Marketing Behavior of Micro Businesses: The Case of Street Vendors in Tanzania

Abstract

Street vendors who are famously known as Machinga, they are micro business people who have a significant contribution to the economy of country. The statistics shows that about 2,754,697 individuals in Tanzania owned and ran 3,162,886 small businesses. Moreover, these businesses have been able to develop the behaviour which has influenced the selling, shopping and social behaviour but still given little academic attention. Therefore, this article studies their marketing operations by using the exchange marketing theory and use qualitative approach to interview 25 street vendors. The results showed that when they facilitate exchange, they find places to chase after customers and sell their products. Thus, they make instant and reactive decisions, bargain with customers, and scramble for customers. This study showed that street vendors require the attention of academicians and policy because they required more skills and exposure to their business undertakings.