Abstract:
Social commerce integrates social media and e-commerce, transforming
consumer purchasing behaviour. As more consumers rely on social media for
shopping, the credibility of information has become increasingly significant,
particularly in the skincare product market. Although the effect of the credibility
of the information on purchase intention has been examined in the past, most
of the studies are within the developed economies, and limited knowledge exists
on how the same dynamics apply in emerging markets like Sri Lanka. Besides,
few studies have focused on the synergistic impact of source credibility, message
credibility, and trust in online communities, particularly Facebook-based
skincare buying. This research paper fills this gap by examining the role of the
credibility of information on purchase intention mediated by the importance of
trust in online communities within the research context of Sri Lanka. Purposive
sampling was used to obtain data from 384 Sri Lankan Facebook users who had
bought skincare products online due to the necessity of relevant experience. The
study used a structured questionnaire to collect data by distributing it among
active members of Facebook-based skincare consumers in Sri Lanka. Analysis
was carried out using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicate
that source credibility and message credibility have a significant and positive
influence on purchase intention. Moreover, the role of trust in the online
community is an important mediator, which supports the need to establish
credible online spaces. The research paper adds to the dearth of literature on
social commerce in an emerging economy and provides practical implications in
credibility-based marketing steps in the skincare products sector.
