Store brands and retail differentiation: the influence of store image and store brand attitude on store own brand perceptions

Store's own brands can provide important opportunities for retail differentiation if they are considered by consumers to be uniquely associated with store image. A survey of shoppers measured attitudes toward individual stores’ images and store brand perceptions, as well as general attitudes toward store brands. A regression analysis demonstrates a positive relationship between consumers’ perceptions of individual store own brands and their associated store's image dimensions and attitudes toward store brands in general.     

The impact of selected store image dimensions on retailer equity: Evidence from 10 Chinese hypermarkets

Building retailer equity increases revenue and profitability by insulating retailers from competitors. Store image is the basis of retailer equity, but extant literature offers little insight into the empirical research which takes store image dimensions as antecedents of retailer equity. This paper establishes a theoretical and empirical basis that shows the impact of selected store image dimensions on retailer equity. The authors propose a conceptual framework in which store image dimensions are related to three dimensions of retailer equity, i.e., retailer awareness, retailer associations, retailer perceived quality. These dimensions are then related to retailer loyalty. The empirical tests using a structural equation model support the research hypotheses. The results indicate the positive effect of convenience, perceived price, physical facilities, employee service, and institutional factors on retailer equity dimensions as antecedents of retailer equity.     

The impact of store flyers on store traffic and store sales: a geo-marketing approach

This paper analyzes the impact of the composition of a retailers’ weekly store flyer on store performance. The paper presents and tests propositions on how a store flyer’s size, its average discount size, and the allocation of store flyer space to category and brand types, affects store traffic and sales. The moderating impact of location variables—socio-demographics of trading area inhabitants, characteristics of the store and competition—is also discussed and empirically tested. The outcomes provide key insights for retailers with regard to the financial ramifications of store flyer competition.     

The store-as-a-brand strategy: The effect of store environment on customer responses

Despite their significance within the apparel industry, retailers selling just their own brand of apparel (single-brand apparel retailers) have not been examined for the relationship between their store environment and customer responses. This study explores the effect of store environment on customers’ internal evaluations and behavior toward single-brand apparel retailers. Further, to understand the store-as-a-brand strategy, this study examined whether customers have similar cognitive and affective perceptions toward the store versus merchandise. A mall intercept survey was conducted and a non-recursive structural equation model was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. This study found that social, design, and ambient cues as well as merchandise cues influence internal evaluations and ultimately approach behavior toward single-brand apparel retailers. This study also affirmed that the store-as-a-brand concept is valid for a single-brand apparel retailer.     

Motivating purchase of private brands: Effects of store image, product signatureness, and quality variation

This study examines the effects of intangible extrinsic cues on consumer quality perception and purchase intention of private brands. We find that store image and product signatureness enhance quality perception and purchase intention of private brands while quality variation reduces both outcomes. All effects of the three extrinsic cues on purchase intention are partially mediated by quality perception. In addition, consumer value consciousness strengthens the relationship between quality perception and purchase intention of private brands.     

Consumer perceptions of refund depth and competitive scope in price-matching guarantees: effects on store patronage

The study investigates the effect of two characteristics of price-matching guarantees—the depth of refund offer and the scope of competitors eligible for price matching—on consumer perceptions of price-matching guarantee believability and value and consumer intentions to patronize the retailer. The results show that large refund offers built consumer patronage intentions by enhancing perceptions of the value of the price-matching guarantee, while simultaneously exerting a negative impact on patronage by reducing believability of the price-matching promise. The competitive scope also affected the patronage intentions by influencing the perceived value of the price-matching policy.     

Moderating effect of customer's retail format perception on customer satisfaction formation: An empirical study of mini-supermarkets in an urban retail market setting

Customer perceptions of retail formats have become ambiguous with new value-added features of traditional retail formats. Hence, this paper proposes a framework for explaining retail patronage formation under the condition that customers perceive the ambiguity of retail format boundaries. The moderating effect of customers' retail format perceptions on customer satisfaction is examined using data from Japanese mini-supermarket customers. Results indicate that customers' perceptions of retail formats partially influence customer satisfaction. Theoretically, this implies that considering retail format as a concept that customers construct a posteriori may be necessary and practically indicates that retail practitioners should manage customers’ retail format perception.     

Experiencing atmospherics: The moderating effect of mall experiences on the impact of individual store atmospherics on spending behavior and mall loyalty

Retailers invest in atmospherics to create effective environments that engage shoppers in their shopping journey and promote business success. However, the link between store-level atmospherics and mall-level experiences remains opaque. In a quasi-experimental field study, we confirm that the quality of in-store atmospherics positively impacts in-store spending and reveal for the first time that it also positively influences loyalty intentions toward the mall as a whole. Both effects are mediated by perceived store atmosphere and moderated by mall experiences. The effects on spending are stronger for shoppers who are seeking hedonic experiences (seductive, recreational, and social) and are less interested in the functional experience. However, the impact on mall loyalty is stronger for shoppers pursuing material (functional) and avoiding social experiences. For retailers and mall owners, these findings underscore the importance of matching store atmospherics with mall experiences. Similarities and differences in the effects of atmospherics between and within the store and mall levels are discussed.     

