Predicting voice shopping loyalty based on the uses-and-gratifications perspective: an illustration from the Amazon Alexa.

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the phenomenon of voice shopping and to identify consumers’ motivations for using artificial intelligence (AI) enabled voice assistants as a shopping channel. To identify consumers’ motivations and their effects on consumers’ responses, this study adopted the theoretical perspective of uses-and-gratifications. The specific objectives of the study were (a) to identify and examine voice assistant gratification constructs, (b) to investigate whether each gratification construct positively affects consumers’ decision speed and emotional attachment; (c) to investigate whether consumers’ decision speed positively affects emotional attachment; (d) to investigate whether consumers’ decision speed and emotional attachment lead to voice shopping loyalty; and (e) to examine whether the loss of autonomy moderates the relationships between each of the two mediators (i.e., decision speed and emotional attachment) and voice shopping loyalty. The study was conducted in the context of Amazon Alexa voice shopping. An online self-administered, cross-sectional survey method was employed, in which 477 complete responses were used for structural equation modeling analysis. Life efficiency and affordance had positive influences on perceived decision speed. Entertainment and social presence had positive influences on emotional attachment. Perceived decision speed and emotional attachment both predicted voice shopping loyalty. However, perceived decision speed was not associated with emotional attachment. While perceived decision speed mediated positive relationships between voice assistant gratifications and voice shopping loyalty, emotional attachment did not. Loss of autonomy did not exert moderating influences. Implications and suggestions for future research were provided.