The Impact of Online Reviews to Business Students’ Trust and Purchase Intent in Products and Brands

Abstract

This study investigated how online product reviews influence business students’ trust in products and brands, considering demographic factors. As e-commerce grows, business students increasingly rely on online reviews for purchase decisions. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected through a survey from 180 students and analyzed through statistical tools, including frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation. Results showed a high overall agreement grand mean of 4.11, with the strongest agreement (4.4) on reading reviews before purchasing. Year level significantly affected trust, while age, and sex did not. Despite the reliance on online reviews, there was no significant correlation between product reviews and students’ overall trust in brands, suggesting that personal experience, brand reputation, and peer recommendation may have played a more substantial role. The study highlighted the importance of online reviews in shaping student purchasing behavior while emphasizing the need for businesses to enhance review credibility.