6533b7d3fe1ef96bd125fc19

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Brand stores' functions : an approach through brand experience

subject

description

In-store brand experience leverages brand equity and customer equity which are clear value sources for brands (literature review and exploratory studies). The experience quality is linked to its capacity to meet these goals. Compared to generalist distributors and multi-brand experiences, brand stores are dedicated and focused. They are key places since service and experience items are crafted by the brand itself. The brand is therefore able to grant a genuine, i.e., authentic brand experience (brand content recognition and brand authentication through in-store experience). It is less the case in its distributors’ stores, where brand experience competes with its competitors’ and its distributors’ and consequently becomes a kind of “multi-experience”.Thanks to its functional and transactional attributes, as well as its emotional and affective dimensions, in-store experience adds value for consumer (economically, practically, hedonically, socially and psychologically). Its characteristics depend on each point of sale and are selected by consumers following individual experiential motivations. For the purchase of a given brand, the choice of the store can be based on the kind of experience it proposes. Looking for an experience and its associated value, they select a point of sales, regarding its expected value and its perceived quality, which brands are thus bound to guarantee. To create this value, they consequently have to know consumers’ experiential expectations, understand the dimensions on which they assess the quality of in-store experience. Thanks to a qualitative study, we have identified the experiential attributes of each channel, the characteristics of a “successful” value-adding shopping experience and the criteria on which individuals assess its quality.Our study aims at checking whether brand experience quality creates more value (for consumers as well as for companies) in brand stores. Its originality comes from the fact that it tackles brand experience though two experiential contexts: “authentic”/“genuine” context of brands’ own points of sales vs distributors’.We propose to measure and compare brand experience quality, satisfaction and relationship but also to highlight and validate determining factors. We bring methodological inputs via the overall quality measurement scale we worked out for in-store brand experience, combining service and experience dimensions.Establishing brand store functions is of theoretical interest (communication and/or relationship tool). Proposing to apply the concept of authenticity to in-store brand experience is also of theoretical interest.Identifying which key-levers of in-store experience impact perceived quality, relationship and behavioral intentions is of managerial interest. It helps managers confirm their retail strategy effectiveness.Our findings show that authenticity is a key-word. Both perceived quality of brand experience and satisfaction are superior in brand stores. In both types of points of sales, we showed an impact on satisfaction, attachment and consumers’ intent of word of mouth and intent to return. Besides, the study establishes that effects on loyalty and attitude only exist in brand stores. Customer recognition and contact quality are decisive.Concrete actions can be implemented in both types of retail. As a place of direct contact with consumers, without the intermediary of a distributor, brand stores act as strategic levers. For some brands, they may become a keystone for a qualified and lasting interpersonal relationship with their consumers.