Antecedents of trust and customer loyalty in online shopping: The moderating effects of online shopping experience and e-shopping spending

This paper determines the antecedents of trust (i.e., perceived ease of use [PEoU], privacy concerns [PC], perceived security [PS], product variety [PV], and on-time delivery [OD]) and customer loyalty (CL) in online retailing. A questionnaire was developed using scales validated in prior e-commerce studies to measure these factors in the conceptual model. Data were collected in an online survey from a non-probability judgement sample of online shoppers between the ages of 18 and 65 years old, who provided informed consent for participation in the survey. Data were analysed via structural equation modeling (SEM) on AMOS version 28. The ethical approval certificate was issued by the College of Business and Economics Research Ethics Committee (CBEREC). The results indicate that customer trust (CT) in online shopping relies on OD, PS, PV, and PEoU, but not PC. CT, followed by OD and PV, significantly impacts CL. The results show that trust mediates the relationship between OD, PS, and PV, and CL. Online shopping experience and e-shopping spending significantly moderate the impact of PV on trust. The impact of OD on CL is significantly moderated by the online shopping experience. This paper validates a scientific approach to coexisting effects of these key forces that e-retailer practitioners can use to gain trust and build CL. Research that validates this valuable knowledge is absent in the literature, as the factors were measured disjointedly in prior studies. This study offers originality by validating these forces in online retailing in South Africa.