Shopping experience and consumer loyalty towards organic food stores: evaluating the moderating role of gender

Abstract

Purpose

This study delves into the complex realm of consumer behavior by exploring the impact of distinct shopping motives, encompassing status, value and gratification, on store satisfaction within the domain of organic food retail. Moreover, it seeks to decipher the influence of perceptual disparities between male and female patrons on the intricate nexus between shopping experience and consumer loyalty within organic food stores.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive dataset comprising responses from 400 participants was gathered and subjected to confirmatory analysis and structural equation modeling. These analytical tools were employed to dissect the data, validate the underlying research framework and unveil critical insights.

Findings

The empirical analysis, facilitated by structural equation modeling, substantiates that organic food stores prioritize the organic attribute, primarily centered on healthiness, often to the detriment of broader conceptual and social aspects. This validates the interplay between shopping experience dimensions, customer contentment, loyalty and the intent to revisit. Gender, as a moderator, exerts a discernible influence on these relationships, highlighting distinct shopping behaviors among male and female consumers when gauging the influence of shopping experience dimensions within organic food retail establishments.

Practical implications

The implications of this research resonate deeply within the organic food retail landscape. The insights garnered provide valuable guidance to organic food retailers aiming to enhance their store ambiance and allure, thereby fostering sustained customer satisfaction. This, in turn, augments the propensity for customer loyalty and repeat patronage, a particularly pressing concern in today's fiercely competitive retail milieu. Furthermore, the study carries significant ramifications for organic food producers and governmental entities, outlining a framework for augmenting the value proposition of organic foods in alignment with customer experiential paradigms.

Originality/value

In a milieu characterized by the emergence of novel product categories and industry entrants, the study fills a critical void by investigating customer satisfaction within the broader retail food sector, with specific focus on organic food stores. Moreover, the research embarks on a pioneering exploration of the prospective trajectory of organic food stores in the Indian context, employing a marketing lens and grounded in the theory of needs satisfaction.

Citation

Bhat, I.H., Gupta, S., Parray, S.H., Sharma, D., Ali, F. and Itoo, R.A. (2024), "Shopping experience and consumer loyalty towards organic food stores: evaluating the moderating role of gender", British Food Journal, Vol. 126 No. 3, pp. 1278-1300. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2023-0265