Mediation of Consumer Trust between Social Influence and Attitude toward brand

This study examines how social influence (SI) affects consumer trust (CT) and attitude toward the brand (ATB) in online shopping, with trust acting as a mediator. Grounded in Social Impact Theory, it explores how digital social cues shape brand evaluations in an emerging-market context. Data from 350 Indian online consumers were analyzed using structural equation modelling. Results show that SI significantly improves both CT and ATB, while CT strongly influences ATB and partially mediates the SI–ATB relationship. The model explains 50% variance in CT and 58% in ATB. The study highlights the importance of trust-driven strategies leveraging social cues and peer influence.