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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 January 2021

Minh T.H. Le

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it aims to clarify the moderating role of self-esteem (SE) and susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) in the relationship…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it aims to clarify the moderating role of self-esteem (SE) and susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) in the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty. Second, the study proposes modeling the mediation role of brand love and outlining how SE and SNI affect the consumer-brand relationship. Finally, the study explores the impact of brand love on brand loyalty: the moderating role of self-esteem and social influences, as the literature regarding this is still lacking.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected via an online survey, which yielded 218 responses. Structural equation modeling was used to predict the research model.

Findings

The findings indicate that both SE and SNI mediate the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty. Additionally, consumers love the focal brands positively relates to SE and SNI. In return, SE and SNI lead to brand loyalty. The tight relationship of SE and SNI affects the connection between brand love and brand loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

The data has been collected in Vietnam, which creates a limitation regarding the study’s cross-cultural nature and the economic context. Thus, the study should be conducted in different cultures and economies (both developing and developed countries) to enhance the generalizability in consumer-brand relationships.

Practical implications

Brand managers should conduct more advertising in brand communities to enhance the influence of SNI and emphasize unique features of the brands, to attract consumers through the overlap of SE.

Social implications

The findings can contribute to enhancing unique brand identity and self-motivation will increase consumer loyalty, increasing the revenue of a specific brand. Moreover, as acceptable peers contribute to making purchase decisions, boosting the brand community will maintain current consumers and attract additional potential consumers from the current consumer relationships.

Originality/value

This study contributes to consumer psychology by indicating both SNI and SE as the mediators in the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty and how the consumer-brand relationship can be enabled.

Propósito

El propósito de este trabajo es triple. En primer lugar, pretende aclarar el papel moderador de la autoestima (SE) y la susceptibilidad a la influencia normativa (SNI) en la relación entre el amor y la lealtad a la marca. En segundo lugar, el estudio propone modelar el papel mediador del amor a la marca y esbozar cómo la autoestima y la SNI afectan a la relación consumidor-marca. Por último, el estudio explora los factores que afectan a la relación entre el amor a la marca y la lealtad a la misma, ya que aún no existe literatura al respecto.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Los datos se recogieron mediante una encuesta en línea, que arrojó 218 respuestas. Se utilizó el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para predecir el modelo de investigación.

Hallazgos

Los hallazgos indican que tanto la autoestima como la SNI median la relación entre el amor y la lealtad a la marca. Además, el amor de los consumidores por las marcas focales se relaciona positivamente con la autoestima y la SNI. En cambio, la autoestima y la SNI conducen a la lealtad a la marca. La estrecha relación de la autoestima y la SNI afecta la conexión entre el amor a la marca y la lealtad a la misma.

Limitaciones de la investigación

Los datos se han recogido en Vietnam, lo que crea una limitación en cuanto a la naturaleza transcultural del estudio y el contexto económico. Así pues, el estudio debería realizarse en diferentes culturas y economías (tanto de países en desarrollo como desarrollados) para aumentar la posibilidad de generalización en las relaciones entre consumidores y marcas.

Implicaciones prácticas

Los gerentes de marca deberían hacer más publicidad en las comunidades de marcas para aumentar la influencia de la SNI y hacer hincapié en las características singulares de las marcas, a fin de atraer a los consumidores mediante la superposición de la autoestima.

Implicaciones sociales

Las conclusiones pueden contribuir a mejorar la identidad de una marca única, y la automotivación aumentará la lealtad de los consumidores, incrementando los ingresos de una marca específica. Además, como los pares aceptables contribuyen a la toma de decisiones de compra, el impulso de la comunidad de marcas mantendrá a los consumidores actuales y atraerá a otros consumidores potenciales de las relaciones de consumo actuales.

Originalidad/valor

Este estudio contribuye a la psicología del consumidor al indicar que tanto la SNI como la autoestima son los mediadores en la relación entre el amor y la lealtad a la marca y la forma en que se puede habilitar la relación consumidor-marca.

