Factors that influence purchase intentions in social commerce

Abstract Social commerce has recently expanded to operate in real time. Social commerce is a subset of social network services. It has been expanding ever since it started. The business model associated with social commerce is simple and has great potential to generate big sales. As such, the social commerce market is expected to increase sharply. The extent to which consumers adapt to service innovations that differ from existing business transaction will determine the growth potential of social commerce in the future. Accordingly, social commerce attributes need to be better understood. The purpose of this study is to explore the attributes of social commerce and explain the purchase intentions of the increasing population of users. This study has two main findings. First, a factor analysis reveals five attributes that can be used to classify social commerce – economy, necessity, reliability, interaction, and sales promotion. Second, as a result of carrying out a multiple regression analysis, economy, necessity, reliability, and sales promotion are shown to affect purchase intentions. This study shows the possibility of configuring a general theory by generalizing social commerce features. The findings uncovered in this research can enable entrepreneurs in social-commerce businesses to attract far more customers by determining the reasons that drive purchases and needs. In addition, this research can aid in the development of strategies to manage social commerce more effectively.