Project – The Effect of Influencer Marketing on Consumers’ Purchase Decisions: A Study of Selected Fashion Retail Businesses in Lagos State.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The development of digital communication technologies has significantly transformed the way businesses communicate with customers, promote their products, and compete in the marketplace. Traditional marketing methods, such as television advertisements, radio announcements, billboards, and newspaper promotions, are increasingly complemented by digital marketing strategies that allow businesses to interact directly with consumers. Social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and other online communities, have created opportunities for businesses to showcase their products, build relationships with customers, and influence purchasing decisions. Within this digital environment, influencer marketing has emerged as an important promotional strategy through which individuals with established online audiences promote products and services to their followers. Pan et al. (2025), in their meta-analytic review of influencer marketing effectiveness, found that influencer characteristics, audience characteristics, and the quality of promotional content can influence consumer attitudes, engagement, purchase intentions, and purchasing behaviour. This development has made influencer marketing an important subject of investigation in contemporary marketing research.

Influencer marketing refers to the use of individuals who have developed an online following and are perceived by their audiences as knowledgeable, credible, attractive, or influential in a particular field to promote products and services. Unlike conventional advertising, which often communicates directly from the business to the consumer, influencer marketing uses the relationship between the influencer and followers as a channel for communicating promotional messages. Influencers may recommend fashion products, demonstrate how clothing is worn, review accessories, compare brands, and share personal experiences that help consumers evaluate products before making purchases. Their effectiveness may depend on the credibility of their recommendations, the relevance of their content, and the relationship they maintain with their audiences. Lou and Yuan (2019) established that the informative value of influencer-generated content and the credibility of influencers can contribute to consumers’ trust in branded content. Similarly, Ohanian (1990) identified attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise as important dimensions of source credibility in endorsement contexts. These factors provide a basis for examining how influencer marketing may shape consumers’ decisions to purchase fashion products.

The relationship between influencer marketing and consumer purchasing decisions is particularly relevant in the fashion industry because fashion products are associated with personal appearance, identity, lifestyle, social acceptance, and self-expression. Consumers may rely on visual content, product demonstrations, styling recommendations, and reviews when deciding whether to purchase clothing, footwear, handbags, jewellery, cosmetics, and other fashion-related items. Influencers can make these products more visible by displaying them in practical settings and explaining their perceived quality, suitability, price, and styling possibilities. Their recommendations may also expose consumers to new brands and encourage them to consider products they had not previously intended to purchase. De Veirman et al. (2017) demonstrated that the number of followers and the fit between an influencer and a product can affect perceptions of the influencer and the promoted brand. In addition, the fashion-specific study by Casaló et al. (2020) examined how fashion influencers contribute to consumers’ purchase intentions, highlighting the relevance of influencer-related perceptions in fashion marketing. These findings suggest that influencer marketing may affect the ways consumers discover, evaluate, and select fashion products.

Consumer purchase decisions involve several stages, including recognising a need, searching for information, evaluating available alternatives, making a purchase, and assessing the experience after purchase. Influencer marketing may affect one or more of these stages by introducing consumers to products, providing information about available options, shaping attitudes towards brands, and encouraging consumers to consider particular products. For example, a consumer who sees an influencer presenting a clothing brand may become interested in the product, investigate its price and quality, compare it with competing alternatives, and eventually decide whether to buy it. However, exposure to influencer content does not automatically result in a purchase. Consumers may question the authenticity of a recommendation, consider whether the product matches their needs, or reject the product because of price, quality concerns, or limited purchasing power. Ashraf et al. (2023) found that influencer characteristics such as attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity can contribute to parasocial relationships with followers and indirectly influence purchase intentions. This indicates that the effect of influencer marketing on purchasing decisions depends not merely on promotional exposure but also on how consumers interpret and respond to the influencer’s message.

