Extending the Prevalent Consumer Loyalty Modelling: The Role of Habit Strength

European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 47, No. 1, 2012

Posted: 24 Nov 2012

See all articles by Svein Ottar Olsen

Svein Ottar Olsen

Universitetet i Tromsø - Norges Fiskerihøgskole

Alina A. Tudoran

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Karen Brunsø

Aarhus School of Business - Department of Marketing and Statistics

Wim Verbeke

Ghent University - Department of Agricultural Economics

Date Written: 2012

Abstract

Purpose: This study addresses the role of habit strength in explaining loyalty behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach: The study uses 2063 consumers’ data from a survey in Denmark and Spain, and multigroup structural equation modelling to analyse the data. The paper describes an approach employing the psychological meanings of the habit construct, such as automaticity, lack of awareness or very little conscious deliberation.

Findings: The findings suggest that when habits start to develop and gain strength, less planning is involved, and that the loyalty behaviour sequence mainly occurs guided by automaticity and inertia. A new model with habit strength as a mediator between satisfaction and loyalty behaviour provides a substantial increase in explained variance in loyalty behaviour over the traditional model with intention as a mediator.

Originality/value: This study contributes to the existent literature by providing an extension of the prevalent consumer loyalty theorizing by integrating the concept of habit strength and by generating new knowledge concerning the conscious/strategic and unconscious/automatic nature of consumer loyalty. The study derives managerial implications on how to facilitate habit formation and how to influence habit-based versus intention-based loyalty behaviour. The external validity of this study is assured by nationwide representative samples in two countries.

Keywords: intention, habit strength, loyalty, structural equation modelling, food

Suggested Citation

Olsen, Svein Ottar and Tudoran, Alina A. and Brunsø, Karen and Verbeke, Wim, Extending the Prevalent Consumer Loyalty Modelling: The Role of Habit Strength (2012). European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 47, No. 1, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2179849

Svein Ottar Olsen (Contact Author)

Universitetet i Tromsø - Norges Fiskerihøgskole ( email )

Tromso, N-9037
Norway

Alina A. Tudoran

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Karen Brunsø

Aarhus School of Business - Department of Marketing and Statistics ( email )

Haslegårdsvej 10
Århus V
Denmark

Wim Verbeke

Ghent University - Department of Agricultural Economics ( email )

Coupure Links 653
Ghent, 9000
Belgium

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