Synergy or substitution? Interactive effects of user-generated cues and seller-generated cues on consumer purchase behavior toward fresh agricultural products
摘要
Fresh e-commerce has developed rapidly, yet consumers struggle to assess the quality of fresh agricultural products (FAP) online. Understanding the informational cues provided by both users and sellers—and how these cues interact to influence consumer purchase behavior toward FAP—is essential for fresh e-commerce development. Guided by cue consistency theory, this research examines how the consistency between user-generated cues (UGC: product and service quality from online reviews) and seller-generated cues (SGC: geographical indication and seller reputation) jointly influences consumer purchase behavior. Using text mining and econometrics on 80,353 reviews from JD.com, we find that UGC and SGC positively influence purchase behavior. Additionally, geographical indication positively moderates the relationship between product quality and purchase behavior, while seller reputation positively moderates product quality but negatively moderates service quality. These findings broaden the applicability of cue consistency theory and provide managerial implications for fresh e-commerce platforms and sellers in the FAP industry.