Table of Content

CHAPTER – 1 INTRODUCTION 2 -15

CHAPTER – 2 CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN RETAIL SECTOR 16-20

CHAPTER – 3 BUYING BEHAVIOUR 21-34

CHAPTER – 4 ORGANIZED VS UNORGANIZED RETAIL 35-37

CHAPTER – 5 PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE

OF THE STUDY 38- 42

CHAPTER – 6 LITERATURE REVIEW 43-50

CHAPTER-7 METHODOLOGY 51-57

CHAPTER-8 ANALYSIS OF DATA 58-80

CHAPTER-9 FINDINGS 81-82

CHAPTER-10 LIMITATION 83-85

CHAPTER-11 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 86-88

CHAPTER -12 CONCLUSION 89-93

CHAPTER-13 APPENDIX 94-101

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CHAPTER – 1

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

2

Consumer behaviour patterns are influenced by the culture, the psychology, the

social and financial status of the person making a shopping excursion.  The success

or failure of the venture is affected by when, where, how and why people make the

decision to go shopping.

This report investigates the differences between the genders when fashion buying

decisions are made. It seeks to determine if there are basic influences affecting

choice. Are they persuaded by advertising in magazines or on television? Do their

friends or celebrities have an influence on their decision? Does their social life play

a part?

Consumer behaviour is the study of why, when, where, and how people either do

or do not buy products. It blends fundamentals of psychology, sociology, cultural

experience and economics. This report covers an investigation into understanding

the gender related buying decision making process, It seeks to find an answer to

the question, why do ladies enjoy shopping and spending money and men do not?

The survey also sought to confirm that women make more shopping visits then

men and spend more money than men at that shopping.

There are a number of additional factors which could also affect consumer

behaviour, shopping enjoyment and spending, these could not all be included in the

questionnaire, due to size and time constraints. Brand loyalty and advertising

3

psychology, peer pressure relating to fashion and design, competition between

brands and shops, and price, are all factors which affect the choice of fashion

eventually made.  Does a pair of jeans bought from the local market, against a pair

of designer jeans from a designer boutique; really make any difference when all

you are doing is studying.

The other main factor is the internet and the numerous ways of perusing the latest

design fashions and the ease of buying them.  Historically men have had a dislike

of buying trips, since emancipation women have taken on the purchasing role 

buying the clothes, toiletries etc. For the man.  The fashion explosion of the 60’s,

70’s and 80’s with rock and roll, punk and boy bands moved that shopping trend

back to the male.  The substantially increased numbers of the female university

population over the same time frame held the balance. However the internet,

releasing the man from shopping trips and making available a whole and

constantly changing choice of fashion products could well now have quite a

different result if this survey was repeated in 3 to 5 years.

INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN RETAIL

INDUSTRY:

4

The sea of change can pull customers in many directions. It is our responsibility to

light the way and take care of them… before the competition does.

RETAILING Means “Re-tailing” to the customers so that they comeback.

Retailing consists of all activities involved in selling goods and services to

consumers for their personal, family, or household use. It covers sales of goods

ranging from automobiles to apparel and food products, and services ranging from

hair cutting to air travel and computer education. Sales of goods to intermediaries

who resell to retailers or sales to manufacturers are not considered a retail activity.

The Indian retail story couldn't have been more different. India has approx 12

million retail stores, more than rest of the world put together. But the per capita

square feet area under retail is just 2 sq.ft or 0.2 sq. meters with fragmented kirana

stores being the predominant players.

Retailing in India has remained in the unorganized sector and largely untouched by

corporate. The first decade of modern retail in India has been characterized by a

shift from traditional channels to new formats including department stores,

hypermarkets, supermarkets and specialty stores 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 second rung cities.

Thus, exposing the residents of these cities to shopping options, they have never

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experienced before. It has been forecasted that the share of modern retail will

increase from 2 per cent currently, to about 15-20 per cent over the next decade. To

begin with, retailers today will have to support the large retail infrastructure in

terms of Malls and Superstores that are being created. The challenge for leading

retailers shall therefore shift from diverting demand to creating demand.

With all the modern stores offering convenience in terms of an assortment of

products, ambience, service and innovative products, the paradigm shall shift from

competing with the kirana stores to an in-house demand creation. Relevant

experiences from consumer goods companies, which have successfully crafted an

explosion in demand in their sectors, through innovation, consumer driven

strategies, will be head runner. Times are changing. With the GDP at an all time

high and income levels shooting through the roof, the average Indian consumer has

never had it so good. The propensity to consume has reached peaks that had never

been scaled before. Credit cards are flashed with disdain and shopping baskets are

getting bigger all the time. Here are some factors that indicate the potential of retail

in India:

At 271 million, one of the largest consuming base in the world, forming

27% of the total population.

A high spending community below 45 years comprises 81 percent of the

population.

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A young population with 54% population below 25 years

Increased literacy from 44% in 1965 to 70% in 2003

Increase in working women from 1.3 million in 1961 to 4.8 million in 1998.

The first decade of modern retail in India has been characterized by a shift from

traditional kirana shops to new formats including department stores, hypermarkets,

supermarkets and specialty stores across a range of categories. Modern retail

formats have mushroomed in metros and minimetros.

In the last few years, modern retail has also established its presence in the second-

rung cities, exposing residents to shopping options like never before. However,

even as modern retailers garner share from traditional channels, there is a larger

role they would be required to play in boosting consumption levels.Figures suggest

that the total turnover of the sector is around Rs 10 lakh crores, of which 4 percent

is contributed by the organised sector.

The retail sector in India is highly fragmented with organized retail contributing to

only 2% of total retail sales. The retail sector in developed countries was also

highly fragmented at the beginning of the last century but emergence of large

chains like Wall Mart, Sears, and McDonald’s led to rapid growth of organized

retail and growing consolidation of the retail industry in the developed countries.

7

Organized retail is growing rapidly and we see the emergence of large organized

retail chains like Shopper’s Stop, Lifestyle, and Westside. We also find retail malls

mushrooming all over the country. The opportunities in retail industry in India will

increase since Indian retailing is on the threshold of a major change.

India retail industry is the largest industry in India, with an employment of around

8% and contributing to over 10% of the country's GDP. Retail industry in India is

expected to rise 25% yearly being driven by strong income growth, changing

lifestyles, and favorable demographic patterns. It is expected that by 2016 modern

retail industry in India will be worth US$ 175- 200 billion. India retail industry is

one of the fastest growing industries with revenue expected in 2007 to amount US$

320 billion and is increasing at a rate of 5% yearly. A further increase of 7-8% is

expected in the industry of retail in India by growth in consumerism in urban areas,

rising incomes, and a steep rise in rural consumption. It has further been predicted

that the retailing industry in India will amount to US$ 21.5 billion by 2010 from

the current size of US$ 7.5 billion.

