How store service quality affects attitude toward store brands in emerging countries: Effects of brand cues and the cultural context

This cross-cultural research investigates how store brand perceptual cues and cultural differences affect the relationships between service quality and attitude toward store brands in two emerging countries. Using mall intercept surveys, the authors gather data from 1027 respondents in Brazil and Vietnam. Based on structural equation modeling results show that both positive and negative perceptual brand cues mediate the effects of overall service quality, store physical aspects, store reliability, and personnel attention on attitude toward store brands. Moreover, specific mediation processes arise; perceived price and functional risk mediate these effects in both countries investigated, whereas store brand perceived value and financial risk do not. The cultural context moderates the relationships as well, such that the effects of overall service quality, store physical aspects, and store personnel attention on attitude toward store brands are stronger in Brazil than in Vietnam. However, the effect of store reliability does not differ across countries.