<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_jdis-2018-0010_s_009_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b1Aa"><h3>Purpose</h3><p>This research attempts to examine the relationship between B2C interaction and customer loyalty in Business-to-Customer (B2C) context from a new perspective of the interactive tool.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2018-0010_s_010_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b2Aa"><h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3><p>The scale for B2C interactive tools is of seven dimensions: efficiency, security, fulfillment, mobility, community, cultivation, and customization. A model reflecting the influences of these attributes on customer loyalty is developed and empirically examined based on data collected from 265 B2C customers.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2018-0010_s_011_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b3Aa"><h3>Findings</h3><p>Results reveal that the fulfillment, mobility, community, and customization of B2C interactive tools can enhance customer loyalty directly and significantly. Efficiency and security, serving as the premise for possible purchase behavior, facilitate fulfillment. In addition, cultivation promotes the formation of customization, which directly strengthens customer loyalty.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2018-0010_s_012_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b4Aa"><h3>Research limitations</h3><p>Models considering individual-level indicators and combined with classic loyalty mechanisms in B2C context may lead to a deeper understanding of the tested effects of interaction on customer loyalty.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2018-0010_s_013_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b5Aa"><h3>Practical implications</h3><p>To strengthen B2C interaction and further cultivate loyal customers, making interactive tools more fundamental, flexible, and personalized is critical for B2C enterprises.</p></sec><sec id="j_jdis-2018-0010_s_014_w2aab3b7b5b1b6b1aab1c17b6Aa"><h3>Originality/value</h3><p>This study proposes a new perspective from interactive tools when measuring the relationship between B2C interaction and customer loyalty, and offers a useful theoretical lens and reasonable explanations for investigating customer loyalty in B2C e-commerce context.</p></sec></abstract>

PurposeThis research attempts to examine the relationship between B2C interaction and customer loyalty in Business-to-Customer (B2C) context from a new perspective of the interactive tool.Design/methodology/approachThe scale for B2C interactive tools is of seven dimensions: efficiency, security, fulfillment, mobility, community, cultivation, and customization. A model reflecting the influences of these attributes on customer loyalty is developed and empirically examined based on data collected from 265 B2C customers.FindingsResults reveal that the fulfillment, mobility, community, and customization of B2C interactive tools can enhance customer loyalty directly and significantly. Efficiency and security, serving as the premise for possible purchase behavior, facilitate fulfillment. In addition, cultivation promotes the formation of customization, which directly strengthens customer loyalty.Research limitationsModels considering individual-level indicators and combined with classic loyalty mechanisms in B2C context may lead to a deeper understanding of the tested effects of interaction on customer loyalty.Practical implicationsTo strengthen B2C interaction and further cultivate loyal customers, making interactive tools more fundamental, flexible, and personalized is critical for B2C enterprises.Originality/valueThis study proposes a new perspective from interactive tools when measuring the relationship between B2C interaction and customer loyalty, and offers a useful theoretical lens and reasonable explanations for investigating customer loyalty in B2C e-commerce context.

The Effects of B2C Interaction on Customer Loyalty

Journal of Data and Information Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"The Effects of B2C Interaction on Customer Loyalty"}

PurposeThis research attempts to examine the relationship between B2C interaction and customer loyalty in Business-to-Customer (B2C) context from a new...

The Effects of B2C Interaction on Customer Loyalty

Article Category: Research Paper

Pubblicato online: 22 giu 2018

Pagine: 78 - 104

Ricevuto: 03 mar 2018

Accettato: 28 mag 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2018-0010

Parole chiave
B2C e-commerce, Interaction, Interactive tool, Customer loyalty

© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The Effects of B2C Interaction on Customer Loyalty

Article Category: Research Paper

Pubblicato online: 22 giu 2018

Pagine: 78 - 104

Ricevuto: 03 mar 2018

Accettato: 28 mag 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2018-0010

Parole chiaveB2C e-commerce, Interaction, Interactive tool, Customer loyalty

© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Parole chiave
B2C e-commerce, Interaction, Interactive tool, Customer loyalty