Building Trust In Social Commerce: How Product Quality And Store Reputation Influence Gen Z Beauty Purchase Decisions On TikTok Shop

This study examines how product quality and store reputation shape consumer trust and purchase decisions in social commerce, with a specific focus on Generation Z consumers in the TikTok Shop ecosystem. Addressing the growing complexity of digital consumer behavior, particularly in the beauty sector where product safety and credibility are critical, this research advances the understanding of how intrinsic and extrinsic signals operate within highly interactive, socially embedded platforms. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 170 Generation Z consumers with prior purchase experience of Madame Gie products on TikTok Shop. The proposed model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both direct and mediated relationships. The findings reveal that product quality influences purchase decisions both directly and indirectly through consumer trust, indicating a partial mediation mechanism. In contrast, store reputation exerts a direct effect on purchase decisions without being mediated by trust, suggesting a heuristic-driven decision pathway. Consumer trust also significantly reduces pe rceived risk and strengthens purchase intention. This study contributes theoretically by uncovering an asymmetric mediation mechanism in social commerce, challenging the assumption of uniform trust pathways. It also offers practical insights for firms to strategically manage product safety, regulatory transparency, and digital reputation to effectively engage Generation Z consumers.

Keywords: Social Commerce; Consumer Trust; Product Quality; Store Reputation; Purchase Decision; Generation Z; Tiktok Shop; Asymmetric Mediation