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Mobile Apps in Retail: Usage Frequency Before, During, and After the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic – Insights from the German Market

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New Realities, Mobile Systems and Applications (IMCL 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 411))

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Abstract

In the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the increasing digitization of stationary retail, mobile apps in retail (MAR) have gained attention among many consumers. This study examines how the frequency of MAR usage changed before and during the pandemic and how consumers estimate how MAR usage will evolve after the pandemic. Additionally, the role of affinity to mobile devices usage (AMU) in this context is examined. Furthermore, the relevance of pandemic-specific MAR features is elaborated. Based on an online questionnaire with 167 responses, it can be shown that MAR have gained significant relevance in the context of the pandemic and will continue to be an important tool for customers when shopping stationary after the pandemic. A moderating role of AMU cannot be confirmed. Click & collect and online shopping are identified as the most important MAR functions in the context of the pandemic. Information about rules for pandemic compliant shopping doesn't play much of a role for consumers. The results are an important signal for retailers to continue their efforts in digitization and MAR development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MATE Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences – Kaposvár Campus, Kaposvár, Hungary

    Atilla Wohllebe

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  1. Atilla Wohllebe
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Correspondence to Atilla Wohllebe .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CTI Global, Frankfurt, Germany

    Michael E. Auer

  2. Department of Informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos

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Wohllebe, A. (2022). Mobile Apps in Retail: Usage Frequency Before, During, and After the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic – Insights from the German Market. In: Auer, M.E., Tsiatsos, T. (eds) New Realities, Mobile Systems and Applications. IMCL 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 411. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96296-8_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96296-8_30

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-96295-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-96296-8

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