Validating the retail store image concept

Recapturing store image in customer-based store equity: a construct conceptualization

“…Since the introduction of Martineau (1958) of store image as a concept in the development of retail personality, marketing researchers have devoted considerable attention to developing the idea that consumers hold images of particular stores in their minds (e.g., Chowdhury et al, 1998;Berry, 1969;Kasulis and Lusch, 1981;Kunkel and Berry, 1968;Marks, 1976;Mazursky and Jacoby, 1968). Although definitions vary, store image has generally been defined as the way in which the store is defined in the shopper's mind, partly by the functional qualities and partly by an aura of psychological attributes (Martineau, 1958).…”

When Does It Pay off to Link a Brand Name to a Country?

“…This definition points to the fact that retailer store image is largely influenced by a consumer's previous experience with a store (Kunkel & Berry, 1968;Kasulis, Morgan, Griffith, & Kenderdine, 1999). Retailer store image is affected not only by consumer perceptions of relevant retail store attributes, but also by the importance consumers attach to these attributes and the interactions among these attributes (James, Durand, & Dreves, 1976;Marks, 1976;Kasulis & Lusch, 1981). Consumers are thus able to form an overall impression of a store based on their perceptions of various store attributes (Hartman & Spiro, 2005).…”

“…Retailer store image has been explored in numerous research studies for well over half a century (Martineau, 1958;Kunkel & Berry, 1968;Kasulis & Lusch, 1981;Mazursky & Jacoby, 1986;Ailawadi & Keller, 2004). Much of this research has focused on various functional attributes such as merchandise assortment, physical facilities, layout, and employee helpfulness as the components of store image.…”

“…Much of this research has focused on various functional attributes such as merchandise assortment, physical facilities, layout, and employee helpfulness as the components of store image. Thus, the concept of retailer store image has been viewed in the literature essentially as the outcome of how retail managers manipulate or mix the various functional components of store image in a manner that would appeal to real and potential customers being targeted by the store (Kasulis & Lusch, 1981;Grewal, Levy, & Lehmann, 2004). Those retailers that are able to achieve an effective blend of functional components might gain a competitive advantage over other retailers if the store image better matches the store choice evaluative criteria used by consumers to select the stores in which they shop (Grewal, Levy, Mehrotra, & Sharma, 1999;Grewal, Krishnan, Baker, & Borin, 1998).…”

Act Like a Retailer, Think Like a Brand: An Overview of Retailer Brand Equity and Agenda for Future Research in Indian Context

“…A store is the place where customers experience the retailer. Indeed, a store is a retail product in itself (Floor, 2006;Kasulis & Lusch, 1981;Porter & Claycomb, 1997). This shows the way to the concept of retailer's branding.…”