ABSTRACT

This study examined the consumer brand preference for vegetable oil in Abia State. It specifically focused on the factors that influence consumer preference, more so, to compare demand for branded and unbranded vegetable oil among other objectives. In order to execute the mandate of this research, this study adopted multistage sampling technique, which was employed in the selection of location and respondents.Jhe study had a total of 150 respondents, who formed the sample size. Half of the respondents were branded vegetable oil users, while the other half is unbranded vegetable, oil users. Binary logit and paired z—test statistics were the tools of analysis adopted in this study. The result showed that income, education, price, age and perception were the major determinants of consumer preference for branded vegetable oil. It was equally discovered that income had no influence on consumer preference for branded vegetable oil. On the basis of the outcome, this study therefore recommends that, firms in the industry should increase their level of publicity of their branded products. This helps build trust, and confidence in the mind of consumers. Again, this study recommends that Government should empower its specialized agencies like NAFDAC — National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to work hard to ensure that quality issues are not compromised. This is due in part to the fact that consumer consider health and safety issues very important.