Understanding national brand customer erosion: exploring socio-demographic and weight of purchase factors

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore brand customer erosion at both the category and brand levels while considering consumer socio-demographic characteristics and weight of purchase factors. Design/methodology/approach Data from 3,563 buyers encompassing 20,601 purchases were collected from a prominent household data panel. Findings Brand customer erosion varies depending on socio-demographic factors (householder age, family size, life cycle and social class) and weight of purchase; variations are evident depending on the specific brand. Originality/value The paper makes a substantial contribution to the established fields of marketing and consumer behavior literature by opening a new line of research. It does so by demonstrating, the impact of socio-demographic factors on customer erosion. Simultaneously, it presents results that contradict the limited existing research on the influence of weight of purchase on brand customer erosion.