Building loyalty in e-commerce: Does consumer income matter?

Abstract

In emerging markets, the rapid expansion of online retailing is mainly driven by new adopters from lower-income consumer segments. However, little is known about the behaviour of this group in online retail. This study evaluates the relationships between e-loyalty, e-satisfaction, e-trust and e-quality, paying particular attention to the moderating role of consumer income. Data were collected from a sample of 1,020 Brazilian consumers via a web survey and were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Among the main results, this study finds that consumers from the higher-income group pay more attention to the quality of website information, while consumers from the lower-income group emphasise the importance of fulfilment. E-satisfaction is more important than e-trust in determining e-loyalty and these relationships are moderated by income. Online retailers should pay special attention to tailoring their promotional efforts to foster consumer loyalty according to different consumer income groups.