Another important consideration is the credibility and authenticity of influencer-generated content. Consumers may be more receptive to recommendations from influencers whom they perceive as honest, knowledgeable, consistent, and familiar with the products they promote. Conversely, repeated endorsements of unrelated products, exaggerated claims, or recommendations that appear motivated exclusively by payment may weaken consumer trust. The disclosure of commercial relationships is also relevant because consumers may evaluate sponsored content differently when they understand that an influencer has been compensated to promote a product. Weismueller et al. (2020) found that source credibility dimensions, including attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise, are relevant to consumers’ purchase intentions in social media endorsement contexts, while advertising disclosure can affect perceived credibility. Liu and Zheng (2024) likewise reported that informative content, authenticity, and similarity can strengthen relationships between influencers and followers and contribute to brand credibility and purchase intention. These findings demonstrate that the effectiveness of influencer marketing may depend on the quality and credibility of promotional communication rather than on the mere presence of an influencer in an advertisement.

In Nigeria, the expansion of social media use and online commercial communication has created additional opportunities for fashion retailers to reach customers beyond conventional physical-store promotions. Retailers can use influencers to display new collections, advertise sales, introduce emerging fashion labels, and direct potential customers to shops, online catalogues, or ordering channels. Influencers may also help smaller businesses reach specific consumer groups without relying exclusively on expensive mass-media advertising. Nevertheless, the outcomes of such campaigns may differ according to the retailer’s target market, the influencer’s audience, the type of fashion product promoted, and consumers’ confidence in the information presented. Businesses must also consider whether influencer engagement, such as likes, comments, views, and shares, translates into actual purchases. Pan et al. (2025) showed that influencer marketing outcomes are associated with multiple characteristics of the influencer, the promotional post, and the audience, and that the strength of these relationships can vary across platforms and product categories. Consequently, the Nigerian fashion retail environment provides a relevant setting for investigating whether influencer marketing influences consumers’ actual purchasing decisions rather than simply generating online attention.

Lagos State is an appropriate setting for this investigation because of its large consumer market, extensive commercial activities, and concentration of fashion retailers serving customers with diverse preferences and purchasing power. Fashion retail businesses in Lagos operate in an environment where physical shopping, social media promotion, personal recommendations, and online communication can coexist. Selected retailers may use fashion influencers to demonstrate products, promote new arrivals, communicate discounts, and create awareness of their brands. However, the usefulness of these promotional activities depends on whether consumers trust the influencers, regard the products as desirable, perceive the recommendations as relevant, and eventually decide to make purchases. Although international studies have established relationships between influencer credibility, content characteristics, brand perceptions, and purchase intentions, their findings cannot automatically be assumed to apply uniformly to every retail setting. Ashraf et al. (2023) and Pan et al. (2025) provide evidence that influencer-related characteristics can shape consumer responses, but the particular outcomes may depend on the context in which influencer marketing is used. It is therefore necessary to examine the effect of influencer marketing on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State, with attention to influencer credibility, promotional content, consumer trust, and the purchasing responses associated with these marketing activities.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Influencer marketing has become a visible promotional approach in which fashion retailers collaborate with social media personalities to attract customers and encourage product purchases. However, the increasing use of influencer marketing does not necessarily mean that every campaign produces the desired purchasing outcome. Some consumers may respond positively to an influencer’s recommendation, while others may ignore the message, question the influencer’s credibility, or decide that the promoted product does not meet their needs. This creates a practical concern for fashion retailers that invest money, products, or other resources in influencer partnerships without clear evidence of the extent to which such activities affect consumer purchasing decisions. Although Pan et al. (2025) identified important relationships between influencer marketing characteristics and consumer outcomes, the effectiveness of individual campaigns can vary according to the influencer, the audience, the content, and the product category. The problem, therefore, is not simply whether fashion retailers use influencers, but whether and how this strategy influences consumers’ decisions to purchase their products.

