When social media met commerce: a model of perceived customer value in group-buying

Purpose: Social commerce using social media has been on the rapid increase. Among various social commerce models, group-buying has become the mainstream. There is a paucity of research related to how customers perceive value in group-buying situations. This paper aims to examine and analyze various factors that influence perceived customer value in group-buying. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using a survey on customers who had purchased a restaurant service deal on a group-buying site. A partial least squares technique was used to estimate the model. Findings: Results show that perceived customer value affects customers’ group buying intentions and that all four antecedents of perceived value (low price, valence of experience, trust in social media and reputation of the group-buying site) have a significant influence. Implications and further research directions are discussed at the end of the paper. Originality/value: This study provides valuable strategic implications for social commerce firms.