From Sustainable Supply Chain Practices to Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Roles of Brand Legitimacy, Operational Efficiency, and Customer Trust

Abstract

The organized retail coffee sector in India has expanded rapidly over the past decade where it powered by economic growth and rapid increase of coffee lovers those consuming coffee regular basis through cafés or outlets this picture if more popular in metro cities or tier 1 cities where stat of consumers is in the age of 20-25 years. While competitive pressures increasing stakeholder scrutiny over ethical sourcing environmental responsibility and operational transparency. It creates a new domain name as Sustainable supply chain management, SSCM which concern from both consumers and firms where firms are treated as heightened social and environmental scrutiny by consumers in this study used a sample of 220 respondents on a conceptual model on SSCM practices and its relational aspect on customer loyalty in a coffee retail sector. SSCM practices know as organisational capabilities where its efficiency enhances operational and relational outcomes through improvement in brand legitimacy and customer trust which affect brand loyalty positively while Sustainability awareness functions as an enabling antecedent where it shows that consumers recognise and interpret firms SSCM initiatives. In emerging economies brands operating ethically perceived legitimate and responsible by customers and enhance trust on them. Such trust will become more stronger with efficient operations that assure consistent quality and dependable service to customers it driving repeat purchases and brand loyalty. Study also shows that Consumers awareness on sustainability issues is better able to recognise and value firm sustainability efforts. findings highlight that sustainability creates value not only through ethical behaviour but through stronger customer relationships. In emerging markets customers rewarded sustainability if they experienced as genuine and operationally embedded. Study used theoretical back ground of Natural Resource-Based View and stakeholder theory with Covariance-based structural equation modelling while Mediation analysis confirms trust fully transmits the effect of sustainability practices to loyalty outcomes, while brand legitimacy serves as a critical interpretive mechanism in trust formation. The findings indicate that sustainability programs provide relational and behavioural value mainly through trust-based processes, underscoring the strategic significance of authentically integrating sustainability into supply chain operations and communication strategies.