The effect of digital design in retail banking on customers’ commitment and loyalty: The mediating role of positive affect

Abstract

Facing an exodus of customers, some banks want to propose a new customer experience in their branches, notably with digital proposals to enhance positive affective reactions. This article studies the influence of digital design factors and the mediating effect of positive affect on two important relationship marketing outcomes: customer commitment and loyalty. This approach is quite innovative because research on the impact of atmospheric factors, and especially design cues, is quite unusual in retail banking sector. The results show that digital factors have a direct effect on positive affect but no direct influence on attitudinal loyalty or commitment. Positive affect has a mediating role between digital displays and these outcomes.