• Fashion, Industry and Education
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.30-39
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• 2018

This study investigates the importance of brand and retailer associations when consumers evaluate a product category extension in the context of brand and retailer collaborations. Although brand extensions are considered to reduce costs for introducing a new product category, limited study has focused on the role of brand and retailer associations in the context of brand and retailer collaborations. Using a total of 440 participants, a hypothesized model was tested using a structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that brand and retailer associations influence the perceived fit between a brand and a retailer. In addition, the image fit and quality fit are significantly related to brand and retailer attitudes as well as brand extension evaluation. Since consumers may use their associations with brands or retailers when they perceive product differentiation, market position, and brand extensions, the role of brand or retailer associations is important to marketers, retailers, and consumers. Given the importance of brand and retailer collaborations as a brand positioning strategy in the global branding and retail setting, the findings of this study contribute to brand and retail management by providing empirical evidence on how consumers perceive new products from extended brands in the marketplace when a brand collaborates with a retailer.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.55-64
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• 2017

Purpose - PB products at convenience stores take up about 20% of all products, and strategies for differentiation from other companies and brand image building are very important. This study would investigate the strategy for differentiating PB products and successful brand building strategy, focusing on BGF Retail that is operating 'CU', the leader in the convenience store industry in Korea. Research design, data, and methodology - This study would attempt to make an exploratory approach to PB products limited to those in convenience stores. As a research subject, this study chose BGF Retail, the operator of CU, which is the leader in the convenience store industry in Korea and chose the case study method in order to examine the strategy for differentiating PB products in convenience stores more in depth. For this purpose, this study collected materials such as papers, newspaper articles and various reports on convenience store-related PB products and conducted an in-depth study including more practical contents through an interview with CU workers. Results - CU pursued the diversity of PB products and has had the diversity of products, more than 120 kinds. It founded a product research institute and has been in charge of the differentiation strategy from planning products to launching them. Changing the target layer of consumers to those in middle age of the 40s-50s, it succeeded in the strategy expanding the consumer class. In the long run, despite it changed the name of the company, it has built a successful image, and both revenue and operating profit have continuously grown up. Conclusions - In results, CU has reset the changing main target population, and the product research institute succeeded in the innovation of products, reflecting new trends the customers want. Through this study, the practical implications could be provided for competitors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.182-189
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• 2015

This study assessed the effect of color marketing in the RTD coffee industry in Korea. In order to investigate the effect of color marketing, this study measured the characteristics of color marketing as well as brand image and attitude in accordance with behavioral intention to purchase. Data were collected using questionnaires, and a total of 310 questionnaires were distributed with 298 entered for data analysis. Frequency analysis, factor analysis, correlation, and multiple regression analysis were tested using SPSS. A total of seven factors were extracted, including brand attitude, purchase intention, association, identification, brand awareness, symbolism, and attention. Significances were found between brand awareness and identification (p<0.001) and attention (p<0.001). In the relationship between characteristics of colors and brand attitude, significances were found in identification (p<0.001), attention (p<0.001), and association (p<0.001). Further, brand attitude and brand awareness had a significant positive effect on purchasing intention of RTD coffee. Results of this study suggested that color marketing is a good marketing tool to persuade potential consumers to purchase RTD coffee based on brand attitude and brand awareness.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2014

This study investigates the effect of visual merchandising congruity perception on brand attitude and purchase intention. In addition, this study examines the mediating role of perceived risk in the process. Four retail fashion brands with classic image were selected in the previous research to avoid the influence of different brand images. Questionnaires were distributed to 200 customers leaving the four fashion retail stores which were chosen by the previous research. A total of 167 completed questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 7.0 statistical packages. The results were summarized as follows. First, visual merchandising congruity perception positively affected brand attitude. This result supports the match-up hypothesis. Second, brand attitude positively influenced purchase intention. Third, visual merchandising congruity perception did not directly affect purchase intention. Visual merchandising congruity perception indirectly influenced purchase intention by mediating brand attitude; however, it did not directly influence purchase intention. Therefore, the strategic approaches to enhance favorable brand attitude through visual merchandising congruity perception should be tried. Fourth, visual merchandising congruity perception negatively affected perceived risk. Fifth, perceived risk negatively affected brand attitude. Sixth, visual merchandising congruity perception affected brand attitude by mediating perceived risk. Therefore, it is needed to devise the visual merchandising strategy that lowers the perceived risk in order to make a positive brand attitude.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.21-30
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• 2012

Purpose - This study aimed to analyze the strategy of late domestic entrants into the Chinese retail market, focusing on the case of Lotte-Mart, given that there are few studies on market entry strategies of domestic retail companies in China. Research Design, data, methodology - The methodology of this paper is a case study approach, focusing on literature reviews and a few interviews. We conducted a survey by disseminating questionnaires and conducting interviews focusing on the Chinese retail market, and analyzed Lotte-Mart's market entry strategy in China. Results - Lotte-Mart chose M&A as the mode of entry, pursuing quick market entry and rapid expansion. It chose small to medium size cities with relatively less competition. Subsequently, Lotte-Mart devoted significant effort towards localization, attempting to organize stores and assorting products to fit the Chinese consumers' preferences. It operated CSR programs to increase its brand awareness and to create a favorable brand image. Conclusions - Lotte-Mart now needs to devise alternative corporate strategies for business expansion and growth. An understanding of the Chinese retail market and the case study analysis of Lotte-Mart's market entry strategy offers significant insights for domestic retail companies looking to expand into China.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.337-347
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to figure out consumer's recognition on brand's peculiar style on Korean contemporary women's apparel brand. The contemporary women's apparel brands show advanced and stylish merchandise at better price points. This segment of the Korean ready-to-wear market has been growing fast in last decades. Four contemporary women's apparel brands(I, K, M, and T) were participated in this study. The data(n=216) were collected with questionnaire survey at 24 apparel retail shops in metro Seoul area. The questionnaire measured the consumers' recognition on each brand's peculiar style. The subjects evaluated each brand's typical silhouette, materials, and style image. The results of the survey showed that the style image factors were 'stylish', 'simple', 'casual', 'feminine', and 'classic'. The style image of each brand was differentiated from others. The brand T had classic image, the brand K had simple and casual image, brand M had stylistic image, and the brand I had feminine image. The features of materials that used at the four brands were not very different by the brands. They used the high valued materials. The common features of the materials were 'smooth', 'thin' and 'light weight.'

