CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND RETAILER IMAGE AS DRIVERS OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY: EVIDENCE FROM POLISH SUPERMARKETS

The paper presents results of research on customer loyalty drivers on retail market. It verifies the degree of impact of customer satisfaction and retailer image on customer loyalty. The paper uses primary survey data, multi-item scales and structural equations modelling (SEM). The conceptual model used in the study combines 3 latent variables: retailer image, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Latent variables were equipped with a set of manifest variables, and they were measured in a survey. The paper assumes the following hypotheses: H1: there is a strong positive impact of retailer image on customer loyalty; H2: there is a strong positive impact of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty; H3: retailer image has a certain influence on customer satisfaction, as well. The survey was focused on supermarkets from southern Poland and their clients. The questionnaires were distributed using snowballing method. In total the sample included 328 respondents. A given table provides the results of the survey with the elements and structure of the sample. Reliability of the measurement model was evaluated with reliability coefficients: Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω. All blocks of manifest variables showed sufficient internal consistency (α and ω >0.7) so they could be used to determine the model. Structural equation modelling confirmed all relationships in the model at a high significance level (p