Title: The impact of website attractiveness, consumer-website identification, and website trustworthiness on purchase intention

Authors: Zui Chih Lee; Jennifer Yurchisin

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave., Selinsgrove, PA 17870, USA. ' Department of Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies, University of North Carolina, 210 Stone Building, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA

Abstract: This pilot study examined the antecedents of consumers' intention to purchase from apparel retail websites, including website attractiveness, consumer-website identification, and website trustworthiness. A structural equation model was used to test hypotheses that were derived from social identity theory and previous research concerning online consumer behaviour. The results of this study indicated that consumers' perceptions of the attractiveness of an apparel retail website directly and positively influence the degree to which they identify with that website. Furthermore, the degree to which consumers identify with an apparel retail website directly and positively influences consumers' perceptions of the trustworthiness of the website. Lastly, the level of trust consumers experience with apparel retail websites is directly and positively related to their intentions to purchase from the website.

Keywords: website attractiveness; identification; trust; purchase intention; apparel industry; garment industry; clothing industry; retail websites; website trustworthiness; consumer purchasing; structural equation modelling; social identity theory; online behaviour; consumer behaviour; consumer perceptions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJECRM.2011.044692

International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 2011 Vol.5 No.3/4, pp.272 - 287

Published online: 27 Sep 2014 *

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