Abstract:
Consumerism is defined as a social movement seeking to augment the rights and powers
of consumers in relation to sellers. The spread of consumerism in Kenya has been
marked by establishment of consumer organizations and enactment of consumer laws.
However, despite these institutional developments, consumerism has not yet picked up
momentum to the desired levels in the country. Majority of Kenyan consumers have
been observed to be relatively passive in their involvement and participation in the
movement. The general objective was to examine the marketing factors affecting
consumerism among urban household consumers in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study
which was premised on the Kotlerian consumerism framework, examined the effects of
consumer rights awareness, attitudes towards marketing practices and consumer
discontent on consumerism. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design
involving a mixed method approach. A sample of 400 was drawn from sub-locations in
Nakuru West and Nakuru East sub Counties through stratified sampling technique. The
research instruments were a questionnaire and focus group interview guide. Instrument
reliability was confirmed by Cronbach‟s alpha test. Data analysis was done with the aid
of SPSS version 18.0 and STATA version 13.0 software packages. There was a positive
correlation between consumer rights awareness, attitudes towards marketing practices
and consumerism. Linear regression analysis found that consumer discontent had the
strongest effect on consumerism, which was tested and confirmed significant at 95%
confidence level using p values approach. The study recommends a consumer education
policy, a consumer protection authority and consumer forums in all counties. Areas for
further research include replication of the study in other counties, effect of consumer
demographics on consumerism, effectiveness of protection agencies and comparative
study of consumerism among rural and urban consumers. The study will serve as a
theoretical model for future consumerism studies, has made policy recommendations on
consumer education and contributed to a knowledgeable society as per the social pillar
of Kenya‟s Vision 2030.
