Impact of retailer personality on consumer-based retailer equity An empirical study of retail brands

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of retailer personality on consumer- based retailer equity. Design/methodology/approach - The authors developed a retailer personality scale and find its impact on consumer-based retailer equity by adopting the scale developed by Pappu and Quester. A mall-intercept survey was undertaken using a systematic sampling of department store shoppers of age 18 years and above in a metropolitan city, Kolkata, India. The questionnaire was used to collect data from seven department retail brands. The impact of each retailer personality dimension on each consumer-based retailer equity dimension was explored, using structural equation modeling. Findings - The study proposed a five-dimensional scale to measure department store personality. Results indicated that the three dimensions of store personality, namely sophistication, dependability and empathy, have significant positive impact on each consumer-based retailer equity dimension except one (empathy -> retailer loyalty). The remaining two dimensions of retailer personality, namely authenticity and vibrancy, have no impact on each consumer- based retailer dimension. Originality/value - The paper is the first to propose a scale for measuring department store personality and to explore the link between retailer personality and consumer-based retailer equity.