Customer Loyalty to C2C Online Shopping Platforms: An Exploration of the Role of Customer Engagement

With the keen competition in C2C e-marketplaces, C2C online shopping platform providers are finding ways to keep and maintain customer relationship. In this study, a research model that examines the role of customer engagement in customer loyalty to C2C online shopping platforms is proposed and empirically tested with 385 customers who have used Taobao to perform online shopping. The results provide supports to our research hypotheses and illustrate the importance of customer engagement in building customer loyalty to C2C online shopping platforms. Findings of this study are expected to provide useful insights for emarketers to develop loyalty through customer engagement in online shopping platforms as well as for researchers to better understand the relationship between customer engagement and loyalty in consumer-based e-marketplace.