Customer Retention Mediates Marketing Communication Effects on Repurchase Tendency among Culinary MSMEs in Bandar Lampung

Abstract

This study analyzes the influence of marketing communication strategies on the tendency of repurchase through customer retention in culinary MSMEs in Bandar Lampung. An explanatory quantitative approach was used through a cross-cutting survey of 150 customers and analyzed with PLS-SEM using SmartPLS 4 and 10,000 bootstrap subsamples. The results show that marketing communication strategies have a positive and significant effect on customer retention, but their direct influence on repurchase tendencies is not significant. Customer retention has a positive and significant effect on the tendency to repeat purchases and mediates the relationship indirectly-only. The model explains 74.9% variation in customer retention and 77.6% variation in repurchase tendencies. Sensitivity analysis of 114 responses after straight-lining dispensing resulted in consistent hypothetical decisions. The findings confirm that the effectiveness of marketing communication primarily works through the sustainability of customer relationships. Culinary MSMEs need to prioritize relational communication, experience consistency, post-transaction response, and retention programs to increase the tendency to buy back sustainably for local culinary MSME customers.