Abstract

The consumption of western fast foods has been on the upward trend. As such, it is vital to identify the determinants of the customer loyalty among Generation Y in Malaysia, especially in the western fast food industry. The aim of this research is to evaluate and validate the determinants of the customer loyalty in the western fast food industry. The study also evaluates the roles of perceived switching cost in mediating the relationship between trust and customer loyalty. A total of 200 Generation Y consumers who patronage selected western fast food outlets in Kuala Lumpur participated in this research. The findings revealed that corporate image, trust and perceived switching cost were positively related to the customer loyalty. In addition, the finding also concludes that trust is positively related to customer loyalty, mediated by perceived switching cost. Various practical strategies were recommended in the study to increase the level of trust, perceived switching cost, corporate image and customer loyalty, such as offering value meal and implementing various corporate social responsibility activities and customer relationship management practices.

Key words:  Customer loyalty, trust, corporate image, perceived switching cost.