• ISSN: 2301-3567 (Print), 2972-3981 (Online)
    • Abbreviated Title: J. Econ. Bus. Manag.
    • Frequency: Quarterly
    • DOI: 10.18178/JOEBM
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HOME > Archive > 2026 > Volume 14 Number 1 (2026) >
JOEBM 2026 Vol.14(1): 21-26
DOI: 10.18178/joebm.2026.14.1.904

Phygital Consumer Behavior across Generations: Evidence from Poland

Łukasz Wróblewski* and Grzegorz Maciejewski
Department of Market and Consumption, Faculty of Economy, University of Economics in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
Email: lukasz.wroblewski@ue.katowice.pl (Ł.W.); grzegorz.maciejewski@ue.katowice.pl (G.M.)
*Corresponding author

Manuscript received November 15, 2025; revised January 9, 2026; accepted January 30, 2026.

Abstract—The dynamic development of digital technologies in the third decade of the 21st century has blurred the boundaries between online and offline shopping, creating the so-called phygital environment. Previous research has emphasized the role of digital tools in shaping customer experiences, yet little is known about how generational differences influence consumers’ propensity to engage in phygital behaviors. This article addresses this gap by presenting the results of a quantitative study conducted in Poland on a representative sample of 2,160 adult consumers. The analyses revealed a statistically significant, though relatively weak, negative correlation between consumers’ age and their inclination toward phygital behaviors: younger generations (Z and Y) more frequently integrate digital and physical channels, while the Baby Boomer generation scores the lowest. However, age explains only a small portion of the variance (R² = 0.067), suggesting that motivational factors such as shopping pragmatism, pleasure (hedonism), comfort, and emotional engagement play a more substantial role. The findings contribute theoretically by indicating that generational differences are important but insufficient to fully explain phygital behaviors, and practically by highlighting the need to design omnichannel strategies that consider not only demographic but also psychographic and behavioral criteria.

Keywords—phygital consumer behavior, generational differences, hybrid consumption, omnichannel strategies, digital economy, Poland

Cite: Łukasz Wróblewski and Grzegorz Maciejewski, "Phygital Consumer Behavior across Generations: Evidence from Poland," Journal of Economics, Business and Management, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 21-26, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

 

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