Engaging shoppers through mobile apps: the role of gamification”
Francesca De Canio, Maria Fuentes-Blasco, Elisa Martinelli, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Emerald Publishing Limited 26th February 2021
In this paper the authors research the intrinsic influence of shopping gamification Apps on consumer behaviour. The research uses several methodologies that particularly examine consumer behaviour in terms of:
- Gamification (GAME)
- Focussed attention (FA)
- Shopping Enjoyment (ENJ)
- Socialness (SOC)
- Shopping Engagement (ENG)
- Previous Online Shopping Experience (EXP)
The following link shows how gamification can induce consumers to interact with a product.
The empirical study was carried out in China as it has the largest mobile market share globally at 80% (20% more than other countries) (CIW, 2018). The WeChat App (see video below), the fastest developing Social App in China (Wang, Miao, & Huag, 2020), was used for the studies.
A: Quality of the Research
The research objective is clearly stated in its purpose to identify the influence of gamification apps on consumer buying. With Gamification generating an estimated $5.5bn in 2018 (Lynkova, 2021) this subject is interesting due to its economic significance for practitioners.
The work is original, particularly due to its empirical research. The background research is clear with data included on relevant technological introductions, like QR Codes, (Caboni & Hagberg, 2019) that are significant for gamification.
B: The Research Method
The following image shows a Likert scale being used for a survey.
The research method was based on quantitative analysis using the existing WeChat App. A questionnaire was developed using varying Likert scales (Fig.1) for each of the six different behavioural attributes (fig.2). Each of the behavioural attributes in turn used previous studies as a basis:
- GAME (Yan, Chen, Peng, & Anser, 2020)
- FA (O’Brien & Toms, 2013)
- ENJ (Johnson, Kim, Mun, & Lee, 2015)
- SOC (Arnold & Reynolds, 2003)
- ENG (O’Brien & Toms, 2013) (Johnson, Kim, Mun, & Lee, 2015)
- EXP (Novak, Hoffman, & Yung, 2000)
The survey was also pre-tested on a smaller scale a year earlier.
It was appropriate in identifying the individual behavioral elements in relation to the research method. These were adequately described, particularly with further reading for deeper understanding of the various references.
The analyses were carried out using recognized models (PLS using Smart PLS. software).
The data gathered concludes that gamification can influence shopping behavior and that it is not affected by gender or demographic.
C: Quality of Presentation
The work is well presented with reference to changing technology that supports the solution as well as previous research on which to base findings.
The paper is well structured and breaks down the subject matter with good explanation of the landscape. This is followed well with detail understanding of the research methods.
D: Additional Notes
References
CIW. (2018, July 24). Top mobile shopping apps in China 2019. From China Internet Watch: https://www.chinainternetwatch.com/tag/mobile-shopping/
Wang, Y.-Y., Miao, J., & Huag, X. (2020, June 9). Chinese WeChat users and their behavioural features:. From Springer Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-020-00825-x
Lynkova, D. (2021, March 17). Top Gamification Statistics of 2020: Next Level Gaming. From Review 42: https://review42.com/resources/gamification-statistics/
Caboni, F., & Hagberg, J. (2019). Augmented reality in retailing: a review of features, applications and value. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 1125-1140.
Yan, X., Chen, Z., Peng, M. Y.-P., & Anser, M. K. (2020, Nov 23). Enhancing Consumer Online Purchase Intention Through Gamification in China: Perspective of Cognitive Evaluation Theory. From Frontiers in Psychology: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.581200/full
O’Brien, H. L., & Toms, E. G. (2008). What is user engagement? A conceptual framework for defining user engagement with technology. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 938-955.
O’Brien, H. L., & Toms, E. G. (2013, September). Examining the generalizability of the user engagement scale (UES) in exploratory search. Information Processing and Management, 1092-1107.
Johnson, K. K., Kim, H. Y., Mun, J. M., & Lee, J. Y. (2015). Keeping customers shopping in stores: interrelationships among store attributes, shopping enjoyment, and place attachment. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 20-30.
Novak, T. P., Hoffman, D. L., & Yung, Y. F. (2000). Measuring the Customer Experience in Online Environments: A Structural Modeling Approach. Marketing Science, 22-42.
Arnold, M., & Reynolds, K. E. (2003). Hedonic shopping motivations. Journal of Retailing, 77-95.
Other Reading
Neil Burmester, 7 Best Gamification Examples 2021, https://www.gamify.com/gamification-blog/7-best-gamification-examples-2021
Nina Angelovska, Forbes Magazine, Forbes Gamification Trends for 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninaangelovska/2019/01/20/gamification-trends-for-2019-making-room-for-game-elements-in-politics/?sh=2d29e0782a77
Gentleman Marketing Agency, Marketing to China, (September 2019) https://marketingtochina.com/5-strategies-to-sell-more-on-wechat-for-small-medium-company/