Mapping the concept of online purchase experience: a review and bibliometric analysis

Purpose Modern businesses strategically focus on improving the online purchase experience (OPE) of customers to acquire a long-term competitive edge. However, the intellectual knowledge structure of OPE research remains uncharted, necessitating further investigation. This study aims to provide a concise synthesis of the evolution, trends and advancements of consumers’ OPE research using bibliometrics. Design/methodology/approach Firstly, the authors inventorised the relevant OPE literature, and then the bibliometric trends and the domain’s performance (top articles, outlets and authors) were analysed and illustrated through tables and narratives. Secondly, science mapping tools (such as co-occurrence) and visualisation strategy were deployed to pinpoint relevant OPE research themes and highlight the domain’s intellectual structure. Findings The most significant findings concern the most prolific authors, outlets, most cited articles and five thematic clusters forming the ground for potential future research paths. Also, these thematic clusters depicted the intellectual knowledge structure that emerged from the OPE research domain. Research limitations/implications This review may be helpful for future academic researchers to identify future research paths in the domain and practitioners to help make policy decisions while formulating and articulating their marketing strategy. Originality/value Deploying the VOSviewer and Bibliometrix-R software together, this review is most likely the first attempt to the best of the authors’ knowledge to provide a thorough bibliometric synthesis of the OPE research domain.