Purchase Intention Formation for K-Beauty Cosmetics: The Mediating Role of Sensory Expectation and the Moderated Mediation of Cosmetic Involvement

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of consumers’ perception of K-beauty cosmetics in the digital consumption environment on purchase intention and to examine the mediating effect of sensory expectation and the moderated mediation effect of cosmetic involvement. An online survey was conducted from April 1 to April 28, 2026, with 305 Korean women aged 20–49 years. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 30.0 and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, multiple regression analysis, mediation analysis (Model 4), moderation analysis (Model 1), and moderated mediation analysis (Model 7) were performed. The results indicated that quality perception, price perception, and brand image all had significant positive effects on purchase intention, with quality perception showing the strongest effect. Sensory expectation partially mediated the relationships between quality perception, price perception, and brand image and purchase intention, while cosmetic involvement significantly moderated the relationships between each of these perception dimensions and purchase intention. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis revealed that only the indirect effect of price perception on purchase intention through sensory expectation significantly varied according to the level of cosmetic involvement, with the indirect effect decreasing as cosmetic involvement increased. No significant moderated mediation effects were found for quality perception or brand image. These findings demonstrate that sensory expectation and cosmetic involvement play important roles in consumers’ purchase decision-making process in the digital consumption environment. By examining the mediating and moderated mediation effects, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of purchase intention toward K-beauty cosmetics. The findings also offer valuable practical implications for developing differentiated digital marketing strategies based on consumers’ sensory expectation and cosmetic involvement.