9th Student Research Conference in Marketing (SRCM) - 2025
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/29644
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Item Investigating the Mediating Effect of Emotional Branding on the Relationship Between Customer Shopping Experience and Customer Loyalty: A Study on Modern Trade in the Western Province, Sri Lanka(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Nalanda, W. W. C.; Bandara, B. S. S. U.This study examines the mediating role of emotional branding in the relationship between customer shopping experience and customer loyalty in Sri Lanka’s modern trade sector, specifically within the Western Province. While existing literature highlights the significance of customer shopping experience and emotional branding, limited research explores their combined influence on customer loyalty in this context. Addressing this gap, the study investigates how emotional branding transforms shopping experiences into long-term customer loyalty, particularly considering factors such as staff behavior, store ambiance, and brand interactions. The findings contribute to retail marketing literature and offer practical insights for businesses aiming to build emotional connections, enhance customer satisfaction, and sustain competitive advantage in Sri Lanka’s evolving retail sector. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a deductive methodology. Data were collected through a Google Survey distributed via social media platforms (WhatsApp, LinkedIn Messenger) targeting customers in the modern trade sector within the Western Province of Sri Lanka. A total of 400 responses were gathered, of which 385 were valid and analyzed. The study employed IBM SPSS Statistics 23 for data analysis, utilizing descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and Sobel mediation tests to assess relationships among key variables and test research hypotheses. This structured approach ensured statistical rigor and provided valuable insights into the mediating effect of emotional branding on customer shopping experience and loyalty. Findings reveal a strong positive relationship among the examined variables. Enhanced customer shopping experiences significantly contribute to customer loyalty, while emotional branding plays a crucial role in strengthening this relationship by fostering deeper emotional connections with customers. Moreover, mediation analysis confirmed that emotional branding significantly mediates the impact of customer shopping experience on customer loyalty, reinforcing its critical role in driving repeat patronage. These results highlight the importance of sensory-rich retail environments, personalized services, and strategic emotional branding in influencing consumer behavior. The findings further validate prior research, emphasizing the power of emotional connections in cultivating long-term customer relationships. However, this study is limited to the modern trade sector within the Western Province of Sri Lanka, restricting generalizability to other geographical locations and alternative retail formats (e.g., traditional trade and e-commerce). Additionally, convenience sampling may introduce biases, potentially affecting the representativeness of the data. Although the sample size is statistically adequate, self-reported data may be subject to response biases. The study offers theoretical contributions by reinforcing the role of emotional branding in fostering customer loyalty through emotional engagement. Practically, it underscores the importance of embedding emotional branding into a retailer’s identity, aligning emotional values with customer expectations, and creating immersive shopping experiences. Key managerial insights suggest that retailers should focus on multi-sensory experiences, data-driven personalization, and consistent omnichannel strategies to enhance emotional engagement. Furthermore, training employees in emotional intelligence and empathy is crucial for delivering emotionally impactful interactions with customers, ultimately enhancing shopping experiences and driving long-term loyalty.Item Influence of Factors on Intention to Use Self-Service Checkout Technology in Sri Lanka’s Modern Trade Sector: The Moderating Role of Technology Anxiety(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Madanayake, V. K.; Bandara, B. S. S. U.This study examines the factors influencing consumer intention to adopt Self-Service Checkout Technology (SSCT) in Sri Lanka’s modern trade sector, with a particular focus on Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and the moderating effect of technology anxiety. While SSCT has become a mainstream technological advancement in global retail markets, its adoption in Sri Lanka remains limited to only two Keells Super Market outlets, indicating a significant research gap in understanding consumer behavioral drivers of acceptance. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study explores the role of PEOU-including dimensions such as speed, functionality, customer satisfaction, convenience, and simplicity-in shaping consumer behavioral intention toward SSCT adoption. Additionally, the study investigates how technological anxiety moderates this relationship, potentially hindering consumer confidence in using automated systems. A structured survey was conducted among 218 respondents, representing a cross-section of retail consumers in Sri Lanka. Hypothesis testing was carried out using statistical analyses to assess the positive effects of PEOU on behavioral intention and the moderating role of technology anxiety. Findings confirm that PEOU plays a critical role in SSCT adoption, as consumers are more likely to embrace technologies perceived as simple, intuitive, and efficient. However, technology anxiety significantly moderates this relationship, particularly among individuals with limited digital literacy or minimal prior exposure to self-service technology. Respondents with higher levels of technology anxiety exhibited reduced confidence in using SSCT, despite acknowledging its ease of use, reinforcing the psychological barriers to adoption. Among the dimensions of PEOU, speed and convenience had the strongest impact on consumer intention to use SSCT, with faster transactions and independent purchasing experiences emerging as key adoption drivers. Functionality-measured by error-free scanning, diverse payment options, and seamless system operation-also played a crucial role, enhancing both trust and ease of use perceptions. Additionally, customer satisfaction and simplicity contributed to positive attitudes, reinforcing user confidence and willingness to adopt SSCT. This study makes a theoretical contribution by integrating technology anxiety into the TAM framework, extending its applicability in understanding consumer behavior in emerging markets. From a practical perspective, the findings provide actionable recommendations for Sri Lankan retailers, emphasizing the need for; User-centric SSCT interface designs with multilingual support and enhanced error-handling capabilities; On-site customer assistance to mitigate technology-related anxieties; Consumer education initiatives, including interactive demonstrations and promotional campaigns, to increase awareness of SSCT benefits; Strategic measures to create positive first-use experiences, ensuring greater consumer confidence and trust in SSCT adoption. As Sri Lanka’s modern retail sector evolves, the study highlights the importance of addressing both cognitive (PEOU) and emotional (technology anxiety) factors to accelerate technology adoption. Future research could extend these findings by exploring demographic influences, such as age and education, on PEOU and technology anxiety, or by conducting longitudinal studies to analyze evolving consumer attitudes as digital literacy improves over time.