Factors influencing market place quality in an urban area: Perception by shoppers and shop owners

The study examined the factors influencing market place quality from shoppers’ and shop owners’ perceptions using Alasinloye market place as a case study, with a view to analyzing what shoppers and shop owners value, the environmental situation of the markets, and the quality of management. The study identified the socio-economic and social characteristics of shoppers and shop owners and identified the physical and design characteristics of the market area. Assess the environmental quality; examine the factors that drive or inhibit patronage in the market. Data for this research were acquired from both secondary and primary sources. The questionnaire was administered using a systematic random sampling technique to shoppers and shop owners inside the market area. From two thousand shops (2,000) shops owners in the study areas, four hundred and eighty (480) shops owners were selected for questionnaire administration, signifying 24%. The average population of shoppers that patronized the Alasinloye market in a day, amount to fifteen thousand and six hundred shoppers (15600). Seven hundred and eighty (780) shoppers were selected as the sample size representing 5%. ANOVAL, regression, and descriptive statistics tools were employed to analyze the data. The results obtained show that a Physical Characteristics Index (PCI) of 3.42 was obtained from shoppers, whereas shop owners had 4.21. The perception of Social Characteristics Indices (SCI) of 3.66 was obtained from shoppers, whereas shop owners had 3.55. The results of experts’ perception of the Design Characteristics Index (DCI) show that Alasinloye Market had 3.16. The result of the Market Quality Index (MQI) for the Alesinloye market is 3.44. The results on the relationships between the shoppers’ and shop owners’ socio-economic characteristics and market quality in Alesinloye market show that gender, age, level of education, occupation, among others with Beta -0.165, 0.217, 0.361, 0.235 and p value<0.032, 0.003, 0.004, and 0.001 were significant. The results of the regression analysis displaying the correlation between socioeconomic characteristics, design characteristics, physical characteristics, social characteristics, and market quality shows F-value of 5.232E3 and p-value of 0.000. It was obvious that the relationship was significant. The study concluded that the influencing factors for shoppers and shop owners to market place patronage and quality are directly related to the socioeconomic characteristics of shoppers and shop owners, design characteristics and physical characteristics, and social characteristics of the market place.