Pharmaceutical e-commerce in Venezuela: A Case Study on the Impact of Price, Risk, and Emotions in Online Purchasing

Purpose: To identify how price image, risk perception, and emotions influence online pharmacy customers' purchase intentions. Methodology: A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was estimated using data from a survey of 303 customers to evaluate the reliability and validity of the measures, along with the relationships between latent variables and purchase intentions. Results: Price image influences customers' risk perceptions and emotions; price-quality influences functional risk and emotions; perceptibility influences psychological and social risk and negative emotions; and processability influences functional and temporal risk, as well as emotions. Furthermore, psychological risk and positive emotions directly influence purchase intentions. Implications: This study identifies which dimensions of price perception are key to reducing the risk of online purchases and increasing customers' positive emotional experiences, thereby supporting the development of marketing tactics that build customer loyalty and satisfaction. Originality: This study aims to close a gap in the literature by specifying how price image dimensions influence the perceived risk and emotions of Venezuelan consumers, aspects little explored in both Latin America and Venezuela.