From the retail brand to the retail-er as a brand: themes and issues in retail branding research

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.