The Effect of Perceived Usefulness and Ease of Use through Platform Business on the Relationship between Consumption Value and Purchase Intention in the K-Beauty Industry

Abstract

Korea has become a leading country in the beauty industry worldwide with Korean beauty (K-beauty), shaping the Korean culture (K-culture) impact. Thanks to the impact, K-beauty industry’s global premium products and beauty markets have rapidly grown, and diversities of services are created as the consumption environment is changing. The platform business connecting potential values not perceived and invisible in the past is continuously growing. Systems by which consumers can purchase what they want (products) anywhere, anytime through online distribution network without stores with smart devices or PCs are used. This is a result that online shopping has placed itself as a new trend, as online shopping’s growth is accelerating, after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzes impacts of the K-beauty industry’s consumption value, platform business, and perceived usefulness and easiness on consumers’ purchase behavior intention. This study ultimately aims at empirically examining causal relationship with each variable by grasping the effects of mediating variables - platform business, perceived usefulness and easiness. The study targeted adults from in their 30s to 60s and conducted a questionnaire survey from May 18 to August 16, 2023. The finally collected questionnaire response copies were 834. According to the results of this study confirmed that consumers’ continuous purchase behavior intention can be increased by improving platform business, perceived usefulness, and perceived easiness, and maintaining close relations, when consumers purchase products. Through this study, continuous studies are anticipated by focusing on developing factors that can construct services that consumers can satisfactorily, easily, and conveniently use through the platform business in the K-beauty industry.