Examining the Adoption of Online Shopping Among Nigerian Students through Social Media Platforms.
Abstract
Technological developments in information and communication, particularly Web 2.0, have given businesses and consumers enormous potential to make effective use of social media platforms. While there are many online platforms available to consumers and online retailers to conduct modern, seamless business operations and shopping,
Social media platforms, which can instantly reach customers worldwide, have established themselves as some of the most favored online spaces by a significant number of users. Despite the potential of social media for online shopping, little attention is paid to this rapidly expanding field of study in Nigeria. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to investigate consumer acceptance of social media shopping in order to close the gap in the literature.
A survey questionnaire was created using the UTAUT model perspective and delivered in person to 380 undergraduate students from the University of Maiduguri and Yobe State University in Nigeria. The students were chosen through the purposive sample method. The intention of consumers to shop on social media was moderately high, with WhatsApp and Facebook being the most popular social media applications for online shopping.
1. Introduction
Using social media as a business platform is a crucial tactic for increasing the efficiency and reach of an online retail store (Logan 2014). The phrases “online shopping via social media” and “social media shopping” are used interchangeably in this article. Online businesses now have the chance to effectively compete with big, traditional (offline) retail companies by overcoming the constraints of size and consumer reach thanks to internet-based technologies and social media. If used strategically, social media has a great potential to increase online retailers’ local and global opportunities (Kietzmann, Hermkerns, McCarthy & Silvestre, 2011).
Social media and other Internet-based technologies and applications, according to Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), give online retailers a greater opportunity to compete with other businesses both locally and nationally (as a promotional tool), open up business opportunities for a wider range of individuals, and provide a convenient and simple way to conduct business around-the-clock. For example, internationalization strategies have been used more and more by product retailers in recent decades to boost their market competitiveness, boost sales, and turn a profit. Using social media to manage an online business is one of these tactics (Anic & Jovancevic 2004).
