e-WOM, brand image, and e-purchase intention on Shopee: Reassessing e-trust as mediator

Abstract

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractAlthough conventional digital marketing literature positions electronic trust (e-trust) as a key mediator of online purchase intention, its role in mature social-commerce environments in developing countries remains uncertain. This study aims to assess the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and brand image on e-purchase intention, with e-trust as a mediating variable, in the context of local products on the Shopee platform in Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was administered to 246 Shopee consumers who had purchased or intended to purchase local products on the platform, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that e-WOM and brand image positively and significantly influence both e-trust and e-purchase intention; however, e-trust, operationalized as ability, integrity, and benevolence, does not function as a significant direct predictor of purchase intention, nor as a mediating mechanism. The model explains 72.8% of the variance in e-purchase intention. These findings suggest that seller-level e-trust may not occupy the central mediating role assumed by conventional models in this context. Because the study does not measure platform-level trust or specific heuristic-processing mechanisms, explanations invoking social-affective heuristics or platform trust are offered as directions for future research rather than as direct empirical results. Practically, sellers of local products should prioritize active management of digital word-of-mouth and emotional brand narratives alongside, rather than instead of, trust-building efforts.