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.138-151
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• 2012

This study determines a consumer retail store choice by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method for multi-criteria decision-making in the fashion retail industry. The study provides detailed and relevant information for management, marketers of fashion retail stores, and to improve competition between suppliers. Data was collected in February 2011 from questionnaires completed by 319 university students in Busan, South Korea. One of the major findings of this study was that consumer store preference was affected by the following factors in order of importance: product, image, service quality, and purchase facilitation. Brand image was assessed to be the most important of the evaluation elements, followed by individuality, style, and price. The results of rating the relative importance and priority of fashion retailers showed that department stores ranked most highly, followed by outlet malls, Internet shopping malls, brand malls, and discount stores.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.107-117
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• 2024

Purpose: Consumers have become more interested in eating organic food in recent decades because of the effect of merchants' advertising. Eating organic food is also shown to strengthen immunity, especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. However, consumers may find it more difficult to choose organic food retailers than to purchase conventional goods. This is because of the uncertainty characterizing the process of selecting organic food retailers, despite the growing rivalry across supermarket chains that sell organic goods. This study explores how consumers' perceived image (social responsibility and ability image) of organic food stores affects consumer loyalty. Research design, data and methodology: The data for the analysis were collected using Macromill Embrain, an online research service agency. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and Smart PLS 4.0. Results: Based on structural equation modeling, the findings of the study demonstrate that store image positively impactsstore loyalty, and that the mediator (perceived value) affects the relationship between the two variables. Conclusions: Organic food stores must understand consumers to improve store loyalty. Efforts such as providing a user community that enables joint behavior by sharing experiences among customers or launching campaigns to improve consumers' perceived brand identity can increase store loyalty.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.8-21
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• 2005

The purpose at this study was to analyze and to position the clothing images at women's formal wear brands carried by at least two department stores in Daejon, for providing data for a basic marketing strategy for fashion manufacturers and distributors. The results tram the study were as tallows; The brand that showed the highest classic image was 'BCBG'(83.6%), the brand that showed the highest feminine image was 'Obzee' (80.2%), the brand that showed the highest character image was 'Doho' (84.1%), and the brand that showed the highest mannish image was 'F.Station' (64.1%). On the brands image positioning map, brands, such as 'Deco', 'Mine', 'Time', and 'Anne Klein', lying on or near the point of intersection (where the vertical and horizontal axes meet) showed 4 types. They were 'smart & chic cluster', 'charming & luxury cluster', 'character elegance cluster', and 'sportive elegance cluster' that showed compound images. These clusters would be differentiated tram young casual lines by emphasizing the brands' shape and cut, higher quality fabrics and materials, and elegant and graceful colors. Analysis of target ages and tweed jacket prices for brands carried by at least two department stores showed that the target was between 23 and 50, and that the prices range from 198,000 won to 460,000 won.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.15-27
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• 2011

Although a huge number of academic researchers have paid considerable attention to exploring both the degree to which store image influences retailer brand customers and how to develop store personality, they have overlooked the contemporary retail context in which retailers have developed many different types of retailer brands, that is, price-oriented or quality-oriented retailer brands. Rather than focusing on the latter, much literature has looked at the former. Accordingly, even though there are many articles related to store image, a few authors have shown their interest in identifying the extent to which store personality affects customers purchasing retailer brands at lower prices. As a result, their efforts have been to illustrate the relationship between store image and consumer behaviours buying retailer brands. In that multiple retailers over the world such as E-Mart, Lotte-Mart, Tesco Korea and Tesco UK have actively introduced not only the quality-focused retailer brands that quality is better than, or equal to national brands, and prices are slightly higher than, or equal to them, but also price-focused retailer brands, academicians should make an effort to investigate how store image affects customers purchasing a quality-oriented retailer brand, comparing with previous research results. That is why the authors illustrate the extent to which store personality components influence retailer brand customers, including particularly quality-oriented retailer brand customers through an empirical research. By adopting a questionnaire method as a research technique to illuminate the relationship between store image components and retailer brand customers, research validity increases and further, data gathered through a field survey are analysed through a few statistic analysis methods, in order to minimise statistical deviations. Compared with the prior research concentrated on price-focused retailer brands, the authors have significantly shed light on customer behaviours purchasing retailer brand products with higher quality. When it comes to store personality components, the research suggests the following five items: merchandise attributes, services, physical facilities, promotions, and institutional image, considering the subcomponents mentioned by the previous research. Proposing the conceptual research model which those elements are differently hypothesised, according to retailer brand types: PR (Price-oriented Retailer brand) and QR (Quality-oriented Retailer brand), the research is proceeded. Through empirical research, the authors found that amongst the five items, only promotion influenced retailer brand customers in the Korean retailing marketplace, unlike other countries explored by many researchers, such as UK. Although much literature emphasises that those elements are closely related to retailer brand buying proneness, it is completely not fit to the Korean market. Also, research findings provide new insights into the degree of store image effects on retailer brand customers for academiciansand practitioners. Whether the retailer brand development program that a retailer has carried simultaneously both price-focused and quality-focused retailer brand types is practically profitable should be explored in the future.