PENGARUH WORD OF MOUTH, CITA RASA, HARGA, DAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN KONSUMEN DENGAN KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING PADA TOKO AMANDA BROWNIES DI SITUBONDO

Abstract

The brownie business is one of the culinary sectors that continues to expand in response to the growing public demand for ready-to-eat food products. Business operators are required to implement effective marketing strategies while continuously improving product quality and service quality to attract consumers and maintain competitiveness in an increasingly competitive market. This study aims to analyze and examine the effects of word of mouth, taste, price, and service quality on consumer satisfaction, with purchase decision serving as an intervening variable, at Amanda Brownies Store in Situbondo. The study employed a purposive sampling technique, involving 130 consumers as respondents. Data analysis and hypothesis testing were conducted using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The results, analyzed using SmartPLS 3.0, indicate that word of mouth, taste, and price have significant positive effects on purchase decisions, whereas service quality has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on purchase decisions. Furthermore, word of mouth and price exert significant positive effects on consumer satisfaction, while taste has a significant negative effect on consumer satisfaction. Service quality has a positive but insignificant effect on consumer satisfaction. In addition, purchase decision has a significant positive effect on consumer satisfaction. Regarding the indirect effects, word of mouth significantly and positively influences consumer satisfaction through purchase decisions. Conversely, the indirect effects of taste, price, and service quality on consumer satisfaction through purchase decisions are positive but not statistically significant.