Modelling the effect of store flyers on supermarket sales: An application to olive oil demand

In this paper we study the effect of store flyers on supermarket sales while controlling for other promotional strategies. We use a dataset of weekly sales of 16 olive oil products from a Spanish supermarket chain during the year 2017. We estimate a dynamic panel data model by GMM which allows us to examine both the short- and long-run effects of displaying products in store flyers. Our estimates show that products being featured in a store flyer exhibit 85 percent higher sales in the short-run, being the effect in the long-run of 109 percent. We also provide evidence that olive oil is a highly price-elastic product. Our estimates also indicate that placing the products on the end-of-aisle increases olive oil sales. Conversely, multibuy promotions are negatively related with sales.     

The influence of a retailer's corporate social responsibility program on re-conceptualizing store image

The construct of retail store image is typically built based on a variety of the store's functional attributes. This conceptualization fails to consider the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) polices and practices in forming store image. Results from a study of 460 consumers indicate CSR influences consumer store image. CSR is particularly effective at influencing store image when the retailer experiences a positive performance perception among its customers. Consumers shopping at such stores are more receptive to CSR programs, and experience significant increases in their level of satisfaction and loyalty to the store through the addition of these programs.     

The impact of weather on consumer behavior and retail performance: Evidence from a convenience store chain in China

Despite extensive use of weather data to adjust replenishment and inventory strategies in the retail industry, these companies do clearly know the effect of weather on consumer behavior and retail performance. How does weather affect consumers' purchasing behavior and thus retail performance? We study empirically these questions by analyzing more than 6 million transactions made by more than 1.62 million unique consumers at 146 convenience stores in a convenience store chain in China. We choose sun, rain, temperature, and air quality index as the main weather variables. We use the average number of items per order and the average price of each item in each order as indicators of consumer behavior, and use store daily sales as an indicator of retail performance. We found that under rainy weather, people will buy more products with higher item prices in one order. When temperature rises, people will buy fewer products with a lower item price in one order. In addition, sunny weather and rainy weather have a positive impact on daily sales than cloudy weather. Air quality has a negative impact on daily sales, while temperature has a positive impact on sales. Finally, we study the impact of weather on different product categories. We find that the results depend on the product category characteristics.     

Eye-tracking customers' visual attention in the wild: Dynamic gaze behavior moderates the effect of store familiarity on navigational fluency

A retail store is a multi-sensory environment filled with messages to tempt customers into making unplanned purchases. The purpose of this field study was to examine the interplay between three factors claimed to precede and influence unplanned purchases: store familiarity, visual attention, and navigational fluency (the subjective ease of navigating). Eye-tracking recordings and post-study questionnaires from 100 grocery store shoppers showed that store familiarity was positively associated with navigational fluency. However, customers' levels of dynamic gaze behavior (a frequent, widely distributed viewing pattern) moderated this effect. Dynamic gaze behavior significantly predicted navigational fluency among customers with low and moderate store familiarity, but not among customers familiar with the store. These findings challenge the formerly held assumption that store familiarity automatically implies navigational ease, and store unfamiliarity implies navigational difficulty. The results have implications for navigational aspects in stores.     

Impact of Advertising Model's Body Size on Perceived Product Quality: Category-Based Induction Approach

Abstract

Thin female models are aggressively employed in advertisements (Slater, Tiggemann, Hawkins, & Werchon, 2012; Wasylkiw, Emms, Meuse, & Poirier, 2009). Previous studies showed that physically attractive advertising are effective because image-transfer occurs between the models and advertised products (e.g., Kamins & Gupta, 1994). Considering that the current standard for physical attractiveness is thinness for women (Gurung & Chrouser, 2007), the effect of thin female spokespersons can be attributed to the image-transfer. To explain the mechanism of image-transfer, the current study employed category-based induction as a theoretical foundation. The results confirmed that consumers evaluated advertised products based on category-based induction. Specifically, consumers classified a thin female model into positive categorization, which was used to evaluate advertised products. The study also investigated the moderating role of various psychographic factors. The results showed that adherence to traditional gender roles and perfectionism interacted with the model's body size, influencing on how consumers evaluated the quality of advertised products.     