Shopping in India have witnessed a revolution with the change in the consumer

buying behavior and the whole format of shopping also altering. Industry of retail

in India which have become modern can be seen from the fact that there are multi-

stored malls, huge shopping centers, and sprawling complexes which offer food,

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shopping, and entertainment all under the same roof. India retail industry is

expanding itself most aggressively, as a result a great demand for real estate is

being created.

TRADITIONAL CONVENIENCE STORES:

Traditional convenience stores are too well established in India than to be wiped

out and besides there is uniqueness in the traditional items that represent the sub-

continent. The retail stores in India are essentially dominated by the unorganized

sector or traditional stores. Infact the traditional stores have taken up 98 percent of

the Indian retail market. Now stores run by families are primarily food based and

the set up is as Kirana or the 'corner grocer' stores. Basically they provide high

service with low prices. If the stores are not food based then the type of retail items

available are local in nature.

The traditional family run convenience stores can take pride in the fact that the

Kirana is the most common outlet forms for the consumers. The tough competition

for convenience stores are coming from organized retail stores dealing in food

items, like:

Apna Bazaar

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Canteen stores

Food World

Subhiksha

Food Bazaar

Convenience Stores are open for long hours and is one of the formats of the

Indian retail stores that cater to basic needs of the consumer. A good example of

such would be Convenio. These stores are found in both residential as well as

commercial markets. The food products of traditional family run convenience

stores are comprised of branded as

well as non-branded items. The benefits of family run convenience stores is that

they give importance to:

Personal touch

Facilities of credit

Quick home delivery

Non-food based stock comprises of multiple and varieties of local brands.

The future of such stores as they face competition from organized sector, would

depend on the following particulars:

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Place and capacity

Diligent area coverage

Disciplined work schedule

Managing turnover

Revenue from assets

Customer service and satisfaction

The traditional family run convenience stores serves the purpose of the housewives

who definitely wants to avoid traveling long distances to purchase daily needs. The

convenience factor in terms of items, among people in general can be highlighted

as below:

Groceries

Fruits

Drug Store

Necessary stationery

As such traditional family run convenience stores are here to stay and cannot be

oversized by the organized retail sector besides, it represents the variety of India.

INDIAN ORGANIZED RETAIL MARKET:

11

Indian organized retail market is growing at a fast pace due to the boom in the

India retail industry. In 2005, the retail industry in India amounted to Rs 10,000

billion accounting for about 10% to the country's GDP. The organized retail market

in India out of this total market accounted for Rs 350 billion which is about 3.5%

of the total revenues.

Retail market in the Indian organized sector is expected to cross Rs 1000 billion by

2010. Traditionally the retail industry in India was largely unorganized, comprising

of drug stores, medium, and small grocery stores. Most of the organized retailing

in India have started recently and is concentrating mainly in metropolitan cities.

The growth in the Indian organized retail market is mainly due to the change in the

consumers behavior. This change has come in the consumer due to increased

income, changing lifestyles, and patterns of demography which are favorable. Now

the consumer wants to shop at a place where he can get food, entertainment, and

shopping all under one roof. This has given Indian organized retail market a major

boost.

Retail market in the organized sector in India is growing can be seen from the fact

that 1500 supermarkets, 325 departmental stores, and 300 new malls are being

built. Many Indian companies are entering the Indian retail market which is giving

12

Indian organized retail market a boost. One such company is the Reliance

Industries Limited. It plans to invest US$ 6 billion in the Indian retail market by

opening 1000 hypermarkets and 1500 supermarkets. Pantaloons is another Indian

company which plans to increase its retail space to 30 million square feet with an

investment of US$ 1 billion. Bharti Telecoms an Indian company is in talks with

Tesco a global giant for a £ 750 million joint venture. A number of global retail

giants such as Walmart, Carrefour, and Metro AG are also planning to set up shop

in India. Indian organized retail market will definitely grow as a result of all this

investment

Classifying Indian retail:

(A)Modern Format retailers

1) Supermarkets (Foodworld)

2) Hypermarkets (Big Bazaar)

3) Department Stores (Shoppers Stop)

4) Specialty Chains (Ikea)

5) Company Owned Company Operated (BP)

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(B)Traditional Format Retailers:

1) Kiranas: Traditional Mom and Pop Stores

2) Kiosks

3) Street Markets

4) Exclusive /Multiple Brand Outlets

14

(C)Large Indian retailers

1. Hypermarket

1) Big Bazaar

2) Giants

4) Star

II Department store

1) Lifestyle

2) Pantaloons

3) Piramyds

III Entertainment

1) Fame Adlabs

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CHAPTER – 2

CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN

RETAIL SECTOR

16

CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN RETAIL

SECTOR:

A) FOOD RETAILERS

There are large number and variety of retailers in the food-retailing sector

Traditional types of retailers, who operate small single-outlet businesses mainly

using family labour, dominate this sector In comparison, super markets account for

a small proportion of food sales in India, However the growth rate of super market

sales has being significant in recent years because greater numbers of higher

income Indians prefer to shop at super markets due to higher standards of hygiene

and attractive ambience.

B) HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCTS

With growth in income levels, Indians have started spending more on health and

beauty products .Here also small, single-outlet retailers dominate the

market .However in recent years, a few retail chains specializing in these products

have come into the market. Although these retail chains account for only a small

share of the total market their business is expected to grow significantly in the

future due to the growing quality consciousness of buyers for these products.

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C) CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR

Numerous clothing and footwear shops in shopping centers and markets operate all

over India. Traditional outlets stock a limited range of cheap and popular items; in

contrast, modern clothing and footwear stores have modern products and attractive

displays to lure customers. However, with rapid urbanization, and changing

patterns of consumer tastes and preferences, it is unlikely that the traditional outlets

will survive the test of time.

D) HOME FURNITURE & HOUSEHOLD GOODS

Small retailers again dominate this sector. Despite the large size of this market,

very few large and modern retailers have established specialized stores for these

products. However there is considerable potential for the entry or expansion of

specialized retail chains in the country.

E) DURABLE GOODS

The Indian durable goods sector has seen the entry of a large number of foreign

companies during the post liberalization period. A greater variety of consumer

electronic items and household appliances became available to the Indian

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customer. Intense competition among companies to sell their brands provided a

strong impetus to the growth for retailers doing business in this sector.

F) LEISURE & PERSONAL GOODS

Increasing household incomes due to better economic opportunities have

encouraged consumer expenditure on leisure and personal goods in the country.

There are specialized retailers for each category of products (books, music

products, etc.) in this sector. Another prominent feature of this sector is popularity

of franchising agreements between established manufacturers and retailers.

Today trend is the development of integrated retail cum Entertainment centers or

shopping malls. An increasing number of retailers are focusing on malls now as

opposed to stand-alone developments. While the number of shopping malls has

seen a massive surge in the recent past in the metros and their suburbs, the latest

trend in this sector is the increasing focus on providing leisure activities such as

multiplexes, facilities for kids' entertainment, eateries etc. within the mall

premises. Customer less the time consumes and more entertainment with his

family in malls because they within shopping mall number of retail shop and

variety of products and selected the product they want. Good environment in mall.

