Loyalty in times of COVID-19? An analysis based on the perceived CSR and Trust in basic food basket consumption

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of perceived Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on trust; and the effects of the last one on consumer loyalty during the health contingency due to COVID-19. A variance-based structural equation model is estimated using a sample of 72 consumers. The results show that CSR actions increase trust and, in turn, this has a positive effect on loyalty. The originality of this study lies in the way loyal consumers were identified, since loyalty levels prior to the analysis were considered, so that only consumers who reported shopping in the same retailing before and during the health contingency were taken into account, which provides a better approximation of the phenomenon studied.