The impact of a country’s image on consumers’ buying intentions at foreign online stores: Extending trust-based models to cross-border e-commerce.
(A2019-8546)

AUTHORS

Sjoukje Goldman, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Hester van Herk, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Tibert Verhagen, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences; Jesse Weltevreden, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

KEYWORDS

Cross-border e-commerce; Country image; Multi-country study

ABSTRACT

Consumers in today’s globalized digital marketplace are increasingly crossing the borders of their home country when shopping online. Insights from the literature indicate that a consumer’s image of a country might influence consumer’s perception of foreign products and foreign brands from that country. However, there are no studies yet that assess the effect of country images on perceptions of online stores in cross-border e-commerce. This study uses a cross-national survey in three European countries, with more than 1000 respondents, to reveal novel insights into how consumers perceive online stores from the USA and China. The first findings indicate that cognitive country images affect cognitive and affective perceptions of online stores. Yet, affective country images impact both cognitive and affective perceptions of online stores in China, but only affective perceptions in the USA. Subsequently, online store perceptions impact trust, risk perceptions, and purchase intentions.