Brand forgiveness: a scoping review and agenda for future research

Purpose Brand forgiveness reflects consumers’ willingness to maintain or restore relationships with brands following service failures, ethical controversies and marketplace transgressions. The purpose of this study is to conduct a scoping review of the theoretical development, conceptual foundations and future directions of brand forgiveness research. Design/methodology/approach The review synthesizes 80 studies published between 2009 and 2025 using scoping review guidelines and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses reporting procedures. The analysis examines theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, antecedents, mediators, moderators and outcomes. Findings Brand forgiveness literature is grounded in coping, attribution and justice-based theories of post-transgression evaluation, while relational and identity-based processes remain less developed. The literature identifies firm-, consumer- and brand/communication-related antecedents, along with cognitive, emotional and social mechanisms shaping forgiveness. Methodologically, the field relies largely on experiments and cross-sectional surveys, limiting understanding of forgiveness as a dynamic process. Research limitations/implications The review identifies theoretical, methodological and contextual gaps and proposes directions for advancing brand forgiveness research. Originality/value This review synthesizes fragmented brand forgiveness research and conceptualizes forgiveness as a process involving cognitive interpretation, emotional regulation, moral evaluation and relationship repair.