Fashion involvement, opinion-seeking and product variety as stimulators for fashion e-commerce: an investigated model based on S-O-R model

Abstract

PurposeThis study's aim was to investigate the stimulators of fashion e-consumers within e-commerce environments. The study proposed a framework utilizing stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) theory to suggest that fashion involvement and opinion-seeking would act as sociopsychological stimuli, while product variety as an objective stimulus. Perceived quality is proposed as an organism, moderated by perceived price. Consumer buying behavior within e-commerce environments presents the framework's response. The study looked at variables with deeper insights into Malaysian fashion consumers.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative method was used to assess the significance of relationships within the proposed model. Partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was implemented to assess the framework's relationships with a sample size of 374.FindingsResults indicate that fashion involvement is significantly associated as a sociopsychological stimulus, with product variety being an objective stimulus for Malaysian fashion e-consumers. Perceived quality is significantly represented as an organism through the framework, and buying behavior is the latent response. Price would significantly moderate the relationship between fashion involvement and quality. Opinion-seeking was found not to be a significant stimulus for Malaysian e-consumers.Originality/valueContribution of this study goes to the existing literature by providing a deeper understanding of Malaysian e-consumer behavior by applying S-O-R theory. Malaysian fashion e-consumerism was suggested to be influenced by product involvement, quality, price, opinion-seeking and product range offered; therefore, a proposed framework was demonstrated and tested.