Less crowed and These are enclosed, air-conditioned, multi-level malls of at least

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100,00 sq ft. Critical to these malls is the concept of the anchor, the key outlet or

store around which other outlets cluster. The most popular Indian anchors include

Shoppers' Stop, Globus, Pantaloon, Lifestyle and hypermarkets like Big Bazaar

and Giant. Cinemas also often anchor malls. Driven by the lucrative tax breaks, the

old single screen theatres are being divided into three-five smaller screens, as was

done in the US, years ago. Example for wave and PVR.

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CHAPTER – 3BUYING BEHAVIOUR

21

BUYING BEHAVIOUR

The behavioural paradigm followers accept as true that it is not possible to be able

It is just not possible to study exactly what happens in the consumers mind when

making a purchasing decision because, as we have found, the individuals mind is

just so complex and varies dramatically from individual to individual. Instead

theories of decision making process can help assess what makes the consumer

decide in their buying process they are committed to purchase.

The two different types of paradigm called cogitative and behavioural are utilised

by individual consumers when entering into a purchasing decision.

Firstly, the cogitative paradigm is controlled by the individuals functioning and

rational thought process, these are goal-orientated ways the individual can process

information. The functioning and rational thought process linked closely with the

cogitative paradigm is determined by the way the individual makes their choice by

problem solving and decision making.

to study exactly what goes on in the mind when making a purchasing decision as

the mind is just too complex; so instead a black box is used to help measure the

flow in and out of the mind representing how behavioural patterns occur.

22

He has also shown that there are many processes in which the average consumer

should and can experience when making a purchasing decision, to post purchase

but not always in the same order and these are explained here further:

Routinized problem solving: Is when repeated purchasing of the same

product takes place, usually of low cost and limited external knowledge.

Problem recognition: Acknowledging that a purchase must be made to

accomplish a need or want.

Information search: When the consumer collects information that compares

the product before making a purchase decision.

Evaluation: Evaluating the information collected for the purpose of making

an informed purchasing decision.

Decision: In terms of buyer behaviour, making the decision to purchase.

Purchase: When the act of exchange takes place.

Post purchase evaluation: When the product is evaluated and the consumer

decides if they would re-purchase the product.

Straight re-buy: This is a term widely used by B2B when the consumer

decides to re-buy the same product from the same supplier.

Total set: Meaning all the products that are available in the same category.

Awareness set: When the consumer is aware of the available items in the

same category.

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Evoked set: Are the products in the category that the consumer is aware of

and intents to make a purchase choice from as they are at the front of mind.

HOW THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS

WORKS  

The process of making a decision can be different for each individual but is largely

accessed on the basis of common decision making traits by the decision making

process. As the decision making process involves the use of thoughts and feelings,

knowledge and past experiences, before the end decision is reached it can be

affected by many external factors such as the opinions of others and previous

behaviour associated with potential purchase.

Integrated marketing communications looks closer at the way the individuals

purchasing and the decision making process is affected by external influences.

IMC is described by Pelsmacker as “The idea behind integrated marketing

communication is coordination of messages for maximum impact.” Pelsmacker

describes this as an impart that is created through the use of synergy. Synergy is

the linkages that are created in the indivduals mind as a result of the messages that

are received to create an impact, described as an impact “beyond the power of any

one message on its own.”

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We have found that the decision making process consists of 5 main stages; the

need of recognition and problem awareness, the use of information search,

evaluation of any alternatives, purchase and the post purchase evaluation. This

model suggests that each individual goes thought the same stages for every

purchase; however for more routine purchases, it can be possible for the individual

to miss out a stage or complete the decision process in the opposite order.

The need for recognition starts the decision making process, by making the

individual recognise a need/problem or simply respond to a marketing based

stimulus by thinking about the decision making process.

Problem awareness prompts the individual to consider how much or little

information is needed. When the need is strongest to purchase, then the individual

could make the purchasing decision to buy straight away; if the need is not strong

then the individual will embark on processing information and will conduct an

information search as Pelsmacker described.

An information search is the main influence on the individual’s decision making

process. The individual may seek to obtain any relevant information from many

different sources, including; family, friends, work colleagues and neighbours.

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Commercial sources including advertising and sales people can also contribute.

Sources considered as public such as newspapers, TV and radio can play a part in

contributing. And finally, experiential sources such like physically handling,

investigating and using the product will play a part in influencing the individual’s

final purchasing decision.

Evaluation of alternatives encourages the individual to assess what else is available

to them in the market place, assessing prices, alternative brands and brand

credibility and benefits/services.

As every individual is different, the helpfulness and influence any sources of

information could be to them will vary by product and individual.

Here the Foote Cone and beldin (FCB) shows how the levels of involvement are

ranked in a grid format.

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Foote Cone and Beldin (FCB) Involvement Grid

          

          

          

     

Think                                                                   Feel

 Involvement affects all consumers but in different ways. As different individuals

can purchase the same product, their individual levels of involvement will be

different as they are purchasing for different reasons and as the levels of

involvement range from high to low there are always different expected outcomes

as some individual’s levels of involvement could not be described simply as high

or low.

Engel and Blackwell (1982) showed their understanding of involvement levels

based solely on high involvement routine decision making and repeated purchase

1. Informative (Thinker)

Learn-feel-do (Economic

2. Affective (Feeler)

Feel-learn-do (Psychological)

3. Habit formation (Doer)

Do-learn-feel (Responsive)

4. Self-satisfaction (Reactor)

Do-feel-learn (Social

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behaviour in the low involvement products. Where as in the Foote Cone and

Beldin Grid, they have made their understanding on thinking and feeling.

For each factor there are resource implications as the individuals personal self-

esteem can make the complex confusing. For example:

“The purchase of a can of tomatoes, or a carton of milk, should be regarded as

relatively low involvement because it has little financial or social risk attached to

it. By comparison, the purchase of a car or holiday is highly involving. The

potential benefits from the success could be very high but the personal costs of

failing could also be very high. In addition to the product itself being more or less

involving, individuals themselves can have different levels of involvement.”

The individual uses the information obtained to feel involved with the product they

are considering purchasing. So where the involvement is regarded as high, the

individual is more likely to carry out an extensive evaluation.

The post purchase evaluation is the final stage in the purchasing decision. If the

individual is not entirely happy with the purchase they have made they may think

that an alternative would have been better, this is called ‘cognitive dissidence’.

When cognitive dissidence has taken place it is common that the individual will

28

not repurchase straight away and will often choose a different brand when making

a similar purchase in the future.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND RETAILING

DECISIONS

Consumer behavior refers to the mental and emotional process and the observable

behavior of consumers during searching, purchasing and post consumption of a

product or service. Consumer behavior involves study of how people buy, what

they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends the elements from

psychology, sociology, sociopsychology, anthropology and economics. It also tries

to assess the influence on the consumer from groups such as family, friends,

reference groups and society in general. Buyer behavior has two aspects: the final

purchase activity visible to any observer and the detailed or short decision process

that may involve the interplay of a number of complex variables not visible to

anyone.

