Influence of Brand Recognition on Retail Store Image
An executive summary for managers and executives can be found at the end of this article
The influence of brand recognition on retail store image
Stephen S. Porter and Cindy Claycomb
A well-recognized and accepted brand image is one of the most valuable assets a firm possesses. Brand managers and manufacturers are concerned with managing brand equity and capitalizing on the value of a brand image (Aaker, 1991). A product or retail establishment has many associations which combine to form its total impression. Few would argue that consumers form impressions of brands, and that these impressions later exert a major influence on store choice decisions and shopping behaviors. Favorable images of brands positively influence patronage decisions and purchase behaviors, while unfavorable images adversely influence such decisions and behaviors. In other words, the images associated with the brands a store carries influence a store’s image, which in turn, influences consumers’ decision-making processes and behaviors. Consequently, brand image and retail image are inextricably linked to one another. Informational cues If buyers do not possess complete information about a store, they make inferences from available informational cues before forming perceptions of the store (Monroe and Krishnan, 1985). Recently it has been suggested that the inferences buyers make about the merchandise quality of a store directly influence retail image (Baker et al., 1994). Brand image often serves as an informational cue used by buyers to form inferences about a store’s merchandise quality (Olshavsky, 1985). Knowing that brand image helps form merchandise quality inferences that influence buyers’ perceptions of retail image, we propose that two informational cues help buyers form these inferences. First, the awareness level of brands carried by a store helps buyers form merchandise quality inferences that influence their perceptions of retail image. Second, the presence of a brand(s)
The influence of brand recognition on retail store image
Stephen S. Porter and Cindy Claycomb
A well-recognized and accepted brand image is one of the most valuable assets a firm possesses. Brand managers and manufacturers are concerned with managing brand equity and capitalizing on the value of a brand image (Aaker, 1991). A product or retail establishment has many associations which combine to form its total impression. Few would argue that consumers form impressions of brands, and that these impressions later exert a major influence on store choice decisions and shopping behaviors. Favorable images of brands positively influence patronage decisions and purchase behaviors, while unfavorable images adversely influence such decisions and behaviors. In other words, the images associated with the brands a store carries influence a store’s image, which in turn, influences consumers’ decision-making processes and behaviors. Consequently, brand image and retail image are inextricably linked to one another. Informational cues If buyers do not possess complete information about a store, they make inferences from available informational cues before forming perceptions of the store (Monroe and Krishnan, 1985). Recently it has been suggested that the inferences buyers make about the merchandise quality of a store directly influence retail image (Baker et al., 1994). Brand image often serves as an informational cue used by buyers to form inferences about a store’s merchandise quality (Olshavsky, 1985). Knowing that brand image helps form merchandise quality inferences that influence buyers’ perceptions of retail image, we propose that two informational cues help buyers form these inferences. First, the awareness level of brands carried by a store helps buyers form merchandise quality inferences that influence their perceptions of retail image. Second, the presence of a brand(s)