A Study Of The Effect Of Department Store Brand Image On Customer Loyalty

In the past several years, great changes had taken place in retailing industry. Many trades such as supermarket, exclusive store, discount store, convenient store and intenet store developed quickly. Traditional department store faces unprecedented challenges. It is an important way of building up customer loyalty to pursue the competition advantages for department store. The department store brand image has a remarkable effect on customers'purchase behavior. Therefore, the study of the relatinship between department store brand image and customer loyalty has important investigation meaning, for which tremendous value.With the effect of department store brand image on customer loyalty as researching object, the paper summarizes some researching production including customer loyalty theory and store image theory and etc., which is the foundation of all. Then, the author chooses C&T model as the main theory basis of all study, and consults the composing mechanism about store image of some scholars. To make the C&T model be able to use in department store, combining the particularity of department store, the author visits many customers, then, proposes to revise C&T model, based on the visiting result.To validate the rationality that each dimension of department store brand image influences customer loyalty, the author puts forward series of researching hypothesis. Aim at such hypothesis, the author designs questionnaire and surveys. Then, based on the market research data, the author puts up some analysis to validate whether it is effective or not of C&T updating model that applied in department store. As a result, C&T updating model is tenable in department store.The conclusion is showed as follows: the department store brand image is consisted of merchandise property,service quality,convenience, purchase atmosphere and mental tendency, and all of them affect customer loyalty significantly. Moreover, the department store brand image not only directly affect customer loyalty, but also indirectly influence customer loyalty through the media variable of customer satisfaction. Furthermore, results of demonstration research indicate the different extents that each dimension of department store brand image affects customer loyalty. Service quality affects customer loyalty most, then purchase atmosphere, mental tendency and merchandise property in turn. Convenience affects customer loyalty least.This paper checks up the feasibility of C&T updating model,analyses the interior configuration of all dimensions of department store brand image and their effcet degrees on customer loyalty. This paper engenders practice value to enhancing customer loyalty through improving brand image for department store.