Book of Innovation and Technology for Economic Growth

The use of traditional retail mobile apps has seen tremendous growth among both online and traditional retailers, particularly since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional retailers had no alternative but to develop m-commerce opportunities for their consumers so that they would not lose market share, which has resulted in a proliferation of traditional retail mobile apps over the past five years in South Africa. Furthermore, young consumers (Gen Z and Y) are a lucrative target for traditional retail mobile apps since they are never without their mobile phones, which have become extensions of themselves and are used for common day activities such as shopping, messaging, social media, and searching for information. This study aims to investigate the effect of traditional retail mobile apps on customer satisfaction (CS)  by employing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Hence, traditional retail mobile apps can be used influence Gen Z and Y’s shopping behaviour due to their constant engagement on mobile devices. Therefore, the research considered the effect of the TAM, mobile usage, and demographical variables on CS among Gen Z and Y users of traditional retail mobile apps. The research was descriptive and quantitative in nature, which used non-probability sampling and an online survey to collect data from 400 consumers who used traditional retail mobile apps. The results show that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness positively affected CS. Gen Z and Y respondents who used tablets and smartphones, who spent more time and money, were male and had higher qualifications, and showed higher levels of CS towards traditional retail mobile apps. This research makes an important theoretical and practical contribution, providing insights into how traditional retail mobile apps affect satisfaction levels among Gen Z and Y in terms of the TAM and online and traditional retailers.