As the importance of online virtual spaces increases due to COVID-19, interest in online virtual spaces using 4th industrial technology is increasing. Accordingly, the metaverse that combines virtual and real is becoming an issue. In the fashion industry, marketing using online is gradually increasing, and various attempts are being made by converging with the metaverse to provide new and enjoyable experiences to customers. This study looked at the impact of customer experience of a luxury fashion brand pop-up store on customer satisfaction, affective commitment and brand loyalty in a metaverse environment where utilization is increasing due to COVID-19 and technological development. For the analysis data of this study, a survey was conducted on the users who experienced the metaverse platform Zepeto's ' BVLGARI World'. As a result of examining the effect of the customer experience of a luxury fashion brand pop-up store on customer satisfaction, affective commitment, and brand loyalty in a metaverse environment, some of the customer experiences affect customer satisfaction, and the proposed hypothesis was partially accepted. In addition, it was confirmed that customer satisfaction affects affective commitment and brand loyalty, and affective commitment affects brand loyalty. In this study, we examine the impact of the customer experience of a luxury fashion brand pop-up store on customer satisfaction, affective commitment, and brand loyalty in the metaverse environment, and identify what is needed for more active convergence and activation of the metaverse and fashion brands. Also, we provide practical implications to people who involved in the metaverse and the fashion industry.

Not only luxury brands, but also fast fashion brands such as ZARA and H&M have successfully opened flagship stores in prime locations such as Ginza, Tokyo. The market-entry strategy via flagship stores appears to be successful, as numerous companies have adopted it. However, for this strategy to work, it is important to consider and verify not only the place, but also the product, price, and promotion aspects. This study systematically investigates the flagship store strategy by comparing the strategies of luxury brands, represented by Chanel and Louis Vuitton, and those of SPA (Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) brands, represented by ZARA, developed by the Spanish Inditex Corporation.

Despite the plethora of articles and research in marketing and retailing literatures focused on enhancing customer loyalty, the topic of how to best allocate resources to various loyalty-building efforts has always attracted interest from both academics and practitioners (Kamran-Disfani, et al., 2017). Much research has examined that satisfaction is a strong relative factor of loyalty. However, Kumar, et al. (2012) and Kamran-Disfani, et al. (2017) stressed that the satisfaction-loyalty link could depend on various moderators and mediators. And they pointed out the difference between two types of loyalty—attitudinal and behavioral, and the mediating effect of attitudinal loyalty within the satisfaction-behavioral loyalty link. Thus, there is a need for more studies empirically investigating the satisfaction-loyalty link and how satisfaction effects loyalty in different contexts. On the other hand, many companies have recently been building a greater variety of store formats and attempting to provide a superior shopping experience through their stores in order to increase the possibility of customer revisitation and customer loyalty. Also, consumers not only switch to different retailers in the same product categories but also change to different store formats for the same product purchasing (Anand and Sinha, 2009). The reasons can be considered as customers’ attitudes toward stores and preference of store atmosphere and environment (Wakefield and Baker, 1998). However, few research pays attention to the issue of how, and to what extent, the different store formats have on impacting customer satisfaction and loyalty building. This is especially true of retailers having entered a new overseas market, and how its loyalty building is effected by its store format choice during its developing stages. This study adopts a conceptual model from Kamran-Disfani, et al. (2017) and aims to examine the satisfaction-loyalty link and test if attitudinal loyalty could be a mediator between satisfaction and behavioral loyalty. And if so, do store formats matter to the satisfaction-loyalty link. In short, we develop hypotheses of how store atmosphere, customer satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty are related, and how store format moderates these relationships. In order to improve the understanding of the satisfaction-loyalty link in the context of retail internationalization, we survey a Japanese fashion company — Nice Claup who segmented the Chinese market by operating multiple retail stores, and each retail store plays a discrete role of cultivating customer loyalty. In our analysis, we compare two store formats of Nice Claup, which are the single brand specialty store and the multi-brand store (defined as ―house brand store‖ in this paper). House brand stores aim to offer novel shopping experiences by gathering several Japanese fashion brands into one large store, with each brand having their own detached areas for keeping each brand’s identity separate and recognizable, but are connected to each other by an integrated store design. Both of these two types of stores are named ―Nice Claup‖, and operated by the same retailer. We choose a 388-customer survey data as our sample. All of these customers have purchased clothes at Nice Claup’s stores over 5 times per year and have been given special member’s card by Nice Claup in Shanghai, China. This 388-customer data obtains 180 consumers who always purchase at house brand stores, and 208 consumers who always purchase at single-brand specialty stores. Hypotheses are tested using an ordinary least squares regression model with a cross-store format comparative analysis. The results suggest that while attitudinal loyalty positively and directly influences behavioral loyalty, satisfaction indirectly drives behavioral loyalty through the mediating effects of attitudinal loyalty. This implies that we should focus on the process of building loyalty and there might be a potential stage before gaining customers’ behavioral loyalty. We also find that there are some important differences between the two store formats, i.e., (1) the effect of store atmosphere (ambience cue, design cue, social cue (Kumar and Kim, 2014)) on satisfaction; (2) the moderating effect of store formats on the relationship between attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty. The findings explore different perception of the two types of stores and influencing factor on building loyalty from an emerging market perspective. By extension, it also shows an application of implementing retail internationalization with adopting multiple store formats on different developing stages, and customer loyalty can be enhanced by offering store novelty in the Chinese market.

