Promotional Speech Acts in Digital Fashion Retail: An Empirical Study of Consumer Purchase Intentions in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1601.29Keywords:
promotional, speech act, cyberpoliteness, online seller, fashion retailAbstract
The rapid growth of digital fashion retail has intensified competition among online sellers, making persuasive communication strategies crucial for influencing consumer purchase intentions. This empirical study investigates the relationship between promotional techniques employed by online fashion sellers and their impact on consumer purchasing decisions. Employing a descriptive qualitative methodology incorporating non-participant observational techniques and audiovisual analysis procedures, data collection encompassed transcribed content from 117 virtual interactions within live e-commerce platforms, survey responses from 210 consumer participants via questionnaire distribution, and semi-structured interview sessions conducted with fashion e-commerce vendors. This investigation identifies determinant factors that influence consumer purchasing behavior in fashion e-commerce. Four factors pertain to verbal communication strategies of online retailers, including product description transparency, seller hospitality orientation, persuasive discourse, and demand responsiveness capabilities. Two supplementary factors concerning non-verbal dimensions include seller visual presentation and consumer product quality perceptions. The research establishes that effective digital fashion retail performance transcends conventional marketing methodologies, necessitating sophisticated interpersonal communication competencies, elevated presentation standards, and exemplary customer service provision. Seller hospitality fosters emotional bonds with buyers, while clear product information and persuasive language, including dramatic promotional rhetoric, enhance consumer trust, bolster purchase confidence, and generate attention. Successful demand fulfillment mechanisms ultimately secure consumer satisfaction and transaction completion. These findings provide valuable insights for online fashion retailers seeking to optimize their communication strategies and enhance customer engagement. The research contributes to the understanding of digital consumer behavior and offers practical implications for developing more effective persuasive communication frameworks in the online fashion marketplace.
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