An exploration study on marketing communication strategies in the grocery retail sector of KwaZulu Natal province, South Africa

Abstract

Grocery stores in South Africa require both proactive and reactive communication methods to maintain sales owing to the country's competitive landscape, shifting consumer preferences, and rapidly evolving economic and technological advancements. The aim of the study was to investigate the MCS’s in grocery retail sector of KZN Province, South Africa. Primary and secondary goals were established for this study in order to solve the aforementioned challenges: The primary objective of this study was to investigate the MCS’s in grocery retail sector of KZN Province, South Africa. The following secondary objectives were set for this study to support the primary objective: to determine the MCS’s adopted by the grocery retailers in attracting customers; to determine the application of the MCS’s in the grocery retail industry. to determine the challenges of adopting and implementing MCS’s in the grocery retail industry. In view of this, a qualitative approach was adopted in the study and case study design with ten grocery retail stores. The study employed thematic analysis and data analysis was also done using Atlas.ti. The study found the specific MCS’s adopted, namely; business sustainability strategy, customer loyalty strategy and effective customer acquisition strategy. The study also discovered that grocery retailers use both new and traditional media. In particular, social media and online marketing are frequently used in communicating and attracting customers. The findings reveal that the success of these MCS’s is determined by improved customer satisfaction and business transformation.