The impact of online consumer reviews on purchase intentions : A study of millennial consumers of fashion clothing in Sri Lanka

Abstract

" The fashion retail industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is experiencing significant change and growth. This is rapidly evolving as a result of the pandemic, and most fashion retailers are adjusting to the current norm of rising sales on online platforms. This is also one of the world's most competitive sectors. Currently, fierce rivalry among retailers makes it difficult for businesses to attract consumers and persuade them to purchase their goods rather than those of competitors. It is necessary to comprehend the consumer buying process in order to be able to attract customers (Pelau, 2011). The study investigates the impact of online customer reviews considering the variables trust, perceived risk, convenience, source credibility on purchasing intent among urban Sri Lankan millennials fashion clothing, employing the Theory of Planned Behavior, Kotler’s five stage model of consumer buying process, and Elaboration Likelihood Model on customers attitude. A self-administered online questionnaire adapted from previous studies was used as the methodology. From the identified sample, 250 questionnaires were obtained. The research used descriptive statistics applications SPSS to test four hypotheses. The results revealed that online customer reviews have a positive impact on purchase intention on the studied variables trust, perceived risk, convenience, source credibility with all hypotheses displaying similarly significant relationships per research. There was also a correlation between trust, perceived risk, convenience, source credibility and purchase intent, according to the findings. The study adds to the body of literature and theoretical information on online customer reviews in the sense of Sri Lanka fashion clothing industry, and it can be extended to other emerging markets. The research contributes to a better understanding of the ever-increasing impact of online customer reviews, and the study's major theoretical contributions would support academics and scholars. Managerial consequences illustrate the fact that managers cannot afford to disregard the impact of online customer feedback on purchasing intent, and that although these reviews are not directly influenced by organizations, advertisers iv can indirectly influence them by ensuring high-quality goods that fulfill both brand and product commitments. The study's limitations, as well as potential studies on the topic of online customer reviews, are discussed."