Digital platforms as mediators of imitation in shaping consumer practices

The article examines the role of digital platforms in shaping consumer practices, with a focus on their mediating function in the diffusion of behavioral models. The theoretical framework is based on Gabriel Tarde’s concept of imitation, reinterpreted in the context of the digital environment. It is argued that platform economy shifts imitation from interpersonal forms to mediated forms, in which ranking algorithms, ratings, reviews, and other elements of digital infrastructure play a significant role. The empirical part of the study relies on anonymized aggregated marketplace data for products in the greeting cards category. The analysis reveals a high concentration of demand on a limited number of product positions, a significant relationship between the number of reviews and the volume of orders, as well as a dependence of sales on product position in search results. On this basis, the article concludes that digital platforms should be regarded not only as channels of product distribution, but also as active mediators in shaping consumer behavior. The findings make it possible to interpret algorithmically mediated imitation as one of the mechanisms through which consumer practices are reproduced in the digital economy.