The aim of this paper is to find which types of pop-up store positively influence consumers and to analyze the factors that affect brand attitude and behavioral intention across different fashion pop-up store formats. The data was collected from 217 respondents in their 20s and 30s and then subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, oneway ANOVA and regression analysis using SPSS Statistics. The results of the oneway ANOVA test indicated that the 'Pop-up store of alliance with different kinds of industries' is the most effective type for increasing brand preference and brand recognition amongst consumers. Some further insights can be made from the regression analysis results. There are differences between pop-up store formats in terms of the cognitive factors influencing brand attitude and behavioral intention. Moreover, there are differences between pop-up store formats in terms of brand attitude factors influencing behavioral intention. Through the results of this study, fashion companies can determine the best type of pop-up store to open depending on their aims. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights to fashion marketers, helping them to determine the appropriate factors to consider when planning fashion pop-up stores. Academically, this paper contributes to expanding the range of research on fashion pop-up retail by studying consumer experiences of different pop-up store types.

The market for environmentally friendly or ‘green’ products has increased substantially over the last ten years (Willer and Kilcher, 2010). Both brand manufacturers and retailers are increasingly, and successfully, incorporating environmental and social issues in their brands (Aouina Mejri and Bhatli, 2014; Chkanikova and Lehner, in press; Gleim et al., 2013). Given the increasing importance of ‘green’ branding, the current study examines the role of key drivers (i.e., brand equity, store image and product familiarity) in the consumption of green brands. Moreover, since previous studies found that positive evaluations of a specific brand led to more positive buying behavior for the green product concept in general (Bartels and Hoogendam, 2011), in the current study we also assess the impact of these key drivers on green consumption in general. Finally, by explicitly distinguishing between store brands and national brands, we try to determine whether these relationships differ between these two types of brands in a green context. To test these effects, we used a panel study among consumers in Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.. For each country, we used one national brand and one or two store brands. Respondents randomly received one of these brands to evaluate. This process resulted in 404 respondents for store brands and 302 respondents for national brands. Results show that store image and brand equity have a direct effect on the consumption of green store brands and green national brands. In addition, we found that for both store and national brands, the relationship between brand equity and green brand consumption is partially mediated by the perceived image of the store where that brand is sold. Furthermore, for national brands, a positive store image also leads to an increase in green consumption behavior in general, which is not the case for store brands. Finally, for national brands, there is a clear relationship between product familiarity and brand consumption, whereas this is not the case for store brands.

