EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY TOWARDS MOBILE TECHNOLOGY GADGET DEALERS IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

This study examined experiential marketing and customer loyalty among mobile technology gadget dealers in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It was motivated by observable challenges in the retail gadget sector where customer experience is often not sufficiently supported by structured experiential practices, despite increasing competition and rising customer expectations. The specific objective was to assess the effects of sensory store design, product trial experience, and after-sales service on customer loyalty. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and primary data were collected from 317 customers of mobile technology gadget dealers in Calabar using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression with the aid of SPSS (version 26). The findings revealed that sensory store design, product trial experience, and after-sales service each have significant positive effects on customer loyalty. This indicates that customers are more likely to demonstrate trust, repeat patronage, and referral behaviour when dealers provide engaging store environments, opportunities for hands-on product interaction, and reliable post-purchase support. Keywords: Experiential Marketing, Sensory Store Design, Product Trial Experience, After-Sales Service, Customer Loyalty, Mobile Technology Gadget Dealers.