Relationship intention as a predictor of clothing retail customers' satisfaction, trust, commitment and relationship quality

Abstract

Increased competition has led retailers to implement relationship marketing strategies that will improve customer retention. Understanding relational development from the customers' perspective is important to the success of relationship marketing in business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. However, few studies have considered the role of customers' relationship intentions in determining the key results - satisfaction, trust, commitment, and the quality of the relationship - of successful relationship marketing. To address this gap, this study investigates whether clothing retail customers' relationship intentions predict their satisfaction with, trust in, commitment to, and relationship quality with the clothing retailer from whom they purchase most often. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from 511 clothing retail customers in the greater Tshwane metropolitan area. Regression analyses indicate that customers' relationship intentions significantly predict their satisfaction with, trust in, and commitment to the clothing retailer from whom they purchase most often. It was also found that the customers' relationship intentions significantly predict the quality of their relationship with a particular clothing retailer