Skip to main content
Log in

Constructing online switching barriers: examining the effects of switching costs and alternative attractiveness on e-store loyalty in online pure-play retailers

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Electronic Markets Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Developing switching barriers to retain customers has become a critical marketing strategy for online retailers. However, research on the role of switching barriers in e-retailing is still limited. Recent trends show that when competitors are just one click away, it is questionable if customer loyalty can be achieved at all in online environments. This leads to the research question on whether switching barriers have any impact on e-loyalty in pure-play retailers. The paper examines the influence of switching barriers on customer retention (i.e., e-store loyalty) and further investigates the moderating effects of switching costs and alternative attractiveness. Data were gathered via a survey of 590 shoppers of online pure-play retailers in the UK. Findings show that customer satisfaction and the two dimensions of switching barriers (perceived switching costs and perceived attractiveness of alternatives) significantly influence customer loyalty. Contrary to findings in earlier studies, it was found that switching costs did not moderate the relationships between satisfaction and loyalty nor between perceived attractiveness of alternatives and loyalty. The paper makes imperative recommendations to develop switching barriers and to foster loyalty along with suggestions for future research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Population reports were derived from Nielson-Online (2009), Mintel-Oxygen (2007) and British Population Survey (January 2008).

References

  • Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

  • Albert, L. J., Aggarwal, N., & Hill, T. R. (2014). Influencing customer’s purchase intentions through firm participation in online consumer communities. Electronic Markets, 24(4), 285–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alt, R., & Österle, H. (2013). Electronic markets on internet marketing. Electronic Markets, 23(3), 173–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: a review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. E., & Srinivasan, S. S. (2003). E-satisfaction and e-loyalty: a contingency framework. Psychology and Marketing, 20(2), 123–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, E. W., & Sullivan, M. W. (1993). The antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction for firms. Marketing Science, 12(2), 125–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, E., Fornell, C., & Lehmann, D. R. (1994). Customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability: findings from Sweden. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 53–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aydin, S., Özer, G., & Arasil, Ö. (2005). Customer loyalty and the effect of switching costs as a moderator variable. A case in the Turkish mobile phone market. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 23(1), 89–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. P., Yi, Y., & Phillips, L. W. (1991). Assessing construct validity in organizational research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36(3), 421–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakos, J. Y. (1997). Reducing buyer search costs: implications for electronic marketplaces. Management Science, 43(12), 1676–92

  • Balabanis, G., Reynolds, N., & Simintiras, A. (2006). Bases of e-store loyalty: perceived switching barriers and satisfaction. Journal of Business Research, 59(2), 214–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bansal, H. S., & Taylor, S. F. (1999). The service provider switching model (SPSM). Journal of Service Research, 2(2), 200–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, H. H., Grether, M., & Leach, M. (2002). Building customer relations over the Internet. Industrial Marketing Management, 31(2), 155–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bell, S. J., Auh, S., & Smalley, K. (2005). Customer relationship dynamics: service quality and customer loyalty in the context of varying levels of customer expertise and switching costs. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 33(2), 169–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bendapudi, N., & Berry, L. L. (1997). Customers’ motivations for maintaining relationships with service providers. Journal of Retailing, 73(1), 15–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, J., & Bandalos, D. L. (1992). Second-order confirmatory factor analysis of the reactions to tests scale with cross-validation. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 27(3), 459–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N. (1998). A dynamic model of the duration of the customer’s relationship with a continuous service provider: the role of satisfaction. Marketing Science, 17(1), 45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N., & Drew, J. H. (1991). A multistage model of customers’ assessments of service quality and value. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 375–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourdeau, B. L. (2005). A new examination of service loyalty: identification of the antecedents and outcomes of an attitudinal loyalty framework. Unpublished PhD thesis, Florida State University.

  • Burnham, T. A. (1998). Measuring and managing consumer switching costs to improve customer retention in continuous services. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