FACTORS AFFECTING CONSUMER BUYING

BEHAVIOR

Consumer buying behavior is influenced by the major three factors:

29

Social Factors

Psychological Factors

Personal Factors.

A. Social Factors

Social factors refer to forces that other people exert and which affect consumers’

purchase behavior. These social factors can include culture and subculture, roles

and family, social class and reference groups.

B. Psychological Factors

These are internal to an individual and generate forces within that influence her/his

purchase behavior. The major forces include motives, perception, learning, attitude

and personality.

C. Personal Factors

These include those aspects that are unique to a person and influence purchase

behavior. These factors include demographic factors, lifestyle, and situational

factors.

30

Consumer decision-making process generally involves five stages:

Information Search

Problem Recognition

Purchase Action

Alternative Evaluation

Post purchase Actions

consumer Attribute affecting choice of format between organized and unorganized

Retail

31

32

RETAIL OUTLET SELECTION AND BRAND

SELECTION:

There are three fundamental patterns, which a consumer can follow and they

could be:

(I) Brand first, retail outlet second

(ii) Retail outlet first, brand second

(iii) Brand and retail outlet simultaneously.

A consumer wanting to buy a car may collect information on brands and purchase

it from a retail outlet based on his perception of price offered or after sales service

provided by the outlet (typically, search for information on brands is followed by

retail outlet selection in durables). In certain product categories, especially where

`category killers' exist, consumers may think of the retail outlet initially and then

the brands (television, refrigerator and audio products retailed through outlets like

Vivek and Co. in the South, could be an example).

One more dimension may be to compare brands in the evoked set at retail outlets

which also exist in an evoked set of their own. This is highly possible, especially in

the Indian context where dealers develop a social relationship with consumers,

especially in semi-urban and rural areas. Primary research could be used to

discover the specific sequence involved in a situation of this kind. A `brand first'

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dimension may need feature-based advertising and a `retail outlet first' dimension

may require a set of point-of-purchase (POP) materials and special training to sales

personnel to recognize the needs of consumers.

Brand first and outlet second: The brand was probably thought of by the

consumers because-

(i) the consumers may not have developed a relationship with any retailer which is

strong enough to get into the `evoked retail set' or

(ii) the brand has got into the evoked set because of advertising or positive word of

mouth. Local advertising with the mention of brand names which have already got

into the evoked set would enable consumers to be `pulled' to the outlet. Primary

research may be required to identify the brands in the evoked set.

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CHAPTER – 4

ORGANIZED VS UNORGANIZED

RETAIL

ORGANIZED VS UNORGANIZED RETAIL:

35

In the developed economies, organized retail is in the range of 75-80 per cent of

total retail, whereas in developing economies, the unorganized sector dominates

the retail business. The share of organized retail varies widely from just one per

cent in Pakistan and 4 per cent in India to 36 per cent in Brazil and 55 per cent in

Malaysia (Table 2.2). Modern retail formats, such as hypermarkets, superstores,

supermarkets, discount and convenience stores are widely present in the developed

world, whereas such forms of retail outlets have only just begun to spread to

developing countries in recent years. In developing countries, the retailing business

continues to be dominated by family-run neighbourhood shops and open markets.

As a consequence, wholesalers and distributors who carry products from industrial

suppliers and agricultural producers to the independent family-owned shops and

open markets remain a critical part of the supply chain in these countries.

Table 2.2: Share of Organized Retail in Selected Countries, 2006

CountryTotal Retail Sales (US$ bn) Share of Organized

Retail (%)

USA 2,983 85

Japan 1,182 66

China 785 20

United Kingdom 475 80

France 436 80

36

Germany 421 80

India 322 4

Source: Planet Retail and Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd

37

CHAPTER - 5

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF

THE STUDY

38

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE

STUDY:

I feel the importance of this study is a contemporary marketing issue as the subject

of how gender affects the decision making and buying behaviour processes is a key

topic area.

They way consumer approach to the buying and decision making process affects

how marketing is being perceived in its effectiveness or ineffectiveness; by only

appealing to one gender and sending the ‘wrong message’ out.

Why Delhi and Noida: The malls and shopping complexes are building here at a

high rate and a large number of population shifted towards this format of retailing

so for my project Delhi and Noida are the appropriate places to go for the research

analysis.

Organized retail has started to spread its roots in the Indian market since past one

decade and is gradually making mark among all sections of the society. This

project report tries to explore the way organized retail has dramatically changed

not only the Indian traditional retailing structure by also the consumption behavior.

39

The consumption behavior was examined with the help of a structured

questionnaire. The results show that, for consumers, the shopping mall or variant

of organized retail format is the preferred type of retail store, due to convenience

and variety.

The Indian market has seen vast changes in political, economical and social

environment, which has a great impact on consumption. With the Indian as well as

international corporate entering into the Indian retail scenario the market has been

divided between the traditional and the organized sector. The Indian retail scenario

is presently facing the similar situations as the mom and pop stores in the

developing nations faced at the emergence big box retailers. There are various

issues that need to be addressed, like what would be future patterns of

40

consumption, which formats of retail would be preferred by consumers and will the

rise of organized retail affect the traditional retailers.

This study will contributes to the understanding that consumers and retailers in

most cases have different perceptions in relation to store image and shopping

habits, justifying the need for consumer marketing research, which is important in

helping retailers, implement in a real marketing orientation. The study will

examines the choice of format the consumer has when he or she decides to buy a

particular product and also describes the development of organized retail in the

future, focusing on aspects with potential effect on purchasing behavior among the

consumers. The focus is on consumer expectations. The questions were formulated

to capture the overall behavior of the consumers and with the help of the survey

questionnaire the analyses was done. An attempt has been made to explore the way

organized retail has dramatically changed not only the Indian traditional retailing

structure but also the consumption behavior.

To understand the impact and choice of retail format by the consumers a

questionnaire will be used. Three questions were formulated in order to capture the

overall purpose or objective of this section of the research:

1. What are the most favored retail attributes by consumers and how will they

change in future?

41

2. How are the conventional and organized retailers perceived?

3. What external forces influence the choice of consumers and how can these

forces be accounted for in future?

42

CHAPTER – 6

LITERATURE REVIEW

43

LITERATURE REVIEW

This report examines the effect of gender on consumer behaviour and the

consequence those influences has on fashion choices.  It analyses data from

questionnaires to determine the influence of free time activities and the role of

celebrities in the decision making process.

Shopping is also increasingly recognized as contributing to the creation of self-

identity of men and womenand that it is possible for a man to simultaneously

engage in consumer behaviour and maintain his masculine identity.”

Otnes’s theory is that shopping for fashion is no longer seen as a female

prerogative, there is no longer a stigma involved in men choosing fashions. She

believes that this behaviour improves the self esteem, self expression and

confidence of men.

