Gamified promotions in shopping apps have a stronger impact on consumer purchase behaviour than traditional discount coupons, that’s according to a newly published international study co-authored by Professor Thomas Dobbelstein, Honorary Research Professor at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and Chairperson of the DUT Business School.
The article, recently published in the Journal of Service Management, explores how interactive promotional games, where customers play to unlock discounts, can drive significantly higher purchase intention in online shopping environments.
Professor Dobbelstein, who is based at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Ravensburg, Germany, collaborated with Dr Kathrin Sinemus and Professor Stephan Zielke from the University of Wuppertal, Germany, on this interesting study. Through a series of three online experiments in fashion app simulations, the researchers investigated how different factors, such as discount type, game mechanics and consumer context had shaped shopper responses.
The results indicate that customers are more likely to use a discount and complete a purchase when they receive it through a gamified promotion. The added effort of playing a game and the fear of missing out on a reward, appear to strengthen consumer motivation. The effect was even more pronounced when the potential reward was revealed before the game started and when the discounts were more substantial.
The study sheds new light on how digital innovation and behavioural psychology intersect in the world of mobile commerce. With online retailers constantly seeking new ways to attract and retain customers, gamified promotions offer a fresh and effective approach to boosting engagement.
Professor Dobbelstein said the results highlight an exciting opportunity for marketers to rethink how they structure promotions in a competitive digital marketplace. “The gamification of discounts does not only make the experience more entertaining, it also taps into deeper psychological drivers that influence consumer decision-making,” he explained.
As Chairperson of the DUT Business School, Professor Dobbelstein continues to champion research that explores the future of marketing and digital transformation. This latest publication also reflects DUT’s ongoing commitment to global research collaboration and impactful scholarship.
You can read the journal article by clicking on this link: Journal of Service Management.
Alan Khan
