Brand name and promotion in online shopping contexts

Purpose - The objective of the paper is to examine the effect of brand name and promotion on consumers' perceived value, store image, and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach - An experiment with a 2 x 2 (well known versus unknown brand name, promotion versus no promotion) between-subjects factorial design was conducted and completed by 392 college students. Findings - Brand name had a positive effect on consumers' perceived store image and promotion positively influenced consumers' perceived value. There were positive relationships among perceived value, store image and behavioral intention. Research limitations/implications - Since participants were primarily female college students at a Midwestern university in the USA, the results of the study cannot be generalized to the general population of college students. Practical implications - Online retailers should consider the importance of enhancing their brand familiarity in terms of creating positive store image. Effective sales promotions could be used as a reward for loyal consumers and to attract more new consumers. Originality/value - In spite of prevailing sales promotions and brand names in online shopping, little research has addressed the effect of promotion and brand name on online apparel shoppers' responses. The empirical evidence of this study will contribute to the literature in online apparel retailing fields.