338 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. The study on the customer-based brand equity of the hypermarkets in Shanghai, China Wong Chee Hoo1+ Yu Peng2 1,2Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Malaysia. 1Email: Cheehoo.wong@newinti.edu.my 2Email: i21021216@student.newinti.edu.my (+ Corresponding author) ABSTRACT Article History Received: 27 February 2023 Revised: 1 August 2023 Accepted: 18 October 2023 Published: 13 November 2023 Keywords Brand association Brand awareness Brand equity Brand loyalty Hypermarket Perceived quality Shanghai. The study aims to find out if a well-known brand equity model can be used in the Chinese hypermarket industry. How Aaker's customer-based brand equity model affects the overall brand equity of hypermarkets in Shanghai, China. The mall intercept method is used to collect data from the public. A survey was administered using the structured questionnaire at hypermarkets in Shanghai. The questionnaire used a seven- point Likert scale to record the responses, with one representing "strongly disagree" and seven representing "strongly agree." A total of 385 samples were successfully collected. The research showed that brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand loyalty were significantly related to total supermarket brand equity. On the other hand, brand association was found to have no significant influence on brand equity. A hypermarket’s brand loyalty is the most essential consideration for valuing its brand equity. Based on these findings, it was concluded that the brand equity model is generalizable across industries, including the hypermarket business. Thus, supermarkets must do an overall equity assessment that takes into account the relative influence of the aforementioned factors. This research is vital for large hypermarkets that are working to enhance their brands’ value proposition. Contribution/Originality: This study contributes to the existing body of research on the factors that contribute to the brand equity held by hypermarkets in China. The brand loyalty of a hypermarket is the most essential consideration for valuing its brand equity. Thus, the Aaker (1991) brand equity model can be generalizable across hypermarket businesses. 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to test the viability of applying Aaker's wel l-known brand equity framework to a customer-centric perspective of the Chinese hypermarket industry. To further investigate the factors influencing the brand equity of hypermarkets in Shanghai, China, this study will also examine Aaker's customer-based brand equity model. To achieve this goal, we shall dissect the model into its constituent parts. Brand recognition, brand connections, perce ived quality, and brand loyalty are the four factors that, according to conventional wisdom, must be taken into account when calculating a hypermarket's value. Four of Shanghai's hypermarkets use the mall intercepts method to choose and approach shoppers in order to conduct a questionnaire. On a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), 385 unique and insightful responses were collected. The data indicated that the total hypermarket equity was substantially correlated with brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. Although the measurement of brand familiarity was not conducted, it is nevertheless evident that this situation Humanities and Social Sciences Letters 2023 Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 338-348 ISSN(e): 2312-4318 ISSN(p): 2312-5659 DOI: 10.18488/73.v11i3.3514 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0691-4463 https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1767-6565 mailto:Cheehoo.wong@newinti.edu.my mailto:i21021216@student.newinti.edu.my https://www.doi.org/10.18488/73.v11i3.3514 Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 339 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. prevailed. Brand loyalty is the single most important factor in determining a supermarket's overall equity. This led to the discovery that Aaker's method for estimating brand worth works as well in the hypermarket sector as it does in any other. Hence, anytime supermarkets do an examination of their overall equity, they should account for the relative contribution of these aspects. Supermarket chains on a grand scale will find this research invaluable as they strive to strengthen their brands' value propositions. Now that customers have more information and awareness, this is a fascinating area to explore further (Foroudi, 2019). Hypermarket brand equity and consumer loyalty are unexplored topics in China, but understanding this relationship is crucial. In the present state of knowledge on hypermarket brand equity, private labels and hypermarket brands get equal attention. Hypermarket equity issues have not been well discussed in the literature, say (Cheung, Pires, & Rosenberger, 2019), because of the lack of attempts to quantify them. Awareness, associations, perceptions of quality, and brand loyalty will all be broken down in this research. As a means of comprehending retail brand equity from the customer's point of view, we will apply Aaker's brand equity model to hypermarkets in Shanghai, China. This research also fills in the knowledge gaps left by previous brand equity conceptualizations by addressing their limitations in the retail industry, such as hypermarkets in China. Academics and businesspeople alike may learn from this research. The following are the precise aims of this study: 1. To determine the substantial influence of brand awareness on the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 2. To determine the major influence of brand association on the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 3. To determine the major influence of perceived quality on the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 4. To determine the major influence of brand loyalty on the total brand equity of a hypermarket . 