How store brands build retailer brand image

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to highlight the role store brands can play in retail branding. Does an image transfer take place between store brands and the retailer brand? To address this issue, the authors propose to identify and test the dimensions of image transfer from the store brand to the retailer brand. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study of 138 consumers helped to complete the attributes of store brand image and retailer brand image identified in the literature. A total of 322 customers of three major French retailers responded to a questionnaire. The data collected were tested in a structural equation model. Findings: Results indicate that store brands have a positive impact on the retailer image. The price image of the store brand is positively related to the retailer price image. The values that customers associated with store brands improve the retailer brand image in terms of its values. Research limitations/implications: Store brands are considered as a whole, without distinction between product categories. The paper focuses on standard store brands only, excluding "premium" store brands. Practical implications: Retailers can find a rationale for investing in their store brand range in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Managers should ensure that their store brands' image is seen as congruent with their own retailer brand image. In particular, more attention should be paid to the values reflected by the store brands and the store brands' price image. Originality/value: The results indicate that store brands not only benefit from the strength of the retailer brand, but they also contribute, in a reciprocal way, to the improvement of the retailer image.