  • Burnham, T. A., Frels, J. K., & Mahajan, V. (2003). Consumer switching costs: a typology, antecedents, and consequences. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, 31(2), 109–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, J., & O’Cass, A. (2011). Creating commercially compelling website-service encounters: an examination of the effect of website-service interface performance components on flow experiences. Electronic Markets, 21(4), 237–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: the role of brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 81–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chebat, J.-C., Davidow, M., & Borges, A. (2010). More on the role of switching costs in service markets: a research note. Journal of Business Research, 64(8), 823–829.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, P.-Y., & Hitt, L. M. (2002). Measuring switching costs and the determinants of customer retention in Internet-enabled businesses: a study of the online brokerage industry. Information Systems Research, 13(3), 255–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chin, W. W. (1998). Issues and opinion on structural equation modelling. Management Information Systems Quarterly, 22(1), 7–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coelho, P. S., & Henseler, J. (2012). Creating customer loyalty through service customization. European Journal of Marketing, 46(3/4), 331–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colgate, M. R., & Lang, B. (2001). Switching barriers in consumer markets: an investigation of the financial services industry. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(4), 332–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colgate, M., Tong, V. T.-U., Lee, C. K.-C., & Farley, J. U. (2007). Back from the brink: why customers stay. Journal of Service Research, 9(3), 211–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corstjens, M., & Lal, R. (2000). Building store loyalty through store brands. Journal of Marketing Research, 37(3), 281–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dagger, T. S., & David, M. E. (2012). Uncovering the real effect of switching costs on the satisfaction-loyalty association: the critical role of involvement and relationship benefits. European Journal of Marketing, 46(3/4), 447–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Leeuw, E. D., Hox, J. J., & Dillman, D. A. (2008). International handbook of survey methodology. New York: L. Erlbaum Associatesm.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Ruyter, K., Wetzels, M., & Bloemer, J. (1998). On the relationship between perceived service quality, service loyalty and switching costs. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 9(5), 436–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, A., & Basu, K. (1994). Customer loyalty: toward an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(2), 99–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A., Phelps, G., Tortora, R., Swift, K., Kohrell, J., Berck, J., & Messera, B. L. (2009). Response rate and measurement differences in mixed mode surveys using mail, telephone, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and the Internet. Social Science Research, 38(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emanuelsson, E. & Uhlén, V. S. (2007). Virtual switching barriers: Switching barriers customer satisfaction as predictors of customer loyalty for online retailers. Unpublished Masters thesis, Handelshögskolan i Stockholm, Stockholm.

  • Evanschitzky, H., & Wunderlich, M. (2006). An examination of moderator effects in the four-stage loyalty model. Journal of Service Research, 8(4), 330–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C. (1992). A national customer satisfaction barometer: the Swedish experience. Journal of Marketing, 56(1), 6–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forsythe, S. M. & Shi, B. (2003). Consumer patronage and risk perceptions in internet shopping. Journal of Business Research, 56(11), 867–75.

  • Friedman, T. L. (1999). Amazon. You: New York Times.

  • Frow, P. E., Payne, A., Wilkinson, I. F., & Young, L. (2011). Customer management and CRM: addressing the dark side. Journal of Services Marketing, 25(2), 79–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuentes-Blasco, M., Saura, I.-G., Berenguer-Contriacute, G., & Moliner-Velaacutezquez, B. (2010). Measuring the antecedents of e-loyalty and the effect of switching costs on website. The Service Industries Journal, 30(11), 1837–1852.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garbarino, E., & Johnson, M. S. (1999). The different roles of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in customer relationships. Journal of Marketing, 63(2), 70–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerbing, D. W., & Anderson, J. C. (1988). An updated paradigm for scale development incorporating unidimensionality and its Assessment. Journal of Marketing Research, 25(2), 186–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goode, M. M. H., & Harris, L. C. (2007). Online behavioural intentions: an empirical investigation of antecedents and moderators. European Journal of Marketing, 41(5–6), 512–536.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: a global perspective (7th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, L. C., & Goode, M. M. H. (2004). The four levels of loyalty and the pivotal role of trust: a study of online service dynamics. Journal of Retailing, 80(2), 139–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauser, J. R., Simester, D. I., & Wernerfelt, B. (1994). Customer satisfaction incentives. Marketing Science, 13(4), 327–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heide, J. B., & Weiss, A. M. (1995). Vendor consideration and switching behaviour for buyers in high-technology markets. Journal of Marketing, 59(3), 30–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., & Gremler, D. D. (2000). Why customers build relationships with companies—and why not. In T. Hennig-Thurau & U. Hansen (Eds.), Relationship marketing: Gaining competitive advantage through customer satisfaction and customer retention (pp. 369–391). Berlin: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman, A. O. (1970). Exit, voice and loyalty: Responses to decline in firms, organizations, and states. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holloway, B. B. (2003). The role of switching barriers in the online service recovery process. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Alabama.

  • Hu, L.-T. & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural equation modeling, 6(1), 1–55.

  • Ji, M. F. & Wood, W. (2007). Purchase and consumption habits: not necessarily what you intend. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 17(4), 261–76.

