Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Purchase Intention: with Special Reference to Fashion Retail Industry

Abstract

Fashion retail stores in Sri Lanka have always been innovative in their marketing activities, yet they always followed a traditional business management approach. To face and survive the recent unforeseen challenges of heated competition, the fashion retail industry in Sri Lanka is now utilizing social media platforms to create awareness and engagement. Thus, this study aims to interpret how social media marketing affects marketers’ purchase intention to make better and effective decisions. The research data were obtained from 200 respondents who use social media platforms in Sri Lanka from different provinces. All responses were collected by using an online questionnaire. The data gathered was analyzed to obtain descriptive statistics, comparing mean analysis (i.e., independent t-test and ANOVA) and other analyses (i.e., correlation analysis and multiple linear regression). It seems that attitude towards technology and the quality of information impacted consumers from a fashion retail store’s social media marketing perspective. This study helps to identify the impact of two main determinants of social media marketing on the fashion retail industry as a new implication by providing statistical findings to prove the relationship. At present, the fashion industry is one of the best performing sectors in the country’s economy; therefore, through this research, the researcher can provide information to come up with better strategic developments.