Levelling-Up Retail E-Commerce: How Gamification Engages Gen Z Shoppers

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates how to enhance Gen Z’s purchase intention on e-commerce platforms via gamification. Background: Most studies focus on user perceptions, which capture surface-level impressions but fail to uncover the underlying psychological needs that drive user engagement. This study addresses that gap by examining how users’ psychological needs (competence, autonomy, relatedness) and perceptions of gamification (usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment) influence gamified customer interaction and online purchase intention, particularly among Gen Z in e-commerce retailing. Methodology: An extended PLS-SEM method based on the Technology Acceptance Model and Self-Determination Theory was applied, with survey data collected from 416 Gen Z users of e-commerce platforms in Vietnam. Contribution: This paper is the first to investigate how e-commerce gamification enhances Vietnamese Gen Z purchase intentions. It further integrates the Technology Acceptance Model and Self-Determination Theory to reveal their underlying connections and bridge the perception-action gap. Findings: The findings reveal that gaming continuance intention, the strongest driver of online purchase intention, is shaped by perceived usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment, with usefulness exerting the greatest influence. Autonomy, competence, and relatedness enhance these perceptions, as Gen Z values meaningful control, personalized choices, and clear, structured challenges with tangible retail benefits. While enjoyment plays a secondary role, it remains vital to prevent disengagement. Notably, social interaction – despite Gen Z’s connectedness – has significant influence only when it is integrated meaningfully. Recommendations for Practitioners: E-commerce gamification should go beyond superficial features by embedding user needs and value-driven experiences that resonate with Gen Z’s practical, emotional, and social retail behaviors, turning their passion for gaming into a drive to purchase. Recommendation for Researchers: The study examined social influence as a moderator only; future research should explore other factors, such as culture, preferences, habits, and demographic variables, to enhance the model’s generalizability. Impact on Society: This research has a notable societal impact by offering insights into how e-commerce platforms can better engage Gen Z consumers through meaningful and psychologically driven gamification. By highlighting the importance of usefulness, enjoyment, and autonomy in shaping purchase behavior, this approach helps businesses design more effective digital experiences, potentially leading to improved consumer satisfaction, greater online retail efficiency, and more personalized, user-centric commerce ecosystems. Future Research: The use of snowball sampling in this study may have introduced bias by producing a homogenous sample, limiting the representativeness of Gen Z. Future studies could combine methods – such as cluster sampling to ensure population diversity, followed by snowball sampling within clusters – and use purposive sampling for in-depth interviews with individuals of specific characteristics.