Despite the growing need for marketers in luxury retail to provide memorable customer experiences via their retail outlets, research investigating the effectiveness of experiential stores on brand and behavioral outcomes is scarce. To address this gap, we investigate the effectiveness of pop up brand stores, which we define as temporary stores that are open for a limited period of time, representing an increasingly popular experiential store format in the luxury fashion and automotive industry. However, pop up brand stores not only reflect one of the latest developments in experiential retailing, but they are also seen as an effective marketing tool to reach new target groups which might perceive traditional luxury as antiquated or obsolete. Collecting data from 345 visitors of two pop up brand stores of a luxury car brand in the US and the UK, we find that three store characteristics – hedonic shopping value, store uniqueness, and store atmosphere – either directly or through brand experience exert a positive effect on word of mouth (WOM) intentions towards the brand. Whereas hedonic shopping value and store atmosphere strengthen the customer’s experience with the luxury brand, store uniqueness, surprisingly, does not. Using brand familiarity as a moderating variable, we further unveil that pop up brand stores create positive WOM in both existing and new target groups. Our empirical results offer novel insights for researchers and marketers, as we quantify the effects of experiential store characteristics on brand experience and WOM, shed light on the role of brand experience in inducing behavioral intentions, as well as illustrate that pop up brand stores are an exceptional opportunity for luxury brands to reach existing and new target groups alike. We argue that pop up brand stores should thoughtfully be considered as a complement to traditional luxury retail and as an alternative to flagship stores.

Today’s consumers experience the brands within numerous in-store and out-of-store contexts, and tend to focus on their holistic experience with the brands across various retail scenarios. Companies, especially in the luxury industry where multiple retail settings contribute to the formation of the brand image, invest considerable funds to create entertaining, exciting, and emotionally engaging experiences. However, researchers have not yet examined how traditional luxury brand factors interplay with experiential factors across multiple retail settings of the brand. In marketing literature, researchers have devoted considerable attention to the effect of store environments on consumer behavior (e.g. Baker et al., 2002; Donovan & Rossitier, 1982; Kotler, 1973). At the same time, academic research has also been conscious of the central role of brand image in the consumer-buying process (e.g. Keller, 1993; Kwon & Lennon, 2009). More recently, these two streams are coming together. Practitioners and academics have argued that creating compelling shopping experiences across multiple environments, and along, and beyond, the entire path-to-purchase is a key challenge for maintaining a certain brand image (Interbrand, 2014; Verhoef et al., 2009). In a luxury brand context, whereas brand managers design most of the strategic implementations of the brand, retailers can increasingly craft value to the brand via the creation of multisensory retail experiences (Spence et al., 2014). Luxury brands, such as Chanel, are continuously growing their retail presence, and identifying ways to cultivate the tradition of the brand and create distinctive and unique brand experiences. However, the academic perspective of investigating luxury brand images in contemporary business contexts has been underdeveloped (Berthon et al., 2009; Miller & Mills, 2012). While this call for more comprehensive and holistic approaches to luxury brand experiences has been raised (Atwal & Williams, 2009), current research predominantly focuses on single aspects of the luxury brand experience, such as in-store multisensory factors (Möller & Herm, 2013), brand owner cues (Tynan et al., 2010), in-store environment cues (Baker et al., 2002), or luxury brand specific factors (Beverland, 2005). The evolving business world needs to implement more holistic and contemporary approaches. By employing the approach of three dimensions store atmospherics (Baker et al., 2002) to luxury brand experiences, this study investigates how consumers integrate traditional brand factors with new factors of consumption. The objective of this article is to understand how various retail settings affect emotional states, which, in turn, affect behavior toward luxury brands. This study addresses the relationship of luxury brand experiences in tight and less controlled retail scenarios, and the ways in which luxury experiences trigger effective successful brand experiences. Utilizing two qualitative studies, the authors consider the interaction between luxury brand experiences and store atmospherics. The paper concludes with relevant implications for academics and practitioners to enable new perspectives on luxury brand strategies, and consumer response to the luxury brand image in the challenging retail landscape.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of store attributes on brand equity of and brand attitude toward Korean SPA brands. Data were collected from women living in Seoul in ages from 18 to 39 with purchasing experience at Korean SPA brands. A total of 554 questionnaires were used in the statistical analysis including factor analysis and structure equation analysis. The results were as follows: For store attributes, 8 factors were extracted: product assortment, fashionability, price, quality, store environment, service, convenience in location and advertisement. Two factors, brand awareness, brand image were extracted for brand equity, and brand attitude was derived as a single dimension. Product-related store attributes such as product assortment, price, quality have positive effects on brand awareness, brand image and brand attitude. Other attribute such as store environment has positive effect on brand awareness and brand image, Attribute such as advertisement has positive effect on brand awareness and service, convenience in location have positive effect on brand attitude. Moreover, brand image and brand awareness have positive effect on brand attitude. These results indicate the product-related attributes are important factors to consider for improving brand equity and brand attitude for Korean SPA brands.

