Exploring the Impact of Customer Satisfaction on Food Retailers' Evolution: Managerial Lessons From Austria

Abstract

Many studies have shown that customer satisfaction affects customer behavior and loyalty. There are, however, relatively few studies that examine the impact of customer satisfaction on store repatronage behavior by store-type choice. This study examines why Austrian consumers choose a certain store type (i.e., supermarket or bakery) for purchases in a particular product category (i.e., baked goods). Moreover, it assesses the impact of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty (i.e., the repatronage intention). The study found that customers valued different attributes for each store type. It also suggested that customer satisfaction and customers' intention to recommend varied by store type. Additionally, the bakery customers' tendency to spend more is positively related to their satisfaction level. Managerial implications for both types of stores are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Customer satisfaction
• food marketing
• repatronage behavior
• retail store strategy
• store-type choice

Notes

* = sig. to a level of 0.1. *** = sig. to a level of 0.01.

Note. Underlying rating: 1 = very satisfied; 2 = fairly satisfied; 3 = neither; 4 = less satisfied; 5 = not satisfied; ** = sig. to a level of 0.05; *** = sig. to a level of 0.01; — = not sig.

Note. Underlying rating for Intention to repurchase and recommend: 1 = true; 2 = largely true; 3 = neither; 4 = largely not true; 5 = not true; *** = sig. to a level of 0.01. — = not sig.

Note.*** = sig. to a level of 0.01; ANOVA = Analysis of variance.