Investigating the role of social media influencers on the online buying behavior of hijab clothing by women in Iran

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of social media influencers (SMIs) on the online buying behavior of hijab clothing with the moderating role of religious commitment. Design/methodology/approach In this research, 533 Iranian women participated in the social media Instagram and were followers of hijab clothing shopping pages. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire related to research variables. The data was analyzed in SPSS and PLS software. Findings The findings showed that SMIs have an effect on the perceived value of hijab clothing and electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) and perceived value does not directly affect clothing purchase intention but EWOM has an effect on purchase intention. Finally, the purchase intention of hijab clothing has an effect on the online purchase behavior of hijab clothing. Also, the religious commitment variable moderates the relationship between EWOM and hijab clothing purchase intention. The results of this research confirmed the influence of Instagram influencers on the online purchase of hijab clothing, provided insights for people involved in the hijab clothing industry, such as designers, retailers and marketers to understand the market of hijab clothing products. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the primary research and for the first time, the influence of SMIs on the purchase intention and buying behavior of hijab clothing by women has been investigated with the moderating role of religious commitment in Iran.