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Melendez Mardones, Camila Marcela (2024) Exploring the Factors Driving Brand Loyalty Among Millennial e-commerce Consumers in Chile's Fashion Industry. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.
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Abstract
The appearance of e-commerce on the global stage has had a profound effect on market functioning and consumer behaviour. In Chile, this phenomenon is particularly observable among millennial consumers, who constitute a considerable proportion of the online fashion market, according to Statista (2024). Therefore, this dissertation aims to examine the factors influencing brand loyalty among this specific consumer group in the context of the evolving digital landscape.
Existing literature on brand loyalty identifies several critical drivers in brand loyalty, the variables identified by Lau et al. (2006), Khraim (2011), Parmar (2014), Alhedhaif et al. (2016) and Yee & Mansori (2016) as influencing brand loyalty, include brand name and image, product quality, price, promotions, design features, customer satisfaction and store environment. According to the new trends, one new variable was added to the equation: sustainability. All of these are positioned in The customer journey and experience model by Lemon & Verhoef, 2016, Kuehnl et al., 2019 and Massi et al., 2023, to facilitate a deeper understanding of the current complex consumer journey and its role in fostering brand loyalty. However, as the focus is on the digital context, the store environment must be evaluated with variables that align with this context. According to Constantinides (2004), Dholakia et al. (2005), and Wolfinbarger and Gilly (2003), the variables that influence the e-store environment are website design and usability, website performance and reliability, website security and trustworthiness, website customer service and support, website content quality, and website convenience features.
This research project seeks to address the existing gap in understanding the distinctive dynamics of emerging markets, with a particular focus on the role of digital platforms in Chile. The rationale for this study is based on its potential to provide actionable insights for fashion e-commerce businesses operating in Chile. Giving them the possibility to develop strategies to enhance customer engagement and retention.
In order to provide a robust foundation for the research, a descriptive quantitative approach is employed, utilising surveys to collect data from millennial consumers in Santiago, Chile. The statistical software package SPSS is employed for the purpose of data analysis, with the objective of testing hypotheses and identifying significant relationships between the independent variables and brand loyalty. The findings indicate that brand name/image, customer satisfaction, and design features play a significant role in influencing brand loyalty. The online store environment was found to have an insignificant influence on brand loyalty. Nevertheless, the correlation between sustainability and ethical practices and brand loyalty was found to be weak, indicating the necessity for further investigation. A closer examination revealed that the age groups with the weakest correlation with this variable were the youngest. Interestingly, the oldest age group of millennials demonstrated the strongest positive relationship between sustainability and brand loyalty, which challenges the findings of previous literature on the subject.
The importance of these findings lies in their contribution to both academia and practical applications. For businesses operating in the fashion e-commerce sector, the results offer significant insights into the key drivers of brand loyalty, which can be used to develop targeted strategies to build long-lasting relationships with their customers.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Supervisors: | Name Email Ramirez, Rachel UNSPECIFIED |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing > Branding H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Marketing > Consumer Behaviour H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Electronic Commerce H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Specific Industries > Fashion Industry |
| Divisions: | School of Business > Master of Science in Entrepreneurship |
| Depositing User: | Ciara O'Brien |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Aug 2025 09:54 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Aug 2025 09:54 |
| URI: | https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/8401 |
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