The value of private label brands to U.S. consumers: An objective and subjective assessment
Document Type
Article
Department or Administrative Unit
Management
Publication Date
1-2013
Abstract
This study investigates the value of private label brands to consumers using two approaches: First, subjective evaluations of the perceived relationships between price and quality for private label (PL) brand and national brand (NB) products based on survey responses; and second, objective measures of price and quality for PLs and NBs widely available in the U.S. Price was generally perceived to be a signal of quality for NBs, but not for PLs, an indication that consumers' knowledge may not have kept pace with quality improvement in PLs. Objective estimation of the quality gap potentially existing between PLs and NBs determined that the “quality premium” of NBs observed in the past has largely disappeared. Consumers, notwithstanding, sought a lower purchase price for PLs. In turn, the higher price they were willing to pay for NBs accorded with estimates of the actual “price premium” associated with NBs.
Recommended Citation
Boyle, P. J., & Lathrop, E. S. (2013). The value of private label brands to U.S. consumers: An objective and subjective assessment. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 20(1), 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2012.10.008
Journal
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
Rights
© 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Comments
This article was originally published in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.
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