PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF RETAIL STORES

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF RETAIL STORES

ABSTRACT

This research project concerned the problems and prospects of retail shop (supermarket) in urban area of Imo State with special reference at Owerri Urban. This project begins with introduction, background of the study, stating the origins mode of operation and how consumers embrace supermarkets. The statement of the problems scope and limitations follow this.
Chapter two where literature review both related and unrelated that helped in the work. Chapter 3 outlining the methodology the researcher adopted in undertaking the study. Results of investigations conducted are presented and analyzed in chapter 4 under the leading findings In chapter 5, the researcher summarized this work, made some recommendations and conclusion based on the findings setting out bibliography and appendix at the end rounded up the study.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A supermarket is a large store specializing in groceries with self-service and wide assortments according to Kotler (1995) this is a relatively large, low margin, high volume, self reliance operation designed to serve the customers total needs for food laundry and household maintenance products. And according to Jerome (1988) it is a large retailing business until that sells mostly food and grocery items on the basic of low price, wide variety of assortments, self service and heavy emphasis on merchandize displays.
A supermarket is a departmentalized food store with minimum sales volume of one million or more per year in a variety of merchandize and in which the sales of food, much of which is on a self service basic plays the major role by F.E Okorie in his lecture note. The carry about 12,000 product items. According to the food marketing institute said that 2 million is the minimum annual sales volume for a store to be called a supermarket. It earns an operating profit of about 1% on the sales an 10% on 30,000 supermarkets, about 20 percent of all food stores sales.
Supermarkets also upgrade their facilities through more expensive locations, larger parking lots carefully planned designs architecture and décor, larger store customer services, such as check casting, rest rooms increased their promotional budgets.
Supermarkets are also planned, so that product can be located on the shelves easily. The store layouts make it easy for consumer to shop. This helps sell more products faster, reduce the investment in inventory, make stocking easier and reduces the cost of handling products, such efficient is very important because competitions is tough, net profit (after taxes) in grocery supermarket usually run a thin in percent (1%) of sales or loss.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
Despite many advantages associated with owing and shopping is supermarket. The supermarket is faced with many problems arising from rapid increase in population, trading, income and education of inhabitants. Other factors militating against the progress of supermarket operation include government policies and the local government bye-laws. Also the inhabitants buy mostly in the local markets (open market like Eke Ukwu owerri, owerri main market, Eke Amakohia, Nkwo orji) and including some other markets, because it is their belief that the hard earned naira can justified by serious bargaining or negotiation before payment.  Furthermore, consumers attitude is also one of the problems. The problems of this research work now is, problem militating against better patronage or supermarket operations.

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PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF RETAIL STORES