DETERMINANTS OF MOTORISTS CHOICE OF A PETROL STATION IN KENYA A SURVEY OF THIKA SUB COUNTY

Abstract

Choice presupposes the existence of alternative courses of action and implies access or ability to follow any of the available courses of action without hindrance. Consumers make decisions by allocating their scarce income across all possible goods in order to obtain the greatest satisfaction. Thus, this study sought to investigative the determinants of motorist choice of a petrol station in Kenya with focus on service quality, accessibility, brand preference, promotion and price. The study employed a descriptive research design and was carried out in Thika Sub County in Kiambu County, Kenya. A sample of 260 respondents was randomly selected from each of the 12 petrol stations in Thika town. To collect data for the study a questionnaire was used. The questionnaires were administered to the sampled respondents and the data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. To establish the relationship between the dependent and the independent variables regression analysis was used. The study findings established that service quality, accessibility, brand preference and promotion influences the choice of a petrol station by motorist in Kenya while price had no influence on motorists choice of a petrol station. The study findings revealed that service quality, accessibility, brand preference, promotion and prices positively influences the motorists’ choice of a petrol station in Kenya. The study concluded that the choice of a petrol station by motorists is influence by several factors among them service quality, accessibility brand preference and promotion.