Relationship marketing of small to medium sized textile retailers in the Northwest Province

Abstract

This study concentrated on the concept of relationship marketing and its implementation by small and medium sized textile retailers in the Northwest province of South Africa. This study addressed the gap between the relationship marketing theory and its implementation by small and medium sized textile retailers in the textile industry of the Northwest province. Researchers in relationship marketing have started to realise that there is a definite need for detailed empirical evidence on how relationship marketing could be implemented in order to establish a beneficial customer-business relationship. This need was one of the bases for carrying out this study. This led to the identification of prerequisites for relationship marketing orientation. These prerequisites are internal marketing and customer orientation. This is due to the fact that relationship marketing raises the need for customer orientation, and customer orientation raises the need for customer-oriented employees. The latter can be achieved through internal marketing. Without customer oriented employees, there is no customer orientation implementation because employees are the ones that have to make it happen (Reuters, 1999:8). If there were no customer orientation (which leads to customer satisfaction), there will be no relationship marketing because unsatisfied customers will never develop good relationships with the business (Engel, Blackwell & Miniard, 1995:47). This study found that small to medium sized textile retailers in the Northwest province have shown some problems in implementing the relationship marketing 01-ientation. This study concluded that small to medium sized textile retailers are not relationship marketing oriented. These conclusions are based on findings. indicating that the relationship marketing concept is not fully understood by the management of most of these small to medium sized textile retailers in the Northwest province. To address this problem, this study recommends some solutions, such as internal marketing and a customer orientation. This study also recommends ten steps that might help to solve ,the relationship marketing disorientation problem of small to medium sized textile retailers in the Northwest province. These steps are called the ten daily relationship marketing orientation basics. These steps act as a tool for small to medium-sized textile retailers in the Northwest province to be successful in the market. It is a system that enables the business member to focus on what his job is and then to check that the business is maximising the profit in its outlet through planned daily relationship marketing duties.