The feminist view of consumer behaviour and fashion is explored by De Grazia,

Victoria. & Furlough, Ellen. (1996) they write that; “Fashion codes and beauty

standards are denounced as akin to purdah, footbinding or the veil – public sexual

impositions on women, which, beyond domesticating women’s drive towards

liberation, constrain them physically and violate their authentic selves. The other

44

side argues that mass consumption liberates women by freeing them from the

constraints of domesticity.”

They hypothesise that pre emancipation, men controlled the finances and

determined the shopping list.  Since emancipation, this has changed, along with the

greater numbers of women seeking university education and equality in

employment and financial control.

In a paper on gender related advertising published in Academy of Marketing

Science Review, Putrevu . (2001) argues that wide advertising implications follow

from the differences between genders.  He believes, after observation that men,

through pictures and music, benefit from nonverbal reinforcement of the verbal

product message built into an advertisement. He believes that direct verbally

descriptive messages carry more impact for the female.

He goes on to suggest that “The rather strongly held gender identities suggest that

appropriately targeted gender advertisements might be quite effective” This author

believes that this marketing philosophy is very apparent in the design and targeting

of fashion retail marketing and the role celebrities play in those adverts.

In a wide ranging study on gender behaviour titled in 2007, “Men Buy, Women

Shop,”researchers at Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative and the Verde Group

a Toronto consulting firm, determined that women responded more positively than

45

men to personal communication with sales associates. Men were more likely to

react to more practical aspects of the experience, such as good parking, the length

of the checkout line whether the item they came for was in stock.

Some quite emotive phrases are used throughout the literature available on

consumer behaviour

Jennifer Waters , in an article in  MarketWatch (2006) believes that “ Men are on a

mission, women on an adventure when shopping.”

Paula Courtney president of the Verde Group talks about “hunters vs.

gatherers” this phrase was published in a paper titled “Men buy, Women Shop”

(2007)

According to Wharton marketing professor Stephen J. Hoch, gender behaviour

when shopping, reflects differences throughout many aspects of life. “Women

think of shopping in an interpersonal, human fashion and men treat it as more

instrumental. It’s a job to get done,” he believes that the data available has

implications for retailers marketing policies so they can design and develop a more

segmented approach to building and maintaining loyalty among male and female

customers.

46

Recognising the large numbers of potential buyers involved based at universities],

Cosmopolitan Magazine has devoted a whole section to influence students fashion

decisions and purchases.

Their February 2011 edition offers discounts for students, 20% off specific lingerie

items, a student shopping soiree, 10 ways to save money at university and 30 days

of Fashion and Beauty to come. The Cosmopolitan magazine is totally female

orientated, covering fashion in clothing and toiletries. The Sunday Times however

caters for all genders in their weekly fashion section. Their February issue has an

article headline “Combine cut-price student fashion with cool”, this offers tips for

obtaining bargain outfits without damaging your credibility.

The OK magazine takes the use of celebrity marketing to the extreme; the whole

content is built around celebrity fashion and influences, mainly female but with the

odd male celebrity article inserted.

The shelves of magazine shops are literally full of female biased fashion

periodicals with basically no male orientated publications, except for ‘pin up’

magazines.  Confirming the results of the questionnaire and the gender which is

most influenced by celebrity marketing.

47

Mathew Joseph and Manisha Gupta_September 2008: The Indian retail sector

is booming and modernizing rapidly in line with India’s economic growth. In this

review the author talked about the impact of organized retailing on traditional

retailing. With the increase in number of various formats for shopping like malls,

departmental stores, hypermarkets etc the Indian consumer’s preferences are

changing towards and that’s the reason foreign investors like the king of retail

Wal-Mart also came into the Indian retail ground in collaboration with Bharti.

There is a huge untapped market is present in India right now which contains a

number of opportunities for retailers.

Sen-2000: Store Image and Consumer Shopping Habits: Indian Context: In India,

some empirical studies provide important information about consumer behavior

and its responses to the development of organized retail. Economical and social

changes are major contributors for a growing fragmentation of consumers into

multiple segments with different values and buying priorities. Consumers have

become more pragmatic, educated and demanding, learning how to manage money

and time more efficiently. The focus on low prices was gradually replaced by a

value for money perspective. The study developed by ETIG (Economic Times

Intelligence Group, 2002) confirms these tendencies. Concerning food, the most

important attribute mentioned was quality, followed by price. Indian consumer has

48

different reasons for preferring different store formats, either modern or traditional;

Sen (2000) confirms this in the study undertaken in Indian context. He confirms

that in the case of hypermarkets, the main motives for preferences, in decreasing

order are low prices, the possibility of buying everything in the same place and the

general appearance of the store. Several investigations emphasize the possible

coexistence of different store formats (Chandrasekhar, 2001) and others point out

the relationship between the type of store and the type of products. These studies

show that, while specialized and traditional stores are preferred for fresh products,

hypermarkets are preferred for shopping in general, and also for frozen food,

groceries and beverages. The purchase of perishables in hypermarkets is reduced.

Radhakrishnan, 2003: Traditional Retailers Perceptions about Organized Retail

As already mentioned, organized retail has deeply changed the Indian commercial

structure. However, it is not exclusively responsible, as other changes (economical,

social and cultural ones) have occurred simultaneously. Concerning the more direct

effects of organized retail on different types of commerce, it is possible to verify

that the major impact is felt on traditional retail and, in particular, on the food

sector. The impact of organized retail is also significant on other types of retail,

namely toys, stationery goods and household appliances; moreover, it is probable

that competition gets more intense in other sectors, such as clothing and furniture.

49

RNCOS (March 15, 2009/24-7 press releases): Increasing trend of organized

retailing will drive the growth of convenience-store industry in the world. By 2011,

Asia remains the fastest growing convenience store market in the world as the

major Asian retail markets registered explosive growth in opening up of new

convenience store. Changing consumer preferences, lifestyle and rising income

level, which is heavily influenced by economic growth, remains the major driving

force for c-store industry in the Asian region. as per "Global Convenience Store

Market Analysis".

50

CHAPTER-7

METHODOLOGY

51

METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study was to examine whether there were basic differences in

the gender behaviour of students, when choosing items of fashion. It also looked at

the influences of celebrities in fashion advertising and whether this had a bearing

on the choices made by the students.

To obtain the information from which to draw conclusions, a questionnaire

was designed and given to the 10 male and 10 female students, all in a relatively

small age group, to eliminate any age influences. The procedure involved the right

to withdraw and confidentiality related to the data was explained to each

participant.

It was decided to use questionnaires rather than aural interviews to gather the data,

because this author felt that the data would be easier to obtain and collate and then

be easier to represent in graphical format. Interviews are normally held at a pre-

determined time and place, with the interviewer completing a form based on what

the respondent says. Questionnaires usually consist of short closed ended

questions, whilst interviews are often broad open ended ones.

Questions 1 and 2 were age and gender identification.  The gender split had been

pre-determined and the age range was chosen to narrow the attitudes and fashion

52

parameters of the participants. In a small sample of this size the input of an older

student, with different fashion perceptions, could have serious effects on the data

integrity.

