3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item The effects of retailer innovation on customer retention in small independent retailers(2019) Zulu, Valencia MelissaThe South African government (Department of Trade and Industry) classifies small independent retailers as part of small, medium, and micro enterprises, making these retailers a significant and critical industry in the South African economy. However, there have been numerous challenges that influence the high failure rate of small independent retailers. The lack of innovation is one of the biggest challenges. The skill and capability of a retailer to innovate has become an important differentiating factor and one of the primary means of enhancing a competitive advantage. While scholars have cited that small businesses that innovate increase their chances of survival, and enriched performance, there is a lack of studies on the potential of innovation as a consumer retention strategy within the small retailing context. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of retailer innovation on consumer retention in small independent retailers in the township economy. Following a quantitative approach, the data was collected conveniently from 500 consumers. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used as the statistical technique to analyse the data and test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that retailer innovation had a non-significant direct relationship with consumer retention. However, findings identified consumer participation, consumer advocacy, consumer experience, and consumer satisfaction as the mediators that enable the relationship. These results provide a valuable contribution to current literature by generating new knowledge for scholars in the field of township economy, consumer behaviour, retail marketing and small businesses innovation. Furthermore, this study provides valuable information to policy makers, entrepreneurs, and the private sector, particularly those with interests in the revitalisation of the township economy.Item Perceived mobile interactivity influence on usability and mobile marketing acceptance in the informal hair-care business(2016) Zulu, Valencia MelissaThe African hair-care business has become a multibillion-dollar industry, stretching from India to china attracting global retailers such as Unilever and L’Oréal. The African hair-care market will continue to grow, especially in the informal sector where it is said to employ about 1.5 people per business on permanent basis. In order for small businesses’ performance to improve in emerging markets, especially in the informal sector, improving their marketing skills is quite essential. Mobile marketing is cost effective and can be utilised to benefit both marketing practitioners and consumers. This is imperative in the informal hair-care industry, where businesses generally lack financial resources and therefore do not have a budget to spend on marketing and advertising. The mobile phone therefore becomes an important marketing channel to reach customers and increase profitability in informal hair-care businesses, yet there has not been much academic research conducted on this and little is known about the factors that might influence mobile marketing acceptance. The purpose of this study is therefore to bridge the gap by investigating perceived mobile interactivity influence on usability and mobile marketing acceptance in the informal hair-care industry in South Africa. A quantitative study was conducted using a sample of 312 informal hair-care business operators in the Johannesburg area. Given the nature of the informal sector, a nonprobability sampling method, known as convenience sampling, was used for data collection. For analysing and interpreting data, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was utilised. The study findings indicate that perceived interactivity dimensions (control, responsiveness and nonverbal information) have a positive effect on mobile phone usability and lead to mobile marketing acceptance. However, the findings showed a negative relation between perceived personalisation and mobile phone usability. This study aims to contribute to mobile marketing literature, be of benefit to Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) policy makers and add value to the field of marketing. Key words: perceived control, perceived responsiveness, nonverbal information, perceived personalisation, mobile phone usability, mobile marketing acceptance