Assessing customer loyalty in the construction materials market[Оценка Лояльности Потребителей На Рынке Строительных Материалов]

Customer relationships and consumer loyalty issues are in the constant focus of business attention. In the context of economy digitalization the orientation of a set of marketing activities towards personalizing relationships with consumers and considering consumer values are key factors in increasing marketing efficiency and achieving corporate goals. The article considers customer relationships building from the point of view of the 4C model, the main goal of which is to satisfy the clients’ needs on the basis of their values. Consequently, customer satisfaction with company interaction becomes the main factor in the formation of business loyalty and competitiveness. The key goal of the 4C model is to satisfy the needs of each client, realize the possibility of exchanging values with clients and gain their trust and loyalty as a result of satisfaction with company interaction. From the authors’ point of view, the 4C model most fully corresponds to the principles of the relationship marketing concept in the retail market. Theoretical and empirical studies have not yet presented a comprehensive methodology for assessing the effectiveness of relationships management with retail customers. It remains relevant to form a system of indicators providing for assessing the impact of relationship marketing on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In the framework of this research, the authors present a methodical approach to assessing consumer loyalty in the retail construction materials market. The research object was OOO “Stroitelny Dvor”, a Russian company which runs a network of construction stores and construction bases of the same name and has the status of one of the major construction materials retailers in Russia, contracting both with retail buyers and as a supplier for construction and repair sites, as well as for renovation projects. The research subject was a methodical approach to assessing consumer loyalty in the retail construction materials market. The research purpose: to develop and test methodology for assessing consumer loyalty in the retail construction materials market, to propose a 4C relationship marketing complex aimed at increasing consumer loyalty. Methods and methodology: secondary data were obtained through the methods of content analysis of consumer reviews on websites, systemic and structural-functional assessment of information. Primary data – through online survey of construction materials consumers in the Google Forms questionnaire. The sample is random, quota. The sample size is 400 people. The survey was conducted on the basis of closed, scaled (a seven-point Likert scale) and completely unstructured questions. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) index method, the “SERVQUAL” method, as well as the methods of frequency, correlation static analysis and multidimensional scaling in the SPSS program were applied. Results. The authors propose a methodical approach to assessing consumer loyalty in the retail construction materials market, including seven stages: market research; selection of criteria to assess the efficiency of customer relationships management - content analysis of consumer reviews; NPS net support index - rational component assessment; "SERVQUAL" - emotional component assessment; multidimensional scaling - segmenting consumers according to expectations and perceptions; assessing differences in consumer expectations and perceptions; frequency and correlation analysis; SQL (Service Quality Index) quality index calculation.