An exploratory study of students' consumption of nonalcoholic beverages in Nigeria

Purpose Given the diversity which exists among various groups of consumers, the purpose of this paper is to explore students' consumption of nonalcoholic beverages in Nigeria. Designmethodologyapproach Three focus groups and 20 indepth interviews were conducted with students in three universities located in Lagos, Nigeria. Findings Initial findings indicate that these students' consumption of nonalcoholic beverages is influenced in many ways. Nevertheless, the most striking of these influences are found to be convenience of purchase, along with availability, price, health concerns, and culturesocial reasons. Originalityvalue The main contribution of the study lies in the relevance of segmentation, targeting, and positioning activities of business organisations in respect of marketing of nonalcoholic beverages. Based on the findings, the empirical study will serve as a valuable input to marketers in their planning, analysis, and implementation of appropriate marketing strategies to students visvis the highlighted influences on their consumption of this category of food. It will thus serve as a tool for creating competitive advantage in this prevailing volatile business environment.