[Research Contribution] Enhancing Customer Experience Over Time: Strategies for Promoting Customer Citizenship Behavior in the Retail Environment
14 May, 2026
Keywords: Time-lapse customer experience, Customer-brand relationship strength, Customer citizenship behavior, Customer loyalty, Electronics and home appliance retail
In the context of increasingly fierce competition in the retail industry, as products and prices gradually become homogenized, customer experience has emerged as a decisive differentiating factor. Research by a team of authors from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) indicates that experience is not a series of isolated touchpoints but a cumulative process over time, with long-term effects on customer behavior. When built positively and consistently, experience not only enhances satisfaction but also strengthens the bond with the brand, thereby promoting supportive behaviors such as referrals, feedback, and active engagement with the business. Consequently, the research suggests an important direction: businesses need to shift from a transactional mindset to developing sustainable relationships with customers.
Time-lapse customer experience
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in how businesses perceive customer experience. Instead of focusing on individual touchpoints, experience is increasingly viewed as a continuous process, formed and accumulated through multiple interactions between customers and brands. This shift necessitates a deeper understanding of how time-lapse experience affects customer behavior. Based on this, research from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) focuses on analyzing the impact of cumulative experience on customer citizenship behavior (CCB), while also examining the mediating role of customer-brand relationship strength (CBRS).
From isolated experience to cumulative experience
In practice, consumer behavior occurs across multiple shopping occasions and various interactions, from information search and purchase to after-sales service and online channels. This repetition means that customer experience is continuously reinforced, thereby shaping increasingly distinct perceptions of the brand. Drawing on the model of Klaus and Maklan (2013), the study analyzes customer experience through four main dimensions: product experience, outcome focus, moments of truth, and peace of mind. When these factors are consistently maintained, customers not only become satisfied but also gradually develop trust and attachment. Thus, the determining factor lies not in any single experience but in the ability to maintain experience quality across multiple interactions.
Customer-brand relationship: An important bridge
To explain how experience translates into behavior, the study draws on Blau’s (1964) social exchange theory, according to which relationships are sustained when parties perceive mutual benefits. When customers receive value from the business – whether product quality, dedicated service, or positive emotions – they tend to reciprocate with constructive behaviors. However, this process does not occur directly but through a mediating mechanism: customer-brand relationship strength (CBRS). CBRS comprises four main components: brand commitment, brand-self connection, intimacy, and customer satisfaction. The research findings show that time-lapse cumulative experience contributes to comprehensively strengthening these factors, laying the foundation for a sustainable customer-brand relationship.
Brand supportive behaviors: Value beyond transactions
Based on an established relationship, customers not only continue to make purchases but also tend to voluntarily exhibit brand-supportive behaviors. These behaviors include recommending the brand, sharing experiences, contributing service improvement suggestions, or assisting the user community. The research results show that all CBRS components positively impact these behaviors, with brand commitment and satisfaction playing particularly prominent roles. This suggests that when the relationship is strong enough, customers are not merely consumers but become forces that spread brand value. In the context of rapidly developing digital media, these behaviors are increasingly significant in enhancing credibility and optimizing marketing costs for businesses.
Building competitive advantage through customer experience
The research findings indicate that competitive advantage in the retail industry increasingly depends on the ability to manage customer experience consistently and over the long term. This requires businesses to approach experience as a holistic strategy, in which emotional factors, empathy, and personalization play central roles. Investing in customer data systems helps comprehensively track the consumption journey, thereby supporting decision-making and maintaining customer relationships. At the same time, the communication skills and empathy of staff remain key factors in shaping customer perceptions. When experience is effectively managed, businesses not only maintain loyalty but can also nurture customers who are willing to accompany and spread brand value, creating a foundation for sustainable development.
The research was tested in the context of the electronics and home appliance retail industry in Vietnam, with data collected from customers of major chains such as Nguyen Kim, Dien May Xanh, and The Gioi Di Dong -2. The results not only confirm the applicability of the theoretical model but also highlight the role of cultural factors in consumer behavior. In East Asian societies, where values such as trust, gratitude, and personal relationships are highly regarded, emotional attachment to a brand becomes an important foundation for fostering loyalty and supportive behaviors. Thus, the research opens a more appropriate approach for developing economies, where social relationship factors continue to play a key role.
Authors: Dr. Pham Thi Hoa, Dr. Ho Trong Nghia – University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City
This article is part of a series disseminating research and applied knowledge with the message “Research Contribution For All,” implemented by UEH in coordination with Khanh Hoa Province’s News and Radio-Television, aiming to accompany the sustainable development of Khanh Hoa Province. UEH respectfully invites readers to look forward to the next Scientific Knowledge bulletin.
News, Photos: Authors, UEH Department of Communications and Partnerships
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