INFORMATION NEEDS AND SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF POINT OF SALE (POS) MERCHANTS IN ELEKAHIA PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE

The study examined the information needs and seeking behaviour of Point of Sale (POS) merchants in Elekahia, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The objectives of the study are to ascertain the information needs of POS merchants, to determine the sources through which POS merchants seek information and to identify the challenges faced by POS merchants while searching for information. Descriptive survey design was used for the investigation. The population of the study comprised 15 POS merchants and census sampling technique was used to sample the population since it was of a manageable size. A total of 15 copies of the questionnaire were distributed among the POS merchants in Elekahia metropolis and 12 copies were retrieved and found usable. The data were analyzed with frequency counts and simple percentages. The findings revealed that availability of cash, how to get the cash at less charges, are the information needs of POS merchants. Meanwhile, they source for information through their fellow merchants, POS agents, the Internet, and banks which is the main information sources consulted by POS merchants. Lastly, the study established that network issues, fraudsters, negative reactions from customers, unavailability of cash, and insincere workers were the major challenges faced by POS merchants while seeking information. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that policymakers should also work to create an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive by implementing policies that support the growth of the
sector and provide access to credit and other financial services.