The Effect of Manufacturer Logo in Retail Stores on Purchasing Behavior: Based on the Context Effects and Signaling Theory

Retail brand research is one of the most interesting topics in the field of marketing. Some retailers try to attract a lot of customers by using the manufacturer's logo that is usually used on their headboards. Although the use of manufacturers' logos and its impact on product sales has been studied, this issue and its effect on retail selection have been less studied. On the other hand, in the researches, the reasons for this influence have been less discussed according to the theories of consumer behavior. In this research, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of using the manufacturer's logo on the selection of retail stores. Besides, to explain the relationship between the manufacturer's logo and the retailer's selection, the Context effect and signaling theory has been used. To test the research hypotheses, the motor oil industry (motor oil auto services that are responsible for retail in this industry) has been selected and the hypotheses of this research have been tested using a quasi-experimental research method and random sampling of a group of 416 auto service customers. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The findings of this study show that the use of the logo of the engine oil producer (as a related Signal) has had a significant effect on the selection of retailers, but the effect of using the logo of the automobile manufacturer (as an unrelated Signal) was not confirmed. In addition, customer satisfaction with the manufacturer's brand, loyalty to the manufacturer's brand, and access to the manufacturer's brand are factors that increase the selection of retailers that used the manufacturer's logo on their headboard