An investigation of market segments of mwalimu national sacco members and their financial services requirement

Abstract

Cooperatives provide the institutional infrastructure upon which both the poor and the middle class organize themselves socially, economically, culturally and politically. Saccos have been identified as one of the drivers to millennium development goals and the 2030 vision. Cooperative sector; especially Sacco sub-sector, has experienced increase in competition for business and customers. This development has brought about an environment in which survival of the SACCOs will depend on the ability to effectively compete in the market. Development of market driven products and ability to beat completion is most crucial for survival of Saccos. Segmentation will allow the Saccos understanding of customers to better satisfy their needs and compete effectively in the market. This project studied the segmentation in the Saccos with an aim of achieving marketing concept. It was focused on Mwalimu National Sacco to establish the various segments of the Sacco members and their financial requirements. The research design used was descriptive in nature and the population of interest was Mwalimu SACO members from Nairobi region. Primary data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study findings indicated that Mwalimu National Sacco members can be segmented on demographic, psychographic and behavioral bases. The segments have unique financial services requirement. Limitation of the study arose mainly due to the time limit that made it impossible to reach all the targeted respondents.