Javier Oubiña

Strategic management of store brands: an analysis from the manufacturer's perspective

Purpose – The main aim of this research is to provide empirical analyses about the store brand management by manufacturers and retailers from the manufacturers perspective, in the current context, which is one of intense competition between manufacturer and store brands. Particularly, this research pursues to analyse the profile of store brand manufacturers, their perceptions about the retail management of these brands and their own product management of the same.Design/methodology/approach – A postal survey was carried out directed at manufacturing business units of mass consumer products in Spain. Multivariate techniques are used in the information analysis such as contingency tables, variance and principal component analysis.Findings – The results highlight the differences between manufacturers and non‐manufacturers of store brands in their competitive position and in the type of manufactured product; the consensus of both groups regarding the perception of favourable merchandising for store brands; t...

Effect of strategy, structure and performance variables on store brand market share

The results obtained by store brands in a large number of markets have been favoured by a set of factors. Prominent among these factors are the actions by manufacturers and distributors on price and differentiation, market competition at both a manufacturer and a retailer level, and the economic-financial results of the latter for the product categories in which they work with a store brand. This research presents an explanatory fixed effects panel model of the market share of these brands that shows clearly the influence of the variables of competitive strategy, structure and performance. The study is applied to the Spanish market for 50 consumer product categories over 5 years, from 1996 to 2000.

Relationships of retail brand manufacturers with retailers

Abstract Previous researchers have discussed the convenience of manufacturing retail brands. However, they have seldom developed any empirical work. In this article we present an analysis framework to study the impact of the production of retail brands on the manufacturers relationship with the retailer, depending on the manufacturers competitive position in the brands they produce. The model presented is empirically tested through a covariance structure model. In order to do this, we use the data from a postal survey aimed at business units manufacturing retail brands in the Spanish market for mass commodity products.

Understanding brand loyalty of the store brand’s customer base

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to attempt to understand the extent to which price consciousness and quality consciousness influence attitudinal loyalty to store brands (SBs) in different segments of consumers: heavy, medium and light buyers of SBs. SBs are currently consolidated among price-conscious consumers, but less established among the quality-conscious consumers. Design/methodology/approach – After reviewing the literature and constructing a theoretical model, the authors performed a study on Spanish food products, a sector in which SBs have achieved a significant market share. They collected data through a personal survey and analyzed it using structural equations modeling, and they performed a multigroup analysis of heavy buyers, medium buyers and light buyers of SBs. Findings – The results obtained alert retailers to the tremendous importance of price vs quality in the formation of SB value and loyalty to SBs among heavy buyers of these brands, show the balance between price and quality ...

Consumer identification with store brands: Differences between consumers according to their brand loyalty

Retail management of store brands (SBs) has focused on achieving positioning in value and creating associations of smart or expert shopping. The result is that value-conscious consumers and market mavens are the main targets of these brands. This study proposes and contrasts empirically a theoretical model of the effect of market mavenism and value consciousness on consumer identification with SBs. We also perform a multi-group analysis based on the consumer tendency to be loyal to the brands he or she buys. Consumers who are loyal to brands are very attractive segments for firms, due to the potential benefits these consumers represent in the long term, whereas consumers with little loyalty to brands can be an attractive segment for potential benefits in the short term. The results obtained in this study show differences between these two groups. For consumers who are loyal to brands, the results stress strong identification with the SB among the most value-conscious consumers, due fundamentally to their greater disagreement with the greater functional risk of these brands as compared to manufacturer brands and due to their greater conviction of the better price-quality ratio of SBs. In consumers with little brand loyalty, we find identification with the SB among the consumers with the greatest market mavenism, as a result of their greater perception of smart or expert shopping for these brands. Significant implications for management are derived from this study.

Explanatory factors regarding manufacturer brand price consistency

Purpose – In the marketing process, the positioning effort exerted by manufacturers for their brands is slowed by the commercial objectives of intermediary firms. In addition, to act as buyers, retailers act as suppliers of demand segments. When they receive privileged conditions in their product purchasing contracts, they do not always transfer them, totally or partially, to the final consumers through prices. The purpose of this paper is to analyse price dispersion tools available to consumer goods manufacturers to obtain price consistency.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was conducted that analysed the retail price dispersion of 66 manufacturer brands in the categories of packaged foods, drugstore products, personal care products, and cellulose derivatives marketed in 574 Spanish retail outlets in different cities.Findings – In general, manufacturer brands achieve greater price‐consistency, and therefore less price dispersion, when the consumers knowledge of the product category is gre...

Value and store brand identification in food products

Purpose – Store brands have become consolidated in the food market and are currently considered real brands. The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that contribute to consumers’ identification with store brands, as well as the possible effect of consumers’ identification with store brands on their loyalty to the retail establishment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper achieves its goal by reviewing the academic literature on the topic and proposing and validating a theoretical model for consumer-store brand identification. The theoretical model is validated through an empirical study of the Spanish market for food products using data gathered from individuals responsible for shopping for their homes who claim to have purchased store brand food products at least once. Structural equations modeling is then used to estimate and perform a multigroup analysis for heavy and light buyers of store brands. Findings – The results obtained reveal, first, that consumers’ store brand identification...

Trade Credit Periods in Retail Commerce for Products of Mass Consumption: An Application to Spanish Legislation

Trade credit periods from providers constitute a key indicator of the market power of large retail groups in distribution channels. The current study uses a database of financial statements of retail and production firms to demonstrate that the legal measures established at the European level in general, and specifically in Spain, to fight delinquency in commercial operations are having an appreciable effect on reducing payment periods for retail firms. On the other hand, an analysis of trade credit periods at the level of manufacturers enables us to confirm that manufacturers also postpone a substantial part of their payment to their respective suppliers of raw materials. Finally, we propose an explanatory model for trade credit periods in retail firms that, once contrasted, enables us to conclude that the explanations for trade credit periods should be found in the market power, efficiency and level of indebtedness of the retail firms.