INFORMATION ADOPTION BEHAVIOUR OVER ONLINE RETAIL SHOPPERS: SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE STATE OF KERALA IN INDIA

In the current scenario, the study of consumer buying behaviour has pivotal role from marketer point of view. The consumer buying behaviour changes according to the social, economic, psychological conditions prevailing in world. The present study mainly aims to demonstrate the positive changes in consumer buying behavior by the information adoption and the impact of online product reviews on purchasing. Internet user sarechanging the way they buy and sell goods and services and are rapidly moving into a global trend.Theadvent ofe-commerce and the proliferation of the internet, mademore and more people getting very familiar with online shopping formalities, they choose to buy commodities and services what they need on online. The reviews, as feed- backs of buyers, largely affect the purchase intention or purchase behaviour of potential consumers. So, reviews in online mode provide a promising source of datafor predicting online the purchase behaviour. This study has identifiedfour major kinds of online review platforms viz. (i) Retail websites, (ii) Independent review platforms,(iii) Video-sharing platforms,and (iv) Personal blogs. These platforms represent product reviews in diverseformats along with accent on different review function features. An online survey was conducted to analyzeconsumer feedbacks on the different platforms and review systems and the impact of those on consumer purchase behaviour. The results highlight the relevance of platform credibility and usability on consumer trust and reliance in reviews as inputs in decision-makingprocess.