EFFECTIVENESS OF SYSTEMS APPLICATION ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF SUPERMARKETS IN KENYA.

Abstract

The scramble for space in the retail industry has forced most supermarkets into adopting alternative strategies that will enable them attract customers, reduce operational costs and gain competitive edge in the market. This study discusses the application of systems with integrated database that are able to create enabling environment for efficient retail management. Bar coding and Continuous Replenishment System are the key variables used to get more insight into the study. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. A stratified sampling method was used to select a sample from the total population. From each stratum, the study used a random sampling to select 30% of the respondents which made a sample of 42 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires and analysis done using statistical package for social science to communicate research findings. The ANOVA findings as explained by the P-Value of 0.000 which is less than 0.05 (significance level of 5%) confirms the existence of correlation between the independent and dependent variables. From the study findings, the study concludes that the introduction of barcode and continuous replenishment systems at an early stage of supermarket operation will enable the business to create greater responsiveness to its customers and suppliers, understand its cash flow needs, protect its financial data and confidential executive decisions and reduce its operation expenses leading to higher profitability and financial performance.