Effects of product quality certification on quality perceptions of stores' own brands

Retail stores' own brands offer an alternative to national brands, but a perception of inferior quality deters potential purchasers. This study investigates the role of third-party quality certification labels in overcoming that weakness. Data collected from 268 mall shoppers in Taiwan revealed for two distinct household products that quality certification significantly enhanced perceptions of the quality of the store brands and had relatively little influence on the perceived quality of the national brands. Managerial implications are discussed, and fruitful directions for future research suggested.