Understanding the Role of Store Image in Influencing Customer-based Brand Equity and Its Dimensions in Indian Sportswear Industry

Abstract

Brand equity has been often referred to as the increase in brand value by virtue of its name. Researchers have argued since long that the ultimate criterion of success in brand management is understanding brand equity’s contribution towards long-term sales as well as long-term profits. Store image plays a crucial role in building brand equity for sportswear retailers in a highly competitive and dynamic Indian market, for gaining substantial market share. Consumers use store image as an evaluative criterion for decision-making concerning retail outlet selection. This research intends to understand empirically as to how store image can help in building brand equity in Indian sportswear market by using international brands as product stimuli. Data were collected through mall intercept survey in Indian capital and five north Indian cities. The regression analysis on data of 262 valid responses was used for testing the hypotheses. The findings indicate a positive and significant effect of store image but with different levels of intensity on all brand equity dimensions in Indian market, thus showing store image as a critical antecedent of brand equity. The study also developed a reliable measure of customer-based brand equity and store image by incorporating brand personality measures for measurement of brand associations.