust building model, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 297–323.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Monsuwé, T., Dellaert, B.G.C., de Ruyter, K. (2004), What drives consumers to shop online? A literature review, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 102–121.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Moslehpour, M., Pham, V.K., Wong, W.K., Bilgiçli, I. (2018), E-purchase intention of Taiwanese consumers: sustainable mediation of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, Sustainability, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 234–246.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Muralidharan, S., Yoon, H.J., Sung, Y., Miller, J., Lee, A. (2014), Following the Breadcrumbs: an analysis of online product review characteristics by online shoppers, Journal of Marketing Communications, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 113–134.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Netemeyer, R.G., Bearden, W., Sharma, S. (2003), Scaling procedures. Issues and applications, SAGE, New York.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
OECD (2020), E-commerce in the time of COVID-19, retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/e-commerce-in-the-time-of-covid-19-3a2b78e8/. [16th January 2021].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Oghazi, P., Karlsson, S., Hellstrom, D., Hjat, K. (2018), Online purchase return policy leniency and purchase decision: Mediating role of consumer trust, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 41, pp. 190–200.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Özen, H., Kaya, I. (2013), How value perception affects buying intentions of online consumers? Journal Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 11–29.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
PWC (2020), retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/consumer-markets/library/covid-19-consumer-behavior-survey.html. [14th June 2020].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Qin, Z., Zhao, L., Ni, Y. (2019), The influencing factors on consumers’ purchase intention under the cross-border e-commerce platforms, ICRB 2019 Proceedings, Vol. 33, pp. 443–455.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Rakowska, A., Mącik, R. (2016), Zaangażowanie pracownika a satysfakcja z pracy – modelowanie zależności z wykorzystaniem PLS-SEM, Przegląd Organizacji, Vol. 5, pp. 48–58.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Rangaswamy, A., Moch, N., Felten, C., van Brugen, G., Wierina, J.E., Wirtz, J. (2020), The role of marketing in digital business platforms, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 51, pp. 72–90.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Reuever, M., Sørensen, C., Basole, R.C. (2018), The digital platform: a research agenda, Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 124–135.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Shang, R.A., Chen, Y.C., Shan, L. (2005), Extrinsic versus intrinsic motivations for consumers to shop on-line, Information and Management, Vol. 42, pp. 401–413.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Shao, X.F. (2017), Free or calculated shipping: impact of delivery cost on supply chains moving to online retailing, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 191, No. 3, pp. 267–277.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Silva, J., Pinho, J.C., Soares, A., Sá, E. (2019), Antecedents of online purchase intention and behaviour: uncovering unobserved heterogeneity, Journal of Business Economics and Management, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 138–148.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Statista (2019), Retail e-commerce sales worldwide from 2014 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars), Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/379046/worldwide-retail-e-commerce-sales/. [14th July 2020].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Statista (2016), Annual number of worldwide active Amazon customer accounts from 1997 to 2015, retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/237810/number-of-active-amazon-customer-accounts-worldwide/. [16th July 2020].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Sullivan, Y.W., Kim, D.J. (2018), Assessing the effects of consumers’ product evaluations and trust on repurchase intention in e-commerce environments, International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 39(April), pp. 199–219.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
UNCTAD (2020), Netcom Suisse eCommerce Association and Brazilian Network Information Center, 2020. “COVID-19 and e-commerce”, retrieved from https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/dtlstictinf2020d1_en.pdf. [17th January 2021].
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Witek-Hajduk, M.K., Targański, B. (2018), Institutional barriers of the Internet-based foreign expansion of enterprises, Management Issues – Problemy Zarządzania, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 91–108.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Wolfinbarger, M., Gilly, M.C. (2003), eTailQ: dimensionalizing, measuring and predicting etail quality, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 79, No. 3, pp. 183–198.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Zacharia, G., Maes, P. (2000), Trust management through reputation mechanisms, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 14, No. 9, pp. 881–907.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Zeithaml, V.A. (1988), Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and synthesis of evidence, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 52, No. 3, pp. 2–22.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article