Significant evidence supports the conceptual logic
underlying the SPC. Yet, the situation may be different
for FT products, and FT coffee in particular.
Other than its FT sourcing, there is no universal
difference between FT and traditional coffee, especially
in organoleptic terms. Moreover, for FT coffee,
customer satisfaction does not depend solely on
taste, quality, or price but also reflects an attribute
external to the consumption experience, over which
the customer has no control or feedback.
We, therefore, consider the relevance of the SPC
in relation to the FT coffee market in France by
studying the relationship between performance on
the FT attribute and customer retention. The
intervening links in this chain may imply a linear,
symmetrical SPC or a nonlinear, asymmetrical SPC.
Furthermore, in our effort to investigate how FT
attributes affect customer loyalty and purchase frequency,
we formulate two main hypotheses.