From gameful affordances to lasting engagement: deepening customer-brand connections in mobile environments

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how gamification affordances embedded in m-commerce platforms influence gameful experiences (GX) and, in turn, sustained user engagement (SUE). It also explores how customer expertise moderates the GX–SUE relationship, addressing the need for more nuanced models that explain differential user responses to gamified digital environments. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in affordance theory, this study models four gamification affordances (achievement, identity, competition and self-expression), and their effects on six GX dimensions. Next, drawing from self-determination theory, the study tests the impact of these six dimensions on sustained user engagement. Finally, rooted in goal orientation theory, the moderating role of customer expertise is examined for the GX–SUE relationship. Survey data from 336 users of gamified m-commerce apps in India are analyzed using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. Findings Results show that each gamification affordance activates specific GX dimensions, and that GXs significantly influence SCE. Furthermore, customer expertise moderates the GX–SCE relationship. Novice users respond more strongly to creative and stimulating experiences, while expert users are more influenced by immersive and control-based experiences. Practical implications Results offer actionable guidance for m-commerce managers to design gamification strategies aligned with user psychology and expertise. Tailoring affordances to activate targeted GX dimensions can enhance user engagement, foster loyalty and support competitive differentiation in digital marketplaces. Originality/value This research advances gamification literature by disaggregating GX into its core experiential components, empirically linking them to specific affordances and introducing customer expertise as a boundary condition, thus offering a more granular understanding of digital engagement mechanisms in m-commerce.