The Influence of Personalized Product Recommendations, User-Generated Content, and Customer Brand Identification on Purchase Decisions with Customer Trust as a Mediating Variable among Generation Z TikTok Shop Users in Surabaya
Abstract
This study examines the effects of Personalized Product Recommendation (PPR), User-Generated Content (UGC), and Customer Brand Identification (CBI) on Purchase Decision, with Customer Trust as a mediating variable, among Generation Z TikTok Shop users in Surabaya. A quantitative explanatory approach was employed using purposive sampling, resulting in 206 valid respondents. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results show that PPR, UGC, CBI, and Customer Trust have positive and significant effects on Purchase Decision. PPR, UGC, and CBI also significantly influence Customer Trust. Furthermore, Customer Trust partially mediates the relationships between PPR and Purchase Decision as well as between CBI and Purchase Decision, but does not mediate the relationship between UGC and Purchase Decision. These findings provide theoretical contributions to social commerce research and practical implications for businesses in developing personalized recommendations, strengthening brand identification, and encouraging authentic user-generated content to improve consumer purchase decisions on TikTok Shop.
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