研究目的

摘要

本文有三方面的研究目的。第一,明确自尊(SE)和易受规范影响(SNI)在品牌喜爱与品牌忠诚关系中的调节作用。第二,建立品牌喜爱的中介作用模型,并概述SE和SNI如何影响消费者与品牌的关系。最后,探讨品牌喜爱对品牌忠诚度的影响:自尊和社会影响因素的调节作用,目前有关这方面的文献还比较缺乏。

研究方法

通过在线调查收集数据,共收到218份答复。采用结构方程模型进行预测研究模型。

研究结果

研究结果表明,自尊和易受规范影响都对品牌喜爱和品牌忠诚度之间的关系起到了调节作用。此外,消费者对焦点品牌的喜爱与自尊和易受规范影响具有正相关关系。反过来,自尊和易受规范影响又会导致品牌忠诚。自尊和易受规范影响的紧密关系影响了品牌喜爱和品牌忠诚之间的联系。

研究局限性

由于本次研究数据是在越南收集的,造成了研究的跨文化性质和经济背景的局限性。因此,未来的研究可以在不同的文化和经济体(包括发展中国家和发达国家)进行,以提高关于消费者与品牌关系结论的普遍性。

实际意义

品牌管理者可以在品牌社区中增强广告宣传,提高易受规范影响的影响力,同时强调品牌的独特性,与自尊因素相结合来吸引消费者。

社会意义

本文研究结果有助于增强独特的品牌识别和自我激励,提高消费者的忠诚度,增加特定品牌的收入。此外,由于合适的同伴有助于消费者做出购买决策,提升品牌社区可以维持现有消费者,并通过现有消费者关系吸引更多的潜在消费者。

研究价值

本研究提出了自尊和易受规范影响是品牌喜爱和品牌忠诚关系的调节变量,并且进一步阐释了它们如何促成消费者与品牌的关系,从而为消费者心理学做出了贡献。

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 January 2021

Davood Ghorbanzadeh and Atena Rahehagh

Satisfaction and loyalty as vital and strategic concepts in the marketing literature are highly important to companies and marketers. The review of the existing literature reveals…

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Abstract

Purpose

Satisfaction and loyalty as vital and strategic concepts in the marketing literature are highly important to companies and marketers. The review of the existing literature reveals a gap of the role of emotional constructs that can begin in a regular and rational sequence of satisfaction and ultimately lead to the formation of consumer loyalty. Hence, this study aims to answer the question of whether emotional constructs such as emotional attachment and love play a mediating role in the process of transitioning from satisfaction to loyalty in the correct sequence.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 300 valid questionnaires on smartphone and apparel brands were collected from respondents and analyzed using the partial least squares method.

Findings

The results showed that brand love is the strongest antecedent of brand loyalty and is the only variable that directly influences brand loyalty in comparison to satisfaction and emotional brand attachment. Moreover, the examination of indirect effects revealed that our assumption based on that the emotional structures such as emotional attachment and brand love play a mediating role in the process of transitioning from satisfaction to loyalty in a correct sequence is supported.

Research limitations/implications

Generalizability needs to be established with a wider range of consumer groups. The survey was conducted in Iran, and future research should assess the same product categories in other cultural settings as well as consider other product categories to assess the external validity of these results. The insights on consumers’ brand relationships help brand managers devise effective brand management strategies.

Practical implications

The managerial implications can guide managers toward enhancing the consumersloyalty to the brand through a better understanding of the consumer loyalty process to a brand as well as better relational marketing practices.

Originality/value

The study validates the mediating role of emotional brand attachment and brand love in the relationship between brand satisfaction and brand loyalty, is one of the first to develop a conceptual model that examines the role of emotional structures in the process of transition from satisfaction to loyalty, is one of few studies to develop the role of emotional structures in the form of a relational chain of brands in the process of transition from satisfaction to loyalty.

Details

Rajagiri Management Journal, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-9968

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Aya Irgui and Mohammed Qmichchou

This study examines the effect of contextual perceived value activated by contextual marketing offers and information privacy concerns on consumer loyalty in mobile commerce.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the effect of contextual perceived value activated by contextual marketing offers and information privacy concerns on consumer loyalty in mobile commerce.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey was conducted through 340 mobile users in Morocco and the collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study's results show that contextual marketing and information privacy concerns are key determinants in improving customer loyalty in the m-commerce context. Perceived ubiquity has a positive impact on perceived trust, which also impacts consumer loyalty. Information privacy concerns also have a positive impact on customer satisfaction, yet it does not impact perceived trust, which is contrary to the results of other researchers. It can also be concluded that customer satisfaction and trust are important antecedents of consumer loyalty.

