SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF FAMILY-OWNED SUPERMARKETS: EVIDENCE FROM KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The study examined the effect of supply chain management on the sustainability of family-owned supermarkets in Kiambu County, Kenya, using the Resource-Based View and Stewardship Theory.
Statement of the problem: Although supply chain management is central to retail sustainability, its specific contribution among family-owned supermarkets in Sub-Saharan Africa remains insufficiently established. Existing evidence is largely drawn from manufacturing firms, large retail chains, and family businesses outside the Kenyan supermarket context. This creates limited subsector-specific evidence to guide supply chain investment decisions.
Research methodology: The study adopted a pragmatist philosophy and a mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey design. Structured questionnaires were administered to 183 owners, managers, and supervisors from 70 registered family-owned supermarkets selected through multistage stratified sampling, complemented by key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling in STATA.
Findings: Supply chain management recorded strong reliability and validity and a high composite mean (M = 4.22). It had a strong positive effect on sustainability (β = 0.631, t = 11.349, p < .001), explaining approximately 41.6% of the variance. Supplier diversification and communication quality were the strongest practices, while interview findings linked supplier diversification to business continuity during disruptions.
Conclusion: The study concludes that supply chain management is a core operational capability supporting the sustainability of family-owned supermarkets. Supplier diversification, efficient lead-time management, and collaborative supplier relationships strengthen continuity and operational resilience.
Recommendations: The study recommends deliberate investment in supplier diversification, resilience and contingency planning, and collaborative supplier relationship systems. Family-owned supermarkets should institutionalise these practices in routine strategic and operational planning. Industry associations and county business development offices should widen access to vetted regional suppliers and shared logistics infrastructure.
Keywords: Supply chain management, sustainability, family-owned supermarkets, resource-based view, PLS-SEM, Kenya
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