Cheryl Ward

Assessing the vulnerability of private label brands

Private label brands may be in danger as a result of recent changes in the marketing strategies used by private label firms. The primary competitive advantage of private label brands, good quality at low prices, may be lost if private label firms continue to modify and expand how their brands are marketed. Specifically, changes in private label brands′ advertising, packaging, sales promotion, and product improvement strategies indicate that private label brands are moving closer than ever to manufacturer brand status. To the extent that these changes result in higher average retail prices and/or lower gross margins for retailers, the advantages of private brands to both consumers and distributors will diminish, illustrating that the historical “wheel of retailing” hypothesis may be applicable to private label brands. Investigates the aforementioned trends and provides suggestions for manufacturers and retailers for future brand management strategies.

Consumer Gifting Behaviors

Abstract Occurrences of interpersonal gift-giving and self-gifting situations are prevalent in our society. However, previous research has not looked at the possible relationship between the two. This paper surveyed individuals regarding their personal gifting behaviors. Not surprisingly, respondents were more likely to buy for others than themselves; however, individuals did report self-gifting from six to ten times per year. Females in virtually every category were significantly more likely to gift than malesboth in interpersonal gifting and self-gifting. Non-married individuals were, in some situations, more prone to self-gifting than married individuals. Very few respondents experienced regret (dissonance) after purchases were made.