External and Personal Factors as Enablers of Purchase Intention among TikTok Users

Abstract

The rapid rise of social commerce platforms has significantly transformed consumer purchasing behavior, particularly through applications such as TikTok. While there are several studies towards traditional e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada, this study focuses primarily on the TikTok Shop and how social factors like trends and influencer credibility influence the purchase intention of buyers. The study utilized a descriptive-correlational research design, with data collected from 342 participants through a validated, factor-analyzed, structured survey questionnaire. The findings revealed that participants rated trends, influencer credibility, technological competence and financial management highly, identifying them as prominent elements with their purchase intention in the TikTok platform environment. Correlation analysis showed that external factors, personal factors, and purchase intention were significantly related, while regression analysis revealed that both external factors and personal factors significantly influence purchase intention. The study concludes that TikTok’s interactive environment, together with users’ personal capabilities, plays a crucial role in shaping consumer purchase behavior on social commerce platforms. It is recommended that businesses and online sellers strategically leverage emerging trends and collaborate with credible influencers to strengthen consumer trust and enhance purchase intention. Future researchers are encouraged to explore other variables, such as content quality and price sensitivity, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing purchase intention among TikTok Shop users content quality and platform trust.