A Study on the influence of Social Media on Pre-Purchase and Post-Purchase

Behaviour of Consumers—A Case Study on AJIO

Subject : Consumer Behavior & Neuromarketing

Presented By:

Arun PK
Dayita Ghosh
Hemanth Gunasekaran
Leena Agrawal
Priya Suman
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
In this digital era, social media has become an important aspect in shaping consumer behavior, in
the fashion e-commerce industry. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube do not just
serve as advertising platforms but also act as interaction points where consumers discover new
trends, look for reviews, and make a connection with brands. (Simon et al., 2016,) The visual
appeal of content, the approach of influencer recommendations, and the accessibility of peer
feedback—all these aspects contribute to forming expectations before a consumer even visits a
brand’s website (Ismail, 2017).

Two most important stages of the consumer’s decision-making process are pre-purchase
expectations and post-purchase experience. Pre-purchase expectations are the beliefs and
expectations formed by consumers based on external factors, such as social media ads, influencer
content, and customer testimonials (Yang, 2024). Post-purchase experience, on the other hand,
represents the actual communication with the product or service that meets up to those
expectations, which impacts customers satisfaction, return or exchange and brand’s loyalty.
(Irwansyah & Ningsih, 2023)

AJIO, an online fashion platform owned by Reliance Retail. The brand has gained significant
popularity with young Indian consumers because of its regular social media marketing,
influencers collaboration and well-structured digital experiences. Although its social media
presence is important in generating engagement and shaping consumer expectations, the extent
to which those expectations are fulfilled after product delivery is still not well examined. This
mismatch between the online promises and the actual offline experience can affect future repeat
purchases and brand image.
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
1. Chand Prakash et al. (2021)
Title: Exploring the Role of Social Media in Shaping Consumer Buying Behavior: A Factor
Analysis Approach
In this paper, Chand Prakash, Sunil Kumar, Amit Dangi, and Kanchan Yadav (2021) discussed
how social media influences how customers shop for products online. The authors surveyed 200
people from the NCR region to analyze which parts of social media have the most influence on
consumers’ purchase intentions. It was found from the survey that people are most influenced by
social media updates and influencer promotions, followed by how easy it is to shop through
social media platforms. Sharing experiences (like reviews or ratings) didn’t play as big of a role
as expected. This literature is useful for our study because it shows how platforms like AJIO can
influence what people expect before they buy and how their experience afterward can be shaped
by what they see or share on social media.
(Prakash et al., 2021)

2. Ismail Erkan & Chris Evans (2016)

Title: The Influence of eWOM in Social Media on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: An
Extended Approach to Information Adoption
This study by Erkan and Evans looked at how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)—like
customer reviews, ratings, and opinions on social media — affects what people buy. They found
that when people read reviews that are useful, trustworthy, and clear, they are more likely to
believe them and act on them. The study also showed that people’s own attitude and how much
they need information can also affect their decisions. This is important for our research on AJIO,
because customers often check reviews before buying clothes online. Their post-purchase
satisfaction or dissatisfaction is also shaped by what they continue to read or see on social media.
This makes eWOM an important factor in both pre-purchase and post-purchase consumer
behavior.
(Erkan & Evans, 2016)

