The Influence of Textile Country of Origin Perceived Quality on Buyer Behaviour in Nairobi City County

Abstract

The study sought to establish the influence of country-of-origin perceived value of textile products from China on buyer behavior in Nairobi City County. The study was grounded on information processing theory and the signaling theory. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data was collected from adult shoppers aged 18 years and above within the Central Business District. Data was analyzed by computing frequency distributions, percentages, mean scores and standard deviations. Regression analysis was carried out to test the influence of country-of-origin perceived value on buyer behavior. It was established that China enjoyed country-of-origin perceived dominance in the imports of clothes sold in Nairobi. China enjoyed perceived dominance in all textile categories with exception of suits where Turkey enjoyed country-of-origin perceived dominance. respondents displayed mixed perceptions about textiles originating from China. Buyers believed they got value for money by buying clothes from China. On the contrary, buyers were of the view that textile from China wear out fast and are not uniquely designed. The study established a significant, but weak positive relationship between country-of-origin perceived value on buyer behavior. The results demonstrated that country of origin perceived value explained 13.6 percent of the variation in buyer behavior. The findings were consistent with signaling theory to the extent that country-of-origin signal quality perceptions that trigger or influence buyer behavior. Based on the results of country-of-origin perceived value, it was concluded that Kenyan buyers are value seekers that prefer low price over quality and favorably consider products that fit their constrained budget. Based on the regression analysis results, it was concluded that the country of origin is less significant in a lowinvolvement purchase context. It was further concluded that Chinese firms involved in textile trade would make more money in Kenya by focusing on cost leadership strategies. The study recommends that the effect of country of origin on buyer behavior be investigated in a high involvement product context.