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Identifying the Generics-Prone Consumer: A Meta-Analysis
Abstract
The authors conducted a meta-analysis of the generics literature. The meta-analysis reveals the strongest predictors of a proneness to buy generic products are consumer perceptions of generics’ quality and price and consumers’ overall evaluation of generic products. Demographic and psychographic variables and consumer shopping behaviors are related only weakly to consumers’ proneness to buy generics.
... Moreover, while 94% of consumers are aware of the brand at the store, the rest 6% are influenced by advertisement. In support of this finding, Szymanski & Busch (1987) established that perceptions of quality and products are influencing individuals buying behavior prior to demographic, psychological and shopping behavior. Similarly, Richardson, Jain, and Dick (1996) found that familiarity with store brand, extrinsic cues (such as price and package), perceived quality variation, perceived risk, and perceived value for money, income and family size are example of factors influencing own-label proneness. ...
The purchasing behavior of the nation’s insuring public determines the performance of the risk management and investment functions of insurance service, and its overall contribution to the development of the economy. In Nigeria, the contribution of insurance to the nation’s GDP is extremely low at 0.4% as majority of the population live without insurance protection. The low level of customer’s patronage may be attributed to inadequate application of relationship marketing factors. This study examined the influence of relationship marketing dimensions of customer awareness, customer trust, customer service quality, product innovation and customization, and customer satisfaction on customer purchase decision of Insurance in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of study consisted of 375,000 estimated consumers of insurance service in Lagos State, Nigeria. A sample size of 1,650 consumers were drawn from selected Local Government Areas of Lagos State through non-probability sampling technique. A questionnaire titled relationship marketing and market penetration of insurance was adapted and validated. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient for the constructs ranged between 0.76 and 0.90. A total of 1,650 copies of the questionnaire were administered, with a response rate of 80%. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential (multiple linear regression analysis) statistics. Findings revealed that relationship marketing had significant effect on customer purchase decision of Insurance (Adj. R2 = 0.420; F (5, 1306) = 190.773, p<0.05). Significant positive relationships were also found between some of the relationship marketing constructs and customer purchase decision of insurance. The study concluded that relationship marketing dimensions of customer awareness, customer trust, customer service quality, product innovation and customization, and customer satisfaction are significant predictors of customer purchase decision of insurance in Lagos State, Nigeria. Thus, to influence customer purchase decision of insurance, the adoption of relationship marketing is highly recommended. Keywords: Relationship Marketing, Customer Awareness, Customer Trust Customer Service Quality
... Do DOB prone consumers differ from those who are loyal to manufacturer brands? In an overview of the literature on generics, Szymanski and Bush (1987) conclude that there are strong relationships of perceived product quality and price to the propensity to buy generic products. The results from the metaanalysis suggest that the most effective means for distributors to promote generic products is to position them as a solid value in comparison with branded products. ...
During the past two decades something fundamental has happened to the relationship between manufacturers and distributor organisations in many European countries. Within a number of product markets, distributors have launched their own products, forcing manufacturing companies to compete with shelf space owners in addition to the “traditional” competition with other manufacturers.
Theoretical and empirical findings regarding Distributor Own Brands (DOB’S) offer us a number of explanations of the differences between national markets and product categories in terms of DOB penetration. However, much of this literature is deterministic in its approach: DOB penetration is often seen as a direct consequence of different market conditions, rather than as the result of strategy processes involving a number of decision-makers and their perceptions of market-related and organisational factors.
This study investigates how an array of organisational and market related factors are perceived by distributor organisations, and how this is expressed in the organisations’ own brand strategies. To investigate this research problem, a theoretical framework that explicitly takes distributor own brand strategy into consideration when examining proposed determinants of DOB penetration is presented. The empirical study is mainly based on interviews with decision-makers within the central organisations of the two largest distributors within Swedish fmcg distribution: the ICA federation and the consumer co-operation KF.
... Some studies indicate younger households and heavier category purchasers tend to be heavier PL buyers (Dick et al., 1995); while others report conflicting results such as that PL share is higher in areas with more elderly consumers (Hoch, 1996). A meta-analysis concluded demographics were only weakly related to store-brand purchasing (Szymanski and Busch, 1987). On the other hand, category characteristics such as the product representing a low-risk purchase (Batra and Sinha, 2000) have been found to be associated with higher PL share. ...
