Swipe, Stream and Trust: The New Formula for Fashion Purchase Intentions

Abstract

This study research examines the essential role of Brand Trust as a mediator that transforms digital marketing stimuli, namely Live Streaming and Online Customer Reviews, into Purchase Intention in the fashion industry. In the digital era, the fashion industry demands strategic adaptation to the latest marketing trends, especially through marketplaces. This study focuses on fashion consumers in Makassar City who have experience buying or intend to purchase fashion products through online marketplace platforms. Data were collected from 216 respondents through a questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed using the PLS-SEM method with SmartPLS. The results indicate that Brand Trust is the strongest causal predictor of Purchase Intention. A crucial finding is the confirmation of full mediation by Brand Trust, showing that the effectiveness of Live Streaming and Online Customer Reviews does not lie in their ability to directly trigger purchase intentions, but rather in their capacity to build Brand Trust first. Furthermore, Online Customer Reviews contribute more strongly to the formation of Brand Trust than Live Streaming. These findings suggest that there are two key stages in forming fashion purchase intentions in marketplaces, particularly among consumers in Makassar.