Does environmental corporate social responsibility increase consumer loyalty?

Abstract

PurposeThis study identifies the impact of supermarket environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) on consumers’ loyalty towards their supermarket. Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R), this study demonstrates how positive and negative emotions mediate the relationships between consumers’ perceptions of ECSR and consumers’ attitudes towards their supermarket. This study draws from cultural theory and works on sustainability and examines the moderating effect of the cultural context on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachA supermarket intercept survey was conducted among 327 consumers in France and 444 consumers in Morocco. The proposed model was analysed using Amos 22.FindingsECSR’s impact on consumer loyalty varies across cultural contexts through the mediation of positive and negative emotions. The study also indicates how consumers’ levels of environmentalism moderate the direct effect of supermarket ECSR on consumers’ attitudes towards the supermarket.Research limitations/implicationsBased on the S-O-R and cultural theories, this study demonstrates how the dimensions of the cultural context moderate the direct and indirect effects of ECSR on consumers’ loyalty towards their supermarket. Specifically, favourable perceptions of supermarket ECSR have an ambivalent impact on consumers’ attitudes through the mediation of negative emotions, such as shame, in more collectivist, low uncertainty avoidance and short-term oriented countries.Practical implicationsTailored recommendations for supermarket managers interested in ECSR and operating in an international context are provided.Social implicationsThis research highlights the varying impacts of environmental actions in international retailing.Originality/valueUsing the S-O-R and cultural theories, this study reveals nuances to existing knowledge on the role of consumers’ emotions in international retailing. It reveals the salience of negative emotions after the perception of a positively valenced stimulus across distinct cultural contexts.

Environmental CSR From the Standpoint of Stakeholder Theory: Rethinking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

“…In contrast to Awawdeh et al (2022), Cheng and Zhang (2022), Godefroit-Winkel et al (2022), Sadiq et al (2022), it has been proved that the interests of stakeholders (interested parties) do not contradict each other, but on the contrary are balanced with environmental CSR. That is, environmental CSR is a mechanism for establishing and maintaining the balance of industrial markets.…”

“…The works of Awawdeh et al (2022), Cheng and Zhang (2022), Godefroit-Winkel et al (2022), Sadiq et al (2022) note the contradictory interests of business and society in the implementation of environmental CSR. Consumers expect companies to be willing to donate part of their profits to environmental CSR as a charity and therefore do not always give preference to "green" products with similar consumer properties compared with less environmentally friendly analogues.…”

Generating loyalty towards fast fashion stores: a cross-generational approach based on store attributes and socio-environmental responsibility

“…Customer retention is considered by retailers a fundamental objective for business growth and survival (Bui, 2019). For fast fashion stores, loyalty describes the intention to make recurrent visits to the point of purchase to shop and thus maximize the shopping experience (Diallo et al, 2018;Godefroit-Winkel et al, 2021).…”

Consumer responses to environmental corporate social responsibility and luxury

“…Indeed, consumers might confuse the shopping mall with the various stores featured in the mall. Additional studies may also be interested in negative emotions such as disgust, shame or fear that can arise in retailscapes (Godefroit-Winkel et al , 2021). Future research could also identify more clearly emotions that environmental CSR and luxury elicit.…”