Purpose
– There is increasing managerial and academic interest in understanding behavioural loyalty to private label (PL) brands. A widely used behavioural loyalty measure is share of category requirements, or “SCR”. This study aims to examine why some PLs enjoy higher levels of SCR compared to others.
Design/methodology/approach
– The study models consumer purchase data using the well-accepted NBD-Dirichlet model to identify the circumstances in which PL brands exhibit higher (“excess”) or lower SCR than expected.
Findings
– The study finds four factors linked to excess SCR for PLs. They are: higher share of overall category sales accounted for by the PL within the retailer's stores, higher penetration of the category by the retailer, low relative price of the PL, and lastly, lower average purchase frequency for the category overall.
Research limitations/implications
– While the study uses 13 product categories, its geographic scope is limited to the UK. Further research could examine how the findings generalize to other markets.
Originality/value
– The study is original in that it identifies factors that are linked to behavioural loyalty toward specific PL brands. The findings will help marketers in brand management and retailing to understand and contextualize brand performance metrics for PL brands.
Purpose
In the food delivery industry, mobile applications have become an important platform for providing services and interacting with customers. Thus, this study aims to examine whether customers’ perceived innovation changes their patronizing behavior intention toward the brand’s application.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from food delivery customers in the USA, this study identifies the relative impact of multidimensional innovation (i.e. service concept innovation, service process innovation and customer experience innovation) on customers’ behavior. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results show that customers’ perceived service process and experience innovation increase commitment, which turns into reuse intention of the delivery application. Commitment also increases the impact of customers’ perceived innovation on loyalty. However, in this study, service concept innovation is insufficient to solely create positive behavioral intention.
Practical implications
Findings suggest that a food delivery application that continues to innovate to improve the service process and experience can be an effective marketing tool because they increase bonding with customers. This study recommends that food delivery companies manage their relationship with customers to achieve sustainable growth.
Originality/value
Despite the growing attention in the mobile service industry, limited studies have examined the effects of innovations of food delivery application on customers’ behavior. Thus, this study provides useful guidelines that advance mobile commerce research, especially in the food delivery industry.
This study examines the empirical relationship between four broad antecedents of brand equity (branding strategy, brand structure, brand positioning and target market) and two separate dimensions of revenue premium: price premium and volume premium. Our modeling framework aims to explain how different antecedents of brand equity influence the realized velocity and margin of branded product sales, key drivers of operating cash flow. Our generalizable empirical analyses are based on a representative dataset of over 6,500 brands, across 200 consumer-packaged goods categories, spanning three years. We find that only 20% of brands command revenue premiums, for which volume premiums are the critical determinant. Branding strategies and brand structure primarily impact volume premium. In contrast, brand positioning has little effect. Target market substantially affects both premiums. Overall, these four elements account for 73% and 69% of the explained variations in price and volume premiums, respectively. This study provides generalizable, important, and novel insights for the theory and practice of brand management regarding price positioning and extending brands into new categories.
Across three laboratory studies, a biometric eye tracking and facial recognition experiment, and a secondary data analysis, we reveal the unique interaction of consumer numeracy and numerical processing fluency as a significant determinant of consumer response to 99-ending prices. We argue that less numerate individuals create mental analog representations around 99-ending prices’ left digits, whereas highly numerate individuals encode 99-ending prices as their one-cent neighbor, with consumers responding more favorably to prices when they mentally encode them around a fluent number. Specifically, highly numerate individuals respond more favorably when 99-ending prices (e.g., 17.99) border a fluent number (i.e., 18). Conversely, less numerate individuals respond more favorably when 99-ending prices (e.g., 16.99) contain fluent left digits (i.e., 16). We provide empirical evidence for the effects of this processing difference on liking, purchase intentions, and actual sales. We also obtain evidence for the underlying process using eye tracking and facial recognition that reveals that highly (vs. less) numerate individuals exhibit less anxiety when processing multi-digit prices, and consequently fixate sooner, more frequently, and for longer durations on the right digits of a price. The findings contribute significantly to the price processing literature and yield substantial managerial implications.
