ABSTRACT
Making intelligent consumer choice is a fundamental problem for home-makers in almost all modern societies in Nigeria. Consumer goods are provided in a great variety such that a choice has to be made, using available information concerning the products. The purpose of this study is to appraise the techniques of providing consumer information to home-makers in Makurdi , as these play a prominent role in determining the type of consumer information that gets to home-makers in Makurdi. Three research questions were asked to arrive at results. The technique employed for data collection was mainly questionnaire and the questions required ranking and ticking of appropriate answers and columns. A total of 540 questionnaire were distributed to home-makers, out of which, 500 were completed and returned. Home-makers were required to indicate which of the most available techniques and those that contained the most comprehensive consumers information. They were also required to indicate which sources provided the greatest information, and whether information provided through such techniques were satisfactory. Also, if information received from these sources influenced their purchasing behaviour. Results of the study showed that home-makers found some sources of consumer information more available to them than others. vi i i Such sources were also considered as containing accurate information. They included radio, television, newspapers, word of mouth, magazines and labels. Some of the information sources were found to provide more consumer information. Prominent among such sources were labels, packaging instructions, magazines and newspapers. The study also revealed that home-makers did not depend only on one source of consumer information. The sources were found to be dependent on each other since information obtained from one source influenced the purchase of at least two of the items highlighted in this study.