The impact of customer engagement with luxury product mobile apps on behavioural outcomes: the moderating effect of shopper motivation

Purpose This study examines how customers’ engagement with luxury product mobile apps (CEMA) builds distinct levels of customer equity [CE] (i.e. value equity [VE], brand equity [BE] and relationship equity [RE]), leading to customer satisfaction [CS] and enhancing patronage intention [PI] and brand loyalty [BL]. It also investigates the moderating effect of shopper motivation (domain-specific interest [DSI]) in strengthening the relationship between CEMA and CE. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling using AMOS 26 was employed to analyse data collected from 426 users of the Ounass mobile app for luxury products in the United Arab Emirates. Findings CEMA positively affects all dimensions of CE. However, only two elements of CE, namely, BE and RE, significantly affect CS. Conversely, the effect of VE on CS was not statistically significant. Moreover, CS positively affects PI and BL. The analysis concluded that DSI moderates the relationship between CEMA and RE. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the mobile app industry serving the luxury products market. It offers new insights into earlier research by investigating the influence of CEMA on PI and BL in the context of luxury products. It also contributes to the literature by examining DSI’s moderating effect on the relationship between CEMA and CE. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by examining the direct effect of CEMA on CE dimensions in the context of luxury products and mobile apps. The originality also lies in demonstrating DSI’s moderating effect on the relationship between CEMA and RE.