Mobile applications (apps) have attracted increasing attention as an unprecedented opportunity for retailers. This study aims to explore how a branded app supports customers’ shopping decision during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. Integrating person-environment fit theory and the theory of exploitation and exploration, this study links person-app fit and person-brand fit to explorative use and exploitative use of a branded app, which both contribute to customer decision performance. Perceived fluency toward cross-channel integration positively moderates the fit-use linkages. Data obtained from 835 app users verify all of the proposed hypotheses. Results indicate that customers with different fits (person-app fit and person-brand fit) hold different thoughts toward their exploitative use and explorative use, which add equal value to support their decision making. Useful theoretical and practical implications are also provided for researchers and marketers interested in this area.

移动应用程序（app）作为零售商前所未有的机会吸引了越来越多的关注。本研究旨在探索品牌应用程序如何在 COVID-19（冠状病毒）危机期间支持客户的购物决策。本研究将人与环境契合理论与开发探索理论相结合，将个人-应用契合和个人-品牌契合与品牌应用的探索性使用和剥削性使用联系起来，这两者都有助于客户决策绩效。对跨渠道整合的感知流畅性积极地调节了适合使用的联系。从 835 个应用程序用户获得的数据验证了所有提出的假设。结果表明，具有不同契合度（个人-应用契合度和个人-品牌契合度）的客户对其剥削性使用和探索性使用持有不同的想法，增加同等价值以支持他们的决策。还为对该领域感兴趣的研究人员和营销人员提供了有用的理论和实践意义。