Abstract

Changes in retail patronage in the South African retailing environment since the advent of democracy in 1994 need to be further researched. Various factors have played a role in making the South African retail environment the dynamic place it is. Some of the major changes include the new retail planning that has occurred since democracy and the effect it has had on the disadvantaged black township areas. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of inshopping and outshopping as special instances of retail patronage in the Soweto township. Soweto was chosen for the study because it is one of the largest disadvantaged townships in South Africa. Both exploratory and descriptive research designs were used in the study. A disproportionate stratified sample was selected and interviewed, consisting of 690 households spread over 11 subareas of Soweto. It was found that there is a marked difference between the profiles of in- and out-shoppers living in Soweto. Some of the findings correlate with the findings in other countries of the world, but there are also a number of major differences. South African retailers should take cognisance of these differences and adapt their retailing strategies accordingly.

Key words: Retail patronage, inshopping, outshopping, Soweto.