Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe
small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are faced with a myriad of competitive business organisations which are broadly categorised as formal industries. These organisations exhibit varying marketing strategies to remain viable, survive and to be a going concern. This study investigated marketing strateg...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Cogent Social Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2018.1488234 |
| _version_ | 1818643082872094720 |
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| author | Lucia Sithole Musaemura Jabulani Sithole Cathrine Chirimuta |
| author_facet | Lucia Sithole Musaemura Jabulani Sithole Cathrine Chirimuta |
| author_sort | Lucia Sithole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are faced with a myriad of competitive business organisations which are broadly categorised as formal industries. These organisations exhibit varying marketing strategies to remain viable, survive and to be a going concern. This study investigated marketing strategies employed by clothing entrepreneurs in the SMEs over big formal clothing companies in Harare, Zimbabwe. The study sought to understand why customers prefer to buy from small clothing entrepreneurs over big clothing entrepreneurs. Non-probability sampling and purposive sampling techniques were adopted and a total of 75 entrepreneurs constituted the research participants. A post-positivism research philosophy was adopted, and a combination of questionnaires and open-ended interviews were the research instruments of choice. The study found that small clothing manufactures in Harare are increasingly becoming competitive in their marketing strategies as compared to rigid large formal clothing companies. The study found that, large companies need to implement creative and decisive marketing strategies and catch up with the prevailing winning marketing strategic practices suitable for the Zimbabwean economic environment. The study found that legal and illegal imported clothes (mainly from Mozambique) are threatening the viability and sustainability of Harare clothing manufacturers. It is therefore recommended that the Zimbabwean government needs to capacitate the small-scale clothing manufacturers, curb illegal smuggling of clothes from Mozambique and fight anti-competitive practices of large clothing manufacturers. Small-scale clothing manufacturers are contributing to employment creation in Harare and Zimbabwe at large. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:53:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40b85191802e44ebb5d3dd35277f2882 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2331-1886 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:53:18Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-40b85191802e44ebb5d3dd35277f28822022-12-21T22:11:16ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Social Sciences2331-18862018-01-014110.1080/23311886.2018.14882341488234Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, ZimbabweLucia Sithole0Musaemura Jabulani Sithole1Cathrine Chirimuta2Chinhoyi University of TechnologyEzekiel Guti UniversityChinhoyi University of Technologysmall-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are faced with a myriad of competitive business organisations which are broadly categorised as formal industries. These organisations exhibit varying marketing strategies to remain viable, survive and to be a going concern. This study investigated marketing strategies employed by clothing entrepreneurs in the SMEs over big formal clothing companies in Harare, Zimbabwe. The study sought to understand why customers prefer to buy from small clothing entrepreneurs over big clothing entrepreneurs. Non-probability sampling and purposive sampling techniques were adopted and a total of 75 entrepreneurs constituted the research participants. A post-positivism research philosophy was adopted, and a combination of questionnaires and open-ended interviews were the research instruments of choice. The study found that small clothing manufactures in Harare are increasingly becoming competitive in their marketing strategies as compared to rigid large formal clothing companies. The study found that, large companies need to implement creative and decisive marketing strategies and catch up with the prevailing winning marketing strategic practices suitable for the Zimbabwean economic environment. The study found that legal and illegal imported clothes (mainly from Mozambique) are threatening the viability and sustainability of Harare clothing manufacturers. It is therefore recommended that the Zimbabwean government needs to capacitate the small-scale clothing manufacturers, curb illegal smuggling of clothes from Mozambique and fight anti-competitive practices of large clothing manufacturers. Small-scale clothing manufacturers are contributing to employment creation in Harare and Zimbabwe at large.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2018.1488234marketing strategiessmall-to-medium enterprisesformal clothing industriesmarketing managementsustainable marketingviable operations |
| spellingShingle | Lucia Sithole Musaemura Jabulani Sithole Cathrine Chirimuta Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe Cogent Social Sciences marketing strategies small-to-medium enterprises formal clothing industries marketing management sustainable marketing viable operations |
| title | Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe |
| title_full | Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe |
| title_fullStr | Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe |
| title_short | Marketing challenges experienced by small-to-medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in Harare, Zimbabwe |
| title_sort | marketing challenges experienced by small to medium enterprises over formal clothing industries in harare zimbabwe |
| topic | marketing strategies small-to-medium enterprises formal clothing industries marketing management sustainable marketing viable operations |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2018.1488234 |
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