Özel markalı ürünler, perakendeci işletmelerin sahip olduğunu belgelediği marka altında satışa sunulan ürünlerdir. Özellikle gıdaya dayalı perakendecilikte özel markalı ürünler, mağazadaki müşteri trafiğini artırması ve mağazaya sadakat yaratması açısından perakendeciler için önemli bir alternatiftir. Bu çalışmada, özel markalı ürünlere düşük ve yüksek düzeyde eğilimli olan tüketicilerin kimler olduğu, özel markalara eğilimin demografik veya sosyo-ekonomik değişkenlerle olan ilişkisi ve bu tüketici grupları arasında özel markalara yönelik tutumlar arasında bir farklılığın olup olmadığı belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen önemli bir bulgu; özel markalara yüksek eğilimli ve düşük eğilimli gruplar arasındaki başlıca tutumsal farklılıkların özel markalı ürünlerin kalitesi, fiyatı ve marka tanınırlığından kaynaklanmasıdır. Bir diğer bulgu, tüketicilerin gelir düzeyi ve aile büyüklüğü ile özel markalara eğilimli olma arasında bulunan ilişkidir.
To enhance the utility of meta-analysis as an integrative tool for marketing research, heteroscedastic MLE (HMLE), a maximum-likelihood-based estimation procedure, is proposed as a method that overcomes heteroscedasticity, a problem known to impair OLS estimates and threaten the validity of meta-analytic findings. The results of a Monté Carlo simulation experiment reveal that, under a wide range of heteroscedastic conditions, HMLE is more efficient and powerful than OLS and achieves these performance advantages without inflating type I error. Further, the relative performance of HMLE increases as heteroscedasticity becomes more severe. An empirical analysis of a meta-analytic dataset in marketing confirmed and extended these findings by illustrating how the enhanced efficiency and power of HMLE improve the ability to detect moderator variables and by demonstrating how the theoretical generalizations emerging from a meta-analysis are affected by the choice of the analytic procedure.
A number of researchers in the marketing, management, and economics disciplines have expressed reservations regarding the validity and generalizability of the reported relationships between market share and profitability. Against this backdrop, the authors performed a meta-analysis on 276 market share-profitability findings from forty-eight studies to address whether market share and profitability are positively related and to examine the factors that moderate the magnitude of that relationship. The authors found that, on average, market share has a positive effect on business profitability. However, the magnitude of the market share-profitability relationship is moderated by model specification errors, sample characteristics, and measurement characteristics. The relationship is moderated the most (and, on average, the relationship could be artifactual) when firm-specific intangible factors are specified in the profit model or the estimate of the market share-profitability relationship is based on an analysis of non-PIMS businesses. The authors discuss the implications of these results for the evaluation and utilization of market share information by managers in reference to strategies that focus on building market share as a means for increasing profits.
After the government’s decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector, attention has been focused on this sector. This is a red signal for the organised and unorganised players in India as the weapon of private label will be a game changer in the near future. Private labels are not new to the Indian consumers as most of the Indian giants have equipped their stores with it. Private labels in food and grocery have been successful in the Indian market and brands in many more categories have come into the world’s largest consumer market. Private label studies have investigated grocery products, food products and routine consumables like dairy products and staples.
The main objective of the research is to find out the role of psychological factors in purchase behaviour with reference to private label apparels. It further investigates the reliability and validity of the scale designed to measure the psychological factor responsible for private label apparel purchase behaviour.
After review of literature, focus group and expert discussions were conducted to identify psychological factors and their influence on private label brand purchase behaviour. A total of 9 psychological factors were derived after the preliminary study and were included in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed using five-point Likert scale and survey was carried out in different organised apparel retail stores in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
One stream of research for order of entry effects focuses on the possibility that the order of entry exerts a direct impact on business performance. A second stream of research, the contingency perspective, debates the merits of whether the order of entry, in combination with other market strategy and marketplace variables, is what actually drives business performance. The findings from studies focusing on possible direct effects offer only mixed evidence in favor of a pioneering advantage. The contingency perspective, however, has not been subjected to systematic, empirical scrutiny. Against this backdrop, the authors conduct a meta-analysis of the pioneering-market share findings and an examination of the contingency perspective of order of entry effects. The findings from the meta-analysis reveal that, on average, earlier entry is associated with greater market share. The findings from the contingency analysis, however, offer evidence suggesting that the contingency perspective is the more valid perspective for capturing the association between order of entry and market share. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of their findings and several directions for further research.
We estimate the effect of information and expertise on consumers’ willingness to pay for national brands in physically homogeneous
product categories. In a detailed case study of headache remedies we find that more informed or expert consumers are less
likely to pay extra to buy national brands, with pharmacists choosing them over store brands only 9 percent of the time, compared
to 26 percent of the time for the average consumer. In a similar case study of pantry staples such as salt and sugar, we show
that chefs devote 12 percentage points less of their purchases to national brands than demographically similar non-chefs.