  • Johnson, E. J., Bellman, S. & Lohse, G. L. (2003). Cognitive lock-in and the power law of practice. Journal of Marketing, 67(2), 62–75.

  • Jones, M. A., Mothersbaugh, D. L., & Beatty, S. E. (2000). Switching barriers and repurchase intentions in services. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 259–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M. A., Mothersbaugh, D. L., & Beatty, S. E. (2002). Why customers stay: measuring the underlying dimensions of services switching costs and managing their differential strategic outcomes. Journal of Business Research, 55(6), 441–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M. A., Reynolds, K. E., Mothersbaugh, D. L., & Beatty, S. E. (2007). The positive and negative effects of switching costs on relational outcomes. Journal of Service Research, 9(4), 335–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keaveney, S. M. (1995). Customer switching behaviour in service industries: an exploratory study. Journal of Marketing, 59(2), 71–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenny, D. A. (2014). Measuring model fit. Retrieved 12 September, 2015, from http://davidakenny.net/cm/fit.htm.

  • Kim, S. S., & Son, J.-Y. (2009). Out of dedication or constraint? A dual model of post-adoption phenomena and its empirical test in the context of online services. MIS Quarterly, 33(1), 49–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemperer, P. (1987). Markets with consumer switching costs. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 102(2), 375–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korgaonkar, P. K., & Wolin, L. D. (1999). A multivariate analysis of web usage. Journal of Advertising Research, 39(2), 53–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J., Lee, J., & Feick, L. (2001). The impact of switching costs on the customer satisfaction-loyalty link: mobile phone service in France. Journal of Services Marketing, 15(1), 35–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, D., Browne, G. J., & Chau, P. Y. K. (2006). An empirical investigation of web site use using a commitment-based model. Decision Sciences, 37(3), 427–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little, T. D., Bovaird, J. A., & Widaman, K. F. (2006). On the merits of orthogonalizing powered and product terms: implications for modeling interactions among latent variables. Structural Equation Modeling, 13(4), 497–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W., Wen, Z., Hau, K.-T., Little, T. D., Bovaird, J. A., & Widaman, K. F. (2007). Unconstrained structural equation models of latent interactions: contrasting residual- and mean-centered approaches. Structural Equation Modeling A Multidisciplinary Journal, 14(4), 570–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathwick, C. (2002). Understanding the online consumer: a typology of online relational norms and behaviour. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 16(1), 40–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mazursky, D., LaBarbera, P., & Aiello, A. (1987). When consumers switch brands. Psychology and Marketing, 4(1), 17–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Methlie, L. B., & Nysveen, H. (1999). Loyalty of on-Line bank customers. Journal of Information Technology, 14(4), 375–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mintel-Oxygen (2007). Internet shopping: an oft market study. Office of Fair Trading.

  • Mitchell, V. W. (1999). Consumer perceived risk: conceptualisations and models. European Journal of Marketing, 33(1/2), 163–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mittal, V., & Kamakura, W. A. (2001). Satisfaction, repurchase intent, and repurchase behaviour: investigating the moderating effect of customer characteristics. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(1), 131–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohd-Any, A. A., Winklhofer, H., & Ennew, C. (2015). Measuring users’ value experience on a travel website (e-Value): what value is co-created by the user? Journal of Travel Research, 54(4), 496–510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mutum, D. S., Ghazali, E. M., Nguyen, B., & Arnott, D. (2014). Online loyalty and its interaction with switching barriers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(6), 942–949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, B., Simkin, L., Canhoto, A. (2015). The Dark Side of CRM: Customers, Relationships and Management (Eds) Routledge.

  • Nielson, C. C. (1996). An empirical examination of switching cost investments in business-to-business marketing relationships. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 11(6), 38–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielson-Online (2009). The Marketing Pocket Book. Henley-On-Thames: Oxfordshire: World Advertising Research Center.

  • Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Boston: McGraw-Hill, Irwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63(4), 33–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ONS (2014). Statistical bulletin: Internet Access – Households and Individuals Available at: 2014 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2014/stb-ia-2014.html#tab-Internet-Shopping (accessed on 15 Sept 2015).