Question 3 asks how often the students were inspired in their fashion choices by a

celebrity look. This question was the first related to the influence of celebrities in

both a passive i.e. Advertising and non-passive role i.e. Television shows.

Question 4 examines the free time activities of the two genders.  Did they mirror

each other or were there marked differences and could the responses to this

question be significant in consumer behaviour.

Questions 5, 7 and 8 were all celebrity biased. What influence did the participants

think a celebrity had on them? If they had money to spend, would that be affected

by the influence of a celebrity and how did they get in touch with the world of the

celebrity. Question 6 asked the question, where did they get their fashion tips

from?

For this study purpose it was found the most effective way of producing a good

quality of validable results using quantitative and qualitative research to gain a

better understanding, first hand, of what today’s consumers are thinking and

experiencing in the consumer market.

53

As stated in the previous chapter, the questionnaire was designed by our

researcher. The questionnaire was reached and created to suit the level of

participants who took part.

Using previous professional, academic and work colleagues the questionnaire was

distributed thought email and posted on a social networking site. We felt both these

avenues would be successful for our study purpose as we could reach a large

amount of our sample.

From the link submitted in the email and social network post, we advised out target

group follow the link to a survey specialist website, where they could fill in the

questionnaire we designed.

We decided to use the survey specialist website for the reason that it was popular

amongst other academics, it is trustiest and overall because it is safe. Safety is a big

issue for consumers online and this is wanted to assure was fine.

Another option for collecting responses to our questionnaire was by post, we

decided against this idea for the reasons, it is slow and costs money; whereas

online is free and fast.

54

After we had reached a suitable number of responses we collected the results. After

the results had been verified and sorted, our researched entered the data in a spread

sheet. The data was then analysed into percentages and made into graphs

The sampling has been aimed at including consumers between the ages of 20-45

because this guarantees that each individual has had experience in different

purchasing scenarios and will be more inclined to be open and honest in their

answers.

Sampling is seen to be appropriate for this study purpose as time and money are a

constraint meaning that a survey of the whole nation would take far too long and

cost far too much money for this study purpose and could ultimately restrict the

data collected to a sample .

The design of the questionnaire will be simple but not basic, with no confusing or

‘trick’ questions. The use of simple language will be used to insure that any

questions will not be misinterpreted.

55

SAMPLING DESIGN

1. Sampling unit Respondents of (few malls)

2. Size of sample 100 respondents

3. Sample Method Random Sampling

4. Types of questionnaire Close ended

TYPE OF DATA:

Data type collected for analysis is PRIMARY i.e. data has been observed and

recorded by the researchers for the first time to their knowledge. Data collected

through journals, newspapers & internet is SECONDARY type.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION:

This study is a research which utilizes interrogation and observation method for

data collection. Secondary data was obtained from intensive analysis &

observation. The primary data are those, which are collected afresh and for the first

time, and thus happen to be original in character. The secondary data, on the other

hand, are those which have already been collected by some one else and which

56

have already been passed through the statistical process. Method employed to

collect data is Questionnaire. This is a simple survey conducted by filling in

questionnaire from the people who visit malls.

COLLECTION OF THE PRIMARY DATA:

As this study is of descriptive type, the primary data has been collected through

Questionnaire.

57

CHAPTER-8

ANALYSIS OF DATA

58

ANALYSIS OF DATA:

Data collected through questionnaire is being processed .This processed data is:

a. Age wise distribution:

A) < 20 B) 20-29

C) 30-39 D) > 40

AGE RESPONDENTS

<20 12

20-29 45

30-39 24

>40 18

59

A) <20 [ 12 RESPONDENTS

B) 20-29 [ 45 RESPONDENTS ]

C) 30-39 [25 RESPONDENTS ]

D) >40 [18 RESPONDENTS]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum respondents

i.e. 45 out of 100 are young age people. It means maximum no of customers

belongs to young age group.

b. Gender wise distribution:

A)MALE

B) FEMALE

GENDER REPONDENTS

MALE 58

FEMMALE 42

60

A) MALE [ 58 RESPONDENTS ]

B) FEMALE [ 42 RESPONDENTS ]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents i.e. 58 out of 100 are males. It means maximum no of customers

are male in malls due to family responsibility.

61

c. Education wise distribution:

A) HIGH SCHOOL B) LESS THAN GRADUATION

C) GRADUATION D) POST GRADUATION

E) PROFESIONAL QUALIFICATION

EUCATION RESPONDENTS

HIH SCHOOL 08

LESS THE GRADUATION 12

GRADUATION 32

POST GRADUATION 32

PROFESIONAL QUALIFICATION 16

62

A) HIGH SCHOOL [ 08 RESPONDENTS]

B) LESS THAN GRADUATION [ 12 RESPONDENTS ]

C) GRADUATION [ 32 RESPONDENTS ]

D) POST GRADUATION [ 32 RESPONDENTS ]

E) PROFESIONAL QUALIFICATION [ 16 RESPONDENTS ]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents i.e. 32 out of 100 are graduates and 32 out of 100 are post

graduate. It means maximum no of customers are educated and aware about

retail store.

d. Income wise distribution:

A) LESS THAN Rs 20,000 B) BETWEEN Rs 30,000 TO 40,000

C) BETWEEN Rs 40,001 TO 50,000 D) MORE THAN Rs 50,000

INCOME RESPONDENTS

LESS THAN Rs 20,000 28

BETWEEN Rs 30,000 TO 40,000 48

BETWEEN Rs 40,001 TO 50,000 20

MORE THAN Rs 50,000 12

63

A) LESS THAN Rs 20,000 [ 28 RESPONDENTS ]

B) BETWEEN Rs 30,000 TO 40,000 [ 48 RESPONDENTS ]

C) BETWEEN Rs 40,001 TO 50,000 [ 20 RESPONDENTS ]

D) MORE THAN Rs 50,000 [ 12 RESPONDENTS ]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents i.e. 48 out of 100 are having monthly income between Rs

30,000 to 40,000. It means maximum no of customers are belonging to

upper middle class.

64

1) Which type of place do you visit frequently for your shopping needs?

a. Supermarket b. Wholesaler

c. Local Stores

Shopping area responents

Supermarket 80

Wholesaler 8

Local Stores 12

a) Supermarket [ 80 Respondents]

b) Wholesaler [ 8 Respondents]

65

c) Local Stores [ 12 Respondents]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents i.e. 80 out of 100 are agree that they frequently visit shopping

mall for their shopping needs. It means maximum no of customer are

preferred Shopping Malls for purchasing.

2) From where would you prefer to buy products?

a) Single brand store b) Multi brand store

c) Factory outlets d) Local Big Retail Store

Single brand store 24

Multi brand store 60

Factory outlets 4

Local Big Retail Store 12

66

a) Single brand store [ 24 Respondents]

b) Multi brand store [ 60 Respondents]

c) Factory outlets [ 4 Respondents]

d) Local Big Retail Store [ 12 Respondents]

i.e. 60 out of 100 are preferred multi branded store for shopping. It means

maximum no of customers are time conscious and desire for many brand

under one roof.

67

3) Which one from malls/ Local Stores (kirana store) is more convenient

for all your shopping needs?

a) Malls

b) Local stores

Malls 72

Local stores 28

a) Malls [ 72 Respondents]

b) Local stores [ 28 Respondents]

68

i.e. 72 out of 100 are preferred shopping in malls for all their shopping

needs. It means maximum no of customers are feels good in shopping for

their needs in malls because they can get everything from there under one

roof.

4) what they o in there free time ?

a) Shooping b) reading

c) sports

Activity male female

Shooping 10 60

reading 20 20

sports 70 20

69

, it can be seen that one third of the ladies spent their spare time shopping, against

one third of the men being involved in some sporting activity. It is also interesting

that none of the ladies listed, used their computer as a free time activity but 40% of

them, answered later, that they kept in touch with the celebrity world online and

60% of them got their fashion tips online.

5) What are the prime factors for shopping in malls?

a) Variety in product. b)Serviceability

c ) Discounts d ) Mode of payment

e ) All

i.e. 100 out of 100 are preferred shopping in malls because of the various

factors which make the whole shopping experience good.

6) What are the prime factors for shopping in kirana stores?

a) Emergency buying [ 65 Respondants]

b) For grocery items only [35 Respondants]

c) Discounts

d) Serviceability

70

i.e. People preferred shopping from kirana stores just when they need

something urgent and grocery items only. It shows the limited shopping

experience one customer have with these stores.

7) What influences your buying selections?

a) Availability of range b) Reasonable price

c) Availability of size e) Customer service

f) Brand name

1st OPTION 30 20 30 8 10

2nd OPTION 22 32 25 10 13

3rd OPTION 20 18 15 14 33

4th OPTION 16 17 19 32 16

5th OPTION 12 13 11 36 28

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents are attracted towards the Store due to this ranking-

CUSTOMER SERVICE, BRAND, PRICE, RANGE, SIZE

It means maximum no of customers are prefer to the Malls for customer service.

71

8) What do you look for in a product during your purchase?

a) Price b) Brand Name

c) Customer Service d) Variety available

Price 60

Brand Name 12

Customer Service 16

Variety available 12

72

a) Price [60 Respondents]

b) Brand Name [ 12 Respondents]

c) Customer Service [ 16 Respondents]

d) Variety available [12 Respondents]

i.e. 60 out of 100 preferred price during their purchasing. It means maximum

no of customers are price conscious so maximum customers belongs to

middle class.

9) When do you prefer to shop Most in Store?

a) During Sale b) During Fresh season stock

c) During Discount d) When required

During Sale 18

During Fresh season stock 54

During Discount 24

When required 4

73

a) During Sale [ 18 Respondents]

b) During Fresh season stock [54 Respondents]

c) During Discount [ 24 Respondents]

d) When required [4 Respondents]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents i.e. 60 out of 100 are prefer shopping during fresh season stock.

It means maximum no of customers did not compromise quality with

discount and offers.

74

10) How frequently you visit the Store (wherever you go for the shopping)?

a) <1 month b) 1-3 month

c) 1-6 month d) 1 year

<1 month 60

1-3 month 28

1-6 month 4

1 year 8

a) <1 month [ 60 Respondents]

b) 1-3 month [ 28 Respondents]

75

c) 1-6 month [ 4 Respondents]

d) 1 year [ 8 Respondents]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that maximum

respondents i.e. 60 out of 100 are visited the store with in one month. It

means maximum no of customers are visiting the store monthly.

11) What more fascinates you at shopping in malls?

a) Membership Card b) Discount Mailers

c) Parking Facility d) Lucky draw offer

Membership Card 28

Discount Mailers 20

Parking Facility 30

Lucky draw offer 22

76

a) Membership Card [ 28 Respondents]

b) Discount Mailers [ 20 Respondents]

c) Parking Facility [ 30 Respondents]

d) Lucky draw offer [ 22 Respondents]

On the basis of above respondents the figures shows that there are almost

same numbers of respondents agrees for all the facilities provided by malls.

It means every respondent is inclined towards the facilities provided by

malls.

77

12) were the celebrity enorsmend inspire them to uy the product ?

A) YES

B) NO

options Male Female

yes 10 80

no 90 20

78

relate to favourite celebrity influences with a substantial majority of ladies saying

they were positively influenced, whilst the men were the opposite.  This was

mirrored in a question relating to having £1000 to spend, would they spend the

money on a celebrity’s product? The majority of ladies saying yes, the majority of

men, answered no.

13) where did they get their fashion tips from?

a)television b) magazines

c) on line d) friends

e) advertisements

source male female

television 10 20

magazines 5 30

on line 30 30

friends 50 10

advertisements 5 10

79

80

CHAPTER-9

FINDINGS

findings

81

Customer’s preferences for grocery shopping are gradually shifting from

local kirana stores to organized convenience stores.

Age is one of the most important factors responsible for the changing

preference of customers.

Payment through credit cards is increasing purchases from convenience

store.

Brand Choice of customers is changing and this is also influencing shift

from kirana to convenience store. .

Maximum no of customers belongs to young age group.

Maximum no of customers are male in malls due to family responsibility.

It means maximum no of customers having nucleur family.

Maximum no of customers are educated and aware about retail store.

Maximum no of customers are belonging to upper middle class.

Maximum no of customer are preferred Shopping Malls for purchasing.

Maximum no of customers are time conscious and desire for many brand

under one roof.

Maximum no of customers are price conscious so maximum customers

belongs to middle class.

82

CHAPTER-10

LIMITATION

LIMITATION

83

Time constraint was a major contributor to limitations of this study, however with

good organisation and an academic thought process the hypothesis has been proven

with some really interesting new facts.

Without sounding patronising, I would assume you would agree that a worldwide

collection of data from the questionnaire would bring in some interesting results,

but as this study only needs to focus on a small majority, we are happy with the

outcome.

Every report has its pros and cons so mine also have some limitations.

They can be pointed as:

Sample size restricted to 100 only which was very less according total

population.

The responses given by respondents were not always accurate because the

respondents gave the response according to their understanding.

Survey is a time consuming process but the time to collect the data for

research was very less.

Sometimes the respondents are not willing to fill the questionnaire and

hence the resultant may not be correct.

84

85

CHAPTER-11

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The results of this survey illustrate some quite interesting deviations between

gender

86

Behaviour and their attitudes to fashion purchasing.  The age ranges were almost

identical, 18 out of the 20 students questioned being between 18 and 23 years old.

It can be assumed therefore that these students are spending time away from home

for the first occasion, preparing for their adult life, living without help, making

their own budget decisions but having the community and peer pressure of their

fellow undergraduates.  The answers to question 3 in that 70 % of the men

surveyed seldom or never were inspired by a celebrity look, whereas 90 % of the

ladies were, sum up the basic differences in consumer behaviour as highlighted by

Wharton  that “Men buy, Women Shop” and that women visit shops, not only to

purchase goods but equally to enjoy the experience.