We extend our analysis to cover 50 retail health categories and 241 food and drink categories. The results suggest that misinformation
and related consumer mistakes explain a sizable share of the brand premium for health products, and a much smaller share for
most food and drink products. We tie our estimates together using a stylized model of demand and pricing.
Understanding the store brand buyer is a central issue for strategic brand management because of the increasing market shares of private label products. Offers an analytical framework and introduces a behavioral approach for understanding what makes consumers more responsive to store products. For the first time, uses panel data in a choice model which is shown to explain actual behavior successfully. Identifies many important determinants of store brand proneness and yields clear implications for marketing managers of both national and retailer brands.
Purpose
This paper seeks to carry out a profile of the current buyer of store brands in Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
In the characterization of store brand consumer, the paper analyses socio‐demographic and psychographic variables. The psychographics considered are based on the study developed by Ailawadi, Neslin and Gedenk in the USA. A self‐administrated questionnaire was applied to a sample of 425 grocery shoppers.
Findings
The results of the study show that socio‐demographics are not powerful in identifying store brand consumers. However, psychographic traits are much more related to this behaviour. For example, these consumers are characterized by being market mavens, store loyal and price conscious; but they are not quality conscious.
Practical implications
The results of the present study have a practical interest and can be useful to both manufacturers and retailers. Manufacturers can develop strategies to retain no store brand prone consumers. Retailers should pay special attention to their brand management, in terms of quality, variety and price.
Originality/value
In view of the increasing relevance of store brands, this paper makes an updated assessment of variables considered in previous studies and contexts but not studied in Spain.
Purpose
– The purpose of the paper is to present a review of the existing research themes in the area of retail branding, and note how these have developed as the conceptualisation of “branding” in retailing has itself evolved.
Design/methodology/approach
– This paper reviews existing research themes within retail branding. There is a vast body of academic literature on branding, or aspects of branding in retailing. The initial focus of academic work was upon the product perspective via studies of the store brand. This body of work is summarised under five broad themes – the characteristics of store brand prone consumers and the product attributes which attract consumers; the growth of and motivations for retail brand development; the role of changing channel relationships and behaviours on store brand development; intra‐category brand relationships; and the concept of copycat brands. From this initial, rather narrow, perspective research has evolved, taking on a wider view the brand in retailing which in turn has encompassed the store and the organisational perspectives.
Findings
– The evolution of branding in retailing from studies of store brands to the exploration of the retail‐er as a brand has been matched with a widening of the conceptualisation of the brand in retail research: from the product as a brand to the store as a brand and most recently to the organisation as a brand. This has implications for future research in terms of the themes under investigation, research design, and the research methodologies employed.
Originality/value
– The paper summarises the themes in existing retail branding research, notes the evolution of thought in retail brand research and suggests areas for future research.
Identifies some managerially relevant factors that influence the size of the price premium that consumers will pay for national brands over store brands in grocery products. We define price premium as the maximum price consumers will pay for a national brand over a store brand, expressed as the proportionate price differential between a national brand and a store brand. Overall, perceived quality differential accounts for about 12 percent of the variation in price premiums across consumers and product categories and is the most important variable influencing price premiums.
Although cross-functional integration is often considered an important element in a successful new product development program, a great deal of variance exists in extant literature regarding how integration is defined and implemented and how relevant studies are conducted. The authors attempt to bring clarity to a diverse set of 25 studies that investigate cross-functional integration by empirically analyzing 146 correlations between integration and aspects of new product success. The authors examine the impact of 12 potential moderators that affect the integration-success link using meta-analysis techniques. The findings indicate that though cross-functional integration may indeed have a direct impact on success, the combination of integration with other variables may be of greater importance. Furthermore, because most of the nine variables that significantly affect the integration-success relationship are either managerially controlled or industry specific, the findings imply that firms should design cross-functional structures to maximize their effectiveness. Other variables that affect the integration-success relationship reflect researchers' methodological decisions, suggesting that care should be taken when designing and interpreting the results of such studies. The authors discuss the implications of these findings and directions for further research.
