The Impact of Blockchain Traceability Information on Product Sales in e-Commerce Platforms

Blockchain traceability system can address the problem of information asymmetry, thereby influencing consumer purchasing decisions. However, its efficacy within the context of e-commerce platforms remains unclear. To address this issue, we analyzed the impact of blockchain traceability on product sales based on cue utilization theory and using a quasi-natural experiment on the JD Mall e-commerce platform. Empirical analyses show that blockchain traceability information not only promotes product sales growth, but also alleviates consumers’ reliance on electronic word-of-mouth. In addition, products with lower brand reputation benefit more from implementing blockchain traceability information. The findings of this study help retailers recognise the potential and application conditions of blockchain traceability information, and provide management insights for e-commerce platforms to adopt blockchain traceability systems.