Shopping app features: their impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty

ABSTRACT

Shopping apps support consumers in their shopping process at different stages of the customer journey. They can contain various features, such as an online magazine, shipment tracking or a QR code Scanner. Consumers have the possibility to send product links to friends, chat with retailers’ staff, participate in loyalty programs, find a physical store nearby or pay within the app. Consequently, app features represent several touchpoints within the customer journey. Shopping apps are an attractive way for retailers to engage with their customers and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Several studies mainly focus on the adoption of mobile apps, while our study investigates the potential outcomes. It further considers the app design by analysing how three app feature groups (pre-purchase, transaction, cross-channel) influence app and retailer satisfaction. Moreover, we consider consumers’ channel preference at different stages of the customer journey. To validate our findings, we conducted the study in three different retail sectors. Results show that nearly all feature groups have a positive impact on customer satisfaction with the app and retailer respectively in different sectors. However, consumers’ channel preference has a moderating impact on the relationship between app features and customer satisfaction. Our findings provide implications on how to design and advertise shopping apps.

KEYWORDS:

• App features
• channel preference
• shopping apps
• satisfaction
• loyalty

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. When analysing interaction effects between app features and channel preference, we controlled for the other app feature groups.

2. To calculate PRB, the following formula was used, analogous to Rosenbaum and Rubin (1985, p. 36):

PRB = 1 – |(b_M/b₁)|

b_M = mean difference between control group and treatment group before matching

b₁ = mean difference between control group and treatment group after matching.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kathrin Sinemus

Kathrin Sinemus is research assistant at the Walbusch Chair of Multi-Channel-Management at University of Wuppertal, Germany. Her research focuses on multi-channel management and consumerbehaviour. Her research interests include mobile applications particularly shopping apps.

Stephan Zielke

Stephan Zielke is professor and holds the Walbusch Chair of Multi-Channel-Management at University of Wuppertal, Germany. His research focuses on multi-channel management and retail marketing. His research interests include analyzing consumer behavior in multi-channel systems, channel integration, multi-channel technologies and pricing issues.

Thomas Dobbelstein

Thomas Dobbelstein is professor at Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University, Germany and honorary research professor at Durban University of Technology, South Africa. His research focuses on customer behavior and decision processes. His research interests include the use and value of information.