Brand and Store Avoidance: The Behavioral Expression of Dissatisfaction

Abstract

Brand or store avoidance is the intentional refusal to buy/use a brand or shop/buy at a store. Within the framework of exit, voice, and loyalty, avoidance is persisting exit. Based on a convenience sample of 333 participants, this study introduces the concept of brand/store avoidance. It documents the existence of avoidance by gathering consumers' stories. It looks at the content of these stories to see how different complaint types relate to different store and product categories. It gives an indication. of the scope of avoidance behavior within and across store categories.