Alexa, it’s not just us! Voice commerce through the lens of service providers and consumers

Purpose Voice commerce is emerging as a promising new form of electronic commerce (e-commerce) where consumers’ service encounters are mediated through tools like voice assistants. While prior research has underscored the role of the attributes of these voice assistants in affecting various aspects of consumer behavior, including purchase intention, satisfaction and loyalty, there is limited understanding of how other attributes—such as those relating to the service, the service provider and the consumer—influence this behavior. Therefore, this study seeks to explore these attributes in greater detail through the service perspective. Design/methodology/approach Leveraging an inductive approach based on interviews with 15 e-commerce business developers and 18 shoppers, this study shines a light from the service perspective on the range of attributes that influence consumers’ purchase intention in voice commerce. Findings Key findings reveal that service attributes like service complexity and service consumption phase, along with service provider attributes such as brand familiarity and multichannel integration, emerge as crucial determinants of consumers’ purchase intention in voice commerce. Moreover, consumer attributes involving the perception of relative advantage and privacy risk, along with familiarity and susceptibility to social influence and normative pressures, significantly impact their purchase intention in voice commerce. Originality/value This study not only enriches understanding of the diversity of attributes driving purchase intention in voice commerce but also offers a conceptual framework that emphasizes the importance of the service perspective in voice commerce.