Understanding consumer desires is important for effective positioning of goods and services in various market segments. Comprehensive analyses of chicken consumers’ behaviour are limited in the literature; with none in the Kenyan market. This study assessed chicken consumers’ preferred purchase outlets, forms of chicken purchased, frequency and timing of consumption in the peri-urban areas of Nairobi city, Kenya. A random sample of 200 chicken consumers was interviewed at various purchase and consumption places using structured questionnaires. Qualitative methods were applied in the data analysis. Results showed that most respondents buy chicken from roadside markets than other outlets, broilers are preferred to local chicken, consumers prefer fresh slaughtered chicken rather than other forms such as live or cooked, and over two-thirds of the consumers buy chicken less frequently - after a week or longer duration. Further, more than three-quarters of respondents reported that they consume chicken at home compared to when in transit or while away at work. Over two-thirds of the consumers considered cleanliness of place of sale and the seller, price and accuracy of the quantity offered as the main issues that they are concerned with when making purchase decisions. More than half of the consumers also reported that they preferred naturally reared chicken without growth hormones/stimulants. These findings offer useful insights for chicken producers and traders to provide chicken with acceptable features, in the right quantities and timing that fits within consumers’ desires. This will enhance consumer safety and satisfaction, as well as ensure responsible business practices.

了解消费者的需求对于在不同的细分市场中有效地定位商品和服务是很重要的。文献中对鸡肉消费者行为的综合分析有限;而肯尼亚市场上却没有。本研究评估了肯尼亚内罗毕城市周边地区鸡肉消费者的首选购买网点、购买形式、消费频率和消费时间。随机抽样200名鸡肉消费者在不同的购买和消费场所使用结构化问卷进行访问。资料分析采用定性分析方法。结果显示，大多数受访者在路边市场购买鸡肉，而不是在其他商店购买，肉鸡比本地鸡肉更受欢迎，消费者更喜欢新鲜屠宰的鸡肉，而不是其他形式的活的或煮熟的鸡肉，超过三分之二的消费者购买鸡肉的频率较低——一周或更长时间后。此外，超过四分之三的受访者表示，他们在家吃鸡肉，而不是在运输途中或工作时吃。超过三分之二的消费者认为销售地的清洁度、销售者、价格和数量的准确性是他们做出购买决定时所关心的主要问题。超过一半的消费者还表示，他们更喜欢不含生长激素的天然养鸡。这些发现为鸡肉生产商和贸易商提供了有用的见解，让鸡肉具有可接受的特性，在合适的数量和时间满足消费者的需求。这将提高消费者的安全和满意度，并确保负责任的商业行为。