An Analysis of Factors Influencing Consumers' Preference for Foreign Textile Materials in South East Zone of Nigeria – Part A

Abstract

The study was set out to analyze Part-A of the Factors Influencing Consumers' Preference for Foreign Textile Materials in South East Zone of Nigeria; with a view to unravel the Factors influencing Consumer's Preference for Foreign Textile Materials in South East Zone of Nigeria and adopting these factors to influence Consumer's Preference for locally made Textile Materials. Therefore, the present work sought to extend extant literature by studying the relationship between the influencing four dimensional factors (conceptual constructs) and consumers' preference for foreign textile materials, under the moderating factor satisfaction. The survey method of research was adopted because of its descriptive nature. Data were drawn through questionnaires from the consumers and sellers of foreign textile materials in major markets of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States in South East Zone of Nigeria. The data collection instruments were validated using Cronbach's test, where all the variables surpassed Nunnally (1978) benchmark of 0.7. Analyzing the data with the aid of SPSS (version 17), descriptive statistics, percentages and inferential statistics (Spearman's Rank/Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Partial Correlations) the study unveiled that though with different levels of statistical interactions and directions of relationships, all the dimensions of the conceptual constructs (factors) studied were critical at P<0.01 (two-tailed) in determining the factors influencing consumers' preference for foreign textile materials. Specifically, the analyzed data and tested five (5) hypothesis, unfolded that the conceptual constructs constituting the independent variable are all significant factors influencing consumers' preference for foreign textile materials. The statistical interactions between the constructs of independent and dependent variables were significantly moderated by satisfaction (see HO₅). In conclusion, the consumers prefer foreign textile materials to locally made ones. The study advised that all the stakeholders' hands should be on deck to ensure: policy implementations and infrastructural development by government, consumers' orientation by the textile industry and the consumers to be nationalistic and ethnocentric in their choice decisions to buy.