The role of credibility and perceived image of supermarket stores as valuable providers of over-the-counter drugs

Abstract

Creation of consumer value in drug retailing is influenced by the possibility of receiving advice from trusted pharmacists. In Italy, recent reforms have guaranteed lower prices and wider access to medications by authorising hypermarkets and supermarkets to dispense over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. However, the ability of such retailers to deliver value to consumers seems to be mainly determined by the extent to which they are perceived as credible health care providers and by the image they transmit to their customers. By adopting Ohanian's (1990) source credibility model and the Five Factor Model of personality (see Digman, 1990), this study attempts to evaluate the impact of the basic dimensions of credibility, as well as that of the main image traits (i.e. Big Five factors), on customers' intention to buy OTC drugs from supermarket stores. Implications for how supermarkets could modify their store image and service facilities to enhance the ability to create value for customers are also discussed.