3. Özgün, İ. G., & Özcan, B. (2020). Relationship between consumer behaviour before and
after purchase. Uluslararası Batı Karadeniz Mühendislik ve Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(1),
1-23.
Technologies in the field of communication are developing rapidly today. Social media refers to
communication and broadcasting platforms where individuals create interpersonal interaction. In
this study they checked whether demographic characteristics will affect the relationship between
consumer behaviour before and after purchase in social media. They had made research by
analysing 100 people (70-female, 30-male) by undergoing several tests like “Frequency
Analysis, Reliability Analysis, Normality Analysis, Skewness Kurtosis Analysis, T-test, Anova
test, Correlation Analysis”. In result, there is no significant difference in the pre-and
post-purchase consumer behaviours of the participants according to their gender. While there is a
significant difference in the pre-purchase consumer behaviour of the participants according to
their educational status, there is no significant difference in the post-purchase consumer
behaviour in social media according to their educational status. There is a positive relationship
between the time spent on the internet and the time spent on social media. There is a significant
relationship between pre-purchase consumer behaviour in social media and post-purchase
consumer behaviour in social media.
(İG & B, 2020)
4. Alam, S. H., & Hussain, A. (2025). Social Media Marketing and its Impediments on
Customer’s Post Purchase Behaviour. Review of Applied Management and Social Sciences,
8(1), 391-406.
This research paper explores how social media marketing affects customers' decisions and
behaviors post-purchase. It highlights the positive impacts like enhancing customer engagement,
building brand loyalty, and leveraging user-generated content for trust. But also identifies the
challenges like unrealistic expectations caused by exaggerated marketing, impulsive buying
leading to dissatisfaction, and privacy concerns due to data misuse. The study suggests ethical
practices, transparency, and personalized customer interactions as solutions to these issues. It
also emphasizes that addressing customer concerns post-purchase through responsive service and
honest communication can rebuild trust and foster long-term loyalty.
(S.H & A, 2025)

[Link] Gupta and Chahat Chopra (2020)

Title: Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behaviour

Gupta and Chopra (2020) researched, in this paper, how social media sites influence consumer
behavior, especially where buying behavior is involved. They highlighted how social media are
increasingly being utilized to look for product details, read reviews of products, and see the posts
by brands. The research explained the importance of eWOM, influencer marketing, and brand
interaction through websites like Facebook and Instagram in influencing purchase behavior. The
authors further stated that two-way communication between brands and consumers builds trust,
and the result is higher consumer satisfaction and loyalty. This study is relevant to our research
since it suggests the importance of online content, influencer conduct, and customer engagement
in shaping expectations and post-purchase experiences.
(Gupta & Chopra, 2020)

6: Gourav Kumar (2024)

Title: The Impact of Social Media Marketing and Customer Expectation on Post Purchase
Behaviour

In this study, Kumar (2024) explored the ways in which social media advertising influences
customer expectations and how customer expectations affect consumer behavior when making a
purchase. The research aims at young consumers and finds that social media websites, through
engaging content, celebrity endorsements, and interactive brand communication, can have an
impact on what customers expect from a product or service. The study finds that when such
expectations are met, customers have positive post-purchase attitudes in the form of satisfaction,
brand loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth. And unmet expectations can lead to negative
word-of-mouth and lost customer trust. This research is relevant to the current research because
it emphasizes the important role performed by social media not just before, but also after, a
purchase, by influencing how customers perceive and respond to their buying experience.

(Kumar, 2024)
7. Yingxuan Yang (2024)
TItle: The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Purchasing Decisions

Author performed a thorough research on the impact of social media on consumer buying
behavior by describing its contribution to each of the five stages of the buying decision-making
process: problem recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and
post-purchase behavior. The research highlights that social media influences attitudes through
user-generated content, influencer endorsements, and peer ratings, thus impacting not only brand
awareness but also consumer trust and loyalty.
The research points out that sites such as Facebook and Instagram enable consumers to find
products more naturally and with emotional involvement. It also emphasizes that social media
content, including product reviews and unboxing is a primary driver of building anticipation
prior to purchase, and post-purchase experience directly affects future purchasing behavior
through feedback and social authentication.
(Yang, 2024)

8. Rudy Irwansyah and Supiah Ningsih (2023)

Title: Study of the Role of Social Media on Consumer Desire to Shop in E-Commerce

