The Impact of Perceived Usefulness of Online Reviews, Trust and Perceived Risk on Online Purchase Intention in Emerging Markets: A Mexican Perspective

The purpose of this study is to investigate online purchase intention in emerging markets focusing on the impact of perceived usefulness of online reviews, trust and perceived risk. The results were obtained by an online survey answered by 380 online shoppers in Mexico City. Results from partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS indicate that perceived usefulness of online reviews influences in trust and online purchase intention. Trust has an inverse relationship with perceived risk and influences positively in online purchase intention. The authors did not find perceived risk to influence directly in online purchase intention. The results suggest that companies should seek to enhance customers to share their positive online opinions in order to improve trust and encourage online purchases. This paper contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the influence on online purchase intention in emerging markets.