Factors affecting adoption and use of M-commerce services among the customers in Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT

M-commerce has the potential to change consumers' shopping habits and establish itself as a significant commerce channel. People rely on digital devices more than ever before, and the growth in M-commerce predicts that mobile will become the preferred channel for online shopping soon. This study is aimed at examining the effect of personal factors, economic factors, ease of doing factors, and safety-related factors due to Covid-19 on the adoption and use of M-commerce services among customers in Saudi Arabia. The study is empirical and is based on survey responses from 340, M-commerce customers in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire method was used to collect the data. ANOVA and bivariate regression analysis were used to evaluate the collected data. The results showed that four independent variables, namely, personal, economic, ease of doing, and safety factors during the Covid-19 pandemic, are significant predictors of the dependent variable, adoption and use of M-commerce services by the customers. These factors influence customers' purchasing decisions when they use M-commerce services. The study also concluded that the frequency of using M-commerce has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic because of health, safety, and social distancing guidelines. One of the main limitation of the study is the few selective constructs for the research. The finding of the study will be beneficial to the customers to understand the significance of M-commerce services, especially during pandemic situations.