The Role of Website Features in Creating Loyalty

Abstract

This study integrates shopping value dimensions and consumers’ commitment to a theoretical model to understand consumer loyalty to e-shopping. E-commerce is established as an efficient sales platform for travel and hospitality vendors. However, extant literature found that it is difficult to attract new customers and retain existing customers in e-commerce. This paper investigates the antecedents of customer loyalty in e-commerce. An online survey with (n=520) was conducted with randomly selected US consumers. A structural equation model reveals that hedonic and utilitarian shopping values determine affective and calculative commitment of e-shoppers which in turn influence consumers’ loyalty towards e-shopping. This study contributes to the present literature and provides important implication towards e-tailers and website developers. It is important to fulfill e-shoppers’ hedonic and utilitarian needs to gain e-loyalty. Web based hospitality service offerings should provide a convenient and pleasing online environment to gain consumer e-loyalty.