Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the study

Retailing is a distinct, diverse and dynamic sector. It is an activity of enormous

economic significance to most developed nations. It generates revenue and wealth for

nation, encourages investments and brings technological advancements .Stated that it

brings employment and creates wealth of the economy. It is a vibrant part of our

changing society and a major source of employment. Retailing performs activities at

larger level so it requires massive manpower to handle and manage its operations.

Retailing also helps society in general by providing goods and services in reasonable

price and increasing their standards of living. Retailing is the set of activities that

markets products or services to final consumers for their own personal or household

use. It does this by organizing their availability on a relatively large scale and

supplying them to consumers on a relatively small scale. Retailing makes products

and services available in large quantities. Retailers produce or order the

products/services in bulk so they can take advantage of economy of scale and thus

they can formulate competitive pricing strategies. Products and services are generally

sold through the store or on the internet. The first decade of modern retail in India has

been characterized by a shift from traditional kirana shops to new formats including

department stores, specialty stores hypermarkets, and supermarkets and across a range

of categories. Modern retail formats have mushroomed in metros and mini-metros. In

the last few years, modern retail has also established its presence in the small cities,

exposing residents to shopping options like never before. Big Bazaar is a chain of

shopping malls in India currently with 31 outlets, owned by the Pantaloon Group. The

idea was pioneered by entrepreneur Kishore Biyani, the head of Pantaloon Retail

1
India Ltd. The idea from the very beginning was to make Big Bazaar very

comfortable for the Indian customer. Big Bazaars all over India attract a few

thousand customers on any regular day, and a lot more if they are offering something

extra on each buy, which they normally are! And the sales force at Big Bazaar along

with the executives is prepared for them.

1.2 Need for the Study

From the days of industrial revolution when goods & services were produced to the

present day, the emphasis has shifted from the producers to the consumer and his

needs, and with the consumer becoming more involved, in the marketing process

there is greater need for information regarding the consumer needs. Preferences and

making them satisfied of the products & services, has led to a constant but increasing

need to conduct marketing research. This research is an insight into the mind of the

consumer, with the help of which the organizations will become aware of their pitfalls

and in turn can also make improvements in the product regarding the level of

satisfaction of the consumers towards their offerings in the market place.

1.3 Scope of the study

The scope of study is confined to Retailing Management At Future Retail Ltd with

Big Bazaar, abids Branch, Hyderabad. The study that conducted includes analysis of

Retailing Management adopted at Future Retail Ltd with reference to Big Bazaar.

2
1.4 Objectives of the study

To study and analyze the Retailing Management of Future Group Limited with

reference to Big Bazaar Shopping Mall.

To identify the problems or lapses in Retailing Management of the Mall.

1.5 Source of the Data

The study is based on primary data & secondary data

Primary data

Primary data was collected by using structured questionnaire administered to select

number of customers.

Secondary data

Secondary data was collected from websites and text books.

1.6 Research methodology

Sampling Size : The sampling size is 100

Sampling Method : convenience sampling method

Extent of Sampling Procedure : The sampling is done in Hyderabad, Abids Branch

Time Period : Time period for the research is limited for three

days

Research Instrument : Structured Questionnaire

1.7 Limitation
3
 The present research is restricted to only one mall i.e. Abids branch in

Hyderabad
The sample size taken is only 100 and as such is very small as compared --

to the universe, this is due to the constraints of time and effort, and as

such may not be enough to generalize to the entire population, however it

is presumed that the sample represents the universe.

Industry profile
Retailing Industry

Retailing in India is one of the pillars of its economy and accounts for 14 to 15

percent of its GDP. The Indian retail market is estimated to be US$ 500 billion and

one of the top five retail markets in the world by economic value. India is one of the

fastest growing retail markets in the world, with 1.2 billion people.

As of 2013, India's retailing industry was essentially owner manned small shops. In

2010, larger format convenience stores and supermarkets accounted for about 4

percent of the industry, and these were present only in large urban centres. India's

4
retail and logistics industry employs about 40 million Indians (3.3% of Indian

population).

Until 2011, Indian central government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in

multi-brand retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets,

convenience stores or any retail outlets. Even single-brand retail was limited to 51%

ownership and a bureaucratic process.

In November 2011, India's central government announced retail reforms for both

multi-brand stores and single-brand stores. These market reforms paved the way for

retail.Retailing encompasses the business activities involved in selling goods and

services to consumers for their personal, family, or household use. It includes every

sale to the final consumer ranging from cars to apparel to meals at restaurants to

movie tickets. Retailing is the last stage in the distribution process .Retailing today is

at a fascinating crossroads. On the one hand, retail sales are at their highest point in

history. Wal-Mart is now the leading company in the world in terms of sales ahead of

ExxonMobil, General Motors, and other manufacturing giants. New technologies are

improving retail productivity. There are lots of opportunities to start a new-- retail

businessor work for an existing oneand to become a franchisee. Global retailing

possibilities abound. On the other hand, retailers face numerous challenges. Customer

service expectations are high at a time when more retailers offer self-service and

automated systems. At the same time, some retailers remain unsure what to do with

the Web; they are still grappling with the emphasis to place on image enhancement,

customer information and feedback, and sales transactions.

These are the key issues that retailers must resolve: How can we best serve our

customers while earning a fair profit? How can we stand out in a highly competitive

environment where consumers have so many choices? How can we grow our

5
business while retaining a core of loyal customers? Our point of view: Retail

decision makers can best address these questions by fully understanding and applying.

The basic principles of retailing in a well-structured, systematic, and focused retail

strategy.

Retailing is an important field to study because of its impact on the economy, its

functions in distribution, and its relationship with firms selling goods and services to

retailers for their resale or use.

The tasks performed by retailers affect the percentage of each sales dollar they need to

cover costs and profits .Retailers also complete transactions with customers. This

means having convenient locations, filling orders promptly and accurately, and

processing.innovation and competition with multi-brand retailers such as Wal

Mart, Carrefour and Tesco, as well single brand majors such as IKEA, Nike,

and Apple. The announcement sparked intense activism, both in opposition and in

support of the reforms. In December 2011, under pressure from the opposition, Indian

government placed the retail reforms on hold till it reaches a consensus.

In January 2012, India approved reforms for single-brand stores welcoming anyone in

the world to innovate in Indian retail market with 100% ownership, but imposed the

requirement that the single brand retailer source 30 percent of its goods from India.

Indian government continues the hold on retail reforms for multi-brand stores. In June

2012, IKEA announced it had applied for permission to invest $1.9 billion in India

and set up 25 retail stores. An analyst from Group stated that the 30 percent

requirement was likely to significantly delay if not prevent most single brand majors

from Europe, USA and Japan from opening stores and creating associated jobs in

India.

6
On 14 September 2012, the government of India announced the opening of FDI in

multi-brand retail, subject to approvals by individual states. This decision we

welcomed by economists and the markets, but caused protests and an upheaval in

India's central government's political coalition structure. On 20 September 2012, the

Government of India formally notified the FDI reforms for single and multi brand

retail, thereby making it effective under Indian law.

On 7 December 2012, the Federal Government of India allowed 51% FDI in multi-

brand retail in India. The government managed to get the approval of multi-brand

retail in the parliament despite heavy uproar from the opposition some states will

allow foreign supermarkets like Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour to open while other

states will not.

Growth of Indian Retail

According to the 8th Annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) of AT

Kearney, India retail industry is the most promising emerging market for investment.

In 2007, the retail trade in India had a share of 8-10% in the GDP (Gross Domestic

Product) of the country. In 2009, it rose to 12%. It is also expected to reach 22% by

2010. According to a report by North bride Capita, the India retail industry is expected

to grow to US$ 700 billion by 2010. By the same time, the organized sector will be

20% of the total market share. It can be mentioned here that, the share of organized

sector in 2007 was 7.5% of the total retail market.

Major Retailers in India

Pantaloon

Pantaloon is one of the biggest retailers in India with more than 450 stores across the

7
country. Headquartered in Mumbai, it has more than 5 million sq. ft retail space

located across the country. It's growing at an enviable pace and is expected to reach 30

million sq. ft by the year 2010. In 2001, Pantaloon launched country's first

hypermarket Big Bazaar. It has the following retail segment-s:

Food & Grocery: Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar

Home Solutions: Hometown, Furniture Bazaar, Collection-i

Consumer Electronics ,Shoe

Books, Music & Gifts: Depot

Health & Beauty Care: Star, Sitara

E-tailing: Futurebazaar.co

Tata Group

Tata group is another major player in Indian retail industry with its subsidiary Trent,

which operates Westside and Star India Bazaar. Established in 1998, it also acquired

the largest book and music retailer in India Landmark in 2005. Trent owns over 4

lakh sq. ft retail space across the country.

RPG Group

RPG Group is one of the earlier entrants in the Indian retail market, when it came into

food & grocery retailing in 1996 with its retail Food world stores. Later it also opened

the pharmacy and beauty care outlets Health & Glow.

Reliance

Reliance is one of the biggest players in Indian retail industry. More than 300

8
Reliance Fresh stores and Reliance Mart are quite popular in the Indian retail market.

It's expecting its sales to reach Rs. 90,000 cores by 2010.

AV Birla Group-

AV Birla Group has a strong presence in Indian apparel retailing. The brands like

Louis Phillips, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, and Peter England are quite popular. It's also

investing in other segments of retail. It will invest Rs. 8000-9000 cores by 2010.

Challenges Facing Indian Retail Industry

The tax structure in India favours small retail business

Lack of adequate infrastructure facilities

High cost of real estate

Restrictions in Foreign Direct Investment

Shortage of retail study options

Shortage of trained manpower

Low retail management skill

The Future

The retail industry in India is currently growing at a great place and is expected to go

up to US$ 833 billion by the year 2030. It is further expected to reach US$ 1.3 trillion

by the year 2018 at a CAGR of 10%. As the country has got a high growth rates, the

consumer spending has also gone up and is also expected to go up further in the

future. In the last four year, the consumer spending in India climbed up to 75%. As a

result, the India retail industry is expected to grow further in the future days. By the

year 2013, the organized sector is also expected to grow at a CAGR of 40%.

9
Retail consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a

department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct

consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as

delivery. Purchasers may be individuals or businesses. In commerce, a "retailer" buys

goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly

or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the end-user. Retail

establishments are often called shops or stores. Retailers are at the end of the supply

chain. Manufacturing marketers see the process of retailing as a necessary part of their

overall distribution strategy. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service

provider services the needs of a large number of individuals, such as a public utility,

like electric power.

Shops may be on residential streets, shopping streets with few or no houses or in a

shopping mall. Shopping streets may be for pedestrians only. Sometimes a shopping

street has a partial or full roof to protect customers from precipitation. Online

retailing, a type of electronic commerce used for business-to-consumer (B2C)

transactions and mail order, are forms of non-shop retailing. Shopping generally

refers to the act of buying products.

Types of retail outlets

A marketplace is a location where goods and services are exchanged. The traditional

market square is a city square where traders set up stalls and buyers browse the

merchandise. This kind of market is very old, and countless such markets are still in

operation around the whole world. In some parts of the world, the retail business is

still dominated by small family-run stores, but this market is increasingly being taken

over by large retail chains.

10
Retail is usually classified by type of products as follows

Food products

Hard goods ("hard line retailers") - appliances, electronics, furniture, sporting

goods, etc.

Soft goods - clothing, apparel, and other fabrics.

There are the following types of retailers by marketing strategy

Department stores

Discount stores

General merchandise store

Supermarkets

Warehouse stores

Mom-And-Pop or Kirana Stores

Specialty Stores

Convenience Stores

Hypermarkets

Supermarkets.

Malls

Category Killers or Category Specialist

E-tailors.

Vending Machines

Automated Retail

Retailers can option for a format as each provides different retail mix to its customers

based on their customer demographics, lifestyle and purchase behaviour. A good

11
format will lend a hand to display products well and entice the target customers to

spawn sales.

Retail Pricing

The pricing technique used by most retailers is cost-plus pricing. This involves adding

a mark up amount (or percentage) to the retailer's cost. Another common technique is

suggested retail pricing. This simply involves charging the amount suggested by the

manufacturer and usually printed on the product by the manufacturer.

In Western countries, retail prices are often called psychological prices or odd prices.

Often prices are fixed and displayed on signs or labels. Alternatively, when prices are

not clearly displayed, there can be price discrimination, where the sale price is

dependent upon which the customer is. For example, a customer may have to pay

more if the seller determines that he or she is willing and/or able to. Another example

would be the practice of discounting for youths, students, or senior citizens.

Transfer Mechanism

There are several ways in which consumers can receive goods from a retailer:

Counter service, where goods are out of reach of buyers and must be obtained

from the seller. This type of retail is common for small expensive items (e.g.

jewellery) and controlled items like medicine and liquor. It was common

before the 1900s in the United States and is more common in certain countries.

Delivery (commerce), where goods are shipped directly to consumer's homes

or workplaces. It means direct marketing, including telemarketing and

television shopping channels, are also used to generate telephone orders.

12
 Door-to-door sales, where the salesperson sometimes travels with the goods

for sale.

Self-service, where goods may be handled and examined prior to purchase,

has become more common since the 1920s.

Second Hand Retail

Some shops sell second-hand goods. In the case of a nonprofits shop, the public

donates goods to the shop to be sold. In give-away shops goods can be taken for free.

There are also "consignment" shops, which are where a person can place an item in a

store and if it sells, the person gives the shop owner a percentage of the sale price. The

advantage of selling an item this way is that the established shop gives the item

exposure to more potential buyers.

Sales Techniques

Behind the scenes at retail, there is another factor at work. Corporations and

independent store owners alike are always trying to get the edge on their competitors.

One way to do this is to hire a merchandising solutions company to design custom

store displays that will attract more customers in a certain demographic. The nation's

largest retailers spend millions every year on in-store marketing programs that

correspond to seasonal and promotional changes. As products change, so will a retail

landscape. Retailers can also use facing techniques to create the look of a perfectly

stocked store, even when it is not.

Retail Sales

13
The Retail Sales report is published every month. It is a measure of consumer

spending, an important indicator of the US GDP. Retail firms provide data on the

dollar- value of their retail sales and inventories. A sample of 12,000 firms is included

in the final survey and 5,000 in the advanced one. The advanced estimated data is

based on a subsample from the US CB complete retail & food services sample.

Company Profile

About The Future Group

Future Group, led by its founder and Group CEO, Mr. Kishore Biyani, is one of

India's leading business houses with multiple businesses spanning across the

consumption space. While retail forms the core business activity of Future Group,

group subsidiaries are present in consumer finance, capital, insurance, leisure and

entertainment, brand development, retail real estate development, retail media and

logistics.

Led by its flagship enterprise, Pantaloon Retail, the group operates over 12 million

square feet of retail space in over 71 cities and towns and 65 rural locations across
14
India. The group owns several leading formats including Pantaloons, Big Bazaar,

Food Bazaar, Home Town, eZone and Central. Pantaloon Retail was awarded the

International Retailer of the Year - 2007, by the US-based National Retail Federation,

the largest retail trade association and the Emerging Market Retailer of the Year 2007

at the World Retail Congress in Barcelona. Future Group believes in developing

strong insights on Indian consumers and building businesses based on Indian ideas, as

espoused in the group's core value of 'Indians'. The group's corporate credo is,

'Rewrite rules, Retain values'.

About FutureBazaar.com

FutureBazaar.com is the e-commerce arm of the Future Group. Future Bazaar

provides an integrated shopping site where consumers are able to buy products from

our flagship stores including eZone, Pantaloons and Big Bazaar online and get home

delivery of products. Future Bazaar delivers across more than 1500 cities and towns in

India covering 16,000 pin codes. Future Bazaar carries genuine products and offers

manufacturer's warranty (as opposed to Seller's warranty) which most other sites offer.

Future Bazaar offers products where the complete supply chain is managed by Future

Group entities unlike other sites that are marketplaces.

By the virtue of being a part of Future Group, Future Bazaar is able to offer a wide

range of genuine products at very competitive prices, confidence of buying from a

trusted source and the convenience of returning in our physical stores.

About Big Bazaar

15
Big Bazaar is not just another hypermarket. Where Big Bazaar scores over other

stores is its value for money proposition for the Indian customers. At Big Bazaar, you

will definitely get the best products at the best prices - that's what we guarantee. With

the ever increasing array of private labels, it has opened the doors into the world of

fashion and general merchandise including home furnishings, utensils, crockery,

cutlery, sports goods and much more at prices that will surprise you. And this is just

the beginning. Big Bazaar plans to add much more to complete your shopping

experience. The Big Bazaar is a useful place to find cheap household items, clothes,

and food all under one roof. However, the chaos and crowds often make shopping

there a challenge.

Pros

Low prices.

Great sales and promotions.

Wide range of products under the one roof.

Many stores.

Cons

Overcrowded.

Checkout can be extremely slow.

Complaints of poor customer service and overcharging.

Quality is variable.

Description

Outlets in around 60 locations across India.

16
 Sells furniture, electronics, clothes, cookware, cosmetics, household items,

food, gifts, and books.

Also have special Food Bazaar outlets.

Most stores open from 10 a.m. until 9.30-10 p.m. daily.

Guide Review - Review of Big Bazaar India

There was a time not so long ago that large department stores were a completely

foreign concept in India -- but not anymore. The Big Bazaar is one such department

store to have set up shop across the country. Since its first outlet opened in Kolkata in

late 2001, the Big Bazaar has spread to towns and cities at an alarming rate.

These multi-level shopping Meccas stock everything from food to fridges, and

cookware to clothes. However, the Big Bazaar isn't your ordinary department store.

It's been especially designed to appeal to the Indian consumer. You may be thinking,

what does that mean? In short, organized chaos.

With a slogan of "Is se sasta aur accha kahin nahi!" ("Nowhere cheaper or better than

this!"), the Big Bazaar targets itself directly at the average Indian's love of following

the crowd and scrambling for a good discount.

Instead, stores are laid out to replicate a market environment, with items all thrown in

together. Promotions such as "Sabse Saste Teen Din" (Cheapest Three Days) and

"Purana Do, Naya Lo" (Give Old, Take New) result in shoppers flooding the stores, to

the point that some stores have become so overcrowded they've had to close.

If you visit the Big Bazaar in the daytime during the week, it is possible to have a

deceptively pleasant and hassle free shopping experience. However, don't make the

17
mistake of going there during a sale, on holidays, evenings, or on Sunday. When I did

this, I had to wait for almost an hour just to be served at the checkout. Forget about

getting the all items I wanted, I was happy to get out of there in one piece! Ive also

found that the full price is all too often charged on sale items, so do check your receipt

to make sure that discounts have been properly recorded.

Timeline

2001

Three Big Bazaar stores launched within a span of 22 days in Kolkata,

Bangalore and Hyderabad

2002

Big Bazaar - ICICI Bank Card is launched.

Food Bazaar becomes part of Big Bazaar with the launch of the first store in

Mumbai at High Street Phoenix.

2003

Big Bazaar enters Tier II cities with the launch of the store in Nagpur.

Big Bazaar welcomes its 10 million-the customer at its new store in Gurgaon.

2004

Big Bazaar wins its first award and national recognition. Big Bazaar and Food

Bazaar awarded the countrys most admired retailer award in value retailing

and food retailing segment at the India Retail Forum.

A day before Diwali, the store at Lower Parel becomes the first to touch Rs 10

million turn over on a single day.

18
2005

Launches a unique shopping program

Electronic Bazaar and Furniture Bazaar are launched.

Big Bazaar and ICICI Bank launched ICICI Bank-Big Bazaar Gold credit card

program to reward its loyal customers.

2006

Big Bazaar launches Shakti, Indias first credit card program tailored for

housewives.

2007

The 50th Big Bazaar store is launched in Kanpur.

Big Bazaar partners with Futurebazaar.com to launch India's most popular

shopping portal.

2008

Big Bazaar becomes the fastest growing hypermarket format in the world with

the launch of its 101st store within 7 years of launch.

Big Bazaar joins the league of Indias Business Super brands.

Big Bazaar initiated the Mega Saving "Monthly Bachat Bazaar" campaign, to

provide exceptional deals on groceries and food items during the first week of

every month.

2009

Big Bazaar captures almost one-third share in food and grocery products sold

through modern retail in India

19
 Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Asin, youth icons of India, were chosen as the

brand ambassadors of Big Bazaar

Big Bazaar announced the launch of 'The Great Exchange Offer'

2010

Big Bazaar connects over 30,000 small and medium Indian manufacturers and

entrepreneurs with around 200 million customers visiting its stores

Big Bazaar opens its fourth store in Kanpur at Jamau which is the largest

leather tannery garrison of Asia

2011

Big Bazaar forays into the rural wholesale and distribution business through

Aadhaar Wholesale store at Kalol, Gujarat.

Big Bazaar has come up a new logo with a new tag line: Naye India Ka

Bazaar. 200th store opened in india.

For the convenience of the online customers, Big Bazaar has started free

shipping on all orders above Rs. 1000.

Entered into an agreement with Hindustan Unilever to co-develop and co-

brand bakery products, which would be sold exclusively at Big Bazaar stores.

2012

Big Bazaar entered into a five year multi-million dollar deal with Cognizant

Technology Solutions for IT infrastructure services that support Future

Group's network of stores, warehouses, offices, and data centers.

2013

20
Future Group-owned Big Bazaar is set to go ahead with its virtual franchisee program

me -Big Bazaar Direct. The retail chain has completed a pilot project for this in

Nagpur, a company official said."This is a hybrid model, which has benefit of both e-

commerce and physical retail," said Vivek Biyani, director of Big Bazaar Direct. The

company will be looking at building franchisees or agents across the country and has

set a target of 10,000 franchisees by the end of 2015 or 50,000 franchisees in three to

four years.

Through this model, the Rs. 9,000-crore Big Bazaar chain will look at making agents

who could be a kiranawala (mom-and-pop stores), an individual businessman or even

a housewife. The agent will take orders from customers and send it to the Big Bazaar

w-ho in turn will deliver the goods at the doorsteps. This business model does not

require the franchisee or the agent to have an inventory."

At present, Big Bazaar has 240 stores across the country. With this model the

company expects to go to Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Pune and

Indore to achieve the targeted numbers of agents.

About the amount of business this model would generate, Biyani said: "In future we

expect every agent to get Rs.4-Rs.5 lakh business every month."

21
 Retailing Management

Retailing encompasses the business activities involved in selling goods and services

to consumers for their personal, family, or household use. It includes every sale to the

final consumer ranging from cars to apparel to meals at restaurants to movie tickets.

Retailing is the last stage in the distribution process .Retailing today is at a fascinating

crossroads. On the one hand, retail sales are at their highest point in history. Wal-Mart

is now the leading company in the world in terms of sales ahead of ExonMobile,

General Motors, and other manufacturing giants. New technologies are improving

retail productivity. There are lots of opportunities to start a new retail business or

work for an existing one and to become a franchisee. Global retailing possibilities

abound. On the other hand, retailers face numerous challenges. Many consumers are

bored with shopping or do not have much time for it. Some locales have too many

stores, and retailers often spur one another into frequent price cutting (and low profit

22
margins). Customer service expectations are high at a time when more retailers offer

self-service and automated systems. At the same time, some retailers remain unsure

what to do with the Web; they are still grappling with the emphasis to place on image

enhancement, customer information and feedback, and sales transactions.

These are the key issues that retailers must resolve: How can we best serve our

customers while earning a fair profit? How can we stand out in a highly competitive

environment where consumers have so many choices? How can we grow our

business while retaining a core of loyal customers? Our point of view: Retail

decision makers can best address these questions by fully understanding and

applying .The basic principles of retailing in a well-structured, systematic, and

focused retail strategy. Retailing is an important field to study because of its impact

on the economy, its functions in distribution, and its relationship with firms selling

goods and services to retailers for their resale or use.

Retail Functions in Distribution

Retailing is the last stage in a channel of distribution all of the businesses and people

involved in the physical movement and transfer of ownership of goods and services

from producer to consumer. Retailers often act as the contact between manufacturers,

wholesalers, and the consumer. Many manufacturers would like to make one basic

type of item and sell their entire inventory to as few buyers as possible, but consumers

usually want to choose from a variety of goods and services and purchase a limited

quantity. Retailers collect an assortment from various sources, buy in large quantity,

and sell in small amounts. Another job for retailers is communicating both with

customers and with manufacturers and wholesalers. Shoppers learn about the

availability and characteristics of goods and services, store hours, sales, and so on

23
from retailer ads, sales people, and displays. Manufacturers and wholesalers are

informed by their retailers with regard to sales forecasts, delivery delays, customer

complaints, defective items, inventory turnover, and more. Many goods and services

have been modified due to retailer feedback.

For small suppliers, retailers can provide assistance by transporting, storing, marking,

advertising, and pre-paying for products. Small retailers may need the same type of

help from their suppliers. The tasks performed by retailers affect the percentage of

each sales dollar they need to cover costs and profits .Retailers also complete

transactions with customers. This means having convenient locations, filling orders

promptly and accurately, and processing.

The Importance of Developing and Applying

A Retail Strategy

A retail strategy is the overall plan guiding a retail firm. It influences the firms

business activities and its response to market forces, such as competition and the

economy. Any retailer, regardless of size or type, should utilize these six steps in

strategic planning

1 Define the type of business in terms of the goods or service category and the

companys specific orientation (such as full service or no frills).

2. Set long-run and short-run objectives for sales and profit, market share, image, and

so on.

3. Determine the customer market to target on the basis of its characteristics (such as

gender and income level) and needs (such as product and brand preferences).

24
4 Devise an overall, long-run plan that gives general direction to the firm and its

employees.

5. Implement an integrated strategy that combines such factors as store location,

product assortment, pricing, and advertising and displays to achieve objectives.

6. Regularly evaluate performance and correct weaknesses or problems when

observed.

The Target Stores Strategy: Keys to Success

Throughout its existence, Target Stores has adhered to a consistent, far-sighted,

customer-oriented strategy the way for its long-term achievements:

Growth-oriented objectives.

Target Corporation has long been guided by principles that are designed to enhance

our long-term financial performance and we remain steadfastly committed to

strategies that fuel consistent growth and profitable market share gains. We believe

that by managing our business like this, we can continue to deliver average annual

growth in earnings per share of 15 percent or more over time and generate substantial

value for our shareholders.

Distinctive company image.

Target Stores has done a superb job of positioning itself: Pay Less + Expect More.

It is a true discount department store chain with everyday low prices. Target Stores

makes up the big three of discounting. It has linoleum floors, shopping carts, and a

simple store layout.

Focus

25
The chain never loses sight of its discount store niche: Our strategic direction at

Target is clear: to continue to delight our guests with differentiated merchandising and

exceptional value while we continue to invest in our technology and leverage our

resources throughout our organization to enhance our performance.

Strong customer service for its retail category

The firm prides itself on offering excellent customer service for a discount store.

Multiple points of contact

Target reaches its customers through extensive advertising, stores in 29 states

Innovation

The firm has long embraced the concepts of innovation and newness, recognizing

the importance of creating unique ways to delight our guests every time they visit our

stores.

Customer Service

Customer service refers to the identifiable, but sometimes intangible, activities

undertaken by a retailer in conjunction with the basic goods and services it sells. It has

a strong impact on the total retail experience. Among the factors comprising a

customer service strategy are store hours, parking, shopper friendliness of the store

layout, credit acceptance, salespeople, amenities such as gift wrapping, rest rooms,

employee politeness, delivery policies, the time shoppers spend on checkout lines, and

customer follow-up. This list is not all inclusive, and it differs in terms of the retail

strategy undertaken. Customer service is discussed further in Satisfaction with

customer service is affected by expectations (based on the type of retailer) and past

experience, and peoples assessment of customer service depends on their perceptions

not necessarily reality. Different people may evaluate the same service quite

26
differently. The same person may even rate a firms customer service differently over

time due to its intangibility, though the service

Relationship Retailing

The best retailers know it is in their interest to engage in relationship retailing,

whereby they seek to establish and maintain long-term bonds with customers, rather

than act as if each sales transaction is a completely new encounter. This means

concentrating on the total retail experience, monitoring satisfaction with customer

service, and staying in touch with customers. a customer respect checklist that

retailers could use to assess their relationship efforts .To be effective in relationship

retailing, a firm should keep two points in mind: (1) Because it is harder to lure new

customers than to make existing ones happy, a win-win approach is critical. For a

retailer to win in the long run (attract shoppers, make sales, earn profits), the

customer must also win in the long run (receive good value, be treated with respect,

feel welcome by the firm).Otherwise, that retailer loses (shoppers patronize

competitors) and customers lose (by spending time and money to learn about other

retailers). (2) Due to the advances in computer technology, it is now much easier to

develop a customer database with information on peoples attributes and past

shopping behavior .Ongoing customer contact can be better, more frequent, and more

focused.

The Functional Features Include

Customer complaints tracking
Job scheduling for the complaints
Online support
Reports

Customer Complaints Tracking

Complaint is the start point of any technical support system. Without a client request

the technical support is not initiated. Complaint tracking is done as follows:

27
 Client may come down or make a phone call or complaint online
The client is validated. The client may have an annual maintenance contract or

may have a product in warranty or of warranty.

The intensity of the complaint is to be estimated to allocate resources.
Expected service type has to be finalized. It may be online assistance indoor or

onsite assistance.

The Job Card includes the following

The compliant id, the assigned engineer id, the data and time of service, the spare

details, no. of man hours required etc.

The spare part name and serial number

The available quantity of each spare part
The prize, warranty and other specifications, supplier information.

Online support
The service is done online also. The client may visit the website to obtain basic

support information about the product and FAQ. He can chat with the service engineer

on phone or online.

Report
The report reflects the current status of the system. The reports that can be generated

are as follows:

Customer request report status of the system. The reports that can be requests.
Service engineer report provides the information about the skills and strengths

of the support team.

Spares report discloses the availability of all the shapes in the system.
Receipts and payments report gives information about the cash flow in the

system.
Bills generation.

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 Data Analysis and Interpretation

1) How did you come to know about BIG BAZAAR products?

No. of respondents Percentage

Electronic Media 22 22%
Print media 28 28%
Road shows 20 20%
Hoardings 30 30%
Total 100 100%

Knowing about the product

29
Interpretation

30% of the respondents came to know about BIG BAZAAR products from hoardings

while 28% of the respondents came to know from print media and electronic media

was assumed by 22% of the respondents. A small significant 20% of the respondents

replied that road shows have helped them in understanding BIG BAZAAR products.

2) How long have been visiting mall?

No. of respondents Percentage

0-6 Months 50 50%
6-12 months 37 37%
1-2 years 12 12%
More than 2 years 01 01%

Total 100 100%

Using of the service (in months)

30
Interpretation

From the above table it is seen that 50% of the respondents have been using BIG

BAZAAR products for past one year. While 37% have been using it for more than 1

year, and a significant 12% of respondents have been using the service for less than

six months. Only 1% of the respondents have been using BIG BAZAAR products for

more than 2 years.

3) Which of the following retail service do you use?

Type of service No. of respondents Percentage

Food 50 50%
Electronics devices 23 23%
Sport kit 5 5%
Textiles 22 22%
Total 100 100%

Kind of retail service

31
Interpretation

From the above table it can be seen that 55% of them are using food services, while

21% are using electronics services, and the 4% are using sport kit services, textiles are

using 20%.

4) What is the reason for choosing this mall?

No. of respondents Percentage

Offers 30 30%
Quality service 41 41%
Brand image 24 24%
Any other 5 5%
Total 100 100%

Reason for choosing this mall

Interpretation

From the above table it is shown that 56% of the respondents are citing quality of

service as the factor. While 24% cited brand image as the reason for choosing the

32
service. As far as price is concerned only 20% of the respondents have quoted it as the

reason for choosing this service.

5) Why do you prefer for this service?

No. of respondents Percentage

Convenience 45 45%
Economical 25 25%
Features 12 12%
Parking 10 10%
Any others 8 8%
Total 100 100%

Preferring for this service

Interpretation

In todays busy world convenience seems to be the most overriding factor while

preferring a cellular service. It is clear that 45% of the respondents have preferred this

service due to easy & hands free availability, making it convenient to use it. On the

other 25% have said economy of the service, while 12% of the respondents have

33
given features as their choice. While a meager 10% of the said parking as the reason

for preferring the service.8% other service.

6) Are you satisfied with the services of the mall??

No. of respondents Percentage

Highly satisfied 30 30%
Satisfied 49 49%
Cant say 9 9%
Dissatisfied 10 10%
Highly dissatisfied 2 2%
Total 100 100%

Satisfaction with the service of the mall

34
Interpretation

From the above table it is clear that 49 % of the respondents are satisfied with the

service of the mall while a significant number i.e., 30% of the respondents highly

satisfied anything and 9% of the respondents cant say,10% of the dissatisfied& 2%

highly dissatisfied .

7) Are you satisfied with the quality of the products offered?

No. Of respondents Percentage

Highly satisfied 55 55%
satisfied 36 36%
Cant say 5 5%
Dissatisfied 4 4%
Highly dissatisfied - -
Total 100 100%

Satisfied with the quality of the products offered:

Interpretation

35
From the above table it is clear that 55 % of the respondents are highly satisfied with

the quality of the product offered mall while a significant number i.e., 36 % of the

respondents satisfied anything and 5 % of the respondents cant say, 4% of the

dissatisfied.

8) Have you faced any problem at the time of purchase?

No. of
respondents percentage
Yes 10 10%
No 90 90%
Total 100 100%

Faced any problem at the time of purchase

36
Interpretation

From the above table it is shown that 90% of the respondents were no faced any

problem in purchase time remaining 10% of the faced problems.

9) Who has influenced you, in purchase decision towards BIG

BAZAAR Product?

No. of respondents Percentage

colleagues 25 25%

37
 Friends 60 60%
Family members 15 15%
Others 0 0%
Total 100 100%

Purchase decision towards BIG BAZAAR Product

Interpretation

From the above table it is shown that 60% of the respondents were influenced by their

friends, 25% by their colleagues and 15% by family members &others.

10) Did you know the customer awareness program for every month?

No. Of
respondents Percentage

38
 Yes 40 40%

No 60 60%

Total 100 100%

Customer awareness program for every month

Interpretation

The above table is indicating that, from the total respondents of the survey 40%

respondents are aware of the customer program , and the remaining 60% respondents

are completely unaware of this statement, due to lack of communication from the

company.

11) If yes, do you suggest them to continue in future?

No. of respondents Percentage

39
 Yes 67 67%
No 33 33%
Total 100 100%

Suggest them to continue in future:

Interpretation

It is clear from the above analysis out of 100% respondents, 67% of the respondents

suggest remaining 33% of the no despondence.

12) Which of the following payments do you prefer?

No .of respondents Percentage

Cash 70 70%
40
 Card payments 25 25%
Both 5 5%
Total 100

Payments do you prefer

Interpretation

It is clear from the above analysis that the out of 100 respondents, 70% of the prefer

pay bill to the Cash and 25% of the card payments remaining 5% of both.

41
13) Do you utilize door delivery system?

No of respondents percentage
Yes 90 90%
No 10 10%
total 100 100%

Utilize door delivery system

Interpretation

It is clear from above 90% of them respondents utilize delivery facilities remaining

10% of them respondents not utilized.

14) If you yes, how do you pay?

42
 No. of respodenents Percentage
Before the delivery 10 10%
After the delivery 50 50%
Both 40 40%
Total 100 100%

Pay

Interpretation

It is clear from above information out the respondents100, 50% of the respondents

Pay the money before the delivery remaining 30%of them after the delivery & 10% of

them both.

15) Is home delivery facility provided by the mall is more convenient to

43
 you?

Type of service No. of respondents Percentage

Yes 99 99%
No 1 01%
Total 100 100%

Mall is more convenience:

Interpretation

Of the 100 respondents surveyed 99% of them convenient for delivery, and only 1%

of the no convenient respondents.

44
16) How do you rate the Mall Staff response for door delivery orders?

No. of respondents percentage

Excellent 50 50%
Good 30 30% M
all Average 20 20%
Poor 0 0%
Total 100 100%
Staff response for door delivery orders

Interpretation:
Of 100 respondents 50% of the respondent excellent staff response to the door

delivery orders remaining 30% & 20% of the respondents good, average.

17) Do you recommend this service to your friends, colleagues &

family?