Irwansyah and Ningsih (2023) examine the impact of social media on triggering purchase
intention on consumers' e-commerce websites. The studies utilize quantitative methods like
surveys and simple regression analysis to determine the relationship between use of social media
and purchase intention. The studies find that social media advertising, consumer interaction, and
social media posts on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have a positive impact
on consumers' purchase drive.
The research identifies that social networks act both as sources of information and influence,
guiding consumer perception and behavior even prior to the purchase. Moreover, the research
emphasizes the way consumer decision-making behavior—especially the pre-purchase steps like
awareness and evaluation—is also being influenced more and more by the content and reviews
being posted on social media. (Irwansyah & Ningsih, 2023)

9.”The effect of social media on pre- and post purchasing behavior: Evidence from
Turkey”by Tuncay Taşkın, Cemal Yükselen(2019)

This study therefore looks at how social media influences people's behavior while buying goods,
both before and after purchase. It made use of replies of 306 uni students from Turkey who are
constantly visible on social media. According to the results, people are more likely to trust what
other people post—such as reviews and recommendations than they would make strong ads
before deciding what to buy. Once they purchase anything, consumers often post bad
experiences more than favorable ones. Though social media has some impact on purchase,
generally it is really weak. The study comes to the conclusion that businesses actually should
pay attention to what people are saying online and modify their marketing campaigns to meet
user expectations and stimulate actual interaction.
10.”Predicting Purchase Behaviors from Social Media”- by Yongzheng Zhang,Marco
Pennacchiotti (2013)

This research employs social network information, primarily Facebook, to project consumers'
buying patterns into online retailers like [Link] authors demonstrate how that type of
information might be able to identify significant correlations with what types of goods people
would want to buy based on the Facebook information of more than 13,000 individuals, their
demographics, and pages they have liked. The "cold start" problem in recommender systems for
consumers who do not have purchasing history is examined in this paper using only social media
data and demonstrates that machine learning techniques such as logistic regression and SVM are
capable of estimating potential product categories with reasonable accuracy.
Especially for new users, the paper highlights the prospects of incorporating social network data
into e-commerce recommender systems to aid in improving customizing and targeted
enhancement.

2.1 GAPS IDENTIFIED

●​ There is limited focus on Indian fashion e-commerce brands like AJIO, regarding digital
expectations and actual experience.
●​ Most studies have generalised social media as one unit without breaking down the role of
influencers, UGC, and brand content.

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Structure

●​ The study follows a descriptive research method, describing consumer behaviour and
patterns by data

●​ It aims to understand how social media influences consumers’ pre-purchase expectations

and post-purchase behaviour for AJIO customers

●​ Quantitative (Survey based) and Analytical methods are used

3.2 Research Objectives

●​ To analyze how social media influences the pre-purchase expectations of AJIO’s

customers.
●​ To examine how user-generated content, influencer reviews, and brand posts affect
purchase decisions.
●​ To evaluate the impact of social media on post-purchase satisfaction or dissatisfaction
●​ To understand consumer behavior shifts due to social media narratives.

3.3 Research Hypothesis

 ●​ Null Hypothesis

Social media content does not significantly influence pre-purchase expectations and
post-purchase satisfaction of AJIO consumers.

●​ Alternative Hypothesis

Social media content significantly influences pre-purchase expectations and post-purchase

satisfaction of AJIO consumers.

3.4 Data Collection Method

●​ Primary Data

It is collected through a structured online questionnaire (Google Form) with 45 respondents

The questionnaire is mixed, has both closed-ended and open-ended questions

●​ Secondary Data

It is collected from journals, research papers, and online articles related to social media
marketing, consumer behavior, and AJIO.

