The Psychology of Subscription-Based Consumption: A Secondary Analysis of Consumer Retention Studies

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2026

International Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, ISSN 2456-3684

Paper Title

Author Name and Affiliation

Netra Nilesh Wyawahare

Department of BBA, Dr. D. Y. Patil Arts, Commerce, and Science College, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India, Email: netra.wyawahare@dypvp.edu.in

Abstract

The subscription economy has transformed consumption by moving from ownership to access on an ongoing basis. In this strategy, customer retention is more important than one-off transactions to recurring revenue. Hence, the psychological causes of subscription renewal are crucial to understand. This study is a systematic literature review on retention in subscription contexts (streaming, SaaS, e-commerce membership, fitness apps, digital content, etc.) using published sources from 2015–2026. The thematic analysis of the 122 articles suggests that renewal intentions are highly influenced by trust, customer happiness, perceived value, personalization, habit development, switching costs and emotional commitment. Trust appears as a particularly significant retention driver: pleased subscribers with high perceived value and individualized experiences choose to renew. Habit and inertia (high switching costs) also promote automatic continuance. Customer involvement and commitment are shown to mediate between these psychological antecedents and renewal results, bridging rational evaluations and emotive relationships. Key findings include the significance of balancing rational (value, convenience) and emotional (attachment, identity) considerations and the effect of AI-driven customisation in boosting perceived value. The evaluation notes shortcomings in cross-industry comparison, attention on long-term behavior and knowledge of new challenges such as subscription fatigue and data protection. A theoretical framework is developed in which trust, personalization, satisfaction, value, habit and switching costs influence retention intention through engagement and commitment. This integrative approach extends theories in consumer psychology and gives actionable insights. In practical terms, subscription businesses (streaming platforms, SaaS firms, memberships, e-learning, fitness apps, etc.) should work on building trust and engagement, delivering ongoing value, and using personalization to prevent churn.

Keywords

Subscription Economy; Consumer Retention; Customer Engagement; Habit Formation; Trust; Perceived Value; Personalization.

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DOI

DOI: 10.67061/ijcams.2026.vol.11.issue.02.8117

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