Social Behavior and Personality , Volume 47, Issue 3, e7519 https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.7519 www.sbp-journal.com A longitudinal study of habit and its antecedents in coffee chain patronage Byoungsoo Kim 1 , Daekil Kim 2 1 Business School, Yeungnam University 2 School of Communications and Media, Seoul Women's University How to cite: Kim, B., & Kim, D. (2019). A longitudinal study of habit and its antecedents in coffee chain patronage. Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 47(3), e7519 We developed a theoretical model to examine the effects of repurchase intention and habit on consumers’ repurchase behavior in the context of coffee chain patronage. We used partial least squares to analyze 2-wave longitudinal data collected from 195 undergraduate students who had experience with various coffee chains. Results showed that repurchase behavior was influenced by habit rather than by conscious intention, and that both customer satisfaction and perceived value had a positive influence on habitual visits to coffee chains. Further, perceived coffee quality and service quality significantly influenced customer satisfaction and perceived value. However, atmosphere was not significantly associated with either customer satisfaction or perceived value. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Keywords habit; habitual visits; repurchase intention; service quality; atmosphere; customer satisfaction; perceived value; coffee chains Over the past several years, the increase in coffee consumption has led to the coffee industry growing dramatically worldwide (Global Coffee Market, 2018). Coffee chains provide a venue and ambience to meet customers’ need for social interaction, beyond just selling a cup of coffee; however, challenges such as growth in the number of competitors mean that it is critical for coffee chains to establish long-term relationships with customers and create a competitive advantage. Accordingly, we examined the reasons behind coffee chain customer revisiting patterns. Researchers have shown that retaining customers is less cost intensive than gaining potential ones (Anderson & Mittal, 2000; Kim, 2017). It is assumed in conscious decision-making processes that repurchase intention is the primary antecedent of repurchase behavior (Ryu, Lee, & Kim, 2012). However, conscious decision-making processes do not fully capture customers’ repurchase behavior in frequently visited services, because frequently performed behavior tends to become habitual (Ouellette & Wood, 1998). Thus, in the context of frequent visits (e.g., daily) to a coffee chain, repurchase behavior may not be predominantly affected by conscious intention but may, rather, be the result of habitual visits (e.g., Kim, 2012; Limayem, Hirt, & Cheung, 2007). When a visit to a coffee chain becomes routine, repurchase behavior is largely influenced by two independent sources of habit: automated processes and behavioral intention (e.g., Kim, 2017; Wang, Harris, & Patterson, 2013). Similarly, Lee (2014) demonstrated that the continued use of information systems is guided by both behavioral intention and habit. Therefore, we examined both habit and repurchase intention as independent factors that influence customers’ repurchase behavior, and the key enablers that facilitate habitual visits. First, we developed a research model to understand customers’ repurchase behavior in frequently visited coffee chains, and investigated the effects of conscious and automatic mechanisms on repurchase behavior. Second, we CORRESPONDENCE Daekil Kim, School of Communications and Media, Seoul Women’s University, 621 Hwarang-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01797, Republic of Korea. Email: chris74@swu.ac.kr © 2019 Scientific Journal Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.