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Article
Publication date: 16 November 2015

Natalia Rubio, Javier Oubiña and Mónica Gómez-Suárez

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to understand the extent to which price consciousness and quality consciousness influence attitudinal loyalty to store brands (SBs) in…

3590

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to understand the extent to which price consciousness and quality consciousness influence attitudinal loyalty to store brands (SBs) in different segments of consumers: heavy, medium and light buyers of SBs. SBs are currently consolidated among price-conscious consumers, but less established among the quality-conscious consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

After reviewing the literature and constructing a theoretical model, the authors performed a study on Spanish food products, a sector in which SBs have achieved a significant market share. They collected data through a personal survey and analyzed it using structural equations modeling, and they performed a multigroup analysis of heavy buyers, medium buyers and light buyers of SBs.

Findings

The results obtained alert retailers to the tremendous importance of price vs quality in the formation of SB value and loyalty to SBs among heavy buyers of these brands, show the balance between price and quality as components of SB value and generators of loyalty among medium buyers and recognize the need to strengthen the image of SB quality to reinforce SBs’ value and smart shopping associations to increase light buyers’ loyalty to SBs.

Originality/value

The study contributes new evidence and knowledge on SB loyalty among consumers who show different usage of these brands (heavy, medium and light buyers). It then assesses the short- and long-term value of each segment of customers for the retailer and recommends retail strategies adapted to each segment.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 24 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 December 2015

Mbaye Fall Diallo

Although they are increasingly offered by mass retailers in Asia, store brands (SBs) are not well understood in Asian countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how…

Abstract

Purpose

Although they are increasingly offered by mass retailers in Asia, store brands (SBs) are not well understood in Asian countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how store and brand-level factors affect consumer usage of SBs in an Asian emerging country.

Design/methodology/approach

A consumer survey, based on sample of 445 respondents, is undertaken in two competing modern retail chains in Vietnam. Structural equation modelling is used to test the research hypotheses. A latent interaction variable was created to test the moderation of store familiarity.

Findings

Results indicate that SB price image, consumer attitude towards SBs and SB perceived value influence most strongly SB usage in Vietnam, whereas store image perceptions have no direct effect on it. Some investigated relationships differ across store formats. Overall, store familiarity has a weak direct effect on SB usage, but its interaction effects differ depending on store format.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited because it investigated only one Asian country and two retail chains. Besides, it did not account for effect of product categories on SB usage.

Practical implications

Findings indicate that a positive store image is not sufficient to increase consumer usage of SBs in Vietnam. Retailers should be especially careful when designing retail outlets in this market, where consumers seem attached to traditions. Results highlight the importance of taking measures to develop more positive attitudes towards SBs. Also, store familiarity has a weak effect on SB purchase and should therefore be monitored more carefully by retail chains operating in Vietnam.

Originality/value

This research is the first to address Vietnamese consumer usage of SBs. In contrast to their counterparts in other emerging countries, Vietnamese consumers do not strongly rely on store image when purchasing SBs. Their focus is rather on brand perceived value. These results challenge conventional wisdom that attributes a low utilitarian value orientation to Asian consumers.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 43 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2015

Mbaye Fall Diallo, Steve Burt and Leigh Sparks

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of image and consumer factors in influencing store brand (SB) choice between two retail chains (Carrefour and Extra) in a…

1922

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of image and consumer factors in influencing store brand (SB) choice between two retail chains (Carrefour and Extra) in a Latin American market, Brazil. SBs are increasingly offered by retailers in emerging markets. What is less clear, however, is how emerging market consumers make their choices between the SBs on offer from different retail chains.

Design/methodology/approach

A mall-intercept survey conducted by a Brazilian market research company generated 600 usable questionnaires collected in two retail chains. Structural equation modelling was used to test a series of proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results revealed that SB attitude, SB price-image, store image perceptions, SB perceived value and SB purchase intention have significant and positive direct or indirect effects on SB choice overall, and for each retail chain. However, for price-related constructs, the relationships are stronger for the Extra chain compared to the Carrefour chain. Results show that the Brazilian market presents some departures from both developed and other emerging countries.

Research limitations/implications

Respondents were consumers in only one Latin American market (Brazil) and shoppers of only two retail chains. Caution should therefore be exercised when generalising the results to other markets in Latin America.