  • Otim, S., & Grover, V. (2010). E-commerce: a brand name’s curse. Electronic Markets, 20(2), 147–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pappas, I. O., Kourouthanassis, P. E., Giannakos, M. N., & Chrissikopoulos, V. (2014). Shiny happy people buying: the role of emotions on personalized e-shopping. Electronic Markets, 24(3), 193–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, P. G., & Smith, T. (2003). A cross-cultural study of switching barriers and propensity to stay with service providers. Journal of Retailing, 79(2), 107–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ping, R. A. (1993). The effects of satisfaction and structural constraints on retailer exiting, voice, loyalty, opportunism, and neglect. Journal of Retailing, 69(3), 320–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polo, Y., & Sesé, J. F. (2009). How to make switching costly: the role of marketing and relationship characteristics. Journal of Service Research, 12(2), 119–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polo, Y., Sesé, F. J., & Verhoef, P. C. (2011). The effect of pricing and advertising on customer retention in a liberalizing market. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 25(4), 201–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ranaweera, C., & Prabhu, J. (2003). The influence of satisfaction, trust and switching barriers on customer retention in a continuous purchasing setting. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(3/4), 374–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichheld, F. F. (1996). The loyalty effect: The hidden force behind growth, profits, and lasting value. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichheld, F. F., & Schefter, P. (2000). E-loyalty: your secret weapon on the web. Harvard Business Review, 78(4), 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Retailpro (2015). Online Still Wooing Customers from Brick and Mortars. Retrieved from http://www.retailpro.com/News/blog/index.php/2015/01/26/online-still-wooing-customers-from-brick-and-mortars/ (accessed on 26 Jan 2015).

  • Roberts, W. A. (1989). Towards an understanding of relational commitment. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Arizona States University.

  • Rusbult, C. E., Zembrodt, I. M., & Gunn, L. K. (1982). Exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect: responses to dissatisfaction in romantic involvements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(6), 1230–1242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rusbult, C. E., Martz, J. M., & Agnew, C. R. (1998). The investment model scale: measuring commitment level, satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Personal Relationships, 5(4), 357–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rust, R. T., & Kannan, P. K. (2003). E-service: a new paradigm for business in the electronic environment. Communications of the ACM, 46(6), 37–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiders, K., Voss, G. B., Grewal, D., & Godfrey, A. L. (2005). Do satisfied customers buy more? Examining moderating influences in a retailing context. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 26–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shankar, V., Smith, A. K., & Rangaswamy, A. (2003). Customer satisfaction and loyalty in online and offline environments. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 20(2), 153–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, N., & Patterson, P. G. (2000). Switching costs, alternative attractiveness and experience as moderators of relationship commitment in professional, consumer services. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 11(5), 470–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sindell, K. (2000). Loyalty marketing for the internet age. Chicago: Dearborn Trade.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szymanski, D. M., & Henard, D. H. (2001). Customer satisfaction: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(1), 16–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thatcher, J. B., & George, J. F. (2004). Commitment, trust, and social involvement: an exploratory study of antecedents to web shopper loyalty. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 14(4), 243–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • To, T. (1996). Multi-period competition with switching costs: an overlapping generations formulation. Journal of Industrial Economics, 44(1), 81–87.

  • Tsai, H.-T., & Huang, H.-C. (2007). Determinants of e-repurchase intentions: an integrative model of quadruple retention drivers. Information and Management, 44(3), 231–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, H.-T., Huang, H.-C., Jaw, Y.-L., & Chen, W.-K. (2006). Why online customers remain with a particular e-retailer: an integrative model and empirical evidence. Psychology and Marketing, 23(5), 447–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voss, G. B., Parasuraman, A., & Grewal, D. (1998). The roles of price, performance, and expectations in determining satisfaction in service exchanges. Journal of Marketing, 62(4), 46–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, A. M., & Heide, J. B. (1993). The nature of organizational search in high technology markets. Journal of Marketing Research, 30(2), 220–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia, L., Monroe, K. B., & Cox, J. L. (2004). The price is unfair! A conceptual framework of price fairness perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 68(4), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Z., & Peterson, R. T. (2004). Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: the role of switching costs. Psychology and Marketing, 21(10), 799–822.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yim, C. K., Chan, K. W., & Hung, K. (2007). Multiple reference effects in service evaluations: roles of alternative attractiveness and self-image congruity. Journal of Retailing, 83(1), 147–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zauberman, G. (2003). The intertemporal dynamics of consumer lock-in. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(3), 405–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bang Nguyen.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Christopher P. Holland

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ghazali, E., Nguyen, B., Mutum, D.S. et al. Constructing online switching barriers: examining the effects of switching costs and alternative attractiveness on e-store loyalty in online pure-play retailers. Electron Markets 26, 157–171 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-016-0218-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-016-0218-1

Keywords

JEL Classification

Navigation