Shopee Loyalty Among Indonesian Students Depends on Service Quality and Trust, Study Finds
FORMOSA NEWS | Science & Technology
Students who trust an e-commerce platform and consistently experience high-quality service are significantly more likely to remain loyal customers, according to new research from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta in Indonesia. The study, published in 2026 in the International Journal of Contemporary Sciences (IJCS), examined how service quality, customer trust, and customer satisfaction shape long-term loyalty among Shopee users in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan.
The research was conducted by Sutrisno Wibowo and Faridatul Jannah from the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Their findings suggest that customer satisfaction acts as a critical bridge between a positive shopping experience and repeat platform use.
The results provide practical insights for digital marketplaces across Southeast Asia, where competition among e-commerce platforms has intensified and retaining existing users has become more important than attracting new ones.
Why This Research Matters
Indonesia is one of the world's fastest-growing digital economies. Millions of consumers, particularly students and young adults, rely on e-commerce applications for everyday purchases.
Shopee has become one of the country's most visited online shopping platforms due to aggressive marketing campaigns, integrated payment systems, and customer protection features. However, popularity alone does not guarantee long-term customer loyalty.
The challenge for e-commerce companies today is maintaining trust and satisfaction in an environment where users can easily switch to competing applications.
University students represent a particularly important demographic because they are digitally literate, highly active online consumers, and influential within their social networks.
Understanding what motivates this group to remain loyal can help companies improve customer retention strategies and strengthen their market position.
How the Researchers Conducted the Study
The researchers used a quantitative research design and collected data through online questionnaires distributed to students in Berau Regency.
The study involved 148 respondents who met three criteria:
- They were active university students.
- They had used Shopee at least twice within the previous six months.
- They had previously submitted complaints regarding Shopee services.
The researchers then analyzed the responses using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), a statistical method designed to examine relationships among multiple variables simultaneously.
The study focused on four key factors:
- Service quality: users' perceptions of platform performance, responsiveness, convenience, and reliability.
- Customer trust: confidence in Shopee's security and dependability.
- Customer satisfaction: overall positive feelings after using the platform.
- Customer loyalty: the willingness to continue using and recommending Shopee.
Key Findings
The study found strong relationships among all four variables.
1. Better service quality increases customer satisfaction
Users who perceived Shopee's services as fast, reliable, and user-friendly reported higher levels of satisfaction.
The relationship was statistically significant.
2. Customer trust had the strongest effect on satisfaction
Trust emerged as one of the most influential drivers.
Consumers who believed Shopee could protect their transactions and personal information were substantially more satisfied with their overall experience.
3. Service quality directly improves loyalty
Students who experienced efficient services were more likely to continue shopping on Shopee instead of moving to competitors.
4. Trust directly increases loyalty
Trust also independently influenced customer loyalty.
When users felt secure using the platform, they were more inclined to remain long-term customers.
5. Customer satisfaction strengthens loyalty
Satisfied users were more likely to:
- Make repeat purchases
- Recommend Shopee to friends and family
- Continue using the platform despite competing alternatives
6. Satisfaction acts as an important intermediary
Customer satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between both service quality and trust on one side and customer loyalty on the other.
In simple terms, excellent service and strong trust increase satisfaction, which then further strengthens customer loyalty.
What the Numbers Reveal
The researchers reported moderate but meaningful explanatory power in their statistical model.
The study found that:
- Service quality and customer trust explained 53.8% of customer satisfaction.
- Service quality, customer trust, and satisfaction together explained 58.4% of customer loyalty.
Among the strongest relationships identified:
- Customer trust strongly influenced customer satisfaction.
- Service quality significantly influenced customer loyalty.
- Customer satisfaction significantly reinforced loyalty behavior.
These findings indicate that customer loyalty is rarely driven by a single factor. Instead, it emerges through multiple interconnected experiences.
Implications for the E-Commerce Industry
The findings carry important lessons for digital businesses operating in Indonesia and other rapidly growing markets.
For e-commerce companies
Businesses should prioritize investments in:
- Faster application performance
- More responsive customer service
- Stronger transaction security systems
- Transparent dispute resolution mechanisms
For marketers
Customer acquisition campaigns alone may not be enough.
Long-term success depends on building trust and delivering consistently positive experiences.
For policymakers
As digital commerce expands, consumer protection regulations become increasingly important.
Strengthening data privacy and transaction safeguards may indirectly improve national digital economic growth.
For universities and educators
Students are becoming influential digital consumers whose purchasing behavior shapes broader market trends.
Digital literacy programs could help students make safer and more informed purchasing decisions.
Academic Perspective
According to researchers Sutrisno Wibowo and Faridatul Jannah of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, customer satisfaction plays a central role in converting positive experiences into long-term loyalty.
Their findings indicate that improving service quality alone is insufficient unless customers also develop confidence and trust in the platform.
The researchers emphasize that loyalty is built through a combination of efficient services, secure transactions, and satisfying user experiences that encourage customers to repeatedly choose the same platform over alternatives.
Author Profiles
Field of expertise: Marketing management, consumer behavior, customer relationship management, and digital business strategy.
Field of expertise: Consumer behavior, e-commerce marketing, customer satisfaction, and digital marketplace studies.
Source
- Journal Article: The Influence of Service Quality Perception and Customer Trust on Customer Loyalty Through Customer Satisfaction (A Study of Shopee E-Commerce on Students in Berau Regency)
- Authors: Sutrisno Wibowo and Faridatul Jannah
- Journal: International Journal of Contemporary Sciences (IJCS)
- Publication Year: 2026
- Volume and Issue: Vol. 4, No. 5, Pages 1415–1434
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/99xykz17
- URL Jurnal: https://journalijcs.my.id/index.php/ijcs
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