The role of consumer happiness in brand loyalty: a model of the satisfaction and brand image in fashion

Purpose The study of the antecedents to loyalty is of great interest to both academics and professionals in the context of fashion consumption. The purpose of this paper is to define a SEM model, in which brand image and its dimensions, as well as consumer satisfaction and consumer happiness as mediators, are explained as antecedents to loyalty. Design/methodology/approach A transversal descriptive study based on primary data were, therefore, carried out using a survey with a sample of 2,515 consumers representing the Spanish population. The Partial Least Square method was applied to test the hypotheses. Findings The results of this research tell us which variables have a positive influence on consumer loyalty to fashion brands, where brand image, satisfaction and consumer happiness are the determining variables of loyalty. Research limitations/implications This model has important implications and contributes both to the literature and to the choice of differentiation and brand positioning strategies for marketing to a global and highly competitive market. Originality/value One of the novelties of this study is the fact that it considers the consumer happiness variable as an antecedent to loyalty in the fashion consumer sector.