Trade-in operations under retail competition: Effects of brand loyalty

Fei Tang, Ying Dai, Zu-Jun Ma and Tsan-Ming Choi

European Journal of Operational Research, 2023, vol. 310, issue 1, 397-414

Abstract: Trade-in promotions are increasingly recognized as an effective strategy in retail operations to boost sales. Retail firms can restrict their trade-in programs to current consumers through an exclusive trade-in program or accept trade-ins from competitors’ consumers through a nonexclusive trade-in program. Moreover, consumers may build brand loyalty towards the products they have used and thus affect their future trade-in choices. However, the effects of brand loyalty on trade-in strategies in a competitive market remain underexplored. To bridge this gap, this study analytically examines the impact of brand loyalty on exclusive and nonexclusive trade-in programs by developing a stylized duopoly model. The results show that as a defensive strategy, an exclusive trade-in program effectively retains consumers when brand loyalty is sufficiently weak. Conversely, as an offensive strategy, a nonexclusive trade-in program is more likely to attract competitors’ consumers. An exclusive trade-in program is always the dominant strategy for both firms compared with the no trade-in benchmark. However, a nonexclusive trade-in program is better for both firms when brand loyalty is sufficiently strong. Moreover, an exclusive trade-in program benefits firms with a high proportion of trade-in-sensitive consumers. In contrast, firms with a high proportion of the overall consumer base benefit from a nonexclusive trade-in program. The results not only support trade-in practices but also provide important practical implications related to trade-in competition for policymakers.

Keywords: Retailing; Trade-in competition; Brand loyalty; Consumer choice; Price discrimination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ejores:v:310:y:2023:i:1:p:397-414

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2023.03.020

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