CONSUMER BEHAVIOR SHIFTS IN DIGITAL MARKETPLACES: IMPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS STRATEGY

Abstract

Background: Consumers did not simply move online during the pandemic and then return to earlier habits. Many learned new routines for comparison, reviews, delivery and digital payment, while also becoming more demanding about reliability and transparency. Aims: This article examines the mechanisms that connect the topic to organizational or policy performance and identifies the conditions that make those mechanisms stronger or weaker. Research Method: A structured narrative review integrates peer-reviewed research with authoritative policy, statistical, and professional sources, including World Bank (2025); Verhoef et al. (2021). Sources are coded by outcome, mechanism, boundary condition, and practical implication. Results and Conclusion: The synthesis indicates that outcomes are heterogeneous. Digital convenience does not erase offline expectations. A low-friction checkout can win the first transaction, but repeated purchase still depends on product quality, service recovery and whether the seller feels trustworthy after the platform interface disappears. Six recurring themes show that implementation quality, information, capability, and institutional context frequently matter as much as the headline policy or technology. Contribution: The article offers an evidence-based framework for brands and marketplace sellers that translates the literature into decision principles without claiming primary data that were not collected.