The study, titled The Influence of Online Customer Review, Online Customer Rating, and Influencer Endorsement on Purchase Decisions of Garnier Facial Cleanser Products on Shopee in DKI Jakarta, examines intense competition in Indonesia’s digital beauty-product market.
Shopee has become one of the major platforms for beauty and personal-care products. However, amid high online shopping activity, brands do not enjoy equal market positions. Garnier faces competition from various local and international brands that actively build their digital presence through customer reviews, marketplace promotions, and collaborations with influencers.
This situation means that consumer decisions are no longer based solely on product quality or corporate advertising. Before making a purchase, consumers can examine the experiences of other buyers, compare ratings, read comments, and watch recommendations from influencers on social media.
Survey of 170 Garnier Consumers in Jakarta
Hermansyah and Fauzi collected data from 170 Garnier consumers living across the five administrative areas of DKI Jakarta who had purchased Garnier facial cleanser products through Shopee.
Respondents were selected based on several criteria, including having purchased and used Garnier products and meeting the age requirements established in the study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire.
Female respondents accounted for 59.4 percent of the sample, while males represented 40.6 percent. Consumers aged 18–25 years formed the largest age group, accounting for 65.9 percent of respondents. Most respondents were also students.
The respondent profile represents a consumer group that is relatively active on the internet and marketplaces. Younger consumers are highly exposed to digital information, including customer reviews, rating systems, and product promotions through social media.
The researchers then analyzed the relationship between three key factors and purchase decisions: online customer reviews, online customer ratings, and influencer endorsements.
Customer Reviews Have the Strongest Influence
The study found that all three factors have positive and significant effects on consumers’ purchase decisions for Garnier facial cleanser products on Shopee.
However, the strength of their influence differs.
Online customer reviews were the most dominant factor, with an influence coefficient of 0.476. Influencer endorsement ranked second with a coefficient of 0.363, while online customer rating recorded an influence coefficient of 0.216.
In other words, information and experiences shared by other consumers play a stronger role in encouraging purchases than product ratings or influencer promotions.
The respondents’ answers also support this finding. The highest-rated indicator for customer reviews was the statement that online reviews provide the information consumers need before purchasing a product.
For prospective buyers, reviews serve as a practical source of information. Consumers can learn about product experiences, product condition, quality, benefits, and potential problems encountered by previous users.
The preliminary survey conducted for the study showed an even stronger pattern. Forty out of 43 respondents said they frequently read customer reviews before purchasing Garnier facial cleanser on Shopee. Meanwhile, 35 respondents said they had cancelled a purchase after finding a negative review.
These findings demonstrate that customer reviews can strengthen consumer confidence, but they can also stop a transaction when the information discovered by consumers is considered unconvincing.
Ratings Help, but Are Not the Main Deciding Factor
Online customer ratings were also found to have a positive and significant effect on purchase decisions.
Consumers tend to use star ratings as a quick way to obtain an overall impression of previous buyers’ experiences. Products with high ratings can signal that they have received positive evaluations from consumers.
However, the influence of ratings was the smallest among the three factors examined in the study.
This suggests that consumers do not rely solely on numerical ratings. Ratings can help consumers quickly screen products, but buyers still need more detailed information from written reviews.
The respondents’ assessments reflected this pattern. They indicated that product ratings help them make purchasing decisions, while their level of trust in ratings provided by other consumers was relatively lower.
For digital consumers, four or five stars may serve as an initial signal. However, comments explaining the reasons behind those ratings appear to provide a stronger basis for making a purchase decision.
Influencers Are Effective at Attracting Consumer Attention
The study also found that influencer endorsement has a positive and significant effect on purchase decisions.
Influencers with broad reach, popularity, credibility, and attractiveness can help introduce products to potential consumers. Influencer promotions can also increase attention toward a product and encourage consumers to consider purchasing it.
However, the study reveals an important distinction between attracting attention and building strong trust.
Respondents gave the highest assessment to influencers’ ability to exert broad influence on social media. Meanwhile, trust in the product information communicated by influencers received a relatively lower score.
The preliminary survey showed a similar pattern. Thirty-five of the 43 respondents said they had become interested in purchasing a product after seeing an influencer’s review or endorsement. However, only 22 respondents said they trusted an influencer’s review more than an ordinary customer’s review.
This means influencers can effectively capture consumers’ attention, but real experiences shared by fellow users remain a particularly powerful source of information.
Three Factors Explain 74.2 Percent of Purchase Decisions
Overall, the combination of online customer reviews, online customer ratings, and influencer endorsements explained 74.2 percent of the variation in purchase decisions in the study.
This figure indicates that the three digital factors play a substantial role in explaining how consumers decide to purchase Garnier facial cleanser products on Shopee.
Nevertheless, 25.8 percent of the variation remains attributable to factors outside the research model. These factors could include price, brand image, trust in sellers, product quality, promotions, and consumers’ personal experiences.
For businesses, the findings send a clear message: digital marketing strategies cannot rely solely on advertising.
Companies need to pay attention to customers’ experiences after purchase. Satisfied consumers should be encouraged to provide informative reviews, while product and service quality must be maintained so that ratings consistently reflect positive experiences.
Influencer selection should also be conducted strategically. A large audience reach is important, but credibility and compatibility between an influencer, the product, and the target consumer can determine the effectiveness of an endorsement campaign.
Implications for Digital Marketing Strategies
Difa Maruf Hermansyah and Firman Fauzi from Universitas Mercu Buana demonstrate that marketplace consumers increasingly rely on information from their digital environment when making purchasing decisions.
For Garnier and other beauty companies, customer reviews can become an important marketing asset. Information provided by actual users is perceived as being closer to real-world product experiences than formal promotional messages.
Business strategies can therefore focus on improving product information, strengthening after-sales service, managing customer reviews effectively, and collaborating with influencers who have strong credibility and an appropriate understanding of beauty products.
For consumers, the findings also serve as a reminder not to rely solely on star ratings or an influencer’s popularity. Reading customer reviews carefully can provide a more realistic picture before making a purchase.
Author Profiles
Difa Maruf Hermansyah is the lead author of the study and is affiliated with the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta, Indonesia. His research focuses on consumer behavior, digital marketing, marketplaces, and factors influencing purchasing decisions.
Firman Fauzi is an academic affiliated with the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Mercu Buana, Jakarta, Indonesia. His academic interests related to this study include management, marketing, consumer behavior, and purchasing decision-making.
Research Source
Hermansyah, Difa Maruf, and Firman Fauzi. “The Influence of Online Customer Review, Online Customer Rating, and Influencer Endorsement on Purchase Decisions of Garnier Facial Cleanser Products on Shopee in DKI Jakarta.” Journal article, 2026.
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