How Digital Transformation Impacts on the Customer Loyalty in Fitness Services: The Mediating Role of Customer Experience

The fitness sector is experiencing a swift digital shift, leading fitness businesses to emphasize customer loyalty. This research examined the impact of digital transformation on customer loyalty in fitness services and the mediating influence of customer experience on this relationship. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework and Trust-Commitment theory, the hypotheses were evaluated based on data from 312 fitness service users in Vietnam. Analysis using structural equation modeling indicated that capabilities in digital transformation and perceptions of quality, mediated by trust and commitment to the relationship, positively affect customer loyalty. The outcomes provide a clearer understanding of how digital activities, serving as stimuli, impact customer loyalty by shaping customer experience, which is facilitated by trust and commitment. The results pointed out the significance of fitness providers embracing a customer-focused digital transformation strategy, emphasizing actions that cultivate trust and encourage dedication to promote lasting customer loyalty. Fitness providers must enhance long-term relationships by increasing customer trust and commitment.