Effects of Product Differentiation Strategies on the Sales Performance of Bakeries in Akure, Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of Product Differentiation Strategies on the Sales Performance of Bakeries in Akure with a view to gaining some insight into how to improve the performance of the Industry. Using Survey Research Design, primary data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire, and a sample size of 181 respondents was used in the study. The data collected were analyzed using both the Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. The study empirically established that sales among Bakeries in the study area generally increased in the last five years preceding the study. Furthermore, the study revealed that the Bakeries used Product Differentiation Strategies to a very high extent. The study also established that out of the six Product Differentiation Strategies selected, Product Conformance and Product Design Strategies individually exerted a significant positive effect on the Sales Performance of Bakeries in the study area, while Product Performance Strategy exerts a significant negative effect on Sales Performance. Finally, the study recommends the strengthening of the Product Reliability Strategy, a review of Product Performance Strategy and regular Customer Satisfaction Survey with a view to enhancing the Sales Performance of Bakeries.