BEHAVIORAL ANTECEDENTS FOR ENHANCING GREEN CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN RETAIL

Sustainability is a pressing concern and a constant challenge for the contemporary society, being carefully monitored by individuals and diligently implemented by companies within their business strategies. Companies increasingly resort to highlighting the characteristics and advantages of sustainable and environmentally friendly products in an attempt to curry favour with green consumers who recycle products, prefer organic food or green products and visit and buy from retailers exhibiting environmental consciousness. The empirical research conducted on a sample of 3,382 consumers of different ages reveals how the attitudes and values of green-oriented consumers as well as their proclivity for sustainable consumption and willingness to pay a premium price for environmentally friendly products represent antecedents for creating their loyalty to the retail stores that use green and environmental-oriented strategies. The research findings clearly reveal that consumers' positive attitude to environment protection will prompt them to immediately look for and prefer retailers offering such sustainable products. From a theoretical perspective, the paper contributes to broadening the understanding of behavioral antecedents that create green loyalty on an emerging market. From a practical perspective, the paper provides retailers with possible solutions when designing offers for their target segments.