Factors influencing customer satisfaction and choice of supermarket: a case study of Uchumi and Nakumatt supermarkets in Nairobi

Abstract

The business world has faced very dynamic changes in 'the past few years. New ways of selling and buying have emerged. Retailing has also evolved from a one faced activity and there are now very many faces of retailing. The supermarket business has over the last few years overtaken all the other modes of retail business. This is because the supermarkets offer customers with a one-stop shopping and this is exactly what the customers want. Despite the fact that many supermarkets offer their customers with what they want, it is interesting to note that there are those supermarkets that have beaten the odds to remain the all time favorites for customers. This study will aim at investigating the factors that have made customers loyal to certain supermarkets as well as the variables that bring satisfaction to customers when shopping. The study is aimed at Uchumi supermarket vis- a -vis Nakumatt because Uchumi was one of the leading supermarkets in Kenya but Nakumatt has overtaken it over the years to become the best supermarket in Kenya as observed by the market trend (2004) June issue. Nakumatt is day by day coming up with new ways and products of improving customer care and satisfaction and is now reaching sky rocket heights. Whether this trend continues is something that time will tell but their amazing ways of retailing and keeping customers cannot be ignored and thus the need to carry out this study.