Title: Customer loyalty in e-retailing: an exploratory study

Authors: Khanh V. La, Rhett Walker, Booi Kam

Addresses: School of Marketing, RMIT University, 239 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000, Australia. ' La Trobe University, P.O. Box 199, Bendigo, Vic 3552, Australia. ' School of Marketing, RMIT University, 239 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000, Australia

Abstract: This study explores the nature and dimensionality of customer loyalty within an online retailing context. Results show that many types of consumer behaviours that are typically attributed to customer loyalty in the traditional, offline context can also be found in the web-based environment. The analysis also indicates that the attitudinal dimension of e-loyalty itself is multi-dimensional and can be considered as a function of customers| present and future predispositions towards a retailer. The research highlights the complex nature of e-loyalty that is evident through the way in which its different components relate differently to one another. Two levels of e-loyalty are identified, both of which are multi-dimensional and are important to web-based retailers in different ways.

Keywords: customer loyalty; consumer behaviour; consumer attitude; internet retailing; internet marketing; e-tailing; e-retailing; online shopping.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2005.007749

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2005 Vol.2 No.3, pp.237 - 258

Published online: 10 Sep 2005 *

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