Blame Shifting, Shopping Intensity, and Revisit Likelihood in Data Breaches

Data thefts have increased in frequency and cause a loss of customer trust and business. Previous research has studied how the public assigns blame for the crime, and how this affects the likelihood that the public will revisit the firm. In addition, the negative emotional response of the public to data breaches has been frequently studied. However, previous research has been inconclusive on whether frequent shoppers will be more likely to shift blame away from the business, and whether they will be more likely to return. Our survey of 315 individuals provides insight into how frequent customers differ from the general public. Specifically, the relationship between placing greater proportion of blame on data breach victims (relative to the hacked business) and revisit intention is moderated by prior shopping intensity. Those who placed greater blame on the data breach victims were more likely to return to the breached business. Frequent shoppers are indeed more likely to return to the breached business. We put this result in context with the literature on customer loyalty, and recommend that businesses monitor public sentiment carefully and match their crisis response to their target customer audience.