Vol 22 | Issue 2 | 71-90 | June 2026
Mohammed Abul Khair
Department of Marketing College of Business,
Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia
mohammed.abulkhair@gmail.com
*Corresponding author
Abstract
Purpose – Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven personalization has become a cornerstone of modern e-commerce, yet its role in fostering long-term customer loyalty remains underexplored, particularly in emerging market contexts. This study investigates the relationship between perceived AI-driven personalization and e-commerce loyalty and examines how shopping frequency and platform type moderate this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on service-dominant (S-D) logic and the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Survey data were collected from 413 e-commerce users across Saudi Arabia, India and neighboring economies. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized relationships.
Findings – The results reveal that perceived AI-driven personalization is strongly and positively associated with e-commerce loyalty (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). While the study focuses on direct effects and moderators, we acknowledge that customer satisfaction may play a mediating role – a key avenue for future research. Furthermore, shopping frequency (β = 0.17, p < 0.01) and platform type (β = 0.14, p < 0.01) significantly moderate this relationship, with stronger effects observed for frequent shoppers and global platforms.
Originality/value – This study extends personalization research beyond developed markets by providing empirical evidence from rapidly evolving emerging economies. It advances theoretical understanding by integrating relational (S-D logic) and technological (TAM) perspectives and highlights the contingent nature of personalization effectiveness.
Keywords: AI-driven personalization, e-commerce loyalty, emerging markets, shopping frequency, platform type, service-dominant logic, technology acceptance model
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