The Effects of Online Consumer Reviews on Fashion Clothing Purchase Intention

This chapter examines a particular type of electronic word-of mouth; that of online consumer reviews featured on fashion retailer websites, and studies the effects they have on female fashion consumers in terms of subsequent purchase intention decisions. Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model as the theoretical framework, this study has focused on examining the effects of three peripheral cues; source credibility, review volume and valance on purchase intention, and also investigated how fashion clothing involvement moderates these relationships. The results suggest that reviews that are perceived to be credible, featured in high numbers and predominantly positive all had a significant effect in increasing the purchase intention of female fashion consumers. The level of fashion clothing involvement did not appear to be a significant moderator of cue effects with the notable exception of negative reviews, which were more likely to deter purchase intention from low involvement consumers compared to high involvement consumers.