The differing impacts of brand-line breadth and depth on customers’ repurchasing behavior of frequently purchased packaged goods

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · 2021 · Volume 49 · Issue 6

Abstract

Offering the ideal product that individuals will systematically repurchase (intensification) and satisfying their need for variety in order to make them cross-purchase within a brand-line’s products (diversification) instead of switching toward competitors are two fundamental functions of brand-lines. Both rely on product variety, organized along breadth (complementary products) and depth (substitutes). We analyze the differing impacts that breadth and depth have on brand-line repurchasing behavior. Repurchasing is broken down into four components based on its motivation,intensification(repurchasing the same product) vs.diversification(cross-purchasing), and its temporal perspective,inter-trip(over shopping trips) vs.intra-trip(during purchasing trips). Whereas breadth demonstrates only positive effects on the repurchasing components, it has no protective effect against brand-switching. Conversely, depth has a negative impact on inter-trip product repurchasing, the most frequent repurchasing component, but offers a protective negative impact against brand-switching. We examine the moderating impacts of brand-line quality, brand-line alignability, and household size.

Keywords

Brand-line depth, Brand-line breadth, Choice model, Multivariate logit, Brand-line assortment, Brand-line repurchasing behavior, Behavioral loyalty, Brand-switching

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