Using supermarket Loyalty card data to explore exported yam marketing performance and prospects in the UK

Abstract

Stakeholders operating within the yam export market lack shopper insights to formulate effective marketing
and supply chain management strategies. This paper aims to show how supermarket loyalty card data on
yam shoppers in the UK can be analysed to objectively assess marketing performance and prospects
through year-on-year comparison of key marketing measures and regression. The results demonstrate the
huge marketing potential that actual supermarket yam shopper behaviour brings to inform current
marketing performance of exported yam and future export marketing strategies. Evidence from the study
suggest that sales value of supermarket yam over 104 weeks ending 16th December 2013, increased by
15.27%, but sales volume and number of customers buying yam declined by 5.54% and 8.97% respectively.
Whilst the results of the regression suggest that the number of customers buying yam is the key factor
contributing to the volume of sales of yam, average price per tuber and number of distribution outlets were
not salient factors. However, the value of yam sales was positively influenced by average retail price of yam
at 1% level. The results of this study are of interest to both global south yam export market academics, yam
supply chain stakeholders and managers tasked with promoting exports of food products to international
markets in Europe and Northern America.