Abstract:
his study aims to analyze the effect of brand image and product reviews on
purchase decisions in the Shopee marketplace, with product reviews as a mediating
variable, using a quantitative approach with data collected through questionnaires
distributed to students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas
Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (FEB UMSU), and analyzed using Partial Least
Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that brand
image has a positive but moderate effect on purchase decisions (0.291), a very strong
effect on product reviews (0.953), while product reviews have a strong and more
dominant effect on purchase decisions (0.683). Additionally, product reviews
significantly mediate the relationship between brand image and purchase decisions
with an indirect effect of 0.651. These findings indicate that purchase decisions are
influenced not only by brand image but also strongly by the quality and credibility
of product reviews; therefore, sellers and marketplace platforms are advised to
maintain a positive brand image and enhance the transparency, informativeness, and
reliability of review systems to increase consumer trust and purchasing decisions.
