Kenya EVA Footwear Market Researcher needed

Title Kenya Market Researcher – EVA Footwear (Retailers, Importers & Wholesalers) Job Description We are an India-based company planning to enter the Kenyan market with EVA non-leather footwear, including: EVA Flip-Flops EVA Sliders EVA Sandals EVA Slippers Clogs Bathroom Slippers Kids' EVA footwear Fashion EVA footwear We are looking for an experienced Kenya-based market researcher / field researcher who can conduct actual on-ground market research and speak directly with retailers, importers, wholesalers and distributors of footwear. This is not a desk-research-only project. Our objective is to understand the Kenyan EVA footwear market, identify gaps and opportunities, understand why Chinese suppliers dominate the market, and determine how an Indian supplier could successfully enter and compete. What we need you to research 1. Retailer Research — Highest Priority Visit footwear retailers and relevant stores in Kenya and conduct approximately 25–30 retailer interviews. We need practical information about: Which EVA footwear categories sell every week without promotion Which products sell slowly and why Highest-selling gender and age groups Highest-demand EVA footwear categories Branded vs unbranded preferences Which brands sell fastest Chinese vs local vs Indian products Fastest-selling colours Fastest-selling sizes Most successful price ranges Customer buying factors such as price, comfort, design, colour, durability, weight and fashion Reasons customers reject products Common complaints about existing EVA footwear Products customers ask for that retailers currently cannot supply What product features would make retailers recommend an Indian supplier What would convince them to replace a Chinese supplier How much additional price customers may accept for better quality The research questionnaire will be provided. 2. Importer Research Identify and interview approximately 10–15 Kenyan importers involved in footwear/EVA footwear. We want to understand: Why they currently source from China Their main supplier-selection criteria Price Quality MOQ Designs Delivery time Payment terms Communication Reliability Packaging Branding Existing supplier relationships Problems they experience with Chinese suppliers Biggest weaknesses of Chinese suppliers What would make them switch suppliers What an Indian supplier would need to offer if it cannot compete purely on price Whether they have previously imported from India Their experience with Indian suppliers Reasons they do not currently source more from India 3. Wholesaler / Distributor Research Conduct approximately 8–10 interviews with wholesalers/distributors involved in footwear. Understand: Product demand Fast-moving categories Price levels Buyer preferences Current suppliers Chinese competition Distribution channels Product gaps Potential opportunities for a new Indian supplier 4. Market Gap & Opportunity Based on your field research, identify: Top EVA footwear categories with potential in Kenya Underserved product categories Products that Chinese suppliers are not addressing well Unmet retailer/customer requirements Price/quality gaps Design gaps Packaging/branding opportunities Opportunities for Indian suppliers Biggest barriers for an Indian supplier entering Kenya We particularly want practical opportunities supported by conversations with actual market participants, rather than generic statements. 5. Competitor Research Study the current EVA footwear available in Kenya. Where possible, record: Brand Country of origin Product type Material Design Sizes Colours Retail price Wholesale price where available Packaging Quality observations Supplier/importer information where available We are particularly interested in understanding the Chinese supplier advantage and where an Indian supplier could differentiate. Evidence Required Where possible, provide: Photographs of footwear shelves/displays Product photographs Price tags Brands Packaging Country-of-origin labels Wholesale/retail stores Warehouses where access is permitted Product catalogues/brochures Price lists Business cards/contact details Contact details of interested importers/distributors Examples of poor-quality products or recurring quality problems Photos should be genuine photographs taken during the research and not downloaded from the internet. Please respect store/business permissions and applicable privacy requirements when taking photographs or collecting contact information. Final Deliverables At the end of the project, provide a structured report containing: Top 10 reasons Chinese suppliers dominate the Kenyan EVA footwear market Top 10 reasons Kenyan buyers do not currently source more EVA footwear from India Top 10 opportunities for a new Indian EVA footwear supplier Top 10 actions required to compete successfully against Chinese suppliers Fast-moving EVA footwear categories Slow-moving categories Recommended product categories for an Indian exporter Recommended price segments Preferred colours and sizes Customer buying factors Common customer complaints Retailer feedback Importer feedback Wholesaler/distributor feedback Competitor observations Recommended market-entry strategy List of qualified Kenyan buyers interested in evaluating Indian EVA footwear suppliers Buyer Leads A particularly important part of this assignment is identifying genuine potential buyers. For interested importers, wholesalers or distributors, provide where available: Company name Contact person's name Position Business location Phone/WhatsApp Email Website/social media Type of business Current footwear products Current sourcing country Approximate interest in Indian EVA footwear Products they are interested in Any indication of potential order/volume Notes from the conversation Please clearly distinguish between: A. Businesses that were actually contacted and B. Businesses that were merely found online. We are primarily interested in qualified and contacted buyers, not a scraped directory of companies. Ideal Researcher The ideal freelancer should: Be physically located in Kenya Have experience conducting B2B field research Have access to footwear retailers, wholesalers or importers Understand the Kenyan footwear market Be comfortable conducting face-to-face interviews Have strong communication skills Be able to document findings accurately Be comfortable taking photographs and collecting market evidence Be able to identify genuine business contacts Have experience in market research, sourcing, footwear, FMCG, retail or import/export research Experience with footwear, Chinese suppliers, Indian suppliers or African import markets is a strong advantage. Important This assignment is not simply an internet research project. We are looking for real market intelligence from people actually selling, importing and distributing footwear in Kenya. The quality of the project will be judged primarily on: quality of interviews + quality of market evidence + accuracy of findings + actionable buyer leads. Questions for applicants Please answer these questions when applying: Are you currently based in Kenya? If yes, which city/region? Have you previously conducted physical/field market research in Kenya? Please provide an example. Do you have access to footwear retailers, wholesalers, importers or distributors? How many retailer interviews can you realistically complete? How many footwear importers/wholesalers can you realistically reach? Have you previously researched Chinese products/suppliers in Kenya? Can you conduct face-to-face interviews rather than relying only on online research? Can you provide genuine photographs and price observations from the market? Have you worked on footwear or consumer-product market research before? Please provide an example of a previous field-research project you completed.

Project ID: 40641109