Understanding Gen Z’s Online Purchase Behavior through their Hedonic and Utilitarian Motivation

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in lockdowns, limiting consumer movement to their homes and preventing consumers from shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. Consequently, consumers were reliant on e-commerce to manage their daily purchases of goods and services. This exacerbated the use of e-commerce and fast-tracked the growth of the digital economy. In this study, Gen Z’s consumer motivation is investigated using hedonic and utilitarian motivation and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Consumer motivation remains a crucial part of consumer behavior studies given its prominence in influencing consumer action, consumer decision-making and preferences. In particular, the effects of hedonic and utilitarian motivation on online purchase behavior were investigated. This study utilized a quantitative approach through the deployment of a survey questionnaire online. The data from 156 respondents was analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0 utilizing Partial-Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Approximately 44% of the respondents started shopping online for the first time during the pandemic (i.e., 2020 and 2022). The results indicated that the Gen Z respondents were motivated by utilitarian and hedonic motivation when shopping online, in particular by Idea Shopping motivation and Efficiency motivation. Additionally, Social Influence and Facilitating Conditions were significant factors in influencing Behavioural Intention, and Behavioural Intention influenced Purchase Behaviour. The evidence suggests that the respondents were not novice online shoppers but rather experienced online shoppers.