2. LITERATURE REVIEW In general, the concept of a "hypermarket" is one that is difficult to describe and much more challenging to define. Even researchers and academics have a hard time using this word correctly, and the majority of consumers refer to hypermarkets as supermarkets or shopping malls. Because of this, it is quite d ifficult to differentiate between the two of them. A hypermarket is a kind of contemporary shopping venue that combines the functions of a departmental hypermarket and a supermarket. It offers a diverse selection of items and has a floor area that ranges from 2,500 to more than 8,000 square meters (Erdemir, Altuntop, & Çengel, 2021). According to Polas et al. (2019), the most significant aspect of a hypermarket is that "everything is under one roof." This indicates that it has a large amount of floor area, a large amount of parking space, and a diverse selection of items. Hypermarkets often specialise in selling consumable goods, such as food, that customers use up relatively rapidly. It is also a one-stop shopping destination since it has a diverse selection of things, including electronics for the house, everyday necessities, apparel, and much more (Maulana & Novalia, 2019). The improvements that have been made to the shopping experience, such as the incorporation of contemporary displays, expansive floor space, a diverse variety of goods, and a substantial number of individual items, have led to a major increase in the value of hypermarkets (Ogiemwonyi et al., 2020). There are a number of smaller hypermarkets that sublease space inside the larger hypermarket's physical footprint. When the first hypermarket, which was given the name "Friendship," opened its doors in China in 1981, it marked the beginning of a brand-new era in the retail industry. It was discovered that a significant amount of fore ign direct investment (FDI) in China comes from the wholesale and retail sectors, of which hypermarkets make up a significant portion. This industry also prov ides employment for a large number of individuals (Puspaningrum, 2018). 2.1. Equity in the Brand Based on Customers Academics have examined the concept of brand equity from two distinct points of view and according to one overarching principle: a point of v iew that is based on the consumer and a point of view that is oriented on finances. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 340 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. According to Wu, Do, Nguyen, Anridho, and Vu (2020) research, one method for determining the value of a brand is to find out how much its assets are worth. The customer-centric approach, on the other hand (Colicev, Malshe, & Pauwels, 2018), examines how people feel about a particular brand. According to Aaker (1991), customer-based brand equity is the value that customers place on a brand based on facto rs such as how they feel about the brand, how good they think it is, how much they know about the brand, and how loyal they are to the brand. Customers base this value on factors such as these. According to Aaker, brand equity is a collection of assets, l iabilities, and symbols that may either increase or decrease the value of a company's products and services. Nonetheless, this does not indicate that they are dishonest because of the cheap pricing they provide. One possible perspective on equity is to view it as a premium resource that consumers willingly pay for in order to avail themselves of the option to make purchases from a particular entity. This is the only possible approach to consider when contemplating the assessment of equity. In spite of the fact that resources may be about financial matters, there are still other factors that matter, such as compromising on preferred brands, travelling farther, or forgoing services. If the layout of the shop was designed using visual clues like those seen in a hypermarket, then maybe this issue might be resolved. So, low-priced hypermarkets may also belong under the category of brand equity, which would result in increased hypermarket equity. Customers go to retail hypermarkets not only to purchase groceries and other items but also to satisfy their hedonic and social needs (Colicev et al., 2018). These needs include the desire to have fun, express themselves, and spend quality time exploring the various offerings of the hypermarket. 