Consumer pre-purchase safety behavior in online marketplaces: examining the roles of knowledge, two-layer perceived risk, and self-efficacy across product categories

As online marketplaces expand, product-safety incidents have become a growing concern for consumers, marketplace operators, and regulators. This study examines consumers’ intentions to conduct pre-purchase safety checks, such as verifying product recalls, safety marks, and seller credibility, by integrating consumers’ safety-relevant knowledge, product-level perceived risk, platform-level perceived risk, self-efficacy, and risk preference. Survey data were collected from 1,215 Japanese online marketplace users who had purchased both electrical appliances and children’s toys in the past year. Furthermore, structural equation models were estimated separately by product category. The results show that safety-check intention was most strongly associated with product-level perceived risk. It was also positively associated with self-efficacy, safety-relevant knowledge, and platform-level perceived risk, while risk preference was negatively associated with intention. Safety-relevant knowledge was associated with intention both directly and indirectly, mainly through perceived risk and self-efficacy, and unexpectedly, with higher perceived risks. Furthermore, prior trouble experiences and longer online shopping experience were associated with greater knowledge, whereas learning experiences were primarily associated with stronger self-efficacy. The findings support a two-layer risk framework and suggest analytics-based, low-friction safety interventions, including safety mark displays, recall prompts, and targeted interface support, for marketplace operators and regulators.