The Interplay of Gamification and Customer Satisfaction in Building Customer Loyalty: Evidence from the E-Commerce Sector

This study aims to evaluate a model that explains the factors influencing customer loyalty in a highly competitive e-commerce environment, emphasizing the impact of gamification on customer loyalty through the mediating function of customer satisfaction.  This study utilized a survey design and quantitative methodology to gather data from 135 active users of the Shopee e-commerce platform in Indonesia via an online survey, employing purposive sampling approaches.  We used AMOS software and Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) to look at the direct and indirect links between variables.  The findings indicate that gamification does not exert a direct influence on customer loyalty. Instead, its effect emerges indirectly through the enhancement of customer satisfaction, which functions as the mediating mechanism linking gamification initiatives to the formation of loyal customer behavior. Theoretically, this research amalgamates the Self-Determination Theory, Expectation-Confirmation Theory, andTheory of Planned Behaviorto furnish a comprehensive knowledge of client loyalty in e-commerce.  From a managerial perspective, these findings indicate that e-commerce platforms must enhance gamification methods as a potent means to elevate client pleasure and loyalty.  This study presents a complete model that synthesizes user experience (gamification) and psychological dimensions (satisfaction), significantly contributing to the understanding of customer satisfaction's mediation role in connecting gamification and customer loyalty.