South African young adult males’ behavioural intentions when purchasing apparel via mobile apps

Abstract

Purpose: More consumers are using mobile applications (apps) to shop for apparel, specifically young adult males. As these young adult males increase their presence on mobile shopping apps, they are becoming the focus of mobile application retailers who historically have not served this target market. Thus, this study aims to determine the behavioural intentions of young adult males. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive research design was followed, and data were collected from 633 respondents and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings/results: The results confirm the combined use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), substantiating that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude were significant contributors to the behavioural intentions of young adult males purchasing menswear apparel via mobile applications. Practical implications: The study offers retailers a better understanding of young adult males’ mobile application usage patterns, and strategic guidance on developing and marketing mobile applications to this generation. Originality/value: The study provides a comprehensive understanding of behavioural intention by combining constructs from both the TAM and TPB. The study’s findings demonstrate that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and attitude are important considerations for young adult males when shopping for apparel via mobile apps. Furthermore, a number of studies have proposed that young adults are prone to complying with the expectations of their social groups, yet, this study demonstrated that this is not the case for young adult males when purchasing apparel via mobile apps, which demonstrates a level of independence.