Abstract:
1. Introduction
Today’s retail industry is extremely competitive, with the supermarket
concept gaining renewed interest among shoppers. Rapid technological
advancements have significantly influenced consumer behaviour,
prompting organizations to adopt innovative marketing techniques such as
gamification to boost customer engagement. Despite its potential, there are
uncertainties in both practice and literature regarding consumer adoption
of gamification. Thus, this study aimed to identify the significant factors
influencing millennials' online gamification adoption, focusing on
supermarkets in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, and provide actionable
insights for retailers.
2. Research Methodology
Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2
(UTAUT2), the study concerned five variables: performance expectancy,
effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and hedonic
motivation. Adopting a quantitative research design within a deductive
framework, this study employed a self-administered structured
questionnaire to collect data from millennials in the Western Province who
are online and have an understanding of gamification. 312 usable
responses were obtained through purposive sampling, and the data were
analyzed using SPSS analytical tool.
3. Findings and Discussion
The findings indicate that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions,
and hedonic motivation significantly influence online gamification
adoption among millennials. In contrast, effort expectancy and social
influence were not found to be significant predictors.
4. Conclusion and Implications
This study concludes that retailers seeking to implement gamification
strategies should prioritize enhancing performance-related features and
ensuring a pleasurable user experience to attract millennial customers.
Theoretical implications include extending the UTAUT2 model to better
explain gamification adoption in a retail context. Retail businesses can
improve customer engagement by leveraging gamification techniques
