| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effects of social consumption, category
complexity and perceived risk on consumer choices between private labels and national
brands in addition to studying the potential effects from social consumption and category
complexity on perceived risk. Moreover, lack of current research on private labels in
Norway further influenced the decision of studying the subject in this market. Hence,
the study is aiming at contributing to understanding consumer choices in the context of
the Norwegian grocery market and consumer culture.
The mentioned effects were studied through the use of an online survey with a selfselection
sample consisting of 148 respondents after data cleaning. Further, the study
includes grocery products, specifically from product categories within foods: frozen pizza,
shrimp salad spread, canned tomatoes and jasmine rice. Each product category in the
study was presented in the form of a product pair consisting of one private label product
alongside one national brand product. The largest Norwegian retail owners - REMA
1000, COOP and Norgesgruppen - were represented through their private labels.
The main findings reveal both category complexity and perceived risk as factors
contributing to increase the choices of national brands as compared to private labels.
Social consumption was found to increase preferences towards private labels - a finding
which is hypothesized to potentially be both unique to the Norwegian culture and the
least confident result of the study. The effect from social consumption on perceived risk
was not significant. However, category complexity is found to increase perceived risk
amongst consumers.
Keywords- private labels, store brands, national brands, consumer choices, consumer
preferences, perceived risk, social consumption, category complexity | en_US |
