Pengaruh Kelompok Rujukan terhadap Niat Beli Ulang melalui Gaya Hidup sebagai Variabel Mediasi pada Pengguna iPhone

Studi pada Mahasiswa Aktif FEB UNM

Abstract

This study examines the effect of reference groups on repurchase intention with lifestyle as a mediating variable among iPhone users. Digital consumption has increasingly shifted from functional use to symbolic and identity-based consumption, particularly among young consumers who use smartphones as tools for communication, productivity, social interaction, and self-expression. Although prior studies have investigated social influence and lifestyle in initial purchase decisions, fewer studies explain how reference-group influence is translated into repurchase intention. This research employed a quantitative explanatory design. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 126 active students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Makassar, who had used an iPhone as their main smartphone for at least six months. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that reference groups have no significant direct effect on repurchase intention, but significantly influence lifestyle. Lifestyle has a significant positive effect on repurchase intention and mediates the relationship between reference groups and repurchase intention. These findings suggest that repurchase behavior is shaped less by direct social pressure and more by the internalization of social influence into consumer lifestyle. The study contributes to consumer behavior literature and provides practical implications for lifestyle-based marketing strategies