Private Labels in the context of electronics e-tailing

Sammanfattning: The private label has become an integrated part in contemporary markets. Even so, the use of private labels in electronics e-tailing is unexplored ground. In recent years practitioners have realized the potential but few firms have developed an understanding of the effects private labels have on the company and the industry as a whole. The same can be said for academics whose research mostly discusses fast-moving consumer goods. Consequently, there is a need to produce a framework that is applicable both in academia and practice.The main purpose of this thesis is to understand the relationship between the e-tailer brand and the private label using the concept of customer-based brand equity. This is done by proposing a descriptive model which is consequently tested empirically. Additionally, by applying this model to empirical data the author tries to estimate the total customer-based brand equity of private labels and manufacturer brands to see which one is stronger.The studies consisted of a consumer-based survey and interviews with consumers and suppliers. A total of 1,069 responses were collected and more than 850 minutes of interview time were analyzed. The results produced a model where loyalty, perceived quality, associations and awareness were acknowledged as drivers of customer-based brand equity. These drivers were based on existing theory but had to be modified to the context of electronics e-tailing before they could be applied. Moreover, the results indicated that customer-based brand equity for private labels was higher than for manufacturer brands.