A second problem concerns the credibility, trustworthiness, and perceived authenticity of influencers. Consumers may regard an influencer’s recommendation as useful when the influencer demonstrates knowledge of fashion products, provides relevant information, and communicates in a manner that appears genuine. However, consumers may become sceptical when promotional messages contain exaggerated claims, when influencers endorse many unrelated brands, or when the commercial purpose of the message is unclear. Such concerns may affect how consumers evaluate the advertised brand and whether they are willing to act on the recommendation. Weismueller et al. (2020) showed that source credibility is relevant to purchase intention in influencer endorsement contexts, while Ashraf et al. (2023) highlighted the role of influencer characteristics and follower relationships in shaping purchase intentions. Despite these insights, the extent to which perceived influencer credibility and trust influence purchasing decisions among customers of selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State requires contextual investigation.

A further problem relates to the relationship between promotional engagement and actual purchasing decisions. Social media campaigns can generate views, likes, comments, shares, and new followers, but these indicators do not necessarily establish that consumers have purchased the promoted fashion products. A campaign may attract considerable attention without producing a corresponding increase in consumer purchases, while a smaller and more targeted campaign may reach consumers who are genuinely interested in buying. Fashion retailers therefore need to understand whether influencer content, product demonstrations, recommendations, and promotional messages contribute to consumer product evaluation and final purchase decisions. Lou and Yuan (2019) showed that the informational value and credibility of influencer-generated content can contribute to trust in branded content, while Pan et al. (2025) distinguished between non-transactional outcomes, such as attitudes and engagement, and transactional outcomes, including purchase behaviour and sales. This distinction makes it necessary to investigate the relationship between influencer marketing and purchasing decisions rather than relying solely on social media engagement as evidence of marketing effectiveness.

Finally, although existing international studies provide useful explanations of influencer marketing and consumer behaviour, there remains a need to assess how these relationships operate among customers of selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State. Consumers’ responses may differ because of variations in income, fashion preferences, digital engagement, brand familiarity, and perceptions of the credibility of online recommendations. Retailers may also differ in the influencers they select, the content they publish, and the ways they evaluate campaign performance. Without context-specific evidence, fashion retailers may find it difficult to determine which aspects of influencer marketing are most relevant to consumer purchasing decisions and how to allocate promotional resources effectively. The findings of Ashraf et al. (2023), Liu and Zheng (2024), and Pan et al. (2025) establish the importance of influencer characteristics, content, and consumer relationships, but they do not independently establish the outcomes for every category of fashion retailer in Lagos State. This study therefore seeks to investigate the effect of influencer marketing on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of influencer marketing on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State.

The specific objectives are to:

1. Examine the effect of influencer credibility on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State.
2. Determine the effect of influencer-generated promotional content on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State.
3. Assess the relationship between consumer trust in social media influencers and purchase decisions for fashion products.
4. Examine the effect of influencer–brand fit on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State.

1.4 Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions:

1. To what extent does influencer credibility affect consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State?
2. How does influencer-generated promotional content affect consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State?
3. What is the relationship between consumer trust in social media influencers and purchase decisions for fashion products?
4. How does influencer–brand fit affect consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will guide the study:

H₀: Influencer marketing has no significant effect on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are expected to be beneficial to fashion retail business owners, marketing managers, consumers, social media influencers, researchers, and students of marketing and business administration.

Fashion retail business owners and managers: The study may help fashion retailers understand how influencer credibility, promotional content, consumer trust, and influencer–brand fit relate to customers’ purchasing decisions. The findings may guide decisions about influencer selection, campaign design, promotional expenditure, and the evaluation of marketing outcomes.

Social media influencers: The study may help influencers understand the importance of credibility, authenticity, relevant product knowledge, and appropriate brand partnerships. Such understanding may encourage more responsible promotional practices and help influencers maintain constructive relationships with their audiences.

