1.1 Introduction
Fast foods is known as quick service restaurants, refer to those food service providers, either restaurants or even precooked or preheated packages in the store, with the lower price. Fast foods become more popular due to its inexpensiveness and quick services. Regarding to the fact that in the modern world propel are much more engaged with the life challenges and it’s pretty tough to fine the proper time to make daily or weekly grocery shopping and cook.
Fast foods are quite good alternatives for the people in order to save up more time. Product display has been of immense value to a retail shops especially in the fast food industries. Marketing is one of the organic business functions, without it, a business cannot survive. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as a performance of goods and services from producers to ultimate users.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Fast food is one of the world’s largest growing food types. The emergence of fast food industries in Nigeria is as a result of dynamically continuous innovation. The existence of product display can be traced back during the burliest stage of production. The activities of the fast food industries, the back stage and front stage, the extra services accompanying product offer, the different method or techniques of product displaying are resulted from continuous discontinuity and dynamics in environment. Therefore, only the companies that displayed well, their packaged needs and wants of customers that can effectively and efficiently satisfy customers because a satisfied customer is a retained customer. Product display is a pre-requisite for successful high sales and promotion to the company.
Fast food restaurants have gained increased acceptance and patronage over the years as more brands keep coming up yearly, hence increased competition and quest for market share. In 2017 alone, Kilimanjaro, Apples and Roots opened new fast food restaurants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to compete with already existing local restaurants that have won the heart of the consumers.
Globalization has impacted the food sales, processing and manufacturing, its utilization and arrangements, and people have started consuming snacks in a new way due to the significant growth of pizza, burgers, snacks and fizzy drinks. Recently, a different approach to service innovation was introduced by Jing Hua Li (2012) who carried out research on service innovation in China. He presented a cross framework where he distinguished four branches of service innovation regarding different internal and external factors influencing the distinction of innovation types.
Marketing is one of the organic business functions, without it, a business cannot survive. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as a performance of goods and services from producers to ultimate users. The marketing concept is a managerial philosophy which assumes that the ultimate aim of a business is to satisfy the target market, in the most effective and efficient manner through proper identification of needs and wants of such target market.
In the current era customers can opt between majority of retailers offering similar kinds of products and services. While it is important, retailer has to distinguish themselves from the competitors and gain competitive edge over them. Food industry improve the service quality of restaurants, give the customers best services with quality maintained to keep them satisfied, resulting in retention of the customers (Kumar et al, 2010).
The fast food restaurants are increasing in Pakistan because consumers opt for eating conveniently, with economical prices and easy access. The branded international food chains, have contributed in the growth of Fast Food Market. The restaurants in Nigeria provide home delivery and take away option to its customers (Mohammad Arifeen December 2017). From the fore going, it can be seen that the marketing concept is in accordance with the company's objective of making profit. But this concept further states that such profit must be made by producing goods and services that satisfy the consumer wants and needs, and from the integration of marketing activities.
Therefore, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Service Innovativeness and Sales Performances of Fast Food Firms.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that despite the fact that consumers in Nigeria are used to our local staple food such as rice, garri, yam, and many more. Producers or manufacturers of fast food are deemed lazy and irresponsible by most people owing to our values. It is a positive problem based on maintenance and improvement fast food and pastries are pure goods accompanied by services. The quality of these products and services and their display techniques have attracted commendation.
The customers ranging from the parents to the bankers, students and kids who are patronizing commended also. The products display areas have been improved and should be maintained and also hobble to modifications and dynamically innovative due to rapid changes in environmental and sowed life style. There is need for proper checks and maintenance in these displays techniques and the quality of these products.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to determine the Service Innovativeness and Sales Performances of Fast Food Firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To identify the factors that impeder the efficient marketing of fast food in the area under review;
- To examine the marketing strategies adopted by fast food firms and their impacts;
- To investigate the effect of goal setting on sales performance of fast food restaurants in the study area;
- To ascertain the effects of frequent price change in fast food business in the area under review; and
- To examine the service innovation commercialization process in fast food companies in the area under review.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there factors that impeder the efficient marketing of fast food in the area under review?
- What are the marketing strategies adopted by fast food firms and their impacts?
- What is the effect of goal setting on sales performance of fast food restaurants in the study area?
- What are the effects of frequent price change in fast food business in the area under review?
- What is the service innovation commercialization process in fast food companies in the area under review?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: Goal setting has no significant effect on growth of selected fast food restaurants in the area under review
- H1: Goal setting has significant effect on growth of selected fast food restaurants in the area under review
Hypothesis Two
- H0: There are no significant factors that impeder the efficient marketing of fast food in the area under review
- H1: There are significant factors that impeder the efficient marketing of fast food in the area under review
1.7 Significance of Study
This study is beneficial and important with respect to the problems under study. The fast food industry will benefit from the study since hopefully it will unearth the causes of high or low popularity of fast food. It will help the management of fast food firm to know the areas where there is need for improvement in the product display and the company's management in general.
This study will also be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Service Innovativeness and Sales Performances of Fast Food Firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
Marketing Strategies:
Marketing strategies involves all those activities put in place such as product planning, market diversification, promotion and distribution programme etc aimed at satisfying the target market more effectively and efficiently.
Fast Food:
Quickly eat in food as a stop gap especially hamburgers, meet pies, cotactch-egg doughnut etc.
Customer Satisfaction:
This is the process of ensuring that customers are provided with what they need and want goods and services or things of value, at the right time, the right place, and in the right combination.
Menu:
This is a list of courses at a meal available at a restaurant, like Mr. Biggs and Rennis.
Marketing:
Marketing is the human effort directed toward the identification and satisfaction on consumers want and needs through exchange process.
Channel of Distribution:
They are the marketing institutions that exchange titles to products as it moves from production point to consumption point.
Product:
Product means anything offered to the market for attention, acquisition and or used and which has a monetary value.
Fast Food Firms:
Fast food firm, are those firms that manufacture and sell fast food to fast food customers.
Fast Food Customers:
Fast Food Customers are the people who buy and eat fast food.
Market:
A market is defined as people with the need to satisfy with the purchasing power to back up the need as well as the willingness to spend it.
