Customer Reviews and Buyers’ Behaviour in Selected Eateries in Ilorin

Customer reviews have become a crucial factor influencing consumer buying behaviour in the digital age. With the rise of e-commerce and online platforms, potential buyers rely heavily on customer feedback before making purchasing decisions. The general objective of the research is to examine the effect of customer reviews on buyers’ behaviour in selected eateries in Ilorin. The specific objectives were, to: determine the impact of review rating on economic situation in selected eateries in Ilorin, examine the effect of review expertise on perception in selected eateries in Ilorin, and determine the effectiveness of review credibility on occupation in selected eateries in Ilorin. Eight (8) popular eateries were selected in Ilorin. The selected eateries are; The Claypot restaurant, The Place, Tasty Jollof Restaurant, Iya Yusuf Canteen, Place of Pleasure, and T and K, The Chops Central and Kilimanjaro. The customers of the eight selected restaurant serve as the population of the study. This study adopted a descriptive survey design because it is the most appropriate design when gathering people’s opinions and studying a large population. The study adopted a purposive sampling technique and a sample size of 384 was arrived at using Cochran (1977) sample size formula. The study found out that review rating has significant impact on economic situation in selected eateries in Ilorin, review expertise has significant effect on perception in selected eateries in Ilorin, and review credibility has significant effect on occupation in selected eateries in Ilorin. The study recommended that; selected eateries should consider the purchasing power of the people so as to have more positive reviews about their eateries as against negative reviews, adopt the use of expert in food and nutrition to review their foods and avoid the use of bug reviews in order to have more positive reviews.