PERAN KEPUASAN PELANGGAN SEBAGAI VARIABEL MEDIASI PADA PENGARUH KEPERCAYAAN PELANGGAN DAN PENGALAMAN BERBELANJA TERHADAP LOYALITAS: STUDI PADA PENGGUNA APLIKASI BLIBLI DI JAWA TENGAH

Abstract: This study aims to analyze the role of customer satisfaction as a mediating variable in the relationship between customer trust and shopping experience toward loyalty among Blibli application users in Central Java. A quantitative approach was employed using Structural Equation Modeling - Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS), with respondents selected through purposive sampling. The findings reveal that customer trust has a significant effect on satisfaction but does not directly influence loyalty. In contrast, shopping experience significantly affects both satisfaction and loyalty, making it the most dominant factor in building consumer attachment. Customer satisfaction positively influences loyalty, although its contribution is relatively small. Mediation analysis indicates that satisfaction successfully mediates the relationship between trust and loyalty, but does not mediate the relationship between shopping experience and loyalty. The Q² value of 0.959 confirms that the research model possesses very strong predictive relevance. These results strengthen the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory, demonstrating that stimuli such as trust and shopping experience can generate loyalty responses through the organism represented by customer satisfaction. Practically, the study suggests that Blibli should prioritize enhancing shopping experiences and consistently building trust to foster sustainable customer satisfaction and loyalty.