This paper presents an empirical study on store brand demand and its determinants. A two-stage model is considered, in which the consumer decides whether to buy store brands, as well as how to allocate category expenditure between retail and manufacturer brands. The first stage identifies the segment of store brand customers and the second level determines customer demand. The model incorporates consumer characteristics and examines their effects in the light of behavioural data. Discrete and continuous outcomes flow from the same preference structure and are determined by consumer characteristics. The results provide insights into explanatory factors and useful implications for brand management. Extensions of the present work are also discussed.
Purpose
Store brands represent an important part of the consumer goods market and a prominent research area. The purpose of this paper is to address a well‐defined problem of store brand research and is concerned with individual characteristics that explain heterogeneous preferences for store brands. Understanding how preferences vary with consumer factors is a key element in developing successful marketing strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey is designed and implemented to a large random sample of consumers, using computer‐assisted telephone interviewing.
Findings
Specific consumer characteristics are associated with interpersonal differences in store brand demand. Store brand preferences derive from a broader evaluation process, in which quality has the most significant role. The results also demonstrate the changing image of store brands, the endorsement of such products by consumers of higher socio‐economic status, and lead to important implications for both retailers and manufacturers of consumer products.
Originality/value
The paper introduces random sampling and telephone interviewing to store brand research and provides new insights for managers and researchers.
Branding has traditionally been viewed as an essential tool for marketers to establish an identity for their products. Even products among the commodity range make use of branding to establish a position for themselves in the market. Unbranded or “generic” products, therefore, tend to go against this branding principle. These products, which are usually sold at a price which is lower than their branded equivalents, are most often found in the area of low-involvement grocery items. Previous studies of consumer perceptions of generic products tend to be broad in their scope by looking at generic products as a product category, rather than seeking consumer views on individual generic products. This paper identifies the characteristics of generic purchasers, and their broad perceptions of generic products as a group; and, the research extends previous work in the area by comparing a range of individual generic products to each other in terms of their value, quality and packaging. In addition, the research identifies how much importance consumers attach to value, quality and packaging when buying these individual products - in generic form or otherwise. A mail survey of 1,000 New Zealanders revealed that, in contrast to previous studies, generic consumers tend to be older and on a lower household income. In general, consumers do not believe that generics are substandard products. However, when looking at individual generic products, the less standardized generic products are not performing as well as others when it comes to consumers’ perceptions and demands. Proposes that if generic products are to have a recognizable future, it may be necessary to embark on a program which enhances consumer perception of the quality and value of the less standardized generic products.
Previous research studies on generic products focus mainly on mature markets such as the USA. These studies measure consumer perceptions of all generic products as a whole, with respect to price and quality. With the passing of the NAFTA, retailers’ interest in the relatively young Mexican market has increased. The purpose of this study is to determine Mexican consumers’ overall perceptions of generic grocery products, to examine if there are any differences in perception across demographic groups and to determine if there are differences in the perception of generic products across product categories. Two variables were examined: risk perception of generic products and satisfaction with generic products.
Assesses the evolution of retail brands within British grocery retailing over the past 25 years. Highlights key issues in defining retail brands which contribute to our understanding of their role and impact upon company strategy, and then explores how British retailers have managed the evolution of these product ranges. Identifies key factors as the changing basis and use of retail power in the distribution channel, the centralisation of management activities, and the appreciation of what constitutes retail image. Argues that British grocery retailers have successfully managed these factors to create a retail brand which is now regarded by customers as being at least equal to, if not better than, the established manufacturer brands.
Branding has traditionally been viewed as an essential tool for marketers to establish an identity for their products. Even products among the commodity range make use of branding to establish a position for themselves in the market. Recent times, however, have seen the emergence of unbranded or “generic” products. These products, which are usually sold at a price which is lower than their branded equivalents, are most often found in the area of low-involvement grocery items. Previous studies of consumer perceptions suggest that while consumers see generics as being less expensive than their national branded equivalents, they are also seen as being inferior in quality. This research goes beyond comparing generic products to their national brand equivalents by comparing generic products to one another, in order to ascertain whether the “low price-low quality” perception is more applicable to some generic products than others. A mail survey of 1,000 New Zealanders revealed that, in contrast to previous studies, generic consumers tend to be older and on a lower household income. The more standardized generics (such as rice) received more favourable ratings than the more processed generics such as coffee and shampoo, although there were significant differences in the respondents’ perceptions across different demographic groups. The results suggest that it is unwise for marketers to draw sweeping conclusions about consumer perceptions of generic products in general. Rather, each generic product, when compared with other generic products, has its own consumer perception and, therefore, each generic product requires different attention from different elements of the marketing mix.
