Effects of Situational Factors and Packaging Characteristics on the Outcome of Purchase Behavior in Kenyan Supermarkets

Abstract

Previous studies on shopping behavior have paid considerable attention to the effect of situational factors in explaining the outcome of consumer's buying behavior in the supermarkets. Other studies have limited the explanation of consumer's shopping behavior to the influence of packaging elements. However, no study has considered the effect of the two sets of factors on the shopper's behavior at the supermarkets in same framework. Moreover, despite the growing number of supermarkets in Kenya, customer shopping behavior in supermarkets in Kenya has received very limited attention. This study investigates the effect of situational factors and packaging characteristics on the outcome of behavior (amount of processed milk bought from supermarkets in Kenya). The knowledge generated by this study could help retailers and other marketing practitioners to formulate and undertake more efficient marketing strategies. Several hypotheses were tested against cross-section data collected from 1230 shoppers in supermarkets in three towns in Kenya. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. It was analyzed using quantitative techniques. Descriptive statistics were used when analyzing shopper's characteristics. Regression analysis was used to test hypotheses concerning the effects of situational factors and packaging characteristics on the amount of fresh processed milk bought. The results showed that except for purpose for drinking directly from the pack reason for buying, all the other situational factors had significant effect on the amount of milk purchased. They include: supermarket atmospherics, store density/crowding, presence of companions, time of the day, being cash-constrained state and long stay at milk stand in the supermarket. However, being cash-constrained state, time of the day when shopping was done (morning), crowding at the milk stand and the purpose for drinking directly from the pack had negative effect on the amount of processed milk bought. Perceived importance for milk packaging characteristics had positive and significant effect on the amount of processed milk bought from supermarkets. After the controlled factors (individual characteristics) were included in the regression model, the effect of perceived importance for packaging characteristics and all situational factors (except for drinking purpose of buying) on the amount of processed milk bought remained significant. Shopper's age, education, income, gender (male) and family size had a positive effect on the amount of fresh processed milk purchased. However, price had a negative effect on the amount of processed milk purchased.