Effect of Strategic Responses to the Ban of Plastic Bags on Business Performance in Supermarkets in Nairobi Central Business District, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of strategic responses on the ban of plastic bags on business performance in supermarkets in Nairobi Central Business District, Kenya. The objectives of this study were: to establish the strategic responses that supermarkets had put in place after the plastic bag ban, to find out the changes in business performance and to determine the effect of the strategic response on business performance in supermarkets in Nairobi CBD, as a result of the ban on plastic bags. Data was collected using questionnaires, analyzed using SPSS and presented using tables. The study showed that there had been strategic responses to the ban on plastic bags by supermarkets in Nairobi CBD, namely green marketing, green advertising and green packaging which were backed by 70.4% of the respondents. Seventy eight percent of the respondents confirmed that there had been significant changes in business performance while (79.1%) showed that the strategic responses in place had an effect on their business performance. The study also indicated that both environmental awareness and consumer behavior were key moderating variables that contributed to the changes in business performance. The study concluded that the strategic responses used by the supermarkets had an effect on their business performance particularly after the ban of plastic bags. The study recommended that supermarkets invest heavily in research in studying various trends of consumer behaviour and also invest heavily in promotional campaigns and awareness on environmental protection which would eventually give them favourable business performance.