2.2. Brand Awareness The majority of brand equity polls place brand awareness at the top (Colicev et al., 2018; Justin, Fonchamnyo, Oad, John, & Naheed, 2022; Raza, Salleh, Tariq, Altayyar, & Shaari, 2020; Stukalina & Pavlyuk, 2021; Wu et al., 2020). A customer's abil ity to recognise and remember a brand in a variety of contexts is referred to as brand awareness. This is accomplished by associating the consumer with the brand's image, symbol, logo, and other aspects (Foroudi, 2019). According to Aaker (1991), the most important aspects of a customer's impression of a brand are their knowledge of the brand, its dominance, its position at the forefront of their minds, and their opinion. Everything that was said before is applicable to hypermarkets as well. Branded supermarkets sell more. Loyalty to a brand may help raise that brand's profile and guide consumers in their decision-making (Aaker, 1991). Ali (2019) demonstrated that consumers who had a substantial amount of knowledge about a brand were much more likely to choose a high-quality brand first than those who lacked such knowledge. Awareness of a brand could be an indication that it needs to be revitalised (Ali, 2019). Foroudi (2019) used unaided recall and familiarity as two of the factors to evaluate consumer-based brand equity. He made the observation that the measurements for brand equity represent familiarity but not remembering. Other growing difficulties, such as brand awareness sources in relation to the brand awareness dimension and its general underlying structure, have a big influence on consumers' buying intentions and behaviours, but the literature doesn't seem to pay much attention to this aspect of the problem (Cheung et al., 2019). 2.3. Brand Association "Brand association" is all the things that consumers intellectually and emotionally connect with a brand that they value, according to Aaker (1991) definition. According to Hashem, Salleh, Abdullah, and Nor (2022), the brand association component of the brand equity model considers all of the characteristics of the product. Benefits, characteristics, and attitudes are the three primary components of brand association that Keller (1993) identified. The image of a brand is made up of a collection of associations that are developed and organised in a certain manner in order to provide the company and its clients with a sense of purpose and worth. Customers are better able to Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 341 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. assimilate information, recognise the unique characteristics of the brand, and be motivated to make a purchase when pleasant feelings associated with the brand are evoked. According to Widjaja (2019), the development of consumer brand associations is inevitable whenever there is a relationship between the words "informational" and "brand." Chen and Qin (2021) developed a customer-based brand equity model, and the most important component of brand equity was brand uniqueness. Other important brand equity components were brand popular ity, brand awareness, organisational l inks, brand familiarity, and brand image. When a corporate brand is involve d or when brands have comparable characteristics and features, "organisational affiliations" is the best core brand association dimension to use. This is because a company's business philosophy is established in its brand association (Aaker, 1991). Customers purchase items that represent their image (money, power, and sophistication) in order to connect with other users or social groups who use brands that are comparable to the items they have purchased (Hashem et al., 2022). Their marketing efforts may, similar to those of hypermarkets, build various associations in the customers' brains that are favourably connected with the customers' utilisation of hypermarkets and their intent to purchase (Keller, 1993). It is more probable that a customer will shop at a certain supermarket if they have a positive connection with the store. Widjaja (2019) discovered that the look of a hypermarket had a beneficial influence on consumers' propensity to make purchases. 2.4. Perceived Quality As a component of the brand equity idea, the research will investigate how consumers perceive brands. According to Harju (2022), the brand equity paradigm is constructed on consumers' views of the brand's excellence. It is also included in brand associations, which is another indicator of brand equity. Develop a holistic proposition in this area by drawing on aspects of the brand such as its attitude, image, and perceived quality (Lysaker, Pattison, Leonhardt, Phelps, & Vohs, 2018). According to Harju, the term "perceived quality" is the most accurate way to express how a customer judges the quality of a product in relation to its intended purpose and other available options. The researchers Lysaker et al. (2018) and Harju (2022) agreed with Aaker and added that the perceived quality of a product is the first thing that customers notice about it. According to the findings of this research, the quality of the products and services offered at a hypermarket is an important quality indicator. According to Stylidis, Wickman, and Söderberg (2020) research, customers' decisions about what they buy and where they shop are influenced by the hypermarket's perceived level of quality. It would be preferable to have a good supermarket. The significance of quality perception is progressively gaining prominence among international marketers. Perceived quality has always been a driving factor in marketing decisions (Samudro, Sumarwan, Simanjuntak, & Yusuf, 2020). Harju (2022) also draws a connection between satisfied customers, excellent corporate service, and increased prof its. In light of the aforementioned, the purpose of this research is to investigate the connection between the equity of hypermarket brands and the quality judgements of customers. According to the recent study by Okoeguale and Onobhayedo (2022), Nigeria's online shopping industry has a slightly higher-than- average perceived service quality but still has room for growth and development. 