Relationship Marketing and Customer Loyalty: A Quantitative Analysis in the Retail Sector

Abstract

In a business environment that is constantly evolving and changing, retailers operate in an environment full of challenging scenarios such as a global recession, political conflicts, and wars. In this sense, the retail sector is one of the most affected, but, at the same time, it is one of the mainstays of local economies. In response to this problem, it is necessary to explore the effects of disruptive marketing techniques, such as relationship marketing, and its impact on the determinants of competitiveness, such as customer loyalty. The main objective of this research is to determine the relationship between relationship marketing and its dimensions in the customer loyalty variable in the retail sector. The methodology has a transversal approach - non-experimental, descriptive scope; the sample is made up of 120 customers who were applied a validated questionnaire that addresses the variables described. The results found a positive relationship between the independent and the dependent variable; this finding was validated with Spearman's Rho correlation test (Rho=0.639, Sig. (Bilateral) =0.000; (p ≤0.000). Regarding the dimensions of the independent variable and its relationship with Loyalty, the following was found: customer benefit (Rho = 0.318; p = .000< .05), service quality (Rho = 0.334; p = .000< 0.05), vision towards the customer (Rho = 0.457; p = .000< .05) and communication (Rho = 0.475; p = .000< .05). The findings of this study are relevant for companies in the sector, as they demonstrate a direct relationship between the variables analyzed and underline the importance of using relationship marketing strategies.