Prior research supports the two-dimensional measurement of loyalty as more accurate in its predictions of the future behavior of customers, because it can distinguish repeat purchase behavior that is attributable to convenience or chance versus that which arises from commitment (Yi and Jeon 2003). Oliver (1997, p. 392) defines loyalty as "a deeply held commitment to rebuy or repatronize a preferred product or service consistently in the future, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior." Accordingly, we differentiate attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. Attitudinal loyalty is grounded in liking and a positive psychological attachment to the firm, whereas behavioral loyalty refers to the act of staying with the firm or intentions to do so (Dick and Basu
1994; Fullerton 2003; Hansen, Sandvik, and Seines 2003; Oliver 1997; Yi and Jeon 2003). Because a positive attitude toward the firm or its offerings is usually a precursor of behavioral loyalty, we expect a positive relationship between attitudinal and behavioral loyalty (Dick and Basu
1994; Gruen, Summers, and Acito 2000; Verhoef 2003):