Does Information Sharing Matter for Gen Z Social Media Users? Effects of Motivations on Purchase Intentions through Social Commerce

The purpose of this study is to uncover motivational factors that influence Gen Z’s intention to purchase fashion products through social commerce. A data was collected from 526 college students attending a large university in the U.S. The majority of respondents were Caucasian American female students with ages from 18-23. Findings of the study suggest that the feelings of entertainment and social interaction are key motivational factors that augment Gen Z consumers' apparel purchase through social commerce. The results reveal information sharing do not significantly impact Gen Z's attitudes toward social commerce. Compared to social interaction, entertainment had much stronger impact on attitudes. These findings suggest that fashion brand retailers need to develop a new form of social commerce as a form of entertainment that creates shared feeling of friendliness and togetherness on social media.