Mapping research trends in online shopping behavior during the fourth industrial revolution: A bibliometric analysis
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.21(4).2025.16
-
Article InfoVolume 21 2025, Issue #4, pp. 216-231
- 17 Views
-
2 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
Online shopping behavior has been profoundly reshaped by the technological acceleration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), making it essential to understand how artificial intelligence and digital integration influence consumer decision-making. The study aims to map and quantify emerging trends in online consumer behavior research from 2019 to 2025. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 485 Scopus-indexed articles using Python packages, incorporating keyword co-occurrence, thematic evolution, Kleinberg’s burst detection, and N-gram with Document-Term Matrix (DTM) analyses. The results reveal five dominant clusters: Consumer Behavior & Smart Retail, Intelligent Commerce, Data-Driven Behavior, Smart Experience, and Neuro-Behavioral Analytics that collectively define the field’s intellectual structure. Publication output grew dynamically, rising 19.6% in 2020, 10.9% in 2021, and peaking at 37.7% in 2022, before regaining momentum with a 29.6% increase in 2024, with an average of 19.8 citations per document. The mean burst strength (94.6%) indicates accelerated keyword activity, with the strongest surges in Technology & Data (+350%) and Shopping & Retail (+83%), followed by moderate bursts in Trust & Risk and Marketing & Communication (+67%). Thematic evolution shows 87% growth in Intelligent Commerce & Neuro-Behavioral Analytics in 2024, highlighting the growing integration of technology and consumer psychology. Keyword analysis shows a consistent rise from 2019 and peaking in 2024 with an 86.7% growth in Consumer Psychology, signaling a shift from pandemic-focused research to AI-driven and consumer-centered studies. The findings highlight the transformative impact of IR 4.0 technologies on digital consumer behavior and online commerce research.
Acknowledgments
The deepest appreciation is expressed to University of Economics and Law, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, Hochiminh City, Vietnam.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)L81, M31, D11, C38
-
References57
-
Tables2
-
Figures6
-
- Figure 1. Flow diagram of the literature search and selection
- Figure 2. Bibliometric overview (2019-2025)
- Figure 3. Yearly trends in number of documents and citations (2019-2025)
- Figure 4. Top 50 different keywords are categorized into seven groups over years
- Figure 5. Co-word network of five clusters in online shopping research in IR 4.0
- Figure 6. Heatmap: yearly trends of keywords by cluster (2019-2025)
-
- Table 1. The comparison of burst strength in burst detection
- Table 2. Thematic groups
-
- Abdallah, A. B., Almomani, H. A., & Al-Zu’bi, Z. M. F. (2025). Industry 4.0-Enabled Supply Chain Performance: Do Supply Chain Capabilities and Innovation Matter? Logistics, 9(1), 36.
- Aggarwal, D. (2023). Exploring the Role of AI for Online Grocery Shopping through Enhancing Personalized Recommendations and Customer Segmentation. TTACA, 2(3), 1-4.
- Alhaimer, R. (2022). Fluctuating Attitudes and Behaviors of Customers toward Online Shopping in Times of Emergency: The Case of Kuwait during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Internet Commerce, 21(1), 26-50.
- Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959-975.
- Barata, J. (2021). The fourth industrial revolution of supply chains: A tertiary study. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 60, 101624.
- Benitez, G. B., Ferreira-Lima, M., Ayala, N. F., & Frank, A. G. (2022). Industry 4.0 technology provision: The moderating role of supply chain partners to support technology providers. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 27(1), 89-112.
- Bornmann, L., & Mutz, R. (2015). Growth rates of modern science: A bibliometric analysis based on the number of publications and cited references. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(11), 2215-2222.
- Černý, M., & Gogola, M. (2023). Potential use of RFID and QR code in the supply chain based on Blockchain and Smart contract. Transportation Research Procedia, 74, 354-362.
- Chen, C. (2006). CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 57(3), 359-377.
- Dixit, V., & Prasad, A. (2025). A Bibliometric Analysis of Industry 4.0 Literature in the Operations Management Domain. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 32-44.
- Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285-296.
- Grover, A., Sharma, P., Kaswan, M. S., Chaudhary, R., & Kumar, V. (2025). Synergy of social commerce and Industry 4.0: Fostering customer experiences in the digital era. International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management.
- Heidary Dahooie, J., Raafat, R., Qorbani, A. R., & Daim, T. (2021). An intuitionistic fuzzy data-driven product ranking model using sentiment analysis and multi-criteria decision-making. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 173, 121158.
