Factors influencing customer intention to purchase at supermarkets and ordinary shops: the case of Arusha, Tanzania.

The main objective of this study was to assess factors influencing customer intention to purchase at supermarkets and ordinary retail shops. The study aimed at assessing influence of product quality, brand image and socio economic towards customer intention to purchase in Arusha city, Tanzania. The study adopted convenient sampling to meet the survey objectives of the study. Primary data was used and collected through questionnaires, and secondary data through various sources such as Journals, Articles, books and websites. The multiple linear regressions were used to determine the relationship between dependent variable (Customer purchase intention) and two or more independent variables (Product quality, Brand image and Socio economic). The study found out that, there was evidence that product quality and brand image did not influence customer purchase intention on supermarkets. For socio economic, it showed that there was evidence that it influenced customer purchase intention to supermarkets, while did not influence ordinary retail shops. Pearson correlation was used to determine whether dependent variables and independent variables correlate. The study found out that, there was positive correlation between product quality, brand image and socio economic towards customer purchase intention. Lastly, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the means between dependent variables and independent variables for both supermarkets and ordinary retail shops. The study found out that, supermarkets has more percentage (45.4%) of customer purchase intention towards product quality, brand image and socio economics, than ordinary retail shops (35.8%). Through these findings, the objectives of the study have been fulfilled. It further recommended that, it is important for researchers to design more simple questionnaires easy for respondents to understand, which require less or non supervision. The study was done in Arusha city, and thus, other researchers should concentrate on other geographical areas. Lastly, researchers should add sample to 500 or more respondents for more reliable results.