How offline peers shape online purchasing? A guanxi and mianzi perspective

Zhengchi Liu (), Sijia Huang (), Sha Zhou () and Yaqin Su ()
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Zhengchi Liu: Hunan University
Sijia Huang: Hunan University
Sha Zhou: Hunan University of Technology and Business
Yaqin Su: Hunan University

Electronic Markets, 2025, vol. 35, issue 1, No 59, 22 pages

Abstract: Abstract Online purchasing behavior is often influenced by social networks. Despite the marked success of offline social networks in social commerce, academic research in this area lags behind. This study addresses this gap by examining the existence, extent and mechanisms of offline peer influence on online purchasing within a relationship-oriented culture. Integrating offline social data from a campus e-commerce platform with online purchasing data, we find that offline peers positively affect consumers’ online purchase quantity, frequency, expenditure, and category count, with this effect amplifying with stronger social ties. Unlike previous studies, informational social influence is not supported; instead, guanxi and mianzi are identified as key mechanisms. This research represents the first empirical validation of the interplay between online and offline consumer behaviors within non-Western cultures, thereby enriching the literature on consumer behaviors and contributing to understanding the exponential growth of social commerce in China.

Keywords: Offline social networks; Online purchasing; Peer influence; Tie strength; Guanxi; Mianzi (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C82 L81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s12525-025-00807-6

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