HUBUNGAN ANTARA PERAN CITRA MEREK DAN KUALITAS LAYANAN TERHADAP LOYALITAS KONSUMEN APOTEK SF DI KOTA KENDARI

Abstract

The increasing number of pharmacies in Kendari City has heightened competition in the pharmaceutical sector, positioning brand image and service quality as two key strategic factors that greatly affect consumer preferences when selecting a pharmacy. SF Pharmacy, a pharmacist-owned establishment that began operations in 2022, has implemented a branding strategy from its inception through the use of social media platforms, particularly Instagram and WhatsApp, to strengthen its brand positioning and enhance customer engagement. This study aims to examine the impact of brand image and service quality on customer loyalty at SF Pharmacy. Data were gathered through a Google Form-based questionnaire completed by 100 customers who had visited the pharmacy at least twice. The data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach with SmartPLS software. The findings indicate that both brand image and service quality positively and significantly influence customer loyalty, with brand image (f² = 0.157) having a stronger effect than service quality (f² = 0.093). This indicates that a positive perception of the pharmacy’s identity and reputation plays a more dominant role in shaping loyalty than service experience alone. Together, these variables explain 63.1% of the variance in customer loyalty (R² = 0.631; Q² = 0.606), reflecting strong predictive power. Overall, the findings emphasize that strengthening brand image through consistent, professional, and responsive communication strategies is a key determinant in building and maintaining customer loyalty amid the increasingly competitive pharmacy industry.