The primary purpose of this study was to determine consumers’ perceptions of loyalty programmes offered by cosmetic retailers in Durban and on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, South Africa. A broad and in-depth literature review of loyalty programmes as tools for retaining consumers, as well as the different types of loyalty programmes currently available in South Africa, was conducted. An empirical study was conducted by using an interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data from consumers who were members of cosmetic retailers’ loyalty programmes. A quantitative approach was followed in order to satisfy the research objectives of the study. Loyalty programmes are an integral part of many retail businesses as they allow retailers to reward returning consumers with (amongst others) discounts or special promotional offers when the loyalty programme is used at the point of sale. The rapid advancements in technology has also enabled retailers to maintain databases containing valuable information on consumers’ spending patterns, which informs retailers about products consumers prefer buying. Retailers all over the world have been using loyalty programmes to retain existing consumers by rewarding loyalty and win over new consumers. Although many South African retailers have introduced loyalty programmes into their businesses, consumers’ perceptions of loyalty programmes offered by cosmetic retailers have not been investigated here. The results of this research study indicate that consumers perceived loyalty programmes as easy to use at the point of sale when making purchases. Consumers also felt that loyalty programmes helped them to save money through the redemption of vouchers or points. Overall, consumers were satisfied as members of cosmetic retailers’ loyalty programmes. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

by Chan Kin-Leung, Fung Kit-Chu, Kitlen. / "Innovations, software for education 1998" (23 p.) inserted. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-53). / ABSTRACT --- p.i / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.ii / Chapter / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Project Objectives --- p.1 / Organisation of the Report --- p.2 / Research Methodology --- p.2 / Chapter II --- BACKGROUND OF THE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE MARKET --- p.4 / Emergence of the Market --- p.4 / Market Segments --- p.6 / Size and Potential of the Market --- p.7 / Market Players and Their Relationships --- p.8 / Business Cycle --- p.12 / Chapter III --- SMALL BUSINESS --- p.14 / Definition --- p.14 / Is Innovations a Small Business? --- p.15 / Chapter IV --- "INNOVATIONS, THE SUBJECT COMPANY" --- p.16 / History --- p.16 / Operation --- p.16 / Business Objectives --- p.17 / Business to Date --- p.18 / Chapter V --- COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS OF THE COMPANY --- p.20 / SWOT Analysis --- p.20 / Financial Analysis --- p.24 / Chapter VI --- SURVEY RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS --- p.26 / Growth Rate of the Market --- p.27 / Schools' Awareness of the Purchasing Channels --- p.28 / Purchase Barriers --- p.29 / Effectiveness of Marketing Activities --- p.29 / Software Selection Criteria --- p.30 / Schools' Spending Power --- p.31 / Chapter VII --- RECOMMENDTAIONS --- p.32 / Business Strategy --- p.32 / Sales and Marketing Strategy --- p.36 / Operational Strategy --- p.38 / Implementation Plan --- p.39 / Financial Forecast after Implementation Plan --- p.42 / Chapter VIII --- CONCLUSION --- p.44 / APPENDIX --- p.46 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.52

by Chan Tak-Wai, Woo Wai-Chung. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Definition of Smart Card --- p.2 / Smart Card --- p.2 / Electronic Money --- p.4 / Objective of Project --- p.5 / Chapter II. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.8 / Primary Data --- p.8 / Secondary Data --- p.9 / Literature Review --- p.10 / Chapter III. --- CARD PRODUCTS --- p.13 / Development of Credit Card and Smart Card --- p.13 / Scope of Usage of Smart Card --- p.15 / Commercial Areas --- p.15 / Medical Aspects --- p.16 / Telecommunications Industry --- p.17 / Banking System --- p.17 / Chapter IV. --- CITICORP --- p.20 / Citibank --- p.20 / Citibank H.K --- p.22 / Chapter V. --- CITIBANK H.K. CREDIT CARD PROFILE --- p.23 / Competitive Environment --- p.24 / Marketing Strategies --- p.25 / Chapter VI. --- SMART CARD PROFILE --- p.27 / Product --- p.27 / Market --- p.30 / Customer --- p.31 / Competitive --- p.33 / Company --- p.35 / Chapter VII. --- SURVEY RESULT --- p.38 / Chapter VIII. --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.39 / Characteristics of Target Market --- p.39 / Establishing Marketing Objective --- p.40 / Proposing Marketing Strategies --- p.40 / Product --- p.40 / Place --- p.43 / Price --- p.46 / Promotion --- p.47 / Physical Facilities --- p.50 / Personnel --- p.50 / Process Management --- p.50 / Chapter IX. --- CONCLUSION --- p.52 / APPENDIX --- p.55 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.89