- Huang, G. (2022). Research on e-commerce security in data and cloud computing environment. Paper presented at 2022 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Everything (AIE).
- Hur, S. H., & Won, M. (2024). CO2 emissions and delivery time of last-mile drone delivery using trucks. IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 18(1), 101-113.
- Huseynov, F., & Özkan Yıldırım, S. (2019). Online Consumer Typologies and Their Shopping Behaviors in B2C E-Commerce Platforms. Sage Open, 9(2), 2158244019854639.
- Islam, M. T., Sepanloo, K., Woo, S., Woo, S. H., & Son, Y.-J. (2025). A Review of the Industry 4.0 to 5.0 Transition: Exploring the Intersection, Challenges, and Opportunities of Technology and Human-Machine Collaboration. Machines, 13(4), 267.
- Johnson, R. L., Nambiar, D., & Suman, G. (2022). Using eye-movements to assess underlying factors in online purchasing behaviors. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(4), 1365-1380.
- Katare, B., Wang, X., Zhao, S., & Yenerall, J. (2025). Novel Approaches to Analyze Consumer Behavior and Policies to Promote Sustainable Consumption. Agricultural Economics, 56(3), 512-525.
- Kim, W., & Chang, H. (2024). Applying Consumer Value Theory to Determine Consumer Behavior in Terms of Online and Offline Shopping During COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Distribution Science, 22(5), 67-79.
- Kurniawati, K., Christiawan, M., Herman, F., Rahyadi, I., & Mani, L. (2024). The Value of Augmented Reality Virtual Try-On and Product Information Distribution in Amplifying Customer Satisfaction through Brand Experience. Journal of Distribution Science, 22(10), 65-77.
- Li, G., Zhang, T., & Tayi, G. K. (2020). Inroad into omni-channel retailing: Physical showroom deployment of an online retailer. European Journal of Operational Research, 283(2), 676-691.
- Li, H., Wang, Z., Yuan, Z., & Yan, X. (2023). Multidimensional Evaluation of Consumers’ Shopping Risks under Live-Streaming Commerce. Sustainability, 15(19), 14060.
- Lin, X., & Wang, X. (2023). Towards a model of social commerce: Improving the effectiveness of e-commerce through leveraging social media tools based on consumers’ dual roles. European Journal of Information Systems, 32(5), 782-799.
- Liu, H., Li, X., & Wang, S. (2021). A bibliometric analysis of 30 years of platform research: Developing the research agenda for platforms, the associated technologies and social impacts. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 169, 120827.
- Ma, D., Dong, J., & Lee, C.-C. (2025). Influence of perceived risk on consumers’ intention and behavior in cross-border e-commerce transactions: A case study of the Tmall Global platform. International Journal of Information Management, 81, 102854.
- Ma, L., Tang, S., Ganesh, A., Chen, J., Padmanabhan, A., Patel, M., Xu, J., Cho, J., Korpeoglu, E., Kumar, S., & Achan, K. (2025). ROSI: A hybrid solution for omni-channel feature integration in E-commerce. Data & Knowledge Engineering, 102465.
- Mahendra, S., & Yoshiki, M. (2015). A Bibliometric Analysis on Online Shopping. International Journal of E-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning, 5(2), 55-61.
- Manish Rai. (2025). Machine Learning-Driven Personalization for Enhancing Customer Behavior, Experience, and Satisfaction in E-Commerce. Journal of Informatics Education and Research, 5(1).
- Manning, C. D., Raghavan, P., & Schütze, H. (2008). Introduction to Information Retrieval (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Maulidi, C., Dwicaksono, A., Aritenang, A. F., & Winarso, H. (2024). Food service spatial pattern after the emergence of online retail. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(4), 3005.
- Merfeld, K., Klein, J. F., De Regt, A., Baltin (Née Riegger), A.-S., & Henkel, S. (2025). In-store technology personalization: A typology and research agenda based on type of automation and data collection. Journal of Business Research, 191, 115236.
- Mikolov, T., Chen, K., Corrado, G., & Dean, J. (2013). Efficient Estimation of Word Representations in Vector Space (Version 3). arXiv.
- Modi, N., & Singh, J. (2023). Understanding Online Consumer Behavior at E-commerce Portals Using Eye-Gaze Tracking. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 39(4), 721-742.
- Najafabadiha, A., Wang, Y., & Javanmardi, E. (2025). From awareness to preference: The dual role of brand and eco-friendliness in shaping green choices. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 85, 104302.