The field of product innovation has expanded rapidly and clear insights regarding the relationship between product innovativeness
and new product performance have become more elusive and difficult to discern through qualitative reviews of the literature.
To offer much needed clarity, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of 95 correlations on product innovativeness and new product
performance that were recorded from 32 studies on the topic. The findings reveal that although the average correlation of
0.24 for innovativeness with performance is small to moderate in size, the relationship is more substantial when various measurement
and contextual elements are considered. For example, innovativeness measures that include a meaningfulness dimension yield
stronger estimates of relationship strength. The findings also reveal that innovativeness today may not represent the same
competitive advantage as in previous years unless the focus is on products rather than services, and specifically, new-to-the-market
rather than new-to-the-firm products. Thus, innovativeness can be particularly relevant to new product success but only under
certain conditions.
Although sales of generics continue to grow, extant research on their purchase presents an incomplete and conflicting picture. The present investigation clarifies this picture and extends the profile to include an important missing dimension-subcultural influences.
A large number of between-Ss expectancy theory studies have correlated measures of employee motivation (force) to perform with measures of effort and performance. The results of these studies vary considerably. A statistical review of the studies was conducted to determine the extent to which the variance explained (the dependent variable) was a function of various characteristics of the effort and performance and of the force-to-perform measures (the independent variables). There were 160 observations, derived from 32 studies. With the use of multiple regression analysis it was found that variance explained in these studies was greater when (a) self-report or quantitative measures of effort and performance were used rather than evaluations of these variables by someone other than the S; (b) 10–25 outcomes were included in the force measure rather than a greater or smaller number of outcomes; (c) outcome valence was numerically scaled with positive numbers only, and the scale values were described in terms of desirability rather than importance; and (d) the force measure contained either no assessment of expectancy or an assessment that confounded expectancy and instrumentality. These variables accounted for 42% of the variance in the results obtained in the studies reviewed. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The assumption that job satisfaction and job performance are related has much intuitive appeal, despite the fact that reviewers of this literature have concluded there is no strong pervasive relation between these two variables. The present meta-analytic study demonstrates that (a) the best estimate of the true population correlation between satisfaction and performance is relatively low (.17); (b) much of the variability in results obtained in previous research has been due to the use of small sample sizes, whereas unreliable measurement of the satisfaction and performance constructs has contributed relatively little to this observed variability in correlations; and (c) nine research design characteristics of a study are only modestly related to the magnitude of the satisfaction-performance correlation that will be obtained. In view of these findings, some of the major substantive and research implications of the job satisfaction-job performance relation are discussed.
An investigation was undertaken to empirically document effect sizes (i.e., the strength of a relationship or the magnitude of a difference between variables) in consumer behavior experiments reported in the literature during the period 1970–1982. A total of 118 experiments and 1,036 experimental effects was analyzed. Using ω2 as a measure of effect size, the investigation's results reveal that, on average, approximately 11 percent of the variance in a response variable was explained or accounted for by a statistically significant ( p ≤ 0.05) effect. This percentage, however, differed as a function of the methodological characteristics of the experiment.
Since their introduction into U.S. supermarkets in 1977, generic grocery products have been a major center of controversy. Statistics indicate that the rapid growth phase for generics has ended and that this concept has now entered the maturity phase of its life cycle. Since generics have now become a permanent feature of the grocery industry, retailers and manufacturers must carefully formulate their marketing strategies, whether these strategies are for offensive or defensive reasons. This article focuses on these critical strategic questions, reviews past manufacturer and retailer strategies, and makes recommendations for future strategies now that generics have reached maturity.
Although sales of generics continue to grow, extant research on their purchase presents an incomplete and conflicting picture. The present investigation clarifies this picture and extends the profile to include an important missing dimension—subcultural influences.
This article reviews the demographic and psychographic characteristics of the market for generic brand grocery products. The results of an examination of panel data relating to the purchase behavior for generics are also presented. The implications of the research for marketing practice are discussed.
Since their introduction less than three years ago, generics have achieved as much as 15 percent market share in some product categories. The focus of the research presented here is on the characteristics of consumers who are purchasing generics and whether they are switching from national or private brands.
