Strategic Drivers of E-Retailer Loyalty in Emerging Markets: A Management-Oriented Analysis of E-Service Quality and Trust in Online Reviews

Kulman   Arailym Bauyrzhanqyzy; Yermekbayeva  Dinara; Abilazim  Togzhan Yersinkyzy; Zheldibayev  Assan; Şaban  Çelik; Kuralay  Zhailaubayeva

doi:10.48161/qaj.v6n4a2668

Authors

Kulman Arailym Bauyrzhanqyzy Department of Management and Business, Kenzhegali Sagadiev University of International Business, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9943-144X
Yermekbayeva Dinara Faculty of Economics and Business, Almaty Technological University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8910-6239
Abilazim Togzhan Yersinkyzy Department of Management and Business, Faculty of Management and Economics, Almaty Technological University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6613-9413
Zheldibayev Assan Department of Tourism and Service, Faculty of Economics and Business, Almaty Technological University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2304-8889
Şaban Çelik Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, İzmir Katip Çelebi University, İzmir 35620, Türkiye; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4918-4598
Kuralay Zhailaubayeva School of Basic and Interdisciplinary Programs, Narxoz University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6758-8249

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48161/qaj.v6n4a2668

Keywords:

E-service quality, Price fairness, Trust in online reviews, E-retailer loyalty, Emerging markets.

Abstract

This study examines how e-service quality, perceived price fairness, and trust in online reviews are associated with e-retailer loyalty in Kazakhstan and Türkiye. A cross-sectional online survey generated 288 complete responses from consumers with prior online-shopping experience. The principal analytical sample comprised 284 respondents from Kazakhstan and Türkiye. E-service quality was modelled as a higher-order construct comprising system efficiency, fulfilment, and privacy, while perceived price fairness, trust in online reviews, and loyalty were specified as first-order constructs. The proposed relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), bootstrapped mediation analysis, predictive assessment, robustness checks, measurement-invariance analysis, and exploratory multi-group comparison. The model explained 65.8% of the variance in trust in online reviews and 70.3% of the variance in e-retailer loyalty. E-service quality showed a strong positive association with trust and the largest total association with loyalty. Trust was positively associated with loyalty and partially mediated the relationship between e-service quality and loyalty. Perceived price fairness showed no significant direct association with loyalty but contributed indirectly through trust, indicating an indirect-only mediation pattern. The main structural relationships remained stable after response-quality screening and demographic adjustment. Cross-country coefficient differences were not statistically significant. However, full compositional invariance was not established for higher-order e-service quality, so national comparisons should be interpreted as exploratory. The study integrates operational service performance, price fairness, and trust in consumer-generated information within a single loyalty framework and clarifies their complementary but non-equivalent roles in post-adoption e-commerce behaviour.

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