Assessment Of The Factors Affecting Individual Buying Behaviour: A Case Of Supermarkets In Dar Es Salaam

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to assess factors affecting individual buying behavior. The

study had three objectives to accomplish, namely; to assess the characteristics of

individual buying behaviours in the study setting, to determine the main factors which

influence individual buying behaviour, and to understand the main reasons behind

customers’ buying behaviour with regards to place where they purchased their goods.

The study was approached by using a case study design where two supermarkets in Dar

es Salaam were used to actualize it. Data were collected by using semi structured

questionnaire from the customer respondents. They were further analyzed by using both

quantitative as well as qualitative techniques.

The study has found out that the factors which influence buying behavior in Tanzania

were not so different from those which had been reported elsewhere. In that respect, the

five top most factors which were found to be highly considered by customers are

income, quality, price, social status and location. Furthermore, the research findings has

found out that, customers mainly have five reasons which they considered in making a

choice of a place to do a shopping. These are; an affordable price of the products sold,

quality of the products offered, good customer service, proximity of the location and

family influence. The results have implication to firms’ management as they provide

useful suggestions for emulating best practices from marketing perspectives.

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It is hereby recommended that, firms need to use the factors indicated in this study to

influence their customers to keep repeating their firms for making business transactions.

Moreover, it is further recommended that management of firms to consider keenly the

issue of a good customer service because, it has a greater influence in making customers

to decide on where to go for their shopping.