Primarily, this research study was concerned with the evaluation of the brand campus concept implemented at then DaimlerChrysler South Africa in 2002, as a case study. Pretoria-based Mercedes-Benz South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (MBSA) is a subsidiary of global vehicle manufacturer Germany’s Daimler-Benz AG (DBAG). They are responsible for assembling, distributing and retailing, certain Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi vehicle brands, and spare parts. The landmark 1998 DaimlerChrysler global ‘merger of equals’ was preceded by the 1995 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi Motor Corporation. Consequently, three brands (Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler and Mitsubishi) were retailed and marketed under DaimlerChrysler South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (DCSA), positioned next to each other in the same showroom. This report identifies key challenges stemming from this approach, namely: brand strength dilution, more than 80 multi-franchised dealers and multi-branded showrooms, service capacity problems, old working environment and infrastructure, and perceived intra-brand competition. The research evidence suggests that these problems prompted then DCSA to launch the 2000 Dealer Network Strategy (DNS). In the grand scheme of things, the DNS intervention entailed partitioning the dealer network into five brand centres in five metro regions, and eighteen market centres in the rural areas. The brand campus concept was borne out of DNS and proved to be a masterstroke since, the primary focus was on streamlining the retail facilities for DCSA vehicle sales, service and spare parts for both the passenger and commercial vehicles. This study highlights key pillars of the brand campus concept, namely: profitability, brand focus, customer orientation and diversity. The challenge was to address seven major drivers of the brand campus concept, namely: after-sales vehicle support, vehicle service capacity, lead-times, spare parts availability, sales information propagation, behavior of sales personnel and the overall vehicle dealership appearance. Semi-structured interviews constituted part of the evaluation based on the perspectives of five customers, three dealer principals and two MBSA marketing executives. The research evidence, which also came from MBSA documentation and direct observation, shows that this innovative concept has been remarkably successful.

Public programming initiatives are considered an integral part of archival operations across the world because they support a greater use of archival records. In South Africa, public archival institutions are mandated in terms of section 5(1)(c) of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (Act No. 43 of 1996) (NARSSA Act), to reach out to the less privileged sectors of society, by making known information concerning records by means such as publications, exhibitions and lending of records. This also includes taking archives to young people, especially school learners. As a result, public archives repositories in South Africa have designed programmes to take archives to school learners for the purpose of creating future users and expanding the use of archival sources. Despite efforts to take archives to the people in South Africa, it would seem that public programming methods that repositories use at schools are not effective in creating awareness and promoting public archives to attract school learners. This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews and observation as data collection tools to investigate schools as conduits for taking public archives to learners in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study targeted learners and teachers in schools which participated in the archival public programming in Gauteng province, as well as staff members of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) and Gauteng Provincial Archives responsible for public programming. The key findings suggest that the public archives repositories in Gauteng do not use technology, particularly social media, to market their services to school learners. The main method of taking archives to learners is through invitations and participation in the annual archives week, which do not yield any positive results, as learners do not visit the archives afterwards. It is recommended that NARSSA and Gauteng Provincial Archives consider using school learners who participated in archives week and are interested in archives to be ambassadors to further recommend the use of archives to potential users and their peers. Furthermore, collaboration between archivists and teachers from neighbouring schools should be considered by including school projects that involve the use of “archives’’. The study concludes that failure to adopt social media platforms to market archives would result in school learners not using archives. A further study covering all provinces in South Africa is recommended. / Information Science / M. inf. (Archival Science)