- Nguyen, Q. H., Hanh, T. T., Hanh, N. L. M., Nhi, N. D. L., Anh, D. N., & Linh, H. T. (2025). The impacts of virtual try-on for online shopping on consumer purchase intention: The moderating role of technology experience. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2500774.
- Nuralam, I. P., Yudiono, N., Fahmi, M. R. A., Yuliaji, E. S., & Hidayat, T. (2024). Perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and customer satisfaction as driving factors on repurchase intention: The perspective of the e-commerce market in Indonesia. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2413376.
- Osiyevskyy, O., Umantsiv, Y., & Kavun, O. (2024). Strategy for striking the omnichannel balance in Retail 4.0. Strategy & Leadership, 52(3/4), 7-19.
- Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372.
- PRISMA-P Group, Moher, D., Shamseer, L., Clarke, M., Ghersi, D., Liberati, A., Petticrew, M., Shekelle, P., & Stewart, L. A. (2015). Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1.
- Rahman, S. M., Carlson, J., Gudergan, S. P., Wetzels, M., & Grewal, D. (2025). How do omnichannel customer experiences affect customer engagement? Theory and empirical validation. Journal of Business Research, 189, 115196.
- Rawangngam, N., Pongsakornrungsilp, P., Siriwong, C., Ketkaew, K., Tonsakunthaweeteam, S., & Kumar, V. (2025). Social media and consumer engagement: A bibliometric analysis and future research directions. Innovative Marketing, 21(3), 197-214.
- Rosário, A. T., & Raimundo, R. J. (2025). The Integration of AI and IoT in Marketing: A Systematic Literature Review. Electronics, 14(9), 1854.
- Rumman, S. I., Tanjil Sarker, Md., Mojnur Rahman, Md, Al Farid, F., Roman Bhuiyan, Md, Mansor, S., & Ramasamy, G. (2024). ARify: Enhancing E-commerce User Experience through Augmented Reality Integration. Journal of Logistics, Informatics and Service Science, 11(11), 98-115.
- Sahli, A., & Lichy, J. (2024). The role of augmented reality in the customer shopping experience. International Journal of Organizational Analysis.
- Sharma, R., Sundarakani, B., & Manikas, I. (2025). Integration of industry 4.0 technologies for agri-food supply chain resilience. Computers in Industry, 165, 104225.
- Sordan, J., Oprime, P., Pimenta, M., Chiabert, P., & Lombardi, F. (2022). Industry 4.0: A Bibliometric Analysis in the Perspective of Operations Management. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 93-104.
- Srivastava, A., & Thaichon, P. (2023). What motivates consumers to be in line with online shopping?: A systematic literature review and discussion of future research perspectives. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 35(3), 687-725.
- Tan, M., Li, H., Wang, H., & Yin, P. (2025). Research on e-commerce platform’s instant retail strategy considering delivery timeliness under consumer channel preferences. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.
- Valdecy. (n.d.). pyBibX. GitHub.
- Vhatkar, M. S., Raut, R. D., Gokhale, R., Kumar, M., Akarte, M., & Ghoshal, S. (2024). Leveraging digital technology in retailing business: Unboxing synergy between omnichannel retail adoption and sustainable retail performance. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 81, 104047.
- Waltman, L., & Van Eck, N. J. (2013). A systematic empirical comparison of different approaches for normalizing citation impact indicators. Journal of Informetrics, 7(4), 833-849.
- Xu, K., Zhou, H., Zheng, H., Zhu, M., & Xin, Q. (2024). Intelligent Classification and Personalized Recommendation of E-commerce Products Based on Machine Learning (Version 1). arXiv.
- Yang, J., & Lin, Z. (2024). From screen to reality: How AR drives consumer engagement and purchase intention. Journal of Digital Economy, 3, 37-46.
- Ying, L. J., Te Chuan, L., Rashid, U. K., & Abu Seman, N. A. (2025). Social Media Marketing in Industry 4.0: The Role of TikTok in Shaping Generation Z’s Purchase Intentions. Procedia Computer Science, 253, 2176-2185.
- Zahid, A., Leclaire, P., Hammadi, L., Costa-Affonso, R., & El Ballouti, A. (2025). Exploring the potential of industry 4.0 in manufacturing and supply chain systems: Insights and emerging trends from bibliometric analysis. Supply Chain Analytics, 10, 100108.
- Zou, W., Man, S.-S., Hu, W., Zhou, S., & Chan, H.-S. (Alan). (2025). Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Various Sectors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Applied Sciences, 15(9), 4866.