This study examines the effect of SPA store experience on formation of customer equity. Here we distingush dimension of store experience to sensory, affective, behavioral, intellectual, and relational experience and dimension of customer equity to value, brand, relationship equity. To verify relationship between dimension of store experience and customer equity, as well as loyalty, we use structural equation modeling. As a result, relationship between variables have a significant effect on each other exclude hypotheses such as relationship between affective experience and value equity and relationship between behavioural experience and relationship equity. The result indicates that reinforcing SPA store experience likely to have positive impact on formation of customer equity and loyalty strength.

This study examines the effect of SPA store experience on formation of customer equity. Here we distingush dimension of store experience to sensory, affective, behavioral, intellectual, and relational experience and dimension of customer equity to value, brand, relationship equity. To verify relationship between dimension of store experience and customer equity, as well as loyalty, we use structural equation modeling. As a result, relationship between variables have a significant effect on each other exclude hypotheses such as relationship between affective experience and value equity and relationship between behavioural experience and relationship equity. The result indicates that reinforcing SPA store experience likely to have positive impact on formation of customer equity and loyalty strength.

The aims of this study were to identify the dimensions of both store and PB apparel product attributes at large discount stores, and to empirically examine the effects of each dimension of store and PB apparel product attributes on satisfaction with PB apparel products and on repurchase intension. Questionnaires were given to 264 large discount store customers, who have experienced buying PB apparel products at large discount stores. The results were as follows. First, purchased PB items and image, improvement of PB apparel products showed differences by gender. Second, the dimensions for store attributes were categorized as convenient of shopping environment, product quality, customer service, advertising reach, convenient location, and reasonable prices. The PB apparel product attributes were categorized as material handling management, quality, fashion ability, and brand power. Third, generally, both store and PB apparel product attributes at large discount stores are significantly related to PB apparel satisfaction and repurchase intention. PB satisfaction and repurchase intention of males were partly affected by store attributes and PB apparel product attributes. PB satisfaction and repurchasing intention of females, however, were partly affected by only PB apparel product attributes, not store attributes.

Purpose - The perception of the quality of the consumer's distributor's brand(PBs) is generally perceived to be lower than that of the manufacturer's brand(NB), although it is a critical factor in determining the success of PBs. Accordingly, this study examines the characteristics of the convenience store PB products and their correlation with brand trust and purchase intent in the consumers who have had experience purchasing the convenience store PBs to expand the sales variables. Further, this research shows that the marketing strategy is to increase the share of PBs by providing an empirical analysis on the effect of the product attribute factors on the sales volume associated with brand trust, purchase intent, and others. Research design, data, and methodology - The survey period of this study was approximately three weeks from December 1, 2017 to December 21, 2017. The study samples that were taken from 100 random people extracted. The statistical analysis was carried out with multiple regression analysis using the SPSS statistical package. Results - The analysis shows that the brand credibility and purchasing intention were statistically significant differences between the private convenience store private brand products. Specifically, brand trust showed a statistically significant relationship the brand images and quality levels, but the perceived value was not affected statistically. Although the intent of the purchase showed a statistically significant relationship the quality level and the perceived value, the brand image was not statistically significant in its relationship. Conclusions - Overall, it has been established that the perception value does not statistically affect brand trust for convenience store PB products, and that the brand image has no statistically significant effect on the purchase intent. These results are analyzed to be due to the influence of brand in convenience stores themselves rather than brand trust and purchase intentions that affect sales performance, which is the property of private brand food and beverage products, the perceived value of their products. Accordingly, the study found that not only did the marketing performance of the convenience store PB products be improved statistically, but also the cause of the product attributes that were not statistically significant was identified.