Online Shopping for Sporting Goods: The Role of Flow, E-Satisfaction, and E-Loyalty

Abstract

Websites are a highly effective instrument for marketing and purchasing sporting goods. The purpose of this article is to propose and test a model of hedonism, perceived ease use and perceived usefulness, website quality, flow experience, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty. Data were collected from users of the largest online sporting goods retailer in Iran. Participants completed a seven-item scale for e-loyalty ( Gremler & Brown, 1996 ), three-item scale for e-satisfaction ( Janda et al., 2002 ); four-item scale for flow ( O’Cass & Carlson, 2010 ), five-item scale for website quality ( Hur et al., 2011 ), four-item scales for both perceived ease use and perceived usefulness ( Venkatesh & Davis, 1996 ) and four-item scale for hedonism ( Mohammadi & Isanejad, 2018 ). The results of structural equation model show that user beliefs and website quality have a positive effect on the flow experience. Hedonism also affected e-satisfaction and e-loyalty. Although the findings have shown meaningful relationships, there are other influential factors such as skill/challenge, perceived playfulness and interactivity that may play a fundamental role in the flow experience and thus satisfaction and loyalty.