Critical Consumer Problems in St. Lucia: a Focus Group Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to critically examine consumer issues in St. Lucia. Rural adult consumers are the most disadvantaged in terms of levels of education, income, and access to resources, which may help to prevent and mediate consumer concerns. The specific research questions examined were: What is the nature of problems experienced by rural St. Lucian adult consumers in the marketplace? How do rural St. Lucian adult consumers solve the challenges they encounter in the marketplace? What is it like for rural St. Lucian adult consumers as they go about trying to learn to solve the consumer issues they face? What do rural St. Lucian adult consumers perceive to be the requisites for effective decision-making in the marketplace? For the purpose of data collection, two focus group interviews (8 participants per group) of clustered participants were used. The findings of this study revealed that rural adult consumers face numerous problems in the marketplace, rely on information from friends, family, neighbours and co-workers extensively before entering the marketplace, call for education programmes to educate them about consumer problems. This study provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the many consumer issues faced by rural adult consumers in the marketplace, and how these consumers navigate in the marketplace without the benefit of a consumer education programme.