Pragmatics of Commercial Credibility: A Comparative Study of Digital Marketplace Discourse Associated with Eke Awka Market, Onitsha Main Market and Nnewi Motor Parts Market

Abstract

Digital commerce has transformed the communicative conditions through which sellers represent products, construct trust and manage buyer expectations. This study examines the pragmatics of commercial credibility in digital marketplace discourse associated with Eke Awka, Onitsha Main Market and Nnewi Motor Parts Market in Anambra State, Nigeria. Using a qualitative comparative digital-pragmatic design, the study analyses publicly accessible commercial listings, seller representations, platform-mediated information and consumer evaluations on comparable digital-mediated marketplaces. Particular attention is given to representations of authenticity, quality, condition, reliability, verification, guarantees and value. The analysis identifies anticipatory credibility work as a recurring pragmatic process through which commercial discourse pre-empts prospective buyer uncertainty. The study argues that credibility is neither an inherent property of a seller nor a simple effect of persuasive wording; rather, it is sequentially constructed through the relationship between representation, expectation, transaction and subsequent evaluation. The comparative analysis further demonstrates that credibility concerns acquire different pragmatic emphases across the three commercial environments. The study proposes expectation–outcome alignment as a useful analytical principle for understanding how digital commercial credibility is reinforced or challenged.