The interplay of app characteristics and smartphone addiction in mobile shopping behaviour

Abstract

In recent years, we have witnessed accelerated digital interactions among new technology users as a means of communication, leading to addictive behaviours owing to the overuse of smartphones and other new technological interfaces that have reshaped our daily routines. Thus, we adopted the social cognitive theory and the attachment theory to explore and understand the users' app adaptations and how mobile app characteristics, through their influence on smartphone addiction, impact mobile shopping behaviour. We designed an online survey to gather responses from 302 mobile app shoppers in India. We analysed the data using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique. The results indicate that perceived privacy and security, personalization, contextual offers, and retailers' reputations trigger smartphone addiction. Moreover, the interaction between smartphone addiction and app incentives encourages mobile shopping intentions and frequent purchases. These findings would presumably enhance mobile app characteristics as the stimulus of a closer relationship between consumers and retailers. We present valuable avenues for practitioners to strategically manage their businesses' mobile app environment.