A study of the downloading intentions of fashion retailers’ apps

Abstract

This study fills a research gap found with customers' motivations to download branded apps and how store digitization can influence their loyalty to the store. It develops a stronger understanding of customer propensity to download fashion retailer’s branded mobile apps. The research builds on an exploratory study using a questionnaire and applies a non-probability (quota) sampling method to get 425 participants. Then a logistic model is implemented, with stepwise forward selection. The study found that the purpose of buying with a smartphone is the most significant factor for the propensity to download store mobile applications. It shows that the value of the payment functionality of a store mobile application is the most significant factor for the propensity to become loyal to a store due to its digitization. The findings point retailers to the most valued issues by their customers in order to download mobile apps and increase engagement. Managers should treat the app as their retail brand extension and think in terms of the experiential value they are adding to the user when they introduce features into their app. This work identifies two shopping-related app functionalities, buying and paying, as key drivers to enhance customer engagement and loyalty.