Determinants of generation Z consumers’ mobile online shopping apps continuance intention to use during COVID-19 and beyond—an empirical study

Abstract This study examines the online purchasing patterns of young Generation Z consumers in Bangladesh who employ mobile applications during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore a mixed-method conceptual model, the situational construct fear of COVID-19 was incorporated alongside the fundamental constructs adapted from TPB and UTAUT. The research utilized a conceptual framework to analyze the relationship between the intention to utilize mobile shopping applications for online purchases during and after a pandemic and a variety of constructs, including shopping attitudes, social influence, hedonic shopping motive, e-satisfaction, and fear of COVID-19. The data used as the basis for the study were gathered from 413 respondents via a structured online questionnaire survey. Utilizing SPSS and SmartPLS4.0 in conjunction with structural equation modeling, the data were analyzed. The inclination of users to utilize online purchasing applications is influenced favorably by factors such as shopping attitudes, social influence, e-satisfaction, and COVID-19 fear. However, there was no discernible effect of hedonic purchasing motives on users’ behavioral intention to continue utilizing mobile shopping applications. By attributing success to a new business orientation, this study may be able to provide valuable insights that can inform the development of marketing strategies that successfully resonate with Generation Z consumers. Consumer behavior has changed, and novel marketing opportunities have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marketing professionals who possess a comprehensive understanding of Generation Z, which consists of the youngest consumers, may find it more feasible to employ efficacious marketing techniques and strategies, given the substantial market share this demographic represents.