Practical implications

Understanding which factors influence consumer choice of SBs in an emerging market while taking into account the presence of different operators allows retailers to launch new SB programs and implement the appropriate strategies to increase SB sales in this market.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this research lies in clarifying consumer behaviour towards SBs in an emerging Latin American market. It fills a major gap in the marketing literature and research in stressing the need to rethink the application of conventional business models to Latin America.

Details

European Business Review, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-534X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 May 2014

Natalia Rubio, Nieves Villaseñor and Javier Oubiña

Store brands have become consolidated in the food market and are currently considered real brands. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that contribute to…

1282

Abstract

Purpose

Store brands have become consolidated in the food market and are currently considered real brands. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that contribute to consumers’ identification with store brands, as well as the possible effect of consumers’ identification with store brands on their loyalty to the retail establishment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper achieves its goal by reviewing the academic literature on the topic and proposing and validating a theoretical model for consumer-store brand identification. The theoretical model is validated through an empirical study of the Spanish market for food products using data gathered from individuals responsible for shopping for their homes who claim to have purchased store brand food products at least once. Structural equations modeling is then used to estimate and perform a multigroup analysis for heavy and light buyers of store brands.

Findings

The results obtained reveal, first, that consumers’ store brand identification mediates the relationship between their value consciousness and their loyalty to the retail establishment that manages a broad, competitive portfolio of store brands. Second, the study demonstrates the effect of other variables, such as perceived risk associated with the purchase of store brands, their perceived value and consumer satisfaction. Finally, the results show important differences between heavy and light buyers of store brands.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitations of this research derive from the factors conditioning the information. Store brand value was analyzed on an aggregate level, for the Spanish food products market. Future research should include other store brands (e.g. premium store brands), control for store brands with different labels and expand the area of application to new product categories and new countries.

Practical implications

The results obtained have interesting implications for food retailers. These implications concern the management of value store brands in the product portfolio to achieve loyalty to the retail establishment among value-conscious consumers (who constitute the main target of value store brands).

Originality/value

This paper analyzes consumer brand identification in an area that has not been studied to date: store brands. It contributes interesting and very useful findings for retailers who commercialize these brands in their establishments. The line of research on brand identification is quite new in academic research and has arisen due to the importance for companies of constructing close, lasting connections with the consumer.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 116 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2016

Apostolos Giovanis, Pinelopi Athanasopoulou and Evangelos Tsoukatos

The purpose of this paper is to better predict customers’ behavioral intentions (BI) by developing and empirically testing an integrative conceptual framework that allows us to…

1161

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better predict customers’ behavioral intentions (BI) by developing and empirically testing an integrative conceptual framework that allows us to investigate the mediating role of corporate image (CI) and switching barriers (SB) in the interrelationships among service evaluation constructs (i.e. service quality (SQ), perceived value and customer satisfaction (CS)) and customers’ future intentions. These relationships are explored in the mobile telecommunications service context.

Design/methodology/approach

Around 1,000 customers of mobile telecommunication services were questioned using a structured questionnaire. To test the proposed hypotheses, a model was constructed and estimated using the method of partial least squares path methodology.

Findings

Findings indicate that the provision of high-SQ and the creation of superior value, through the development of reasonable costs, can result in high-CS; enhanced CI, and either directly or indirectly through SB, in customers’ favorable BI. However, given the price-competitive structure of the industry under investigation, customers’ loyalty decisions are mainly based on service-related criteria. The value of and satisfaction from delivered services are far more important decision criteria, than image and SB.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to one service setting and the proposed model should be cross-validated in other service contexts before the relationships among its components are fully clarified. Also the use of cross-section design reduces inference ability regarding temporal changes in research constructs.

