The effect of relational benefits on perceived value in relation to customer loyalty: An empirical study in the Australian coffee outlets industry

Retaining and cultivating customer loyalty has become Increasingly important for coffee outlet marketers and operators due to the highly competitive environment This study aims to develop and test a model investigating how relational benefits enhance perceived value to win customer loyalty Using a self-administered questionnaire survey. 949 respondents from coffee outlets were used for this study The findings show that relational benefits have direct effect on perceived value and customer loyalty In addition, relational benefits also have indirect effect on loyalty via perceived value Finally, perceived value positively Influenced customer loyalty. The findings suggest that coffee outlet operators with a better understanding of their customers' perceptions, and help them in developing competitive strategies that differentiate themselves from competitors and win customer loyalty in an aggressive market (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved