Beyond installation: How pre-adoption advertising drives post-adoption retail app usage

Retail mobile applications have emerged as critical touchpoints for customer engagement, yet high abandonment rates limit their strategic value. While advertising traditionally targets either retail app installation or user re-engagement independently, this research examines the cross-stage effects of pre-adoption advertising on post-adoption usage behavior. Drawing on cognitive dissonance theory, we propose that pre-adoption advertising exposure reduces post-adoption dissonance, thereby enhancing sustained use of retail apps. We further identify three boundary conditions at the ad, consumer, and market levels. First, the effectiveness of pre-adoption advertising in reducing post-adoption dissonance depends on advertising content, with functional appeals amplifying the effect. Second, consumers with a higher need for control exhibit greater usage following exposure to pre-adoption advertising than those with a lower need for control. Third, competitive intensity shapes this process, as the dissonance-reducing effects are more pronounced in less competitive environments. We evaluate this framework across eleven studies (N = 11,272) using multiple methodologies, including a field study analyzing behavioral data from a Dutch retail app, a critical incident study, and controlled experiments. We conclude by outlining both theoretical and managerial implications.