The growing popularity of digital shopping has transformed the way consumers evaluate products before making a purchase. Instead of depending only on product descriptions or advertisements, many shoppers now consider online reviews and ratings as an important source of information for assessing product quality, reliability, and overall customer satisfaction. These reviews help consumers compare different products, reduce uncertainty, and make more informed purchase decisions. The present study examines the influence of online reviews and ratings on consumer buying behaviour with reference to Meesho and Myntra, two widely used e-commerce platforms in India. The study is based on responses collected from users of both platforms and explores the extent to which customer feedback influences trust, purchase decisions, and shopping preferences. It also compares consumer perceptions across the two platforms to understand how buyers use online feedback during different stages of the decision-making process. A descriptive research design with a quantitative approach was adopted for the study. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire, and 100 valid responses were analysed using percentage analysis and Pearson correlation with the help of SPSS software. The findings reveal that online reviews and ratings have a positive influence on consumer buying behaviour by increasing confidence, improving transparency, and encouraging informed purchasing decisions. Reviews containing customer photographs, videos, and verified purchase feedback were found to be more influential than promotional content. The study concludes that reliable review systems play a significant role in strengthening consumer trust and supporting better purchase decisions. The findings provide useful insights for e-commerce businesses and marketers in improving review systems, enhancing customer trust, and developing more effective digital marketing strategies.
