Consumers¿ Patronage of Street Food Vendors in Nigeria

The changing lifestyles and food consumption have influenced today¿s consumer¿s food purchasing behaviour. Food preparation at home is replaced by eating out and becomes more frequent. As a result, the number of meals prepared outside the household has increased dramatically. Besides the need for eating, consumers also seek for convenience, so street food is the best answer for consumers in many countries including most developing countries like Nigeria. The street food industry has an important role in the cities and towns of many developing countries. People purchase street food for a number of reasons, such as to obtain reasonably priced and flavorful food in a sociable setting, to experience ethnic cuisines and also for nostalgia. Predicting consumer patronage becomes important in defining the marketing programs of street food vendors in order to give more value to their customers and as a consequence, increase patronage.