Using service quality to enhance the perceived quality of store brands

The importance of store brands in frequently purchased consumer goods marketing has been clearly established over the past decade. Marketing studies have consistently shown that perceived quality is a key determinant of store brands' success. This paper examines the impacts of five dimensions of retail service quality on the perceived quality of store brands: physical aspects, reliability, personal interaction, problem solving and policy. A conceptual model is developed and empirically tested against a sample of supermarket consumers in Taiwan. Results show that the delivery of high service quality of retailers increases the perceived quality of their store brands. In particular, reliability and personal interaction are shown to have the strongest effects among the five dimensions of retail service quality. Implications for increasing overall service quality and perceived quality of store brands for retailing practices and researchers are discussed.