Electronic Word of Mouth, Fashion Trends, and Income as Predictors of Muslim Consumer Behavior in Urban Indonesia

Abstract

This study investigates the extent to which electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), fashion trends, and perceived income level jointly predict the consumption style of Muslim consumers residing in Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia. Grounded in Consumer Culture Theory, Social Identity Theory, and Digital Sociology, the study employs a quantitative cross-sectional design with data from 126 Muslim respondents aged 18 to 32 years, collected through a structured online questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), implemented in SmartPLS 4.0, served as the primary analytical technique given its robustness for reflective latent-variable models and its suitability for moderately sized samples. All three predictor variables demonstrated statistically significant positive effects on consumption style. Fashion trends emerged as the dominant predictor (β = 0.435, p < 0.001, f2 = 0.328), followed by perceived income (β = 0.368, p < 0.001, f2 = 0.234) and e-WOM (β = 0.313, p < 0.001, f2 = 0.171), collectively accounting for 43.1% of variance in consumption style (R2 = 0.431). These findings make a theoretically meaningful contribution by demonstrating that non-economic social forces, particularly fashion-related digital content, may exert stronger explanatory influence over consumption behavior than income capacity alone among urban Muslim millennials. This study extends the Islamic marketing and consumer behavior literature by integrating Digital Sociology with Consumer Culture Theory and Social Identity Theory, providing empirical evidence that aspirational and performative consumption, facilitated by digital influencers and peer-generated online content, is increasingly central within digitally connected Muslim communities. Policymakers and business practitioners may leverage these findings to design targeted digital literacy initiatives and culturally responsive marketing strategies within Muslim-majority urban markets. Future research should examine religiosity and digital literacy as potential moderating variables, employ longitudinal designs, and extend cross-cultural comparisons across Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority settings.