AN ANALYSIS OF THE KEY ELEMENTS INFLUENCING THE DECISION TO PURCHASE PRIVATE LABEL PRODUCTS IN SUPERMARKETS

Abstract

The adoption of own brands in the product mix of supermarkets is a strategic action that some retailers are using to improve their competitiveness in the sector. In Brazil, private labels market share is still under represented, which reflects the attitude of consumers relating to
these products. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors that influence the consumption of private label products in supermarkets. It was developed a field exploratory research, using self-administered questionnaire which allowed the collection of opinions of a sample of 983 supermarket shoppers. The results show that respondents don’t have a positive image of private label products partially related to: great variation in quality of products within categories and between offered categories, the perceived risk, lack of effective communication about products and the image of inferiority transmitted by the attributes of brand labels such as packaging, merchandising method and price policy. Obtained factors show that the store image, communication and price, quality and price stood out  as most important to respondents and that have the greatest influence on  consumer behavior.