The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Online Buying Behavior via the Mediating Role of Customer Perception: Evidence from the Abu Dhabi Retail Industry

This empirical investigation aimed to examine social media marketing's impact on online buying behavior via its mediating effect on customer perception in the Abu Dhabi retail industry in UAE. A descriptive, exploratory, causal, and analytical design was used with a quantitative technique and practical cluster sampling. The empirical analysis showed the importance of customer perception as the mediator in the model. As a result, this research proposed the development of an exceptional retailer-customer relationship. For retailers, that can contribute to the literature and future research-related retail industry in UAE. Regression and hypothesis testing were employed to statistically analysis a sample of 266 respondents working in Abu Dhabi retail stores. The findings revealed both the direct and significant impact of social media marketing and the indirect and significant mediating effect of customer perception on online buying behavior. Unidimensional model measurement is noted as a limitation of the research. Future research is recommended to explore a multidimensional model with a deep analysis of the same construct. Due to the large user bases of common social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, businesses will likely discover many customers and followers online. Retailers need to be flexible and consider this when establishing appropriate strategies to improve social media usage to boost sales; it is crucial to concentrate on elements of design for both store and user experience.