Repurchase Intention in E-commerce Websites

EXTENDED ABSTRACT
 
Introduction
In the past decade, the digital economy has transformed business operations and consumer behavior, with online shopping becoming a preferred method for consumers. Businesses, especially retail stores, are enhancing their online platforms to meet customer needs and retain them. The rise of information and communication technology and artificial intelligence has led businesses to adopt strategies like gamification and utilize crucial tools for customer engagement and feedback. Gamification is a strategy used by top retailers globally that involves strategically using game design elements in non-game contexts to create engaging experiences for users. This method is commonly used in various fields like marketing and customer loyalty programs and can enhance customer experiences and motivations. Some researchers believe that gamification is one of the most important media tools based on participation that can increase customer interaction with the company's website, leading to an increase in their intention to repurchase. In addition to gamification, other factors such as vendor reputation and trust have been identified as key predictors of customer retention and intention to repurchase as they can increase risk-taking behavior in cases of uncertainty, interdependence, and fear of opportunism. However, research has shown that not all forms of gamification are necessarily effective in increasing intentions to repurchase; it depends on the context, design type, and psychological outcomes of gamification. Therefore, gamification is not a simple framework but a complex phenomenon that requires careful analysis and evaluation. For this reason, leading research has investigated the relationship between game creation and reputation on the intention of DigiKala customers in Iran to repurchase while simultaneously reviewing factors such as trust, perceived ease of use and usefulness, desire to use, and purchase frequency within a conceptual model proposed by Aparicio et al. (2021).
 
Methodology
The current research is practical in terms of purpose. In terms of nature and method, it is descriptive-correlational and in terms of time, it is a cross-sectional type of research. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics methods and structural equation modeling have been used. The data required for this research were collected through a standard questionnaire both manually and electronically. In order to check the validity of the data collection tool, face validity was used. Also, by using confirmatory factor analysis, the construct validity of the research variables was investigated. The statistical population of this research includes all users of the DigiKala site who have purchased and searched for goods and services at least once using the site and the platform provided by this company. Due to the uncertainty of population, 20 samples were considered for each structural relationship in the research model, and finally, 243 analyzable questionnaires were collected from the samples. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling and Smart-PLS 0/3 software used.
 
Discussion and Results
Examining the distribution of variables shows that the distribution of none of the variables is normal. Applying the bootstrapping technique shows that the factor loadings of all components are in the desired range and are statistically significant. Also, checking the validity and reliability of the instruments shows that all research variables, except for the reputation variable, have minimum acceptable indicators related to the validity and reliability of the structures. Also, the review and evaluation of the structural model show that all the direct relationships except the relationship between the two variables "Gamification and Use" and the relationship between the two variables "perceived ease of use and intention to use", the rest are statistically significant. The coefficients of determining the dependent variables of the model show that the independent variables have been able to explain the changes of the dependent variables to a large extent. Based on this, it is clear that about 60% of the variance of the repurchase intention variable without the gamification variable is explained by other variables such as reputation, trust in vendors, etc. Tests related to the predictability index and Cohen's effects also indicate the desirability of these values. The calculated value of the SRMR index for the modified research model (09/0 ) is very close to the optimal value and shows that the research model needs minor modifications and this indicates the existence of differences in the behavior of users in the studied community regarding the reaction to the concept of intention to repurchase. This indicates that other variables are also influential in these relationships, which require more study and investigation in this society, and therefore, it is necessary to investigate and identify these variables by using qualitative research. Also, the results indicate the existence of a different social and economic background in Iran, which has caused the relationship between the variables of the research to be different from the results of other similar research abroad. Of course, as mentioned, the usefulness of using gamification to use the site more requires a suitable level of trust in the seller so that gamification can play its role well.
 
Conclusion
Using e-commerce to increase product sales by companies is useful and effective, but its usefulness is influenced by several factors that do not necessarily produce the same results in different societies. The maximum use of this useful platform requires several infrastructures in society that can open different paths for digital companies. In today's changing world, companies must face new challenges to survive. For example, they have to balance profitability and social responsibility, which are sometimes contradictory. Examining the values of Cohen's effect shows that in Iran's digital market and especially about DigiKala Company, reputation and trust more than anything guarantees people's intention to repurchase from this site. So, DigiKala must address these issues, especially the issue of digital corporate social responsibility. The results of the research showed that DigiKala needs to develop basic infrastructure such as developing digital corporate social responsibility, gaining the trust of users, and maybe paying more attention to the price sensitivity of users, and in general, paying attention to the developments necessary for the application of gamification tools and its advantages.