The factors influencing customer loyalty in social commerce platform: variety-seeking and social impact perspective

Purpose This study aims to address the factors influencing customer loyalty in social commerce (SC) sites from different standpoints with the intention to use the "variety-seeking" perspective and social impact theory as the foundation of the theoretical model. Specifically, it examined the factors capable of diverting user loyalty from using the current platform to other SC sites. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model developed consists of five factors, including the intention to switch, perceived herd behavior, life events, satiation and hedonic motivation. However, this proposed model was validated by 568 users of SC in Indonesia. Findings The result showed that all direct and indirect predictors of the dependent variable were statistically significant except the direct effect of the perceived herd behavior. Meanwhile, age, income, and experience were found to have a significant moderating effect on the direct influence on the dependent variable. Originality/value This study is different from previous studies in SC, which focused on customer loyalty. It makes an alternative approach by investigating a "negative" factor capable of diverting user attention and commitment with the current SC platform, which leads to switching to another SC.