3.5 Survey Instrument

●​ A structured questionnaire is mainly divided into four section:

Demographic Details
Pre-Purchase Behaviour
Post-Purchase Behaviour
Customer Feedback

●​ This questionnaire mostly uses Multiple choice based questions with likert scale type
questions
3.6 Data Analysis
To test the hypothesized relationships between social media engagement and
consumer behavior, chi-square tests of independence were conducted on the following
key variables:

●​ Influencer impact (Q8) and post-purchase regret (Q12)

●​ Social media platform (Q5) and perceived product matching (Q7)
●​ Frequency of checking AJIO’s social media (Q3) and satisfaction levels
(Q10)
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Profile of Respondents
Age-

Gender-

Occupation -
4.2 Statistical Analysis Findings

1.​ To examine whether consumers' level of influence by social media content

(influencer impact) is associated with higher incidence of post-purchase regret when
buying from AJIO
Hypotheses:
Null Hypothesis: There is no significant relationship between the degree of influencer
impact on purchase decisions and the likelihood of regretting an AJIO purchase.
Alternate Hypothesis: Consumers who report stronger influencer impact on their
purchases are more likely to experience post-purchase regret.
 Statistical Interpretation: Since the p-value (0.571) > 0.05, you fail to reject the null
hypothesis.
The chi-square test revealed no statistically significant association between influencer
impact and regret, χ²(3, N=46) = 2.006, p = .571. However, descriptive trends showed
that among respondents who reported being strongly influenced ('Yes, a lot'), the
proportion expressing regret (6/11 = 54.5%) was higher than other groups.

Key Findings(Data Analysis) :

●​ No significant relationship was found.
●​ (p-value = 0.571 > 0.05) - Failed to reject the null hypothesis.
●​ Insight: Being influenced by influencers does not statistically lead to higher post-purchase regret
for AJIO customers.

2.​ To determine whether there is a statistically significant association between the

social media platform that most influences AJIO purchase decisions (Instagram,
YouTube, Facebook, or none) and consumers' perception of whether the received
product matches what they saw on social media (Yes/No)
a.​ Hypotheses:
Null Hypothesis: There is no association between the social media platform influencing
AJIO purchases and perceived product matching with social media portrayals.
 Alternate Hypothesis: There is an association between the social media platform
influencing AJIO purchases and perceived product matching with social media
portrayals. (The likelihood of perceiving a product match differs significantly across
social media platforms used for purchase decisions.)

Since p < 0.05, we reject the null hypothesis.

There is statistically significant evidence that the perceived match between AJIO
products and social media portrayals varies by platform
(Instagram/YouTube/Facebook/none).

●​ To examine the relationship between customers’ frequency of checking AJIO’s

social media pages before making a purchase and their level of satisfaction with
the recent product and service experience.

The purpose was to understand whether engagement with AJIO’s social media has any
influence on customer satisfaction levels.

Key Findings (Data Analysis):

●​ Significant relationship found.

●​ (p-value < 0.05) - Rejected the null hypothesis.
 ●​ Insight: The platform (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, etc.) significantly affects whether
customers feel the product matches what was shown on social media.

3. To determine whether customers' frequency of checking AJIO’s social media pages

before purchase is associated with their satisfaction levels with recent product/service
experiences.

Hypotheses:

Null Hypothesis (H₀):

There is no association between the frequency of checking AJIO’s social media pages
and customer satisfaction with recent AJIO products and services.

Alternative Hypothesis (H₁):

There is an association between the frequency of checking AJIO’s social media pages and
customer satisfaction with recent AJIO products and services.
 Chi-square (χ²) value = 3.154957149

p-value = 0.368365346

Since the p-value (0.368) is greater than [Link] result is not statistically significant. We
fail to reject the null hypothesis.

There is no significant association between how often customers check AJIO’s social
media pages and their satisfaction with recent products and services. Customer
satisfaction does not depend on how frequently they view AJIO’s social media.

Key Findings (Data Analysis):

●​ No significant relationship found.

●​ (p-value = 0.368 > 0.05) → Failed to reject the null hypothesis.
●​ Insight: Checking AJIO’s social media more often does not significantly impact customer
satisfaction with purchases.

