Impact of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Purchase Intention of the Fashion Retail Industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of social media influencers on consumer purchase intention of the fashion retail industry in Sri Lanka. Social media influencer is one of the marketing communication tools applied to give the message of the fashion retail industry to target audiences through social media (Facebook, Instagram & YouTube). Nowadays, social media follows this concept as a marketing communication tool and influencers have the potential to persuade their target audiences. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data from 304 respondents who are users of social media whose age is above 18 years in Sri Lanka. Based on the findings the researchers were able to conclude that the social media influencers of the fashion retail industry affect consumer purchase intention. The findings showcase a significant, positive relationship between social media influencers (Trustworthiness, expertise, Similarity, Familiarity & Likeability) on the consumer purchase intention. Thus this study is important for marketers and merchandisers of the fashion retail industry to identify the most important characteristics of the social media influencers and to connect those with the marketing strategies they develop.