Examining the moderating role of personality traits in the relationship between brand trust and brand loyalty

Purpose The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate both the relationships among brand satisfaction, trust and loyalty and the moderating effects of personality traits, namely, consumer innovativeness, variety-seeking and relationship proneness, in the context of fast-moving consumer goods. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a survey of 443 consumers. Structural equation modeling, specifically partial least squares regression, was used to test the theoretical model. Findings The findings indicate that brand loyalty is the most affected (both directly and indirectly) by satisfaction through the mediation of brand trust in both product categories studied. Moreover, variety-seeking behavior negatively moderates the relationship between brand trust and brand loyalty for fruit juices. Research limitations/implications This research was conducted in the context of fast-moving consumer goods within a limited geographical region. Future research could apply this model to different contexts and countries. Practical implications Companies that produce fast-moving consumer goods are advised to consider the important role of satisfaction in the generation of trust, which leads to brand loyalty. Originality/value This study proposes and tests a theoretical model that is more comprehensive than the models used in previous studies because it investigates the relationships among satisfaction, trust, loyalty and personality traits. It is the first attempt to examine the moderating effects of consumer innovativeness, variety-seeking and relationship proneness on the relationship between brand trust and loyalty.