The role of individual, product and channel characteristics in brand switching behaviour

In consumer research, variety-seeking has been recognised as a major cause of exploratory purchase behaviour and specifically brand switching. A major contribution from Hoyer and Ridgway (1984) examines the circumstances under which brand switching occurs as a result of the internal need for variety isolating other external factors (such as out-of-stock conditions and promotional activities) which also motivate brand switching. The authors’ theoretical model proposes that the occurrence of brand switching is a function of two factors; individuals difference characteristics and product characteristics. The present thesis proposes that in today’s retailing environment, with the proliferation in shopping channels, the increase in non-store retailing and the rise of the Internet, a third factor that of the ‘channel’ is likely to influence brand switching behaviour. A ‘channel’ factor is added to the original model of Hoyer and Ridgway (1984) and it is posited that channel characteristics (e.g. channel involvement, channel perceived risk, channel loyalty channel similarity and hedonism in channels) as well as the individual difference characteristics and product characteristics (proposed in the original model) will have an influence on brand switching behaviour. The new framework is tested in the context of consumer shopping for clothes in both store and non-store retailing environments (e.g. retail store, catalogue and the Internet), measuring consumer individual characteristics and perceptions of product and channel characteristics to clarify the nature of channel characteristics, their interaction and finally determine the influence of the three factors (individual, product and channel) on brand switching. A questionnaire is used (administered online) for a sample drawn from a company’s database. The data analysis involves a number of techniques including factor and reliability analyses for summarising the data and correlation and regression analyses for investigating associations among variables. Results indicate no linear relationships between brand switching and the three factors, although a number of conclusions are reached which emphasise the role of the ‘channel’ in consumer behaviour research.