<b>Digital Commerce on Marketing Performance in Emerging Markets: A Case Study of Supermarkets in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania </b>

Digital commerce has become a strategic catalyst for competitiveness in retail markets, especially in emerging economies experiencing swift digital transformation. This research investigates the influence of digital commerce adoption on marketing performance within supermarkets in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Utilizing the Resource-Based View (RBV), the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study formulates and evaluates a structural model that integrates digital marketing intensity, customer engagement, perceived online shopping convenience, and digital capability. We used a quantitative cross-sectional design to gather data from 342 people (48 managers and 294 online customers) and then analyzed it using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that adopting digital commerce greatly improves marketing performance, both directly and indirectly through customer engagement. The intensity of digital marketing and the perceived ease of online shopping also have a positive effect on performance outcomes. Digital capability also changes the link between adopting digital commerce and marketing performance, making performance gains stronger for supermarkets that are more tech-savvy. The model elucidates 62% of the variance in marketing performance, signifying considerable explanatory efficacy. The study enhances the digital commerce literature by offering empirical evidence from a relatively unexplored Sub-Saharan African retail context and by elucidating both mediating and moderating mechanisms that influence digital performance effects. From a management point of view, the results show how important strategic digital investment, customer-focused engagement, and capability development are for gaining a long-term competitive edge in retail markets that are just starting to grow.   Key Words: Digital commerce, Marketing performance, Customer engagement, Digital capability, Online shopping convenience, Emerging markets, Supermarket retail