Vol.:(0123456789) Electronic Commerce Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-019-09381-4 1 3 Four generational cohorts and hedonic m‑shopping: association between personality traits and purchase intention Sabina Lissitsa 1  · Ofrit Kol 2 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract In retailing, it is recognized that prominent diferences exist between generational cohorts. As such, analysis of varying patterns of personality traits and their efects between generations is essential for understanding consumer behaviors. This research focuses on the association between the Big Five personality traits and m-shopping intentions of hedonic products among four generational cohorts: baby boomers and Generations X, Y, and Z. Generational cohort theory, the Big Five Personality Model, and resistance to innovations theory are integrated in a theoreti- cal framework. The research was conducted by online survey of 1241 Internet users aged 14–72. Diferent patterns of efects of personality traits between generations were found. For baby boomers and Generation X, a positive association between openness to experience and m-shopping intention was found. Moreover, in these generations, personality traits were more powerful in predicting m-shopping inten- tion, compared to younger generations. Among Generation Y, extraversion was positively correlated with m-shopping intention. Among Generation Z, a negative correlation between agreeableness and m-shopping intention was found. Based on our fndings, we propose a generational approach to marketing strategy and suggest specifc practical implications. Keywords Baby boomers · Generation X · Generation Y · Generation Z · Hedonic products · Personality traits * Sabina Lissitsa sabinal@bezeqint.net Ofrit Kol ofritk@ariel.ac.il 1 School of Communication, Ariel University, POB 3, 44837 Ariel, Israel 2 Department of Economics and Business Management, Ariel University, POB 3, 44837 Ariel, Israel