ASSESSMENT OF MERCHANDISING OF INDIGO-DYED FABRICS IN ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

A lot of research works have been done on indigo dyed fabric production and its techniques. There seems to be no other time than now to consider and evaluate both the creatives spark and the commercial aspect of the business. It is impossible for indigo fabric commercial ventures to survive without concerted effort on advertisement to the public and high level of business merchandising on the part of the indigo dyed fabric merchants. This study is therefore a novel research into the merchandising of traditional indigo fabrics in Abeokuta. The target population was in two major categories; the consumers of the products, and the traditional indigo merchant. The defined sample frame for indigo textile merchants was 69 while the calculated number of end users, using Cochran equation was 385. Having defined the study population the research adopted sampling technique, using structured questionnaire to elicit information from the target population on the objectives of the research from the respondents. The data collected for the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard, deviations, and percentages) and inferential statistics. The result obtained were presented, analyzed and discussed in tables and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.0 was employed in the data analysis and interpretations. The result shows that there was adequate awareness of indigo dyed fabrics in Abeokuta despite this the patronage is very low. This is as a result of inadequate merchandising techniques, inadequate market spread, high price, poor packaging, and designs that are not market oriented but stereotyped.