Purpose: The study investigates the influence of traditional and digital word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing on consumer purchasing decisions in Northern Ghana’s retail sector. It further explores the mediating role of community structures, trust, and social networks, while analyzing strategies retailers adopt to leverage WOM for enhancing customer loyalty and competitiveness.

Methodology: The research adopted a qualitative exploratory design, anchored in interpretivist assumptions. Data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews with retail consumers and 47 interviews with retailers, complemented by focus group discussions across selected communities in Northern Ghana. Thematic analysis was employed to derive key patterns and generate insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of WOM marketing.

Findings: The results reveal that WOM credibility is strongly rooted in community trust and collective endorsement, with social networks serving as powerful amplifiers both offline and online. Retailers strategically stimulate WOM through three approaches: cultivating customer service excellence, leveraging community influencers, and integrating digital platforms for extended reach. WOM thus emerges as a culturally embedded mechanism that significantly shapes consumer behavior and retail competitiveness.

Practical Implications: The findings underscore the need for retailers and marketers to invest in community-based trust-building, customer service, and hybrid WOM strategies that bridge offline and digital channels to sustain competitiveness in emerging markets.

Originality/Value: By linking WOM dynamics to Social Exchange Theory, Diffusion of Innovations Theory, and the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study advances theoretical and empirical understanding of consumer influence in underexplored retail contexts, offering actionable insights for both scholars and practitioners.