Social Media Usage and Shopping Preferences: an Empirical Investigation

Abstract

We empirically explore the associations between social media usage at home and shopping preferences using survey data. We focus on popular retail firms including brick-and-mortar firms such as Walmart, Target, Nordstrom, and Best Buy, and online retailers, such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Social media usage of popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Skype are analyzed. We draw on Media Richness Theory (MRT) and Strength of Weak Ties from Social Network Analysis (SNA) and related theories to explain our results. Our results have important implications for social marketing campaigns and social media policies for consumer retail firms.