2.5. Brand Loyalty Academics and marketers have conducted a lot of research on brand loyalty, adding to the body of marketing literature (Kaur, Paruthi, Islam, & Hollebeek, 2020). Customers may try out new brands, but there is no assurance that they will stick with such brands in the long run. Building up a consumer base requires developing a devoted following for your brand. According to Ebrahim (2020), "brand loyalty" is defined as an ongoing commitment to purchase or return a certain product or service. Because of this, people continue to purchase the same brand even when competing brands or other factors may cause them to switch. Customers may switch brands if a dominant brand makes significant adjustments to its price or functionality (Bilgin, 2018). According to Ebrahim (2020), Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 342 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. customers will only remain loyal to a brand if they are able to recall positive aspects of that brand. People are motivated to be loyal to a brand by how they feel and what they do. "Buy loyalty," also known as behavioural loyalty, refers to the practice in which an indiv idual consistently makes purchases of the same brand of goods or services (Kaur et al., 2020). A person is said to have "attitudinal brand loyalty" if they adore a brand because of the particular qualities and ideas that it upholds. They see themselves as part of that brand (Li, Teng, & Chen, 2020). Brand loyalty is expanded upon by Bilgin (2018) to include concepts such as "l iking the brand," "loyal customers," "regular purchases," "pleased buyers with switching prices," and "switchers." To grow their share of the market and keep making money from returning customers, businesses need to cultivate strong brand loyalty within their customer base. According to Coelho, Rita, and Santos (2018), brand loyalty occurs when consumers continue to shop at a certain store or hypermarket because they believe the establishment's products or services to be better and wish to make their first purchase there (Li et al., 2020). According to the data shown above, grocery stores that practice more fairness ought to see an increase in the number of clients they serve. Customers may continue to shop at a retail hypermarket even if they are not particularly devoted to a particular brand if they have had posit ive experiences there (Ebrahim, 2020). With these parameters in mind, the research project at hand will investigate the hypermarket's brand loyalty as well as its brand equity. Shoukat, Rizwan, and Iqbal (2020) found that brand trust and loyalty are strongly correlated. A satisfied customer trusts and stays loyal to the brand. 2.6. Underlying Model Academics and researchers have looked at a lot of brand equity models over the years. In 1991, Aaker developed a model of brand equity that is still used today. It has been tried out many times in the past (Beig & Nika, 2019; Colicev et al., 2018; Liu & Wang, 2019). This model can also be used in retail to learn about brand equity and get important information, especially about how its many parts affect brand performance. The model also gives an idea of what a company's branding policies say about it. This study seeks to understand how brand equity determinants impact hypermarket equity and hypermarket decisions. The customer-based brand equity model by Aaker (1991) will complement this study and form the conceptual foundation. The aforementioned model, which has demonstrated its reliability, will ascertain the level of significance of the independent variables with respect to the dependent variable. Hypermarkets warrant careful observation, notwithstanding their su ccess in various other businesses. Aaker (1991) consumer-based brand equity model will be evaluated on brand recognition, association, perceived quality, and loyalty. Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework. This conceptual framework clearly shows the dimensions' relationship. Brand awareness, affiliation, perceived quality, and loyalty are on the left side of the framework (independent variables). These variables will boost customer hypermarket equity, resulting in hypermarket selection. Figure 1. Conceptual framework. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 343 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. The following are the hypotheses developed in this study: 1. There is a significant relationship between brand awareness and the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 2. There is a significant relationship between perceived quality and the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 3. There is a significant relationship between brand association and the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 4. There is a significant relationship between brand loyalty and the total brand equity of a hypermarket. 