How loyal are online store customers: a meta analysis of e-loyalty

Abstract

A growing number of studies have examined the concept of e-loyalty and its antecedents over the last years, and it remains a central topic for both marketing academics and practitioners. This study aims to evaluate the level of different types (integrated, attitudinal, behavioural) of loyalty towards an online store and determine if they are moderated by the time, country development, and the impact of the scientific journal. The study was based on a systematic analysis of 10 core databases, which generated more than 3,557 articles published during 2000–2020. Using PRISMA steps, 116 articles, whose total number of respondents were around 56,000, were used for meta-analysis. The results of this study confirmed that moderating variables (time, the impact of the scientific journal) were significant: higher loyalty towards an online store was observed in recently published studies, as well as research published in scientific journals with impact factors. Moreover, a significant impact of behavioural loyalty and its dimensions on online store loyalty was revealed. This study deepens the understanding of online customer loyalty, including its conceptualization, measurement, and identifies potential unexplored research gaps in this area.