Practical implications

This research gives rise to some important managerial and strategic implications in order to integrate contextual marketing strategies, as well as theoretical implications that concern this field of study.

Originality/value

This research makes a significant contribution to knowledge by examining the role of contextual marketing and information privacy concerns in the m-commerce context. These results will be considered useful for marketers and for businesses in general who wish to integrate a marketing strategy that is based on a customer-centric approach. It also contributes to the related literature, as there are few studies focused on m-commerce and contextual marketing within the context of Morocco.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Bernd F. Reitsamer, Nicola E. Stokburger-Sauer and Janina S. Kuhnle

Effective customer journey design (ECJD) is considered a key variable in customer experience management and an essential source of brand meaning and pro-brand behavior. Although…

Abstract

Purpose

Effective customer journey design (ECJD) is considered a key variable in customer experience management and an essential source of brand meaning and pro-brand behavior. Although previous research has confirmed its importance for driving brand attitudes and loyalty, the role of consumer-brand identification as a social identity-based influence in this relationship has not yet been discussed. Drawing on construal level and social identity theories, this paper aims to investigate whether effective journeys and the resulting overall journey experience are equally powerful in driving brand loyalty among customers with different levels of consumer-brand identification.

Design/methodology/approach

The present article develops and tests a research model using data from the European and US service sectors (N = 1,454) to investigate how and when ECJD affects service brand loyalty.

Findings

Across two cultural contexts, four service industries and 33 service brands, the results reveal that ECJD is a crucial driver of service brand loyalty for customers with low consumer-brand identification. Moreover, the findings show that different aspects of journey effectiveness positively impact the valence of customers’ experience related to those journeys – a process that is ultimately decisive for their brand loyalty.

Originality/value

This study is unique because it generates theoretical and practical knowledge by combining the literature streams of customer journey design, customer experience and branding. Furthermore, this work demonstrates that consumer-brand identification is a critical boundary condition to be considered in the relationship between ECJD and brand loyalty in services.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 35 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 March 2019

Cristina Calvo-Porral and Manuel Nieto-Mengotti

The growing availability of wireless internet services and the great popularization of smartphones and other mobile devices means a greater challenge for mobile service companies…

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Abstract

Purpose

The growing availability of wireless internet services and the great popularization of smartphones and other mobile devices means a greater challenge for mobile service companies that need to identify the factors influencing the use behavior of mobile services. So considering that the level of consumer involvement can lead to differences in service outcome evaluations, this study aims to examine whether consumer involvement with information and communication technologies (ICTs) has a moderating influence on consumer behavior in mobile services

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose an integrative model of the usage of mobile services to examine the moderating role of involvement with ICTs. Drawing on a sample of 493 users, two levels of involvement with ICTs were examined; and data were analyzed through multiple-group structural equation modeling.

Findings

Findings show that the level of consumer involvement with ICTs influences the behavior in the mobile services. Further, the findings support that mobile services’ perceived quality, followed by the service perceived value are the factors with a stronger influence in satisfaction with mobile services, regardless the level of consumer involvement with ICTs. However, the mobile company corporate image has a lower influence. In addition, the results support the partial moderating role of involvement with ICTs in the loyalty toward mobile service providers, suggesting that consumers lowly involved with ICTs experience a greater impact of the service quality on their loyalty.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study is the examination of the influence of involvement with technologies in consumer behavior in the mobile services

Propósito

La disponibilidad creciente de los servicios internet inalámbrico y la gran popularización y adopción de los smartphones y de otros dispositivos móviles supone un gran desafío para las compañías de servicios móviles que necesitan identificar aquellos factores que influyen en el comportamiento de uso de los servicios móviles. Así, considerando que el nivel de implicación del consumidor puede llevar a diferencias en las evaluaciones de los resultados de los servicios, este estudio analiza si la implicación del consumidor con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TICs) tiene una influencia moderadora en el comportamiento del consumidor en los servicios móviles.

