Unveiling the Puzzle of Social Media Adoption Among Small Grocery Retailers

Abstract

This research is aimed to understand the intentions of small grocery retailers in adopting social media for marketing purposes. The research used an integrated TAM-TOE framework combined with an SOR framework for understanding factors influencing the intention of small grocery retailers to adopt social media. Mixed methods were used for the study. Initially, in-depth interviews were conducted with 55 retailers to develop a grounded model, which was verified through a survey of 874 retailers. Findings suggest that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were positively related to relative advantage, interaction, organizational competency and complexity, bandwagon effect, and competitive pressure. Retailer age and retail outlet also had moderation effects. Small grocery retailers who understand the relative advantage of social media are more likely to adopt it, influenced by the bandwagon effect. Intense competition is also pushing retailers to adopt social media to avoid losing customers and missing out on potential opportunities.