Role of Experience in Customer Self-Congruity to Maintaining Loyalty: A Study on Fashion Store

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to understand the interrelationship between customer experience, self-congruity, and customer loyalty in the fashion industry. Previous studies have examined the direct effect of self-congruity on loyalty without taking into account the factor of customers’ shopping experience, which may moderate customers’ impression of a fashion.

Research Design & Methods: This study employed questionnaires distributed to 100 respondents. Collected data was processed using PLS-SEM. The target respondents were between 18-30 years old. Individuals in that age band have dynamic dressing styles, so interesting to study. In the present study, the data from the respondents was processed in order to determine the inner model, the outer model, and hypothesis testing.

Findings: The results of this study suggest that customer experience plays a significant role in moderating the effect of self-congruity on customer loyalty. This means that even though customers feel comfortable with a store’s image, however if they have bad experience, such experience may cause these customers not to be loyal.

Implications & Recommendations: Research reveals that consumers are very concerned towards their experience when shopping. Stores should provide service that can make their customers feel comfortable and pleased.

Contribution & Value Added: This study provides new insights into attempts to maintain customer loyalty. Several research was studied on self-congruity and loyalty, yet this is the first study that depict how experience moderating self-congruity towards loyalty.

Keywords

(customer) congruity, (customer) experience, (customer) loyalty, fashion store, consumer behaviour

Supplementary File(s)

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