STORE AS A BRAND essay

There are normally different retail stores within a particular location that may be selling the same kind of products, hence the branding of the store becomes an important factor determining the success of the business. In some situations, the store itself can be used as a brand in determining the success of the business. The aim of this paper is to critically analyze different literature that provide information on the store as a brand, and obtain lessons and a summary of the main things to consider when using the store and brand. This paper will also contain information on any aspects that may be missing or presented wrongly from the literature analyzed. 0 Introduction The experience of a shopper in a retail store depends on different factors.

Therefore, a study on using the store as a brand is necessary because it’s a practice that has been embraced by many retail stores, and it has advantages in terms of increasing sales volumes. This study will focus on how a store can be used as a brand, the influence that such kind of branding has on the shoppers and the advantages and disadvantages that it has to the owners of the retail stores. 0 Critical analysis In business terms, a brand can be defined as the promise of a business to the customer. It is what creates expectations in people’s mind of a retail store. According to Martineau, store image is the way in which the store is defined in the shoppers’ mind, partly by its functional qualities and partly by an aura of psychological attributes (1958).

It has been observed that such kind of analysis is more frequent with complex as compared to simple goods. Fournier (1994) believes that shoppers are usually faced with the challenge of determining the value of a commodity which they cannot evaluate by manipulating the commodity physically or by simply observing the product. It is also difficult for shoppers to determine the quality of a particular by simple observation. The shopper may in the end rely on cues, the context in which the store is found, and the people going to the store. These cues can be used to determine the characteristics of the store being considered. In terms of physical features, lighting plays a crucial role in affecting the emotions and moods of the shoppers.

It also helps to clearly showcase the different products that are within a store. Therefore, having good lighting within the store has a positive influence on the shopping behavior of the customers. The choice of interior colors to be used inside the store also has an influence on the shopping experience of the shopper. Different colors can be used for different purposes. Mazursky and Jacob (1986) believe that the element of scent has an influence on purchasing behavior and levels of customer satisfaction. The source of the scent does not have to be the products themselves but it can come from a distinct source. b) Design of the store: Considering the fact that shoppers are sensory people, more attention has to be given to the design of the store.

Having interesting and innovative designs is a way of offering an exciting experience for the shoppers. The design of a store involves different elements such as layout, size of spaces and features within the store. In the present day, the location of the store does not explain the difference in customer decisions, but it can act as a major component because of two main reasons: to satisfy the shopper’s need for convenience and accessibility, and enhance the competitive advantage for a retail brand. The location of the store and the distance which the shoppers must travel are some of the decisions that shoppers must make in determining whether to go the store or not. With the development of technology and e-commerce, online stores have been on the rise.

This means that a customer can conveniently purchase products from the comfort of their home. Retail stores have to keep up with this competition by ensuring that the location of their business is in a convenient place for the shoppers, and that they offer more value to shoppers when they physically go shopping compared to when they do online shopping. Sales service- The extent to which prompt and individual service attention can be achieved. This is associated with how polite, friendly, welcoming and competent the employees are. The ability of the employees to provide relevant information on a particular product when asked is also an aspect of quality sales service. Another important element of sales service is the waiting time when the customer comes into a store.

This means that the employees should be welcoming and help the shoppers as soon as they enter the store. If the strategies are not aligned, shoppers will have conflicting perceptions of the retailer and will not be able to evaluate the retail brand when determining which store to visit. The aim of any retail store is to make profit. To stay in business, the store needs to at least cover its costs, and as such some price strategies are not able to be used for every store brand. This is because if the price of the products in a store are too high because of trying to meet the costs, the store becomes unattractive and uncompetitive in the eyes of the customer.

The stores would eventually run out of business because they would lack turnover. A wide-ranging assortment will also enhance the shoppers’ belief that they will find the product they are looking for and also convince them that the visit will be worthwhile. This may also affect the shoppers negatively, because shoppers may not be able to process all the information regarding the range of assortment. It may actually disturb the shoppers’ instinctive attempt to create an overview when deciding which store to visit. 0 Conclusion From the critical analysis of the different literature on the idea of having the store as a brand, it can be concluded that there are different elements within the store that can be used in building the store brand.