Determinants of purchase intention during COVID-19: A case study of skincare products in East Java

During COVID-19, consumers of skincare products pay more attention to safety and comfort. In such a crisis, consumers seek skincare products with brand effectiveness, high quality, and persuasive reviews by social media influencers. This study investigates the influence of brand effectiveness, product quality, and celebrity endorsers on purchase intention of halal skincare products in the pandemic. The study employed a survey of halal skincare users in East Java, Indonesia. A purposive sampling of 180 female respondents was analyzed; they were followers of Safi-Skincare Instagram and aged 18 and over. Descriptive statistics indicated that religious background strengthened the factors influencing the purchase intention towards a skincare product. The data were then analyzed using multiple linear regression with a statistical level of confidence of 95%. The result showed that brand effectiveness, product quality, and celebrity endorsers significantly affect purchase intention in Indonesia during the pandemic. The study concludes that Muslim standards reinforce rigid standards applied to skincare products with a halal logo, supporting good quality performance and encouraging stronger purchase intention. This study contributes to understanding consumer behavior in the pandemic using a purchase intention framework that can be applied to the safety and comfort of other consumer products. AcknowledgmentWe would like to thank Universitas Jember, East Java, Indonesia, for providing partial publication funding.