The Effect of Online Retailer Brand Equity on Market Performance: An Empirical Examination
(A2024-118290)

AUTHORS

Benjamin Klink, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

ABSTRACT

In the contemporary digital landscape, online retailers have emerged as some of the world's strongest brands. Against the backdrop of the transformative impact of the internet, scholars have proposed an elevated strategic significance of strong brands. However, scant scholarly attention has been devoted to branding in online retailing and particularly e-commerce entities as brands to date. Addressing this research gap, our study empirically assesses the impact of online retailer brand equity on market performance. Utilizing data from a representative consumer panel and firm-level market performance metrics, our findings demonstrate that customer-based brand equity significantly influences the market performance of online retailers. This research provides valuable novel insights into the dynamics of brand equity in the digital era, elucidating its role in contributing to the success of e-commerce organizations.