Attributes determining store loyalty: a study of the supermarket sector

Based on the observance that rivalry among retailers has increased sharply in recent decades, with a growing number of stores and consequently more options for consumers, the aim of this study was to discover what attributes are valued by consumers in their choices on where to shop. The specific focus is on the causal relationships between the attributes offered by stores, grouped into two constructs, called “what” and “how” factors, with the latent variable being “store loyalty”. The study is based on a field survey conducted in supermarkets in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerias, in which 300 shoppers were interviewed. The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results identified positive and statistically significant relations between the attributes offered by the retailers and the respective constructs, and moderate adjustment of the structural model, indicating causal bonds between loyalty and its antecedent constructs.