CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AND MARKETING PERFORMANCE IN SUPER MARKET IN PORT HARCOURT

ABSTRACT

The study examined Customer Relationship Marketing and Marketing Performance of Supermarkets in Port Harcourt. The purpose  of this research work is to  examine  the  extent to which customer relationship marketing affect the marketing performance of supermarkets in terms of its profitability and market share. This respondents were 50  supermarket operators  requisite data were collected from both  primary (questionnaire, interview) and secondary (journals, textbooks, magazines, etc) source in all cases. The research data were collected using frequency table and the analysis of statistically test two hypotheses formulated for the study and was carried out. using spearman rank correlation frequency at 0.98 level of significant. Based of our finding, we concluded  that    customer relationship marketing strategies affect the marketing performance   of supermarkets  in  Port Harcourt. Therefore, recommended, that customer relationship marketing activities should be used by organization to initiate   and   maintain customer relationships. Decision maizes should approach customer relationship marketing as opportunity t increase customer value and to reduce the cost of attracting and retaining customers.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Cover page i

Title page ii

Declaration iii

Certification iv

Dedication v

Acknowledgement vi

Table of content vii

List of Tables ix

Abstract x

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction 1

1.1  Overview 1

1.2   Statement of the problem 5

1.3 Objective of the study 5

1.4 Research questions 6

1.5   Research hypotheses 6

1.6   Significance of the study 7

1.7   scope and limitation of the study 8

1.8   Definition of terms 9

1.9 Organization of the study 10

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature review 11

2.1 Introduction 11

2.2 The concept of customer relationship management  (CRM) 12

2.2.1 Customer loyalty- 18

2.2.2 Customer Retention 19

2.3 Marketing performance measures 20

2.3.1 Market share 23

2.3.2 Profitability 24

2.4 Customer relationship marketing and 25

2.4.1 Customer loyalty and profitability 25

2.4.2 Customer loyalty and market share 27

2.4.3 Customer retention and profitability 27

2.4.4 Customer retention and market share 28

2.5 Summary of the review literature 29

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Research methodology 31

3.1 Introduction 31

3.2 Research design 31

3.3 Population and sampling plan 32

3.4 Data collection method 32

3.5 Design and administration of the questionnaire 32

3.6 Data analysis technique 33

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0  Presentation and analysis of data 34

 4.1   Introduction 34

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Introduction 47

5.2 Discussion of findings 47

5.3 Conclusion 48

5.4 Recommendation for further studies 48

References 49

List of tables

Table 4.1  Respondent Working Experience (Y)

Table 4.2: Respondents status

Table 4.3: Respondent Between Customers Relationship And The Company

Table 4.5: Question 3: Response to Customer Relationship Management Rating

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 1.1    OVERVIEW

The retail industry is huge and dynamic: an industry which changes is a constant phenomenon. Over the last few years one has seen the emergence of supermarkets as the dominant retail form. This is due to the fact that consumers behaviour has changed and shifted towards convenience, high quality produce, and provision for customer care. Customer also demand greater choice and would appear to place ever greater emphasis on value for money, flexible payment methods and sophisticated channels of distribution have also played their past. These factors combined with the growth of the car owning middleclass enjoying, economic stability have also fuelled their growth.

To cope with consumer demands retailers are constantly shaping their business strategies and striving to offer the right products and services both to meet existing needs and to anticipate and stimulate future demand.

Relationship marketing is the highest paradigmatic shift in marketing theory and practice in recent decades. It is taking marketing back to its roots (Gronroos, 1996) and in industries and services markets, relationship marketing is becoming a necessary in order to survive.

Marketing performance has received considerable attention   and   has   become   a prize   issue  for   organizations desiring to stay in business, maximize profits or to build and sustain   competitive   advantage.   The   longer   customers   are retained by an organization, more and more tangible benefits will accrue.  The cost of customer acquisition are  general higher than the costs of retention (Reichheld and Kenny I990; Reichheld and sasser, 1990 and this inequality is particularly in existence on the service sector (Ennew and Binks, 1996).

Determinants of store choice, customer loyalty, Patronage behaviour,   customer   retention   and   relationship   marketing have   been    widely    studied    especially    around    the    globe. Therefore, a considerable scope for research in this field as the environment  of retailing is in a constant state of flux and the emergence of new store formats has led to dramatic changes in consumer behaviour. This is particularly true and has significant effect on middle class consumers with the newly introduced "so - called" supermarkets which are providing a completely new experience for those consumers offering sophisticated customer service, a wide and assorted variety of goods, pleasant ambience, spacious layout; quality imported and branded, products and provision for other western life style- facilities.

Thus, the general purpose of this research investigation is to identify, describe and analysis factors that have an impact of marketing performance in the supermarkets. Marketing performance has receive considerable attention and has become a prime issue for food retailing organizations desiring to stay in .business, increase footfall, maximize profits and/or build and sustain competitive advantage in the food sector. The longer customers are retained by on organizations, the more benefits it is likely to accrue from a sustained income stream. Similarly, Dawkins and Reichheld (1990) fixed that higher retention rate leads to higher profitability.   There is therefore a clear case to justify food retails favourably attitude towards customer satisfaction.

This research intends to examine marketing performance in the contest of customer relationship management, and giving particular attention to the antecedent of customer relationships in food retailing and to find out how retailer relationships with customers leads to customers profitability, high market share and sales volume.

Conceptual framework