Consumers: The study may improve awareness of how influencer recommendations can affect product evaluation and purchase decisions. It may also encourage consumers to assess the credibility of promotional messages, compare alternatives, and consider product quality and suitability before making purchases.

Marketing practitioners: The findings may provide useful information for developing influencer marketing strategies that are consistent with a retailer’s target audience and marketing objectives. They may also help practitioners distinguish between online engagement and consumer purchasing outcomes.

Researchers and students: The study may contribute to academic discussions on digital marketing, influencer endorsements, consumer behaviour, and fashion retailing. It may also provide a foundation for future research on influencer marketing across other industries, locations, and consumer groups in Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the effect of influencer marketing on consumers’ purchase decisions among selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State, Nigeria. Its geographical scope is limited to Lagos State, while its subject scope covers influencer credibility, influencer-generated promotional content, consumer trust in social media influencers, influencer–brand fit, and consumers’ purchase decisions. The study will consider consumers’ responses to influencer promotions relating to fashion products, including clothing, footwear, bags, accessories, and other fashion-related merchandise sold by the selected businesses. The specific retail businesses and respondents will be identified according to the sampling procedure adopted for the research. The study will not attempt to represent every fashion retailer or every consumer in Lagos State; rather, its findings will be interpreted within the limits of the selected businesses, respondents, and period of data collection.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The study may encounter certain limitations. First, some respondents may be unwilling to disclose their purchasing experiences or may provide answers they consider socially acceptable. To reduce this limitation, respondents will be informed that the information collected is for academic purposes and will be treated confidentially.

Second, consumers may have difficulty distinguishing between purchases influenced by social media influencers and purchases motivated by other factors, such as price, product quality, personal preference, recommendations from friends, or previous experience with a brand. The research instrument will therefore use clear questions to help respondents identify their exposure to influencer marketing and its perceived role in their decisions.

Third, the study may be constrained by limited time, financial resources, and access to customers of the selected fashion retail businesses. These constraints may affect the number of respondents that can be reached. Appropriate sampling and data collection procedures will be used to obtain relevant information within the available resources.

Finally, the study will focus on selected fashion retail businesses in Lagos State. Consequently, its findings may not be generalisable to every fashion retailer in Nigeria or to other product categories. Nevertheless, the study is expected to provide context-specific evidence on the relationship between influencer marketing and consumers’ purchase decisions within the selected businesses.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

Influencer Marketing: A marketing strategy in which businesses collaborate with social media personalities or content creators to promote products, communicate brand messages, and influence potential customers.

Social Media Influencer: An individual who creates content and has an audience on one or more social media platforms, with the ability to shape followers’ perceptions, attitudes, or decisions through recommendations and communication.

Influencer Credibility: The extent to which consumers perceive an influencer as trustworthy, knowledgeable, and credible when recommending fashion products.

Influencer-Generated Promotional Content: Social media posts, videos, photographs, product reviews, styling demonstrations, or other content created or shared by influencers to promote fashion products or brands.

Consumer Trust: The degree to which consumers believe that an influencer’s recommendations and information about a fashion product are honest, reliable, and credible.

Influencer–Brand Fit: The perceived compatibility between an influencer’s image, expertise, values, audience, or content and the fashion brand or product being promoted.

Consumers’ Purchase Decisions: The choices consumers make concerning whether to purchase a fashion product, which brand or product to select, and whether to proceed with a purchase after evaluating available alternatives.

Fashion Retail Businesses: Businesses involved in selling fashion-related products, including clothing, footwear, bags, accessories, and related merchandise, to final consumers.

Purchase Intention: A consumer’s expressed willingness or likelihood to buy a product. It is related to, but not identical to, an actual purchase decision.

Lagos State: The geographical area in southwestern Nigeria within which the selected fashion retail businesses and study respondents will be located.

Project – The Effect of Influencer Marketing on Consumers’ Purchase Decisions: A Study of Selected Fashion Retail Businesses in Lagos State.