3. METHODOLOGY This research will distribute questionnaires to respondents. The paper reviews prior research and theoretical frameworks. Four theories resulted. Hence, a logical approach is appropriate. A questionnaire is used to examine the theory (empirical data). Deductive reasoning makes sense and satisf ies standards. This study used quantitative research since numbers are crucial to data collection and analysis. This research's major objective is to test the theoretical model's hypotheses, not to comprehend the issue. This study will relate brand equity to hypermarket equity. These factors suggest a quantitative approach. The research methodology and questions were created using first-hand data. The questionnaire assessed how significant and powerful brand equity variables, including brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty, was to "overall brand equity." For this hypermarket study, four Shanghai hypermarkets were selected. RT-Mart, Metro, Carrefour, and Costco are the supermarkets. The self-administered questionnaire must be completed and returned to the researcher as soon as possible. Cross-sectional studies collect data once and draw conclusions. 385 questionnaires were mailed and collected. July 7–15, 2022, saw a survey. Sampling selects enough things from a population to apply research results to the entire population. The sampling design comprises five steps: selecting the target population, setting up the sampling frame and location, picking the sampling components, choosing the sa mpling technique, and determining the sample size. This study will focus on Shanghai, China's residents, due to money and time restrictions. In 2022, the Chinese Bureau of Statistics reported 24,870,000 residents in Shanghai. These figures will determine the study's participant count. Shanghai's Department of Statistics couldn't list all the residents. This inquiry will not employ random tactics. RT-Mart, Metro, Carrefour, and Costco are examples of hypermarkets in Shanghai. The respondents were Shanghai hypermarket shoppers. Over-18s will be prioritised. Because adults have greater life experience, the study is less accurate (Maulana & Novalia, 2019). These groups have more money to spend, stronger evaluation abilities, and the ability to make autonomous, well-informed judgements. When N = 24870000 and e = 5% (the 95% confidence level), at least 400 people need to be in the sample. For this study, 400 people took part in the sample so that it would be a better reflection of the whole population. 4. RESULTS The researcher is given assistance by the SPSS software in the process of translating raw data into information that is useful. SPSS will be used to do descriptive analysis, scale measurement, and data analysis over the duration of this study. The process of distributing, completing, and collecting a total of 400 questionnaires for the purpose of conducting statistical analysis. The data showed that the majority of respondents (39.5%) were in the 21-30 age range, while the next largest age group (34.3%) was the 31–40-year-old bracket. This finding reveals the demographic of shoppers who most often visited hypermarkets to meet their grocery shopping requirements. In addition, the hypermarket shopper demography has the lowest median age of any retail sector, with just 3.98 percent of shoppers being 50 or older. Over 0.7 was achieved on the dependability scale for each variable. The results imply that the factors or characteristics that were utilised to evaluate each independent and dependent variable satisfied the criteria stated by Nunnally (1967). In other words, the reliability test for this study is quite consistent with research that has been Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 344 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. done in the past; respondents are able to grasp the questions and score the items on the questionnaire without too much difficulty. 4.1. Demographic Profile According to the findings of the survey, women make up the majority of those who shop at hypermarkets (50.8% of all respondents). Just 49.3% of the people who participated in the survey were male. One of the key factors contributing to the low response rate among male clients is the fact that male respondents, in comparison to female respondents, are more inclined to opt out of taking part in the survey. The majority of respondents hailed from other Chinese cities, accounting for 55.8% of the total, while just 44.3% were residents of Shanghai. It's possible that the fact that the hypermarkets are located in Shanghai, a city that attracts people from all over the globe, is part of the explanation for this phenomenon. According to the d istribution of the respondents' levels of education, it seems that those with a bachelor's degree are the ones who are more l ikely to shop at hy permarkets. The dependent variable was significantly correlated with measures of brand awareness, brand favourability, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. All of these associations had p-values lower than 0.05. The correlations, which vary from +0.58 to +0.72, demonstrate the robust relationship between brand awareness, brand association, perce ived quality, and brand loyalty. The element