Kenya has the second most developed retail market in sub-Saharan Africa with about 30 per cent of retail shopping being done in formal outlets, a Citi Group study has shown. The high penetration of modern retail shops is attributed to the presence of strong brands of local outlets, a broader middle income class relative to other African countries, decent transportation network, and good governance allowing for ease in importation of goods. As this trend continues, so is the need to develop and sustain market and customer relations. Customer relationship management, defined in one way as “the practice of building a strong relationship between a business and its customers and potential customers,” requires developing within a business the internal functions or abilities it must have, if it is even to be capable of developing and sustaining relationships with prospects and customers. The business, as a whole, gains social abilities only to the extent that its leaders see what is missing and give the business new organization. This conception informs the vision that saw CAP YEI venture into Customer Relations and Sales skills training.
