Publication Type

PhD Dissertation

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

4-2026

Abstract

The competitive landscape of the current retail market is changing rapidly, and private label products, as a unique product force, are playing a role in the fierce market competition. While extensive research has been conducted on why consumers purchase private label products, the behavioral outcomes of consumers’ private label choices have not been fully explored. Based on the business reality of private brand retailing in China, this study constructs a research model concerning the impact of private brand product choice on hedonic consumption behavior. Grounded in self-awareness theory, the paper proposes four scientific research hypotheses. Through seven empirical studies, it sequentially explores and empirically tests all the hypotheses.

The findings reveal that: private label product choice has a positive impact on consumers’ hedonic consumption behavior, and consumers’ self-awareness plays a mediation effect in this relationship. Consumers’ self-consciousness negatively moderates the relationship between private label product choice and hedonic consumption behavior—specifically, the higher consumers’ self-consciousness, the weaker the relationship between private label product choice and hedonic consumption.

This study discusses three aspects of research significance: first, it innovates a new perspective for private label product research by focusing on the behavioral outcomes of private label product consumption; second, it explores the mediation effect mechanism of self-awareness, developing new applications of the self-awareness theory in the private label field; third, it innovatively adopts a multi-methods design, enhancing the reliability and validity of the research conclusions. This study also discusses the limitations of the current research and directions for future studies.

Keywords

Private label product, self-awareness, hedonic consumption, self-consciousness

Degree Awarded

Doctor of Bus Admin (CKGSB)

Discipline

Marketing

Supervisor(s)

CHANG, Han-Wen Hannah

First Page

1

Last Page

157

Publisher

Singapore Management University

City or Country

Singapore

Copyright Owner and License

Author

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Marketing Commons

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