The influential factors on consumer intention to purchase alcohol online in Shaanxi, China

Abstract

This study explores the key factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase alcohol online in Shaanxi Province, China. It examines how trust (TR), convenience (CONV), efficiency (EFF), user-generated content (UGC), and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) affect purchase intention (PI) in the digital alcohol retail context. A quantitative method was adopted using a structured 4-point Likert-scale questionnaire, resulting in 238 valid responses. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified five distinct components aligned with the proposed constructs. Linear regression assessed the impact of each factor on PI, while ANOVA examined differences across demographic and behavioral groups. Results show that trust is the only significant predictor of purchase intention (p = 0.005). Other variables, including convenience and eWOM, showed no direct influence. ANOVA further indicates that purchase frequency significantly affects trust and efficiency perceptions, with frequent buyers reporting greater confidence. The findings underscore trust as the most critical factor in online alcohol purchasing. The study suggests enhancing transaction security and product authenticity. It also recommends broader future research to address the model’s limited explanatory power and regional focus.