Marketing Performance of Smoked Fish Dealers in Rural Areas, Semi-Urban and Urban Areas in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined e-marketing performance of smoked fish dealers in rural areas, semi-urban and urban areas in Umuahia, Abia State. The specific objectives were to examine the socio-economic characteristics of smoked fish dealers, and ascertain sales volume variances among smoked fish dealers based on location in rural areas, semi-urban and urban areas in Umuahia, Abia State. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The method of data collection entails a survey study conducted by the researcher using the questionnaire as the research's major instrument. Thus, the total sample size of 75 smoked fish dealers from Ndoro market, Ahiaeke market and Ubani market was all in Umuahia, Abia State. This is necessary so as to obtain reliable quantitative data on sales volume. The data were presented using frequency and percentage, while hypotheses were tested with multiple ANOVA (Univariate) through statistical package for social science (SPSS). The descriptive result showed that most of the respondents 37 (49.4%) sold within 51 – 75 pieces of smoked fish per week followed by 19 (25.4%) and 15 (20.0%) of the respondents who sold above 75 pieces of smoked fish and 26 – 50 pieces of smoked fish per week respectively. More so, 41 (54.7%) of the smoked fish dealers incurred more than ₦30,000 as expenses per week. This was followed by 23 (30.6%) of the respondents with ₦20,001 - ₦30,000 expenses per week. The least were 2.7% of the respondents who incurred within ₦1,000 - ₦10,000 as expenses for fish smoking and marketing. In addition, 55 respondents (75.3%) realized above ₦50,000 per week and 12 (16.0%) respondents realized within ₦30,001 - ₦50,000 in sales of smoked fish per week. From the empirical result, there are no significant variances in sales volume among smoked fish dealers in rural areas, semi-urban and urban areas in Umuahia, Abia State. This recommended that since smoked fish is consumed among the populace residing in rural areas, semi-urban and urban areas, smoked fish dealers can site his/her business at any part of Umuahia since there is no variation in sales volume among dealers in different locations.