THE ROLE OF RETAILING BUSINESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA ECONOMY (A CASE STUDY OF SHOPRITE ENUGU)

ABSTRACT

            This research was conducted to investigate the problems militating against retailing institutions in Nigeria with emphasis on Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu.

            The problem investigated are competitions inferior goods, high rate, inefficient shop keeping and mismanagement of funds, poor merchandise planning inadequate control system and high price of goods and insurance of price changes.

            The method of investigation adopted were interview and questionnaires, for collecting primary data and information for the study.   Secondary sources were also collected for secondary data and information chi-square (X2) method of the data analysis and significance testing was used while percentage were described by the data collected.  

            The result of the findings is that a retailing business of Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu has not been operating with satisfactory profit due to mismanagement problems and many other reasons.   The conditions needed is that most retailing establishment including, Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu in Nigeria has problems and losses due to mismanagement, high process, poor merchandising planning and inefficient shop-keeper.   The following recommendations were being made to ameliorate the condition of Shoprite Supermarket.

            Finally, they should employ efficient personnel to keep and manage the merchadise so as to plan and control adequately.

            Their prices should be reviewed from time to time to be in consonance with market price and also confortable arrangement will be made for customers shopping.   This is not all, high quality goods should be stocked so that customers will contain a required loyalty for the shop.   The shop should also operate less tender pricing to more customers.

            Goods should also be fancifully displayed so that window stopper will become the actual buyers.

            Above all there should be a good persuasive in house salesperson who can use persuasive tactice to achieve volume sales for Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              Background of the study

1.2              Statement of the problem

1.3              Purpose of the study

1.4              Research questions

1.5              Significance of the study

1.6              Assumption of the study

1.7              Delimitation of the study

1.8              Definition of terms.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1              What does secretarial profession entails

2.2              What is a secretary

2.3              What are the duties of a secretary

2.4              What is self-employment/Entrepreneurship

2.5              What is a retail business house

2.6              Why should a secretary engage in self-employment

2.7              What are the machines and equipment used in Retail Business House.

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1              Design of the study

3.2              Description of instrument used

3.3              Population of the study

3.4              Sample and sampling techniques

3.5              Method of data analysis.

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

5.1              Summary of findings

5.2              Conclusions

5.3              Recommendations

5.4              Suggestion for further study

5.5              Limitations

Questionnaire

References

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Retailing is the final link between producers of goods and services and the ultimate consumers.   Retailing is the last stage in the distribution of goods and services, the earliest retailing activity could be seen from the European craftsman and those people that produces what they gold to the users, craftsman could be gold smiths, silversmiths and tailors, the traveling merchants made the development between European and other outside countries by carrying goods from place to place according to needs.  As the traveling merchants move on, they operate their trading activities.

As marketing stated to play essential roles in industrial activities, they come up with what is regarded as general stores.   The general stores stocked so many types of products and they are some how enlarging their stock.

At a time, they need some helpers of marketing activities and those include transportation, communication, banking activities and system with helper of trade, the retailing establishment experienced.   Some sort of revolution, secondly the growth of trade in Africa was as a result of the fact that most African countries have their system patterned along their colonial counterparts.

1.1              THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

For an insight into the personnel management and Administration in Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu, I would try to give a brief history of Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu.   The shop was built at an estimated cost of N26,000.00 (Twenty six million Naira) to help in reducing unemployment problem in the society and to make goods and service available to the customers.   It was established in late 90s.

The establishment is divided into many departments, purchasing department, distribution and warehousing department. Each of the department are headed by the head of that department.   This retailing establishment employs about fifty workers, (50) in various departments.   The retailing outfit have many products which they handled. The products are flours of all kinds electronics sets of all kinds.   Good stuffs, medicines of all kinds and numerous other product the company can boast of selling thousands of items everyday for the company to continue to exist therefore, expertise are highly needed in the company.

Coming to employment, majority of the workers from the area were employed since the company was established.   Again the establishment helped in a big way in reducing unemployment problem.   The establishment is completely very well as far as other retailing establishment are concerned.

1.2       THE STATEMENT, OF THE PROBLEM

            There is no doubt that some retailing establishment in Enugu State are performing below expectation.  That is why they do not meet the required sales volumes considering the opportunities open to them for exploitation.   It is the intention of this project to explore the reason behind their poor performance. This establishment has some problems like competition.

            We cannot say that Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu is the only retailing establishment in Enugu State there are many other retailing establishment that is competiting with it, such as Kings Way Stores, Leventis Stores, U.A.C. etc.   Sometimes, this kings way shops will reduce their prices with N1.00 so that they can draw customers from other shops, after their customer has purchase the goods they will take it to their customers house with their delivery van.

            Sometimes these retailing establishment will go and buy an inferior goods to sale at a high price to their customers.   Then after their customers has purchase these goods he bought from the store is not a quality one, then he return the goods back to the seller and the seller himself will be confused because he thought the goods is a quality goods.

            High cost of rentage is another problem that most of all these retailing establishment are facing.   Now it is well known to everybody that the cost of rentage has increased everywhere, and this retailing establishment at times find it very difficult to pay their rent money because they do not gain all the time.

            And the owners of the house will not want to know whether they are gaining or not.   All what he wants is his rent money, most often because of high rent some retailing establishments add a little money while selling their goods.

            And also these retailing establishment will not get efficient store-keeper, that knows about retailing.   They will be wasting their time and energy working in the establishment without achieving any thing.   This will make the owner of the establishment to look for a person that is qualified for shop keeping or managing of his shop.

            Furthermore, poor control system is another problem in these establishment.   The system of their control is poor and this will lead to the downfall of the establishment.   If the management of Shoprite Supermarket, Enugu did not look into the problem of poor control system in the shop very well, the shop will close down.

            Finally high price of product is another problem that is facing retailing establishment in Nigeria.   At times they will, but the price of the goods is very high and this will make their customers to stop patronizing them.   As a result, they will loose some of the customers.

1.3       THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SHOPRITE SUPERMARKET, ENUGU

            The Economic Impact of Shoprite is that retailing establishment management can increase sales through an efficient marketing strategy.

            The economic impact of Shoprite is also to educate mangers of retailing establishment on how to gain retain customers loyalty.

1.4       THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

            The importance of the study is to alert the management of Shoprite Enugu to become very sensitive to the effective use of marketing strategy within the establishment.

            In the same vain, its management at all levels would be actually aware of the product and services requirements of the customers.   It is also expected to create awareness to the organisation’s contribution to their well-being.   This will in no doubt build a co-operate image to the company within and outside the state.

1.5       DEFINITION OF THE TERMS

            The terms retailing business is a business enterprise which sells directly to and users by simply acting as an intermediary between the producers or wholesaler or stock list.   An example of retailing establishment are such as Leventis, U.A.C., Kings Way, Shoprite, etc.