Abstract:
Consumerism has been defined as a social movement seeking to augment the rights and powers of consumers in
relation to sellers (Kotler, 2000). It has spread to developing countries including Kenya but majority of Kenyan
consumers have been observed to be relatively passive in their participation in the consumer movement. This
observation may be linked to their attitudes towards marketing practices. The theory of collective behaviour by
Smelser, (1963) postulated that formation of generalized beliefs among consumers is crucial for the success of a
consumer movement. The study examined consumer attitudes towards marketing practices and its effect on
consumerism in Kenya through a survey of household consumers in Nakuru County. The study adopted a
descriptive research design involving a mixed method approach. A sample size of 400 respondents was drawn
from 10 administrative sub-locations in Nakuru East and Nakuru West sub counties of Nakuru County. Multistage
cluster sampling technique was used for selecting households for interview. A pre-designed selfadministered
questionnaire was used for data collection. Analysis of data was done using descriptive and
inferential statistics using Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS) version 19. Hypothesis test was done
using p-values generated from linear regression analysis. Descriptive statistics indicated that the respondents had
favourable attitudes towards marketing practice. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that there was a positive
correlation between attitudes towards marketing practices and consumerism. Regression results indicated a
positive relationship between attitudes towards marketing practices and consumerism. Hypothesis test confirmed
that attitudes towards marketing practices had no significant effect on consumerism. The study concluded that
most household consumers had favourable attitudes towards marketing practices. The study recommended for a
policy on consumer education and activation in Kenya in order to influence consumer attitudes and enhance
consumer activation.