Metodología

Se propone un modelo integrador sobre el uso de los servicios móviles para examinar el rol moderador de la implicación del consumidor con las TICs. Sobre la base de una muestra de 493 usuarios, se analizaron dos niveles de implicación con las TICs; y los datos fueron analizados mediante un modelo multigrupo de ecuaciones estructurales.

Resultados

Los resultados muestran que el nivel de implicación del consumidor con las TIC influye en su comportamiento hacia los servicios móviles. Además, nuestros resultados respaldan que la calidad percibida de los servicios móviles, seguida del valor percibido de estos servicios son los factores con mayor influencia en la satisfacción con los servicios móviles, independientemente del nivel de implicación del consumidor con las TIC. Sin embargo, la imagen corporativa de la compañía de servicios móviles tiene una influencia menor. Adicionalmente, nuestros resultados muestran el rol moderador parcial de la implicación con las TIC en la lealtad hacia los proveedores de servicios móviles, sugiriendo que los consumidores poco implicados con las TIC experimentan un mayor impacto de la calidad del servicio en su lealtad.

Valor

La principal contribución de este estudio es el análisis de la influencia de la implicación del consumidor con las tecnologías, en su comportamiento hacia los servicios de comunicación móvil.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 July 2019

Ángel López-Jáuregui, Mercedes Martos-Partal and Jose María Labeaga

This study aims to propose a theoretical framework and provide empirical evidence on the most successful marketing strategies for obtaining behavioural loyalty in small and medium…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose a theoretical framework and provide empirical evidence on the most successful marketing strategies for obtaining behavioural loyalty in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The data are based on 475 telephone surveys conducted among Spanish hairdressers. The authors have used ordinary least squares to estimate the empirical model.

Findings

Pricing, services and communication (Web page and in-store communication) are the main drivers of customer loyalty. SMEs have to be cautious with the use of social networks to avoid damaging loyalty. In addition, those positioned at high-price segments should pay more attention to communication on the Web, and all companies should find a balance between in-store communication and the sale of products for use at home.

Research limitations/implications

Further research should try to replicate the findings with data from consumers and firms.

Practical implications

Service managers need to understand the optimal strategy to succeed in the market. The key insights of this study could also apply to other sectors, such as health, personal care and wellness services.

Originality/value

Previous research focussed mainly on large companies, while the role of loyalty in the success of SMEs has been poorly studied, with focus only on the antecedents and the measurement of loyalty. This study contributes to the previous research by analysing the effect of the strategy (price, range of services, communication, size and location) in the achievement of loyalty in SMEs.

Objetivos

Este trabajo propone un marco teórico y aporta evidencia empírica sobre las estrategias de marketing más exitosas en la consecución de lealtad comportamental en PYMEs.

Metodología

Se ha realizado una encuesta telefónica a 475 peluqueros españoles. El modelo utilizado para la estimación es el de mínimos cuadros ordinarios.

Resultados

Precio, servicios, y comunicación (página web y comunicación en la tienda) son los principales generadores de lealtad. Las PYMEs tienen que ser cautelosas con el uso de las redes sociales para evitar dañar la lealtad. Además, aquellas posicionados en altos precios deben prestar más atención a la comunicación en la web y todas deben encontrar un equilibrio entre la comunicación en el tienda y la venta de productos para su uso en casa.

Limitaciones

Investigaciones futuras podrían replicar este estudio usando datos de consumidores y de empresa.

Implicaciones prácticas

Los gerentes necesitan entender la estrategia óptima para tener éxito en el mercado. Las ideas claves de este trabajo podrían aplicarse a otros servicios personalizados de salud y bienestar.

Originalidad/valor

La investigación previa se centra principalmente en grandes empresas mientras que el papel de la lealtad en el éxito de las pymes ha sido escasamente investigado y se ha centrado en los antecedentes y la medición de la lealtad. Este estudio realiza una contribución al analizar el efecto de la estrategia (precio, surtido de servicios, comunicación, tamaño y localización) en la consecución de la lealtad en las pymes.

