Innovation perceptions and retailer trust: Bridging brand management and channel management

This research investigates the impact of retailers ‘perceived firm innovativeness (PFI) on the supplier firm's trustworthiness and retailer relationship outcomes. Manufacturers invest in innovation to differentiate their offerings and enhance consumer value, which can also shape stakeholders' perceptions of the firm's innovativeness. Although prior research has linked PFI to consumer trust and loyalty, its effect on retailer relationships has received limited attention. Using field experiments, this research demonstrates that PFI enhances retailer commitment and brand recommendations through trustworthiness, with product technological complexity and retailer size moderating these relationships. The findings bridge research gaps in innovation, branding, and channel management, providing practical insights for improving cross-functional collaboration, innovation communication to retailers, and retailer relationships, eventually enhancing firm performance. Thus, the research makes contributions for leveraging retailer’ PFI bridging channel and brand management literature.