Investigating the Drivers of Trust Influencing Purchase Intention in Social Commerce: An Exploratory Study in NCR(India)

Abstract

As social networking sites (SNSs) have grown in popularity, a new e-commerce paradigm known as social commerce (s-commerce) has evolved. In the context of social commerce, this study investigates the antecedents of trust that impact purchase intention, with a particular emphasis on the fashion sector in India's National Capital Region (NCR). As a quickly expanding e-commerce model, social commerce mainly depends on customer trust to encourage interaction and buying. The study examines the influence of important trust-building elements on consumer purchase intention in the fashion industry, including perceived reputation, perceived size, service quality, economic benefits, and social commerce constructs. Data was gathered quantitatively from NCR consumers, and to evaluate how the items clustered and how the resulting factors matched the constructs we took from the literature, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used. The results show that purchase intention is significantly boosted by trust. For fashion brands and e-commerce platforms hoping to boost customer trust and increase sales in the ever-changing world of social commerce, this study offers useful insights. These findings have ramifications for platform developers and marketers who want to increase consumer engagement and loyalty in the Indian fashion sector.