Does Size Matter? : A quantitative study about how different-sized models in online shopping affect consumer loyalty among female customers in Sweden.

Sammanfattning: This thesis aims to examine how the usage of different-sized models can improve consumer loyalty to a brand of female customers in Sweden. Previous research has examined how using non-skinny models appeals to female customers and what feelings are evoked, but there is little research on how this approach can increase consumer loyalty as a whole. The authors of this thesis hypothesize that brands using different-sized models will lead to female customers feeling higher levels of the concepts of Awareness and Safety concerning the brand. In turn, the authors hypothesize that a brand achieving high levels of Awareness and Safety within the context of using different-sized models will improve consumer loyalty toward their female customers in Sweden. To examine whether different-sized models have an impact on consumer loyalty, a deductive approach has been used where this thesis relies on existing theories to answer the research question. Data was collected through a survey consisting of multi-choice questions with closed answers in order to conduct a quantitative analysis of the data. The questions were operalized, and the internal validity of each concept was tested through Cronbach’s Alpha to ensure that the questions measured what they were supposed to measure. The data was analyzed through Spearman’s Rank Correlation test, where the dependence between the concepts was measured. In conclusion, the authors found that usage of different-sized models had a positive correlation with consumer loyalty through both aspects of Awareness and Safety. Based on the results and the collected literature, the authors believe that usage of different-sized models in a company’s online business activities can help build a stronger relationship with their customers.