Investigating The Challenges of Adopting Data Analytics In Zimbabwe’s Retail Sector

Abstract

The retail sector is experiencing unprecedented volatility, uncertainty and ambiguity, and these culminated in the closure of some of its notable giants due to the global financial crisis and the novel corona virus pandemic. This paper uses Organisational Mindfulness (OM) and Resource Based View (RBV) to investigate the adoption of data analytics in developing countries using data from Zimbabwe’s retail sector. The results showed that while some industries use big data analytics (BDA), its adoption remains an insurmountable task for some Zimbabwean retailers due to infrastructural, resource and other technical challenges. It revealed that successful adoption of BDA in the retail sector can help change business operations, including the ability to match customer expectations, hone product lines and improve marketing campaigns.