Exploring the impact of social relationships and system experiences on consumers’ acceptance of social commerce in the fashion sector: an empirical study

• Tested social relationship and system experience on s-commerce acceptance in novel. • Social relationship factors affect intention to use via system experience factors. • Understanding these linkages improves s-commerce marketing tactics and platforms. • The practical implications derived from this study underscore the significance of fostering consumer relationships and optimising the system experience in order to leverage the full potential of s-commerce as a prominent retail channel in the fashion industry. This study investigated the influence of social relationships and system experiences on consumers’ acceptance of social commerce (s-commerce) in the fashion sector. Perceived social connectedness, critical mass, ease of use, system capability, enjoyment, and usefulness were examined as factors impacting consumers’ intention to use s-commerce. Data from 558 valid responses were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results revealed that perceived social connectedness indirectly influences perceived usefulness and intention to use s-commerce through system experience-related factors. However, no significant effect was found between perceived system capability and perceived usefulness. The proposed model explains 64% of the variance in perceived usefulness and 62% in intention to use. This study fills a research gap by providing insights into the impact of social relationships and system experiences on consumer acceptance of s-commerce in fashion retailing. It offers guidance for practitioners to improve their s-commerce platforms and marketing strategies.