ABSTRACT

The examination of the effect of innovation development on consumer patronage of flour-based products in Abia State, Nigeria was the main focus of this study. Simple and purposive random sampling techniques were adopted for this study in the collection of data from 80 flour-based products' consumers. Simple descriptive statistics like tables and frequencies and, inferential statistics like correlation and multiple regression models were used to analyze the data. The results showed that majority of the consumers were still young comprising about 82% of the entire population sample. The majority (58%) of respondents who consumed these products were males. A larger proportion of the respondents (54%) were married and the remaining 46% unmarried or single. Findings show that the consumers were moderate income earners and as such could cater for the needs of the household members. Civil servants were the highest consumers of flour-based products accounting for about 43% of the entire respondents. Packaging, market segmentation, branding, use of modern bakery equipment and use f quality flour were the identified innovation practices adopted by the flour-based product manufacturers. These practices were adopted by the manufacturers at different levels ranging from 40%, 13%, 14%, 11% and 23% respectively. The distribution of the flour-based products by level of preference shows that bread was the most consumed and preferred of all the products accounting for about 23%. The model gave R2of 0.912, 0.654, 0.461, 0.702 and 0.550 respectively implying that 91.2%, 65.4%, 46.1%, 70.2% and 55% changes in the amount of the products (bread, biscuits, cake, chin-chin and noodles) consumed was accounted for by the independent variables included in the model. The F-ratio was significant for all the regressions at 1% significant level. The result showed that price negatively affected the consumption of all the products at 1% level of significance. Income was positively correlated to the consumption and patronage of bread and cake at 1% and 5% significant levels respectively. The coefficient for taste was positively signed for bread, biscuits and cake at 1%, 1% and 10% significant levels. Packaging influenced the patronage of bread, cake and noodles at 1%, 5% and 5% significant levels respectively. Product availability was positively related to patronage of cake and chin-chin at 5% significant levels respectively. Product quality was also positively correlated to the patronage and consumption of bread, biscuits, cake and noodles at 1% level of significance' respectively. The correlation analysis result reveals that positive correlation (r=0.338, 0.120 and 0.3 15) existed for packaging, branding and product quality. Based on the findings of this research, it was recommended that flour-based firms should be willing to adopt more innovative practices. Packaging as a promotional tool , must be efficiently developed to make up for deficiencies in the profit and competitive status of the firms. Brand development must be given adequate consideration as it helps to establish a product's influence in the market.