Need for touch: o impacto da informação háptica textual na interação de compra online

E-commerce is an effective marketing tool, as it enables price comparisons, information seeking, and more convenience. However, for products such as fashion items, which require more touching and physical evaluation of features(e.g., softness, texture, and fit),online sales channels present more risks, due to the inability to convey that sense. This limits online purchase intentions. On the other hand, individuals display different degrees of Need for Touch. Thus, to sell fashion products online, firms should minimize the drawback when touching them is not possible. The aim of this paper is to identify how information presented on a fashion website influences the purchase decision process, as well as the perception of product quality. Perceived product quality may be optimized once virtual stores present sufficient pictorial and textual information for a more realistic and sensorial analysis. We also wanted to test whether the variable Need for Touch affects perceived quality and/or purchase intention. In this sense, we tested hypotheses that led to the conclusion thata product description with more sensorial(pictorial and textual) information helps generating haptic image, positively influencing perceived quality and the intention to purchase. Such results are in line with the findings of previous studies. Contrary to other studies, however, the expected moderating effect of NFT on the relationship between haptic imagery, perceived product quality, and purchase intention was not demonstrated by our analyses. Theoretical and managerial contributions are also discussed, in a contribution to the literature one-commerce, NFT, and haptic imagery.