Perceived Value and Customer Loyalty in Organic Food: The Mediating Role of Customer Satisfaction and the Moderating Role of eWOM

The growing demand for organic food in China underscores the importance of understanding factors that foster long-term customer loyalty.Although prior research has examined perceived value and satisfaction, most studies focus on short-term purchase intentions and rarely consider the mechanisms leading to sustained loyalty, particularly in the context of social influence.Drawing on Commitment-Trust Theory, this conceptual paper proposes a mediated moderated framework to explain how perceived value influences customer loyalty.Specifically, customer satisfaction is posited as a mediator linking perceived value to loyalty, while electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is proposed to moderate the direct relationship between perceived value and loyalty.By integrating these constructs within a single theoretical lens, the model provides a comprehensive perspective on the mechanisms through which value perceptions translate into sustained loyalty in the Chinese organic food market.The framework offers both theoretical contributions, by extending Commitment-Trust Theory to include social influence effects, and practical implications for marketers seeking to enhance customer retention and promote sustainable consumption.