Practical implications

Results suggest that marketers, in their effort to develop more customer-oriented marketing plans in mature markets, should consider both the pool-in factors, reflecting the value of the provided services; CS, and CI, and the interactions among them as well as with the push-back factors, reflecting SB, as they all impact on customers’ BI.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the body of existing knowledge by considering both CI and SB, along with other service evaluation constructs, as antecedents of consumers’ BI. The interrelationships among SB, service evaluation and CI has not been adequately addressed in the existing literature.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2013

Mbaye Fall Diallo, Jean‐Louis Chandon, Gérard Cliquet and Jean Philippe

This paper aims to investigate how consumer and image factors as well as store familiarity influence store brand (SB) purchase behaviour. SBs are now widely offered by European…

9230

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how consumer and image factors as well as store familiarity influence store brand (SB) purchase behaviour. SBs are now widely offered by European mass retailers. However, consumer behaviour toward SBs is not yet clearly understood in all European markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analysed data collected from 266 respondents and used structural equation modelling to test the main hypotheses. They then carried out ANOVA and MANOVA analyses to test the effect of store familiarity on SB purchase behaviour.

Findings

Results indicate that store image perceptions, SB price‐image, value consciousness, and SB attitude have significant and positive influence on SB purchase behaviour. Store familiarity positively influences SB choice, but not SB purchase intention. None of the socio‐demographic variables (age, gender, household income, and family size) included as control variables have an effect on SB choice.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited because it did not account for the effect of product categories on SB purchase behaviour. Consequently, results cannot be determined for different product categories. It would also be appropriate to measure SB choice in a more concrete way, such as using scanner data.

Practical implications

Findings highlight the importance of value consciousness, store image perceptions, and SB price‐image on SB purchase behaviour. They also show greater popularity of SB products among consumers, including those with high household income.

Originality/value

There is increased value to retailers in studying how consumer and image factors jointly influence SB purchase behaviour, whilst also accounting for store familiarity instead of brand familiarity.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 41 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2014

Armando Calabrese and Federico De Francesco

Demand-based pricing fixes price according to customers’ perceptions of service value and to their resulting willingness to pay. This pricing approach enables service companies to…

3828

Abstract

Purpose

Demand-based pricing fixes price according to customers’ perceptions of service value and to their resulting willingness to pay. This pricing approach enables service companies to align their prices to customers’ preferences and to their expenditure propensity. Accordingly, it can generate higher margins than other pricing approaches. Nevertheless, this approach is difficult to implement operationally. Consequently, in order to overcome these implementation difficulties, the purpose of this paper is to provide a demand-based pricing approach based on the user-friendly technique of service blueprint (SB).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology relies on the design science leads. Design science deals with creating artefacts or models for supporting human or organizational purposes; such artefacts have to be assessed against criteria of utility or value for users. Accordingly, an experimental action research is performed for both implementing and testing the proposed pricing approach.

Findings

Starting from the main difficulties hindering implementation of demand-based pricing, SB is proved to enable companies to overcome such difficulties and to support its implementation. Moreover, by employing SB, an innovative approach for fixing service prices is provided.

Practical implications

The proposed approach enables managers of service companies to overcome difficulties of demand-based pricing and to employ pricing strategies according to demand-based drivers.

Originality/value

In line with a recent call for research on service pricing, this paper develops a new pricing approach, which is able to promote demand-based pricing.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2016

Mónica Gómez-Suárez, Myriam Quinones and Maria Jesús Yagúe

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationships between the different phases of the store brand (SB) evaluative process (i.e. attitude, preference and purchase…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationships between the different phases of the store brand (SB) evaluative process (i.e. attitude, preference and purchase intention) in an international context and to investigate how each of them is influenced by selected perceptual characteristics of consumers, psychographic consumer traits and product evaluative criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were obtained from a survey of 1,118 shoppers from six different countries. Consecutive chained multiple and logistic regression models that incorporated the main antecedents into each stage were applied.

Findings

The main results are as follows: first, quality inferences based on brand image and reputation have a significant positive effect on SB attitude; second, shoppers’ propensity to explore and their risk perceptions are antecedents of SB preference rather than SB attitude; and finally, impulsiveness has a significant positive impact on SB purchase intention.

Practical implications

The results can assist retailers in developing strategies according to the specific phase of their customers’ evaluative process: promoting expert recommendations and opinion-leader testimonials in the attitude formation stage, investing in innovation in the preference formation stage and improving the overall shopping experience in the purchase intention stage.

