Does brand equity vary between department stores and clothing stores? Results of an empirical investigation

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether retailer brand equity levels vary between department store and specialty clothing store categories.

Retailer brand equity is conceptualized in this paper as a four‐dimensional construct comprising retailer awareness, retailer associations, retailer perceived quality and retailer loyalty. Categorization theory is used to explain the differences in retailer equity across the two different store categories. A doubly multivariate design is incorporated in a structured questionnaire used to collect data via mall‐intercepts in an Australian state capital city.

Results suggest that retailer brand equity varies significantly between department store and specialty store categories. Department store brands yielded significantly higher ratings for all the retailer brand equity dimensions than specialty store brands.

Researchers have argued that retailers possess brand equity. However, extant research does not provide any specific guidance in relation to the question of whether retailer brand equity levels vary from one store category to another. The present research fills an important gap by demonstrating that retailer brand equity levels vary significantly between department store and specialty clothing store categories.