The secret to a fashion advantage is brand orientation

TLDR

The study develops a comprehensive measure of brand orientation and tests whether it explains differences in a fashion retailer’s retail offer advantage over competitors. Brand orientation is operationalised through four dimensions—distinctiveness, functionality, value‑adding, and symbolic. Results show that higher brand orientation correlates with greater retail offer advantage, offering insights for retailers to enhance differentiation and competitive advantage.

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to develop a comprehensive measure of brand orientation and empirically examine whether a fashion retailer's brand orientation assists in explaining variations in its retail offer advantage over competitors. This study provides a conceptualisation and operationalisation of brand orientation within the context of fashion retailing. Four dimensions of brand orientation are introduced including distinctiveness, functionality, value adding and symbolic. The results suggest that the more brand oriented the fashion retailer, the greater its retail offer advantage over competitors. It concludes with new insights and suggestions for fashion retailers in driving greater differentiation and competitive advantage.