Modes of market entry strategies : a South African retail company’s perspective on doing business in Nigeria
- Authors: Katende, Jonathan
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Retail trade - South Africa , Retail trade - Nigeria , International business enterprises - South Africa , International business enterprises - Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/82538 , uj:18970
- Description: Abstract: Many companies have rushed into Africa looking to capitalise on newly liberated prospective consumers. However, these companies have quickly realised that the local terrain is not as accommodating as that of other developing markets. South Africa has thus remained as the gateway to doing business in Africa and this has allowed South African companies to be in the best position to take advantage of the developing markets. Nigeria became the biggest economy in Africa, leap-frogging South Africa in 2013 after it announced a rebasing of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. South Africa has the ability to regain its position as an African hegemon, considering its world class financial systems and infrastructure. This study will focus on South African retail companies’ internationalisation process in Nigeria, based on the recent shift of economic dominance on the African continent. Successful companies in emerging markets are those that have modified their strategies to suit the local business environment without altering their values and principles. South African investors thus need to use this opportunity to conduct market research, risk assessments and analysis of competition as forms of market entry. This research concerns itself with the manner in which South African retail companies enter new markets – specifically, the new modes of market entry in the Nigerian retail market. Once established, South African companies need to survive and grow their businesses in Nigeria. This research will determine the best practices for South African retail companies in Nigeria. The research results may serve as a guide for South African retail companies looking to conduct market entry into Nigeria. A mixed method research approach was used, as it provided an in-depth understanding of the modes of entry for retail companies in Nigeria. This approach will aid the research in identifying a collection of techniques that fully obtain a descriptive and epistemological base for South African retail professionals and industry specialists in the Nigerian market... , M.Com. (Business Management)
- Full Text:
The female innovation-generation consumer’s evaluation of traditional and virtual displays in South African clothing retail environments
- Authors: Van Heerden, Salomien , Tselepis, Thea J. , Smal, Desiree
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Clothing trade - South Africa , Virtual displays - South Africa , Retail trade - South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/217564 , uj:21655 , Citation: Van Heerden, S., Tselepis, T.J. & Smal, D. 2016. The female innovation-generation consumer’s evaluation of traditional and virtual displays in South African clothing retail environments.
- Description: Abstract: Using virtual displays in South African clothing retail outlets could be a marketing communication strategy that attracted consumers to products or the actual stores. This marketing communication influences consumers’ purchase decisions and consequently enhances the competitiveness of the clothing retailer in a dynamic fashion industry. Thus the use of virtual displays is increasing. Implementing digital and virtual display screens in the visual displays of South African physical retail outlets could appeal to particular consumer segments. The innovation-generation consumer segment is the largest and foremost global consumer segment to date, with massive buying power, and this group’s affiliation for the virtual world should not be ignored, as it may prove to be useful when applying omni-channel retailing that stimulates a certain consumer experience. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to report on the evaluation of the female innovation-generation consumer with regard to a static traditional visual display or a virtual representation of the display. Two stimuli (displays) were presented to 653 female respondents from the innovation-generation consumer in Johannesburg (Gauteng). One stimulus was a static traditional visual display and the other a virtual representation thereof which included movement and music. The findings in this paper indicate that although the respondents understood the message of the virtual display and could identify with the symbolic meaning thereof, there is also evidence that the respondents’ emotions were evoked by both the stimuli. Nevertheless, it seems that the traditional visual display still seemed to be preferred with regard to the emotions that it evoked, especially regarding pleasure. The paper concludes with recommendations on the use of virtual displays to support South African clothing retailers.
- Full Text:
The influence of working capital components on the profitability of South African clothing retailers
- Authors: Potwana, Gugulethu
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Working capital - South Africa - Management , Clothing trade - South Africa , Retail trade - South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Masters (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/479034 , uj:43313
- Description: Abstract: The management of working capital is a key critical consideration all entities need to make given its strong influence on firm profitability. The working capital decision finds further importance given that it ultimately determines firm value and shareholder wealth maximisation. Working capital management essentially involves the managing of entity current assets and liabilities in an optimal manner to positively influence profitability. This management of short-term operational assets and liabilities needs to be contrasted with the liquidity risk introduced by the manner an entity decides to structure its working capital. There is a strong relation and interdependence between corporate profitability, liquidity and working capital and how this relationship pans out within the South African clothing retail context was of key and primary interest for this study. The South African clothing retail sector is a key industry and plays a vital role to the health of the South African economy given that it contributes to over R200 billion of the GDP, both directly and indirectly. Moreover, this sector is responsible for the employment of over 2% people in South Africa. Thus, clothing retailers are critical and need to be managed appropriately. Given the importance of the sector, the factors that influence its profitability and ultimately success need to be given attention. This study thus focuses on unpacking the introduced interdependence and trade-off between working capital with liquidity and how this influences profitability of South African clothing retailers. To do this, the research probes the working capital components and policy structures of the JSE listed South African clothing retailers over a seventeen-year period (i.e. 2003 – 2019). Particularly, the working capital management (WCM) components and policies are investigated to ascertain how the way in which they have been structured has impacted profitability. The WCM components are delineated as Inventory Days on Hand (IDH), accounts receivable days (ARD), account payable days (APD) which make up the cash conversion cycle (CCC), a measure of how long an entity’s cash flow is tied up in operational activity. The WCM policy perspective is framed through the lens of the working capital investment and financing policies which speak to how the operational assets have been financed or invested in. Profitability for this research is defined as the operating profit margin and return on operational assets, giving the robust perspective of both an income statement and balance sheet approach. To ensure control from extraneous factors impacting the findings, firm size and firm leverage are employed as control variables... , M.Com. (Finance)
- Full Text: