Mapping research trends in online shopping behavior during the fourth industrial revolution: A bibliometric analysis

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstract Online shopping behavior has been profoundly reshaped by the technological acceleration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), making it essential to understand how artificial intelligence and digital integration influence consumer decision-making. The study aims to map and quantify emerging trends in online consumer behavior research from 2019 to 2025. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 485 Scopus-indexed articles using Python packages, incorporating keyword co-occurrence, thematic evolution, Kleinberg’s burst detection, and N-gram with Document-Term Matrix (DTM) analyses. The results reveal five dominant clusters: Consumer Behavior & Smart Retail, Intelligent Commerce, Data-Driven Behavior, Smart Experience, and Neuro-Behavioral Analytics that collectively define the field’s intellectual structure. Publication output grew dynamically, rising 19.6% in 2020, 10.9% in 2021, and peaking at 37.7% in 2022, before regaining momentum with a 29.6% increase in 2024, with an average of 19.8 citations per document. The mean burst strength (94.6%) indicates accelerated keyword activity, with the strongest surges in Technology & Data (+350%) and Shopping & Retail (+83%), followed by moderate bursts in Trust & Risk and Marketing & Communication (+67%). Thematic evolution shows 87% growth in Intelligent Commerce & Neuro-Behavioral Analytics in 2024, highlighting the growing integration of technology and consumer psychology. Keyword analysis shows a consistent rise from 2019 and peaking in 2024 with an 86.7% growth in Consumer Psychology, signaling a shift from pandemic-focused research to AI-driven and consumer-centered studies. The findings highlight the transformative impact of IR 4.0 technologies on digital consumer behavior and online commerce research.AcknowledgmentsThe deepest appreciation is expressed to University of Economics and Law, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, Hochiminh City, Vietnam.