College Students Purchasing Knock-off Sports Shoes: Electronic Word of Mouth and Peer Influence

In recent years, research on the consumer behavior of counterfeit goods has been taken seriously by scholars, but there is a comparative lack of studies on college students purchasing knock-off sports shoes.Therefore, this study developed the model of purchasing behavior, including the variables of sender's expertise, perceived risk, peer communication, product investment, eWOM, product attitude, and purchase intention.In this study, 1,091 college students in Putian City, China were investigated by stratified sampling.The partial least squares analysis results showed the strength of eWOM could be affected by the sender's expertise and perceived risk.Product attitude could be influenced by peer communication and product involvement.Product attitude could be impacted by eWOM, and both factors could affect the purchase intention for knock-off sports shoes.The findings of this study could provide a reference for practical action to boycott such shoes.