The effect of payment type on product-related emotions: evidence from an experimental study

Consumption and payments have been shown to be closely associated in consumers' minds. Based on the idea of ‘coupling’, it is hypothesized that product-related emotions will differ depending on payment type (i.e. repayment and prepayment). Moreover, it has been suggested that forecasted emotions do not always correspond to experienced emotions. This is tested in a longitudinal experiment, which simulated a saving and credit situation, and assessed forecasted and experienced product-related emotions. As hypothesized, prepayment led to more positive product-related emotions than repayment. Moreover, participants showed some inconsistencies between forecasted and experienced emotions. Implications for marketing and consumer education are discussed.     

Retail services image measurement: an examination of the stability of a numerical comparative scale

The numerical comparative scale (NCS) is a multi-attribute measurement procedure in which the respondent provides simultaneous comparative ratings of multiple objects (i.e., alternative retail stores, products, etc.) using bipolar scales similar to semantic differential scales. Recent research indicates that scales requiring respondents to rate multiple retail stores on an attribute-by-attribute basis may be vulnerable to rating instability problems resulting from rating context effects. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to examine the evidence of this potential rating instability problem and to report the results of an experiment designed to test the numerical comparative rating scale under conditions that potentially produce context-induced rating instability. The findings indicate the scale is subject to problems of instability resulting from the multiple-store rating context, Based upon the findings, potential methods of increasing the stability of the scale are explored.     

Relationships and impacts of service quality,perceived value,customer satisfaction,and image: an empirical study

In today's world of intense competition, satisfying customers is only the base line and may not be sufficient for survival. Management should focus on gaining customer loyalty by enhancing customer perceptions of service quality and increasing as perceived by the consumer value. Although previous studies have addressed the importance of service quality, satisfaction, perceived value, and image, the precise nature of the relationships that exist between these constructs and the understanding of their effect on customer behaviour still remains a key issue. This empirical study seeks to understand the relationships that exist between service quality and perceived value and how they impact customer satisfaction, corporate image, and behavioural intentions. The proposed model indicates that delivering high quality service and creating superior customer value can result in achieve high customer satisfaction, thus effecting the firm's corporate image, and ultimately leading to consumer retention.     

The impact of family life on work efficiency: a study of employed women from different occupational statuses in a metropolitan area in Turkey

The objective of this research was to investigate the family life of employed women from different occupational statuses (white collar, blue collar and professionals) on their work efficiency. The data were obtained from a survey of 300 randomly selected women who work in various offices, universities and factories in Ankara. The findings suggest that women in better conditions (high education, profession, etc.) experienced less negative spillover.     

An experimental study to investigate the impact of image interactivity on the perception of luxury in an online shopping context

The current study investigates whether image interactivity can positively influence luxury perceptions in a virtual shopping environment, by offering shoppers a feeling of telepresence. 185 respondents were referred to either an image interactive or non-interactive virtual luxury store and completed an online questionnaire afterwards to measure their luxury perception. The results of this study show that image interactivity leads to higher perceptions of exclusivity, quality, hedonism and extended self due to a higher perceived telepresence. This study offers some guidelines for luxury brands to retain their luxury perception high in a virtual shopping environment.     

The nature of an apology: An experimental study on how to apologize after a service failure

Extant service recovery research treats apology as a dichotomy, in that it is either present or absent, but how it is conveyed is neglected. Based upon social psychological research, this study argues that an apology comprises three different components: empathy, intensity, and timing, which make each apology unique. It is shown that how well an apology is delivered across failure types (outcome vs. process) drives service recovery satisfaction, not its mere presence. Empathy, intensity, and timing separately impact satisfaction. The more empathic and intense the apology is given, the more satisfied respondents are. A late apology decreases satisfaction ratings. Effect sizes indicate that empathy has the strongest impact on service recovery satisfaction followed by intensity and timing. The effect of empathy is stronger for process failures than for outcome failures. Interestingly, the apology’s overall effect size is comparable to that of compensation in case of a process failure.     

Quest for the eco‐apparel market: a study of mothers' willingness to purchase organic cotton clothing for their children

The purpose of this study was to examine what consumer characteristics are related to willingness to purchase and selection of children's organic cotton clothing (OCC). A survey was conducted on mothers of pre‐schoolers to collect data on mothers' environmental characteristics, involvement with OCC and children's clothing, children's clothing purchasing behaviour and willingness to purchase OCC. A buying scenario experiment was used to examine whether price and other product characteristics influenced the participants' selection of OCC. It was found that a mother's environmental concerns, environmental purchasing behaviour and recycling behaviour significantly affected their involvement in OCC, which further significantly determined mother's willingness to purchase OCC. However, mothers were not willing to pay a premium for purchasing children's OCC. A majority (59.5%) of the mothers who selected OCC in the buying scenario indicated fabric softness was the main reason for their selection. Preparing environmental education materials for consumers and producing OCC with high quality and good performance would help improve the acceptance of OCC in the market.