known as "perceived quality" had the strongest correlation with the variable that was being studied. The findings point to areas with room for improvement. This study will establish a basis for further investigations on the casual impact of independent factors on the dependent variables. According to the complex correlation coefficient R (0.784), there is a linear relationship between the independent factors X (brand awareness, association, perceived quality, and loyalty) and the dependent variables Y, as shown by the complex correlation coefficient R (0.784). (Overall hypermarket equity) enhances the continuity of the linear link. The coefficient of determination, R2, is 0.615, which indicates that brand awareness, affiliation, perceived quality, and loyalty account for 61.5% of the variation in hypermarket equity. When the model becomes a better fit for the data, R2 becomes closer and closer to 1. A signif icant model assessment indicator is the adjusted R square, sometimes known as the corrected R2, which in this case has been calculated to be 0.611. Higher values enhance model fit. ANOVA results assessed the relevance of the regression model. F = 158.07 and P = 0.001 give the multiple linear regression equation a significant value of 0.05. Beta and p-values are also shown (Sig.). Table 1. ANOVA results. Model Unstandardized coefficients Standardized coefficients T Sig. B Std. error Beta (Constant） 0.370 0.197 1.880 0.061 Brand awareness IV1 0.166 0.045 0.072 1.461 0.045 Brand association IV3 0.046 0.058 0.045 0.805 0.421 Perceived quality IV2 0.365 0.058 0.334 6.344 0.000 Brand loyalty IV4 0.449 0.046 0.429 9.793 0.000 The partial regression coefficient and constant term tests in Table 1 reveal that brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand loyalty are statistically significant at 0.05. Regression analysis can employ the partial regression coefficient if p < 0.05. Results contain a normalised partial regression coefficient. Standardizing the partial regression coefficient helps compare the effects of independent factors on dependent variables. Multiple linear regression yields Y = 0.370 - 0.166 (awareness) + 0.046 (association) + 0.365 (quality) + 0.449(loyalty). "Brand loyalty" affects "total hypermarket equity" more than "perceived quality," according to the calculation. In the summary of the test of hypotheses, three were accepted with a p-value of 0.05. These assumptions are connected to phenomena like brand recognition, quality perception, and brand allegiance. "Brand loyalty" is the most influential of the four variables on the dependent variable. As the p -value for the brand relationship is more Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 345 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. than 0.05, it is not significant. So, the reputation of a hypermarket depends on how well -known it is, how much customers like it, and how highly they think of its quality. Customers place a premium on these three characteristics. 5. DISCUSSIONS Research by Cheung et al. (2019) shows that the question of how brand awareness affects hypermarket equity is important. There is evidence to back up the claim that brand familiarity has a big impact on consumers’ op inions. It's feasible that a hypermarket's success will depend on how well-known the store's name is. Some aspects of marketing for large hypermarkets like Hypermarket might need some work. When a firm is in the news for the wrong reasons, more people may learn about it and its products, which might increase their disl ike of the brand. Hypermarket brand equity was shown to significantly correlate with shoppers' impressions of product quality. Research by Lysaker et al. (2018) and Stylidis et al. (2020) shows that an increase in perceived quality leads to an increase in brand equity; this lends credence to those studies. The supermarket should listen to locals' opinions on the quality of nearby shops. Aaker (1991) defines "perceived quality" as the customer's impression of a product's excellence in light of its intended usage and other accessible options. The level of cl ient contentment with the product as a whole informs this assessment. This study supports the hypothesis that hypermarket brand equity may be boosted by fostering customer loyalty to a particular brand. Many studies, including (Bilgin, 2018; Kaur et al., 2020; Li et al., 2020), have shown that brand loyalty and brand equity are intertwined. Supermarkets can better serve their customers if they increase their involvement in programmes that prov ide discounts and other benefits to loyal customers. Aaker (1991) suggests that brand loyalty may aid businesses in a number of ways, including cutting down on spending on marketing and promotion, drawing in new consumers by raising brand recognition, gaining bargaining power in international commerce, and adjusting to the demands of competitive marketplaces. So, hypermarkets may gain from Aaker's method of establishing brand equity. Cheung et al. (2019) study on the impact of brand awareness on hypermarket equity supports the significance of the issue at stake. Consumers' opinions about a brand seem to be heavily impacted by how well they know the brand. The strength of a hypermarket's brand is l ikely to have a significant impact on the chain's financial