The Role of Social Media in the Purchasing Decisions of Fast-food Consumers, Cajamarca, 2024

Abstract

The objective of the study is to identify the relationship between social media and the purchasing decisions of customers of a fast-food micro-enterprise in the city of Cajamarca. The research was justified by the growing influence of digital environments on buyer attitudes, particularly within the food service sector. The study adopted a quantitative approach using a non-experimental, basic, correlational, and cross-sectional design. The population consisted of 850 customers registered on the micro-enterprise’s social media channels, and a validated questionnaire was administered to a sample of 265 individuals. The results indicated a significant relationship between the variables studied—social media and customer purchasing decisions—with a Spearman’s Rho value of 0.691. Furthermore, a moderate positive relationship was found between purchasing decisions and both content creation (Rho = 0.652) and interactions (Rho = 0.581), whereas the use of digital platforms showed a weak positive relationship (Rho = 0.549). The findings indicate that social media serve as a key tool for influencing consumer decisions, with content and interaction being the most decisive factors.