Examining determinants and mediating effects of self-congruity and overall satisfaction on brand loyalty towards local coffee shops in urban Klang Valley: an adaptation of the ECSI model.

Coffee shops have increasingly become preferred spaces for socializing, working, and relaxation, with global demand showing no signs of decline. In this competitive landscape, cultivating brand loyalty is essential, as loyal customers are more likely to repurchase, share positive word of mouth, and act as brand ambassadors. This research investigates the mediating roles of self-congruity and overall satisfaction in the relationship between brand loyalty and its antecedents, such as perceived product quality, perceived service quality, perceived price value, and brand image, among urban coffee shop customers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The study adopts a quantitative approach, utilizing an adapted European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model as the theoretical framework. An online survey was employed for data collection, with a sample size of 210. In response to the limited and recent literature on these variables in local coffee shops, data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed to assess direct and mediating effects. The findings indicate that all four antecedents (perceived product quality, perceived service quality, perceived price value, and brand image) significantly influenced self-congruity and overall satisfaction, which in turn positively affected brand loyalty. This study also extends self-congruity research by examining the mediating role beyond prior consequence-focused studies, and among these variables, brand image emerged as the most influential determinant, while overall satisfaction played a stronger mediating role than self-congruity. Moreover, this research addresses gaps in prior studies that focused mainly on international coffee shop chains, offering practical insights for owners and marketers seeking to strengthen customer loyalty through targeted improvements of the brand experience, particularly for locally oriented businesses. The study also contributes to the growing body of literature on customer behavior and loyalty within the food and beverage sector.