performance. Massive hypermarkets like Hypermarket need extensive advertising upgrades all across the board. Public knowledge of a business and its goods increases with negative press, and this may lead to a decrease in sales and a loss of goodwill among consumers. It was d iscovered that a product's perceived quality predicts its hypermarket brand equity. This supports the findings of studies by Lysaker et al. (2018) and Stylidis et al. (2020) that show that a rise in brand equity is d irectly proportionate to an increase in the perceived quality of the product or service. To better serve the locals, the supermarket needs to hear their feedback on the quality of local shops and restaurants. Aaker (1991) coined the phrase “perce ived quality” to describe a customers’ perception of a product’s superiority after using it and taking other options to account. The customer's perception of the product's overall quality drives this conclusion. This perspective stems from the customer's generally favourable reaction to the product. The research results provide credence to the idea that a hypermarket might increase its brand equity by encouraging customer loyalty. Several studies, including those by Bilgin (2018); Kaur et al. (2020), and Li et al. (2020), have shown a correlation between brand loyalty and brand equity. Supermarkets should become more involved in loyalty programmes that reward clients for stick ing with the shop so that they can better serve their audience. According to Aaker (1991), corporations may be able to reduce their advertising spending, increase their negotiating power in trade, attract new consumers via enhanced brand recognition, and adapt to the challenges of competitive markets if their customers are loyal to their brand. This suggests that hypermarkets may benefit from Aaker's approach to increasing brand equity. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 2023, 11(3): 338-348 346 © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. 6. CONCLUSION How well-known a brand is and how devoted its customers’ are two important factors that affect its value in China. Future research may adopt probability sampling and use this framework in diverse circumstances to overcome the study's weaknesses, especially its non-sampling approach, which hinders generalisation. According to the results of this study, managers' top priorities should be bolstering their brands' equity by increasing their visibility, customer loyalty, and perceptions of quality. Hypermarkets need to constantly hold personalised marketing events and activities to thank their most loyal consumers. Supervisors may have a better idea of how much time and money they will be spending in the long run if they keep an eye on hypermarket equity and marketing initiatives. Apart from practical consequences, this research has theoretical we ight since it confirms the validity of consumer-based brand equity in a novel setting, namely the Chinese hypermarket setting, in the region's most rapidly developing economy. Thus, hypermarkets that want to grow market share and profitability by establishing customer brand equity would gain from this study. Funding: This research is supported by INTI International University, Malaysia (Grant number: T&E2749). Institutional Review Board Statement: The Ethical Committee of the INTI International University, Malaysia has granted approval for this study (Ref. No. INTI/UEC/2023/011). Transparency: The authors state that the manuscript is honest, truthful, and transparent, that no key aspects of the investigation have been omitted, and that any differences from the study as planned have been clarified. This study followed all writing ethics. Data Availability Statement: The corresponding author may provide study data upon reasonable request. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ Contributions: The review of the literature and performed data collection and initial data analysis, Y.P.; guidance in the criticality of the literature review and the robust process of data analysis, discussion and meeting research outcomes, W.C.H. Both authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. REFERENCES Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name. New York: The Free Press. Ali, H. (2019). Building repurchase intention and purchase decision: Brand awareness and brand loyalty analysis (Case study private label product in Alfamidi Tangerang). Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(09), 623-634. https://doi.org/10.36348/sjhss.2019.v04i09.009 Beig, F. A., & Nika, F. A. (2019). Brand experience and brand equity. Vision, 23(4), 410-417. Bilgin, Y. (2018). The effect of social media marketing activities o n brand awareness, brand image and brand loyalty. 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The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(8), 371-381. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no8.371 Views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the author(s), Humanities and Social Sciences Letters shall not be responsible or answerable for any loss, damage or liability etc. caused in relation to/arising out of the use of the content. https://doi.org/10.3846/bmee.2021.14692 https://doi.org/10.1080/09544828.2019.1669769 https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no8.371