Purchase Decisions in Urban Homes among Middle Aged Consumers with Grown Children in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

AGBAJE Yinusa Toyese

The study evaluated purchase decisions in urban homes among middle aged consumers with grown children in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The objectives were to evaluate the level of participation of children in family purchases and identify the factors that contributed to children purchase participation. There averagely four children per household. The various products purchased by households for investigation were; foodstuff, household items, automobile, and accommodation. The factors responsible for children participation in purchases were; leisure time (81.13%), age (71.96%), gender (63.09%), family income (60.65%), class of commodity (54.18%), education of children (64.67%) as well as stage of life of children (66.03%). Despite children participation in purchase decision, the result revealed that most purchases for home makers’ responsibility were done by female children while the most of investment related purchases and high involving purchases were carried out by male children. Upon the significance of children in household purchase decision, the result still portends that a limit exists into the level of participation because some products are user sensitive and thus purchase sensitive. Lastly, the study also points to the fact that a limit exists to the level of participation of children in high involving purchases. Criteria that may step up children (male) in involving purchases may be by way of supervisory role as it is expected in building construction through input use supervision and intermittent purchases.