Palabras clave

Lealtad; pequeñas y medianas empresas; Pymes; peluqueros; estrategia de marketing; salon

Tipo de artículo

Artículo de investigación

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 May 2020

Jorge Mazza Garcia, Otávio Bandeira De Lamônica Freire, Eduardo Biagi Almeida Santos and Josmar Andrade

In 2008, a phenomenon emerged in online retail that attracted the attention of many people, creating a new virtual model of commerce. This phenomenon was called online group…

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Abstract

Purpose

In 2008, a phenomenon emerged in online retail that attracted the attention of many people, creating a new virtual model of commerce. This phenomenon was called online group buying and arrived in Brazil in 2010. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect satisfaction and loyalty to group buying sites.

Design/methodology/approach

Through structural equation modeling, the relationships between the attractiveness of discount rates, service quality, popularity, online brand image, antecedent word of mouth (WOM), creativity and trust in relation to consumer general satisfaction, declared loyalty, repurchase intention and positive WOM were observed. A total of 727 valid questionnaires were collected from online group buyers to test the 11 hypotheses proposed in this study.

Findings

The main contribution of this study was that it identified the strong influence of service quality, popularity and online brand image on consumer general satisfaction, and the influence of service quality, trust and general satisfaction on repurchase intention. It also identified the influence of trust, creativity and general satisfaction on declared loyalty, and finally, the influence of trust and general satisfaction on positive WOM.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the extensive and robust model, other statistical interactions among the constructs were gauged. It is possible that new structures and paths for alternative models can be proposed in the future with the inclusion of new relationships not analyzed in the present study. Furthermore, future studies should consider testing the generated model in other countries, as the particular features of collective purchasing in Brazil should be taken into account.

Practical implications

In addition to being concerned with the attractiveness of discounts, marketing managers of group buying sites should concentrate their efforts on strengthening perceived quality, image, trust and the creativity of the site to ensure customer loyalty.

Social implications

The online group buying business model that was established in Brazil differs significantly from the American and European models. As many online group buying studies have been conducted in these markets, Brazilian consumers will enjoy substantial gains in the quality of the service provided by collective purchasing sites through the development of actions that focus on improving the factors that affect these consumers.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in the development of a single model that tests a set of factors gauged separately in other studies related to online purchase behavior in a broader perspective.

Details

Revista de Gestão, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1809-2276

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 July 2023

Jesica Yanet Perez Benegas and Marina Zanfardini

The purposes of the present study were to analyse: (1) if there is a hierarchical relationship between cognitive dimension (attention) and emotional dimension (enthusiasm); (2) to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purposes of the present study were to analyse: (1) if there is a hierarchical relationship between cognitive dimension (attention) and emotional dimension (enthusiasm); (2) to what extent the cognitive and emotional dimensions of the customer engagement (CE) affect loyalty to consumer brands in traditional settings and in social media; and (3) if involvement moderates the relationships between cognitive and emotional dimensions of CE and between each CE dimension and the two kinds of loyalties (offline and social media).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors applied structural equation model on a sample of 272 passengers of main airlines operating the domestic Argentinian market in 2018. The authors also used multigroup analysis to combine involvement as a moderator variable.

Findings

Cognitive dimensions of engagement (attention) had a direct and positive effect on the emotional engagement (measured by enthusiasm). Capturing the attention of passengers is key to maintaining their loyalty both in offline and online environments, especially if they are lowly involved with brands.

Research limitations/implications

The present study suggests and tests a model for the consequences of CE as a multidimensional construct in a specific service context.

Originality/value

Following the attitude formation approach and the hierarchy of effect of advertising theory, this study researched the dynamic of relationship between cognitive and emotional dimensions of CE. The results contribute on the line of considering CE as a process, including stages that consumers go through until they achieve the engagement with the brand. The results offer evidence of the specific impact of each CE dimension on loyalty at two environments (offline and social media).

研究目的

本研究有以下三個目標:

(1) 、探討認知維度 (注意) 與情緒維度 (熱忱) 之間是否存在著一個等級關係;

(2) 、瞭解顧客契合的認知維度和情緒維度、分別在傳統的設置裡,以及在社交媒體內,影響消費者品牌忠誠的程度;和.

