The marketing mix elements and the perception of online reviews influencing the decision to purchase kitchen appliances online among consumers in Beijing, China.

Abstract

This study aims to: 1) examine the importance level of marketing mix elements, the perception of online reviews, and the decision-making process for household appliance purchases among consumers in Beijing, China, and 2) investigate the marketing mix elements and perceptions of online reviews that influence the decision to purchase household appliances among consumers in Beijing, China. The sample group for this study consists of 385 Chinese consumers who have previously purchased kitchen appliances online and reside in Beijing. A questionnaire was used as the data collection tool, and data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, and standard deviations, as well as multiple regression analysis by the Enter method.

The results indicate that consumers place the highest importance on the reliability of online reviews, which significantly impacts their decision to purchase kitchen appliances. Consumers perceive unreliable reviews, such as those containing biased opinions or inconsistent content, and the credibility of the review source as critical. Credible reviews give consumers confidence that the information reflects genuine user experiences, which supports a confident purchasing decision. Furthermore, the results from multiple regression analysis using the Enter method show that both marketing mix elements (B=0.278) and the perception of online reviews (B=0.574) have a statistically significant influence on online purchase decisions for kitchen appliances among consumers in Beijing, China, at the 0.05 level.