Major Findings:

1.​ Influencer Impact & Regret

a.​ No significant association found (p > 0.05).
b.​ Implication: Influencer-driven purchases do not inherently increase regret,
suggesting AJIO’s collaborations are effective.
 2.​ Platform-Specific Product Matching
a.​ Significant association (*χ²(3) = 11.89, p = 0.008*).
b.​ Implication: Instagram users reported the highest match rates (93%), while
non-SM users reported the lowest (33%).
3.​ Social Media Engagement & Satisfaction
a.​ Significant association (p < 0.05).
b.​ Implication: Frequent SM engagement correlates with higher satisfaction.
4.​ Overall Social Media Influence
a.​ Social media significantly influences both expectations and satisfaction
(reject H₀).

5.2 Theoretical Contributions

1.​ Supports theories on expectation-confirmation (Oliver, 1980) in SM-driven purchases.

2.​ Extends literature on platform-specific trust (e.g., Instagram’s visual reliability).

5.3 Market Implications

The findings offer several actionable insights for AJIO's marketing strategy:

●​ Instagram Content Optimization

The findings demonstrate Instagram's superior performance in creating accurate product
expectations (93% match rate). To capitalize on this strength, AJIO should prioritize
developing high-engagement visual content including augmented reality try-on features
and 360-degree product views. The company would benefit from implementing a
rigorous influencer vetting process, establishing clear content guidelines regarding image
editing and product representation. These measures would maintain Instagram's current
advantage while further reducing the expectation-reality gap that can lead to
post-purchase dissatisfaction.

●​ Social Media Engagement Strategies

The significant correlation between social media engagement frequency and customer
satisfaction indicates substantial potential in loyalty-building initiatives. AJIO should
develop a tiered rewards program offering exclusive benefits to active followers, such as
early access to new collections and members-only promotions. Content strategies should
emphasize interactive elements including polls for product feedback and
behind-the-scenes production footage. These approaches can transform passive viewers
into engaged brand advocates while providing valuable consumer insights.

●​ Cross-Platform Quality Control

The platform-specific variation in product matching perceptions reveals critical quality
control needs. AJIO must implement standardized advertising guidelines across all
platforms, particularly requiring clear disclosure of image enhancements on Facebook
 and YouTube. The company should establish dedicated content teams for each major
platform to adapt messaging while maintaining brand consistency. Regular post-purchase
surveys would help identify specific pain points among less-satisfied customer segments,
particularly those who don't engage with social media content.

●​ Strategic Resource Allocation

Given the demonstrated return on investment from Instagram marketing, AJIO should
prioritize budget allocation to this high-performing channel while maintaining sufficient
resources for platform-specific improvements elsewhere. Investment in advanced
analytics tools would enable real-time tracking of satisfaction metrics across platforms,
allowing for data-driven adjustments to content strategies. This balanced approach would
maximize the impact of marketing expenditures while addressing current performance
gaps.

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION

Overall, this study reveals that while social media significantly influences AJIO consumers'
purchase expectations and satisfaction, its impact varies across platforms. Instagram proves most
effective in delivering accurate product representations (93% match rate), whereas Facebook,
YouTube, and non-social media users report higher mismatches. Notably, influencer-driven
purchases show no significant link to post-purchase regret, validating AJIO's current
collaborations.
Frequent social media engagement correlates with higher satisfaction, highlighting opportunities
to strengthen loyalty through exclusive content and rewards. To enhance customer experience,
AJIO should prioritize Instagram optimization, improve cross-platform content consistency, and
expand engagement initiatives—ensuring alignment between digital portrayals and actual
product quality.
These findings underscore social media's pivotal role in shaping fashion e-commerce experiences
while offering actionable insights for platform-specific strategy refinement.

REFERENCE
●​ Prakash, C., Kumar, S., Dangi, A., & Yadav, K. (2021). EXPLORING THE ROLE OF SOCIAL
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APPROACH. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, Volume 25(Issue 1).
[Link]
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[Link]
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●​ Özgün, İ. G., & Özcan, B. (2020). RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
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Mühendislik ve Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(1), 1-23.
●​ Alam, S. H., & Hussain, A. (2025). Social Media Marketing and its Impediments on Customer’s
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[Link]
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