(3) 、研究參與會否調節顧客契合的認知維度和情緒維度之間的關係;再者,參與會否調節顧客契合每個維度與兩類忠誠 (即離線和社交媒體) 之間的關係。

研究設計/方法/理念

我們以結構方程模型,分析一個涵蓋於2018年在阿根廷國內市場營運的主要航空公司272名乘客的樣本,我們亦以多組分析,把參與作為調節變數,合併在一起。

研究結果

研究結果顯示,顧客契合的認知維度對情緒維度 (以熱忱來計量) 有直接和積極的影響。研究結果亦顯示,若要在離線、以及在網絡環境下維持乘客的忠誠,最重要的是公司需取得他們的注意,特別是當他們談及品牌時是卑微的。

研究的局限/啟示

本研究為瞭解在一個特定服務業的背景裡,顧客契合、作為多元的構建會帶來的結果,建議並測試了一個模型。

研究的原創性/價值

研究人員使用態度形成的理念和廣告的階層效果理論,去探討顧客契合的認知維度與情緒維度之間的關係的動態。研究的貢獻、在於視顧客契合為一個過程,而這個過程,包括了消費者若要與品牌齧合所需經過的階段。另外,研究結果為每個顧客契合,在離線和社交媒體兩個環境裡,對忠誠所產生特定的影響提供了證據。

Details

European Journal of Management and Business Economics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-8451

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 July 2023

Kristen Rinck

Wine consumer behavior has long been a topic of discussion among scholars and industry professionals aiming to understand the underlying predictors of key behavioral outcomes. To…

1831

Abstract

Purpose

Wine consumer behavior has long been a topic of discussion among scholars and industry professionals aiming to understand the underlying predictors of key behavioral outcomes. To help explain wine consumer behavior, concepts such as involvement, expertise, loyalty, satisfaction and perceived risk are often examined. The overarching objective of this study is to determine the relationship between these predictors and their impact on wine purchase intention utilizing a meta-analytical structural equation modeling (MASEM) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

As MASEM provides substantive evidence regarding the relationships between theoretical constructs through the combination of multiple studies, the researchers’ aim is to make definitive statements about the predictors of purchase intention.

Findings

Findings revealed several relationships that support previous research but also identified relationships that contradict previous literature. This study contributes valuable insights into consumer behavior that wine brands can utilize to improve their marketing efforts.

Practical implications

Wine marketers with a greater understanding of the stronger predictors of purchase intention should be able to create marketing plans that drive wine sales.

Originality/value

Despite the abundance of research that has utilized these theoretical constructs to demonstrate their propensity for determining behavioral outcomes such as purchase intention, no previous attempts have synthesized this body of literature through the use of meta-analysis.

Details

International Hospitality Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-8142

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 July 2023

Belem Barbosa, Alireza Shabani Shojaei and Hugo Miranda

This study analyzes the impact of packaging-free practices in food retail stores, particularly supermarkets, on customer loyalty.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study analyzes the impact of packaging-free practices in food retail stores, particularly supermarkets, on customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the literature on the impacts of sustainable practices and corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies on consumer behavior, this study defined a set of seven hypotheses that were tested using data collected from 447 consumers that regularly buy food products at supermarkets. The data were subjected to structural equation modeling using SmartPLS.

Findings

This study confirmed that packaging-free practices positively influence brand image, brand trust, satisfaction and customer loyalty. The expected positive impacts of brand image and satisfaction on customer loyalty were also confirmed. However, the expected impact of brand trust on customer loyalty was not confirmed.

Practical implications

This article demonstrates how a competitive sector can reap benefits from implementing sustainable practices in the operational domain, particularly by offering packaging-free products at the point of purchase. Thus, as recommended, general retail stores (e.g. supermarkets) gradually increase the stores' offering of packaging-free food products, as this practice has been shown to have positive impacts not only on brand image, but also on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Originality/value

This study extends the literature on the effects of sustainable practices on customer loyalty, by focusing on a specific practice. Furthermore, this study contributes to the advancement of research on packaging-free practices in retail by developing a research framework and providing evidence on the direct and indirect effects of this specific practice on customer loyalty.

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