The informal economy has long been a significant part of Slovenia's economy, persisting through various social, political, and cultural systems. Word-of-mouth (WOM) has traditionally been the primary communication tool in this sector, but with the intensive development of digital technologies WOM are, to some extent, being supplemented and replaced by e-WOM. This research explores how consumers perceive e-WOM within the informal economy, its place in the purchase funnel, and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on researched areas. In the empirical part of the research, I conducted 6 semi-structured interviews. The key findings confirm that e-WOM are taking on an increasingly important role and significantly reduce the purchase risk. They enable faster and easier access to a larger amount of information, which can give a more realistic picture than classic WOM. Interviewees still trust more in less representative forms of e-WOM associated with stronger ties. But even more representative forms can play an important opinion making role despite their weaker ties (greater amount of information). E-WOM can be important at practically any stage of the purchase process, depending very much on the type of purchase and the position of the consumer. At the messenger level, anonymity is crucial. The COVID-19 crisis has influenced the increase in the volume of the informal economy and, research findings picture, it has also increased the importance of e-WOM. The key reasons were the government restrictions and the support of digitalization, which acted as a catalyst for change (digital channels of communication as only possible).
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