The authors use meta-analysis techniques to investigate the evidence that has been gathered on the determinants of salespeople's performance. A search of the published and unpublished literature uncovered 116 articles (the list of which is available upon request) that yielded 1653 reported associations between performance and determinants of that performance. The results indicate the determinants can be ordered in the following way in terms of the average size of their association with performance: (1) role variables, (2) skill, (3) motivation, (4) personal factors, (5) aptitude, and (6) organizational/environmental factors. When ordered according to the amount of the observed variation in correlations across studies that is real variation (i.e., not attributable to sampling error), the determinants rank as follows: (1) personal factors, (2) skill, (3) role variables, (4) aptitude, (5) motivation, and (6) organizational/environmental factors. To investigate whether the associations between each of the categories of predictors and performance could be partially accounted for by the presence of moderator variables, the results were broken out by customer type, product type, and type of dependent measure used. The results indicate that the strength of the relationship between the major determinants and salespeople's performance is affected by the type of products salespeople sell. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for sales managers and researchers.
Since their introduction into U. S. supermarkets in 1977, generic grocery products have been a major center of controversy. Statistics indicate that the rapid growth phase for generics has ended and that this concept has now entered the maturity phase of its life cycle. Since generics have now become a permanent feature of the grocery industry, retailers and manufacturers must carefully formulate their marketing strategies, whether these strategies are for offensive or defensive reasons. This article focuses on these critical strategic questions, reviews past manufacturer and retailer strategies, and makes recommendations for future strategies now that generics have reached maturity.
The authors use meta-analysis techniques to investigate the evidence that has been gathered on the determinants of salespeople's performance. A search of the published and unpublished literature uncovered 116 articles (the list of which is available upon request) that yielded 1653 reported associations between performance and determinants of that performance. The results indicate the determinants can be ordered in the following way in terms of the average size of their association with performance: (1) role variables, (2) skill, (3) motivation, (4) personal factors, (5) aptitude, and (6) organizational/environmental factors. When ordered according to the amount of the observed variation in correlations across studies that is real variation (i.e., not attributable to sampling error), the determinants rank as follows: (1) personal factors, (2) skill, (3) role variables, (4) aptitude, (5) motivation, and (6) organizational/environmental factors. To investigate whether the associations between each of the categories of predictors and performance could be partially accounted for by the presence of moderator variables, the results were broken out by customer type, product type, and type of dependent measure used. The results indicate that the strength of the relationship between the major determinants and salespeople's performance is affected by the type of products salespeople sell. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for sales managers and researchers.
This article presents a theoretical framework specifying the conditions under which physical proximity and interaction will lead to positive or negative relationships between (a) ethnically diverse individuals, (b) handicapped and nonhandicapped individuals, and (c) ethnically similar and nonhandicapped individuals. A review of literature supporting the theoretical framework is presented, including a meta-analysis of 98 studies conducted between 1944 and 1982 that yielded 251 findings. Three meta-analysis procedures were used: voting-method, effect-size method, and z-score method. The results of the meta-analysis indicate that (a) cooperation without intergroup competition promotes greater interpersonal attraction among both heterogeneous and homogeneous individuals than do interpersonal competition, individualistic efforts, and cooperation with intergroup competition; (b) cooperation with intergroup competition promotes greater interpersonal attraction among participants than does interpersonal competition or individualistic efforts; and (c) there tends to be no significant difference between interpersonal competition and individualistic efforts in promoting interpersonal attraction among participants. Through ANOVAs, correlational analyses, and a multiple regression analysis a number of potentially mediating or moderating variables for these results are identified.
Investigated perceptions of quality of products of household grocery purchasers. In a telephone survey, 195 Ss rated generic, private label, and national brand grocery products on 3 quality perceptions: (1) overall quality, (2) quality consistency over repeat purchases, and (3) quality similarity across stores. Results indicate that generics were perceived as poorer than private label and national brands in all 3 quality areas. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Plain Labels Challenge the Supermarket Establishment
- Charles Burck
Burck, Charles (1979), "Plain Labels Challenge the Supermarket Establishment," Fortune, 99 (March 26), 70-6.
A First-Time Look at How Shoppers React to Generic Products
- Robert Dietrich
Dietrich, Robert (1978), "A First-Time Look at How Shoppers
React to Generic Products," Progressive Grocer, 51 (February), 80-4.
Retailing Strategies for Generic Brand Grocery Products
- Jon M Hawes
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