Originality/value

This paper extends research on the consumer decision-making process by empirically demonstrating that SB preference is a mediating variable between SB attitude and SB purchase intention. From a practical perspective, this work involves an extensive empirical study that aggregates data from shoppers across six Western countries. This multinational sample offers a high degree of external validity and generalisation of the results obtained.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 44 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2011

Tobias Schlager, Mareike Bodderas, Peter Maas and Joël Luc Cachelin

There is scientific consensus that employees' attitudes have a fundamental impact on customers' experiences. This paper seeks to focus on how to create favourable employee…

13346

Abstract

Purpose

There is scientific consensus that employees' attitudes have a fundamental impact on customers' experiences. This paper seeks to focus on how to create favourable employee attitudes that are relevant for the creation of the service brand. In this context, the aim is to develop a framework that combines the concept of the perceived employer brand with employee outcomes that are relevant for service branding.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data were collected from a sample (n=2,189) of a worldwide operating insurance company. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

First, the findings underpin the idea of a relationship between the perceived employer brand and service branding. Second, the influence of particular drivers for employee attitudes is determined.

Research limitations/implications

Research is based on data from only one company. Furthermore, customer outcomes are not investigated directly. Thus, research needs to be taken further by investigating the creation of a service brand, simultaneously exploring employees' attitudes and customers' experiences.

Practical implications

Influencing customer experiences is a complex process that involves interactions among several stakeholder groups. In order to raise efficiency, it is proposed that companies focus on creating a strong employer brand as this constitutes an efficient way of service branding.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the influence of the perceived employer brand on employees' attitudes, which is especially important in service settings. The investigation of customer‐relevant employee attitudes emphasises the significance of creating a strong employer brand. Furthermore, long‐term effects are considered by investigating the influence of the perceived employer brand on potential employees' identification.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 25 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 August 2020

Jérôme Lacoeuilhe, Didier Louis, Cindy Lombart and Blandine Labbé-Pinlon

The research aim is to investigate the impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their store brand (SB) products with those of equivalent national…

Abstract

Purpose

The research aim is to investigate the impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their store brand (SB) products with those of equivalent national brand (NB) products. More specifically, this research examines if consumers perceive retailers as legitimate when they use comparative ads to compare the prices of their SB products to those of equivalent NB products, and how effective are these comparative ads in terms of actual purchases. This research also explores for which SB type (economy, standard or premium) and consumers are comparative ads most effective.

Design/methodology/approach

This research investigates consumers' reactions to comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their SB products with those of similar NB products through an experiment within a store laboratory. A between-subject design has been used. The participants of the first/second/third group (n1 = 93/n2 = 92/n3 = 91) were exposed to ads comparing the prices of retailer's economy/standard/premium SB food products with their equivalent NB food products, in the same product category. The participants of each group carried out a shopping trip in the store laboratory.

Findings

Consumers consider retailers legitimate when they use comparative ads. This favourable evaluation improves their attitude towards these ads. However, the impact of retailers' legitimacy of (1) means, (2) objectives and (3) historical legitimacy on consumers' attitude towards comparative ads depends on the SB type (economy, standard and premium). By contrast, comparative ads are effective in terms of consumers' attitude towards these ads and towards SBs, along with purchase intention and actual purchases of these brands, whatever the SB type. Lastly, this research highlights that comparative ads for SBs are mainly directed at consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.

Research limitations/implications

This research only tested the impact of direct comparative advertising and an extrinsic attribute (price). The research experiment was conducted on a convenience sample, which limits its external validity.

Practical implications

This research encourages retailers to use comparative advertising for their SBs (economy, standard and premium) for several reasons. First, this study suggests that comparative advertising is an effective tool for retailers to shape or improve consumers' attitude towards SBs, via their attitude towards comparative ads. Second, this research proposes that comparative advertising contrasting the prices of SB products with those of NB products could increase retailers' in-store sales of their SBs. Lastly, this research underlines that comparative advertising is particularly effective for consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.

Originality/value

This research supplements previous research in the field of SBs and comparative advertising. Previous research on comparative advertising has examined NBs exclusively (Dianoux et al., 2013; Beard, 2018). Comparisons between SBs and NBs are lacking. This research thus validates the use of this specific form of communication for SBs, given the paucity of studies of the effects of the use of mass media communication on SBs (Nenycz-Thiel and Romaniuk, 2014; Gendel-Guterman and Levy, 2017).

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