Shopping on Social Networking Web Sites

ABSTRACTAssuming that shopping is a business area into which U.S. social networks can expand, this study explores whether and how factors affecting shopping attitudes on social networking sites may differ according to product type. This study focuses on two types of items that social networking sites carry: real and virtual. It reveals that shopping services have different target consumers and factors according to product type. Age, usefulness, ease of use, security, and fit are critical in establishing favorable attitudes toward shopping for real items. For virtual items, gender, social networking site experience, ease of use, and fit influence the attitudes.