Too old to Shop? A Comparative Analysis of the Engagement of Junior and Senior Customers in Social Commerce

Abstract

With the continuous success of social media websites also social commerce rises in popularity. As increasing numbers of elderly consumers use social media, it is interesting to understand how elderly consumers engage in social commerce platforms. This study examines how different dimensions of customer engagement influence trust with young and older consumers. A survey was conducted to collect data from American consumers. Our results show that perceived enjoyment, satisfaction, and social commerce value have significant effects on consumers’ trust. Further, there are important differences regarding the respective effects between younger and older consumers. Our study contributes to the literature by clarifying the effect of customer engagement on trust in social commerce between young and elderly consumers. Our results can provide practitioners important guidelines regarding how to support consumers’ trust development in social commerce.