From question 4, it can be seen that one third of the ladies spent their spare time

shopping, against one third of the men being involved in some sporting activity. It

is also interesting that none of the ladies listed, used their computer as a free time

activity but 40% of them, answered later, that they kept in touch with the celebrity

world online and 60% of them got their fashion tips online.

Questions 7 and 8 relate to favourite celebrity influences with a substantial

majority of ladies saying they were positively influenced, whilst the men were the

opposite.  This was mirrored in a question relating to having £1000 to spend,

87

would they spend the money on a celebrity’s product? The majority of ladies

saying yes, the majority of men, answered no.

In hindsight there were a few more questions which would have improved the data

information.  A question on their fashion definition would have been useful; was it

clothing, footwear or toiletries. How was the shopping done; physical visits,

catalogues, television, charity shops, the internet? How often did they go? How

much money, as a percentage of their income did they spend?

88

CHAPTER 12

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

89

The data from the questionnaires confirmed a number of things relating to the

original hypothesis, which was to determine whether there was a difference in

consumer behaviour relating to fashion, between the genders and if so what were

the influences?

The differences were quite specific and at different ends of the available answers.

Female students were very inspired by a celebrity look whereas men were not. In

today’s enlightened society where all sexes took an interest in fashion, cosmetics

and appearance, this cannot be attributed just to a basic desire to look and smell

nice. This author believes the main influence in this area is the ease of use of

internet shopping, where access to the latest designs, bargains, outlets of female

fashion is instantly available at any time of the day or night and with, in most

cases, next day delivery. From the questionnaire responses 75% of the women

replied that they got fashion information from the television or the internet as

against 35% for men. This is quite surprising when it is set alongside the results

that show 35% of the men get their fashion tips from magazines but only 10% of

the women did. However the answer to this apparent anomaly is the availability

and design of online magazines which are as colourful and full of adverts, articles

and photographs as the paper version. They are mainly free to access with but as in

the case of Cosmopolitan magazine some months out of date.

90

A more traditional response was that 70 % of the women would spend £1000, if

they had it, on a celebrity’s product, against 80% of the men who would not.

Considering that this author believes there are few fashion items available, for both

genders, which are not celebrity endorsed, then it would be interesting to determine

where the male £1000 would be spent.

They point out that men make up a significant shopping group and will make

dissimilar shopping decisions to women.  They argue that retailers should appeal to

their male customers, by improving the competence of the processes and value

perceptions, associated with the shopping experience. In other words ‘overcome

traditional male hostility’. Once again the results of the questionnaire confirm this.

Men do not like shopping trips ‘per se’ and see them as a chore and an experience

to be avoided. Only 10% of the men responded that they went shopping in their

free time.

In conclusion the evidence obtained from the survey showed quite different

consumer behaviour between the genders especially relating to the influence of

celebrities. Men had different communication avenues to fashion tips and

celebrities, allowing those celebrities to have little or no influence on their

consumer decisions.  Women took far more interest in celebrity influences and

were prepared to be persuaded by the celebrities’ attitude.  The role of the internet

91

is interesting, the results showing far more interaction between online uses by

women than men.  Equally the past relationship with parents was interesting,

showing that neither gender was influenced at all, as far as fashion tips, by their

parents.  The conclusions are that celebrity involvement, either by magazine,

online, advertising, television shows or shop fronts does influence the consumer

behaviour of women in relation to fashion but not men.

The customers are attracting towards shopping malls & retail outlets.

The shopping malls & retail outlets are targeting to middle class customers

because the purchasing power of this class is rapidly growing as well as the

class is also growing.

The young generation is fashion & show-off conscious so retail outlets are

mainly focused on them.

Most of the family wants to purchase from big showrooms and malls

because there are no bargaining system so the have a trust that there is no

cheating.

The main strength of most of the retail outlets are providing attractive offers

to attract customers.

92

CHAPTER-13

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

93

QUESTIONNAIRE

Questionnaire on Consumer’s changing Buying Behavior.

a. Age wise distribution:

A) <20

B) 20-29

C) 30-39

D) >40

b. Gender wise distribution:

A) MALE

B) FEMALE

c. Education wise distribution:

A) HIGH SCHOOL

B) LESS THAN GRADUATION

C) GRADUATION

D) POST GRADUATION

E) PROFESIONAL QUALIFICATIO

d. Income wise distribution:

94

A) LESS THAN Rs 20,000

B) BETWEEN Rs 30,000 TO 40,000

C) BETWEEN Rs 40,001 TO 50,000

D) MORE THAN Rs 50,000

1) Which type of place do you visit frequently for your shopping needs?

a) Supermarket

b) Wholesaler

c) Local Stores

2) From where would you prefer to buy products?

a) Single brand store

b) Multi brand store

c) Factory outlets

d) Local Big Retail Store

3) Which one from malls/ Local Stores (kirana store) is more convenient for

all your shopping needs ?

a) Malls

b) Local stores

4) what they o in there free time ?

95

a) Shooping

b) reading

c) sports

5) What are the prime factors for shopping in malls?

a) Variety in product.

b) Serviceability

c) Discounts

d) Mode of payment

e) All

6) What are the prime factors for shopping in kirana stores?

a) Emergency buying

b) For grocery items only

c) Discounts

d) Serviceability

7) What influences your buying selections?

a) Availability of range b) Reasonable price

c) Availability of size e) Customer service

f) Brand name

8) What do you look for in a product during your purchase?

a) Price

96

b) Brand Name

c) Customer Service

d) Variety available

9) When do you prefer to shop Most in Store?

a) During Sale

b) During Fresh season stock

c) During Discount

d) When required

10) How frequently you visit the Store (wherever you go for the shopping)?

a) <1 month

b) 1-3 month

c) 1-6 month

d) 1 year

11) What more fascinates you at shopping in malls?

a) Membership Card

b) Discount Mailers

c) Parking Facility

d) Lucky draw offer

12) were the celebrity enorsmend inspire them to uy the product ?

A) YES

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B) NO

13) where did they get their fashion tips from?

A )television b ) magazines

c) on line d) friends

e) advertisements

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CHAPTER-14

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

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Goswami. P and Mishra. M, 2009, Would Indian consumers move from kirana

store to organized Retailers when shopping for groceries, Asia Pacific Journal of

Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 20, No. 1

ICRIER journal paper, September 2008

http://ssrn.com/abstract=994238

BOOKS:-

Marketing Management. ----Kotler & Keller

Marketing Management in Indian Perspective

----V. S. Ramaswamy & S. Namakumari

Retail management ---Levy & Weitzs

WEBSITES:-

www.emraldinsight/1355-5855.htm

www.Fibre2fashion.com/industry-article

www.tataretail.com

www.retailindia.net

www.retailyatra.com

www.retailbiz.com

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www.aboutus.com

www.businessworld.in

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