ONLINE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE AS A MODERATOR OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ONLINE REVIEW AND CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISION DECISION IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the moderating effect of online shopping experience (OSE) in the relationship between online reviews (ONR) and consumer purchase behaviour (CPD) in Nigeria’s fashion e-commerce sector. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model, the study posits that consumers with higher OSE engage in deeper cognitive processing of online reviews, thereby reducing the negative influence of unfavourable eWOM on purchase decisions. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 230 active online fashion shoppers in Kaduna State, Nigeria, and data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that ONR alone has a negative but insignificant effect on CPD whereas the interaction between OSE and ONR is positive and significant indicating that enhanced shopping experience mitigates the adverse impact of negative reviews. The model explains 56% of the variance in CPD and demonstrates high predictive relevance (Q²predict = 0.64). Importance–Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) further identifies OSE as a high-importance, high-performance driver, warranting strategic investment in user-friendly interfaces, reliable delivery, and responsive customer service. These findings contribute to digital consumer behaviour literature in emerging markets by evidencing OSE as a critical boundary condition in the review purchase pathway. Practical implications for e-commerce managers include prioritising experiential quality as a trust-building mechanism, while future studies should consider longitudinal designs, multi-regional samples, and additional moderators such as brand loyalty and trust propensity to enhance generalisability.