The Importance of Social Bonding and Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation Within U.K. Private Health Clubs

The association between relationship marketing and the desired outcome of creating true loyalty to the business remains under researched. The following addresses this lacuna by empirically studying this relationship in U.K. private health clubs. The findings indicate the prominence of social bonding in creating truly loyal members, which is in contrast to current relationship marketing activities employed within this market segment. In conclusion, it is argued that the findings may well be applicable to other leisure environments, whilst recognising the need for further research.