45
 No. of respondents Percentage
Yes 63 63%
No 37 37%
Cant say 00 00%
Total 100 100%

Recommendation of the service

Interpretation

It is clear that 63% of the respondents would recommend the service, while a

significant 37% of the respondents do not want to recommend the service to their

friends, colleagues & family.

18) What is the pricing of BIG BAZAAR Mall as compared with other?

46
 No. Of respondents Percentage
More Expensive than 00 00%
competitors
Less Competitive 10 10%
Equal to competitive 80 80%
Cant say 10 10%
Total 100 100%

Pricing of BIG BAZAAR Mall as compared with other

Interpretation
The feelings of customers of BIG BAZAAR about the pricing of the services is, 80%

of them are Equal to competitive and feel the prices are comparable with others and

10% of Respondents more the expensive competitive & cant say.

19) Which activity is most feasible to attract the customer?

No. of respondents Percentage

Adervisting 55 55%
Public relationship 5 5%

47
 Sales promotion 20 20%
publicity 20 20%
Total 100 100%

Most feasible to attract the customer

Interpretation

It is clear information above 100 respondents, most of them respondents the

advertising 55%, remaining of the respondents public relationship, publicity, sales

promotion.

20) What are the offers display the big bazaar mall most to the customer?

No. of respondents Percentage

48
 Wednesday 40 40%
Day offers 40 40%
Monthly offers 10 10%
Festival& Others 10 10%
Total 100 100%

Offers display the big bazaar mall

Interpretation

It is clear information above 100 respondents, 40% of the respondents big bazaar

display Wednesdays& Day offers remaining of the 10% of the Monthly, festival

&others.

21) Which income level people are suitable to make purchases in the
mall?

49
 No. of respondents Percentage
High level income 50 50%
Medium level 35 35%
income
Low level income 5 15%
Any level income 10 10%
Total 100 100%

Income level people

Interpretation

It is clear information above 100 respondents 50% of respondents purchase highly

level income people, 35% of respondents middle level income, 5% low level, 10%

any one.

22) What are the additional facilities provided to customers?

50
 No. of respondents Percentage
parking 30 30%
Online purchases 40 40%
Lift 20 20%
Other 10 10%
Total 100 100%

Additional facilities provided to customers

Interpretation:

Of 100 respondents, now the shopping mall increases. so, customers asked some

additional features to the mall 40% online purchasing,30% parking,20 % lift ,10%

others.

23) Do you suggest this mall shopping to your friends?

No. of
respondents percentage
Yes 40 40%
No 51
70 60%
Total 100 100%
Suggest this mall shopping to your friends

Interpretation

If clear above information 60% of the respondents suggest this mall shopping to the

friends remaining 40% not respondents.

Findings

52
 It is found that majority of the respondents came to know about big bazaar

products through print media, electronic media, and hoardings.

It is found that majority of the respondents are attracted towards value addition

services like free door delivery, warranties in food and electronic goods of the

mall.
It is found that majority of the respondents choose big bazaar for its Quality of
service and offers.
It is found that majority of the respondents prefer big bazaar for its

convenience and availability of economical products.

It is found that majority of the respondents are highly satisfied with service of

the mall.
It is found that majority of the respondents highly satisfied with the quality of

product offered.
It is found that majority of the respondents have not faced any problem at time

of purchase.
It is found that majority of the respondents are influenced by the friends

towards purchasing big bazaar products.

It is found that majority of the respondents prefer to pay purchase the products

on cash.
It is found that majority of the respondents to utilize the door delivery system

and also interest to pay after the delivery & excellent response by the staff of

big bazaar in the door delivery system.

It is found that majority of the respondents are equal to the competitors price

of big bazaar products.

It is found that majority of the respondents to the big bazaar offered by

Wednesday, daily offers.

It is found that majority of the customers are high and middle class people
It is found that majority of the respondents wants additional features are

parking, online purchase.

53
 Suggestions

It is suggested to focus on print & electronic media and outdoor

advertisement.
It is suggested to give more focus on services provided in food and electronic

goods Sections.
It is suggested to improve or maintain the same quality of service.
It is suggested to start more number of malls in all areas and increase more

number of economical and quality products.

It is suggested to maintain the quality of product offered.
It is suggested to continue the existing billing system and purchasing methods.

54
 It is suggested to concentrate on event management to encourage more

number of visitors to visit malls.

It is suggested to focus on the door delivery system.
It is suggested to focus on giving better offers than competitors, as price is

equal in all places.

It is suggested to focus on Wednesday, daily offers.
It is suggested to focus on high and medium level income people.
It is suggested to focus on parking, online purchase facilities.

Conclusion
The respondents are of BIG BAZAAR, and they came know about the service from

hoardings, print media, primarily and through electronic media and road shows

secondarily. The service provided by BIG BAZAAR is used by majority of the

respondents and the reason for choosing it is the quality of the service, followed by

brand image. Customer satisfaction of the respondents towards BIG BAZAAR is

high; however a significant number of the respondents are dissatisfied with its

services. In purchasing BIG BAZAAR products family appear to be the prime

motivators of the respondents in making their purchase decisions, due to the special

offers being targeted by the company at this segment. The respondents are paying

their bills at the company show rooms, and these are also on delivery time. The

respondents are desirous of having online bill payment service for convenience as its

55
saves their time, money and effort. The instruments being providing with billing

service are being well received by the respondents.

56