An Exploratory Study of Perception of Kenyans towards Chinese Involvement in Retail Enterprises in Kenya

Abstract:

There is a growing interest by Chinese citizens towards the retail enterprise sector in Kenya. The increased demand for Chinese products by local consumers has created a readily available market and because of this, Chinese retail businesses are able to compete in the retail sector. This has led to a mixed reaction from the Kenyans. This study therefore set out to explore the perception of Kenyans towards Chinese involved in these retail enterprises by looking at their experiences and attitudes. The study is of importance because it fills a gap, most studies undertaken on perceptions of Chime owned businesses have focused on other African commies, with existing local perception studies done in Kenya looking at investments by state-owned Chinese enterprises. This study has been informed by two theories: social cultural embedded economic activity and the contact theory. The study also used a case study design in which both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis was undertaken. Overall, the study found that Chinese nationals have been accepted and rejected in specific retail businesses, but the overall perception of Kenyans is positive.