A REPORT ON

STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN

THE FASHION RETAIL MALL

HYDERABAD CENTRAL

A BRAND OF FUTURE LIFESTYLE FASHIONS LTD

BY

AMARTYA GHOSH

14021141008

SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD

A CONSTITUENT OF

SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, PUNE

2015

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A REPORT ON

STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN

THE FASHION RETAIL MALL

BY

AMARTYA GHOSH

14021141008

FUTURE LIFESTYLE FASHIONS LTD

A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of MBA Program

Of

SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, HYDERABAD

A CONSTITUENT OF

SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, PUNE

15.08.2015

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AUTHORISATION

This to certify that this is a bonafide project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of

MBA program of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Hyderabad.

This report document titled “STUDY OF THE DYNAMICS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN THE

FASHION RETAIL MALL” is a submission of work done by Amartya Ghosh.

This report has been formally submitted to Mr. Arpit Puri, Zonal Marketing Head, Future Lifestyle

Fashions Ltd, Hyderabad Central Mall and Dr. Rishi Shukla, Associate Professor and Faculty Guide,

SIBM Hyderabad.

This report has been verified and authenticated by:

Dr. Rishi Shukla

Asst. Professor,

Faculty of Marketing,

SIBM, Hyderabad

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all the people who provided me the opportunity to

get briefly exposed to the corporate world and learn the insights about the mechanics of marketing in a

fashion retail organization. To start with, I would like to thank Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd for

providing me the chance to undertake this internship at Hyderabad Central Mall, Panjagutta, allowing

me to explore the vast domain of marketing operations especially during the sale period, which I believe

is challenging and at the same time a wonderful learning opportunity for the students aspiring to associate

with the fashion retail industry as a career option.

I would also like to mention the unconditional help put forth by the entire team of Hyderabad Central

Mall, Panjagutta. A special acknowledgement to Mr. Vishnu Prasad, CEO Future Lifestyle Fashions

Ltd, Mr. K. V. Rao, Vice President, Hyderabad Central, Ms. Arun Jyothi, Divisional Manager –

Hyderabad Central, Mr. Chandrashekhar Jasti, Assistant HR Manager and Ms. Lekha Gajwani,

Assistant Manager, Visual Merchandising – Hyderabad Central; who have extended their support and

well wishes to complete this project successfully.

I wish to place on records, my deep sense of gratitude and sincere appreciation to my company guide,

Mr Arpit Puri, Zonal Marketing Head - Hyderabad, Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd, who played a pivotal

role in the preparation of my project. I would like to thank him for his continuous support, advice and

encouragement, without which this report could never have been structured to its present form.

I wish to thank our director, Dr. Ravi Kumar Jain, for encouraging us to intern at such a prestigious

organization and would also like to extend my thanks to Mr. Nicholas Ross, Placement Officer, for

associating me with Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd for the internship. Furthermore, I am deeply grateful

to my faculty guide Dr. Rishi Shukla for his invaluable suggestions, comments, feedback and support

throughout the internship. His belief and faith in my abilities had kept my confidence high throughout

the internship.

AMARTYA GHOSH

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHORISATION ............................................................................................................................................ 2

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ...................................................................................................................................... 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 6

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 7

1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................ 7

1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY .............................................................................................................. 8

1.3 METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................................. 8

1.4 SCOPE & LIMITATION ..................................................................................................................... 9

1.4.1 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT .............................................................................................................. 9

1.4.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................................... 9

ECONOMIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 10

MARKET SIZE ~ ......................................................................................................................................... 10

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES ~ .................................................................................................................... 11

THE INDIAN APPAREL MARKET~ ............................................................................................................... 11

• India’s Macroeconomic Scenario ....................................................................................................... 11

• India’s Demographic Dividend .......................................................................................................... 12

• Retail-specific Policies ...................................................................................................................... 12

• Consumers’ Buying Behavior ............................................................................................................ 13

• Increasing Time-poverty................................................................................................................... 13

• Shift from Need-based Purchasing to Aspiration-based Purchasing ......................................................... 14

• Growing Value Consciousness ........................................................................................................... 14

MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCES MODEL OF THE INDIAN FASHION INDUSTRY .................................................. 15

COMPANY ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................................... 16

1.1 ABOUT FUTURE GROUP – HOW IT ALL STARTED ............................................................................... 16

RETAIL: ................................................................................................................................................ 16

HYPERMARKET AND HOME RETAILING: ................................................................................................ 17

FUTURE GROUP VISION: ........................................................................................................................ 18

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FUTURE GROUP MISSION: ..................................................................................................................... 18

1.2 ABOUT FUTURE LIFESTYLE FASHIONS LTD. .................................................................................. 23

1.3 ABOUT CENTRAL .......................................................................................................................... 24

1.4 ABOUT PAYBACK ......................................................................................................................... 27

1.5 SWOT ANALYSIS OF FUTURE GROUP ............................................................................................. 28

PROJECT SPECIFIC ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 29

1.1 TIMELINE OF THE ACTIVTIES PERFORMED DURING HAPPINESS SALE AT HYDERABAD CENTRAL .. 31

1.2 PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACTIVTIES PERFORMED DURING HAPPINESS SALE AT HYDERABAD

CENTRAL .................................................................................................................................................. 33

1.3 SURVEY ANALYSIS FOR THE CHAIRMAN’S CLUB AT GROUP LEVEL TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSUMPTION

AND BUYING PATTERNS OF INDIAN HOUSELHOLDS AND THEIR GENERAL OPINION ABOUT THE FUTURE

GROUP AND ITS BRANDS .......................................................................................................................... 37

1.3.1 SURVEY ANALYSIS FINDINGS SUMMARY .................................................................................. 40

1.4 SURVEY ANALYSIS FOR EVALUATING THE PREFERENCES OF FEMALE CUSTOMERS ON LADIES DAY

SPECIAL SALE ........................................................................................................................................... 41

1.4.1 SURVEY ANALYSIS FINDINGS SUMMARY .................................................................................. 44

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................... 45

CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORGANISATION ....................................................................................................... 46

LEARNING FROM SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ....................................................................................... 47

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 48

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Indian fashion retail industry has witnessed a fascinating change in the recent decade which lead to the rise of

organized retail of fashion merchandise across the country, primarily due to the increase of the disposable income as well

as the buying propensity of the middle class consumers. This report helps us to understand about the consumer behavior

with respect to the fashion retail market dynamics conjoined with marketing efforts or operations to increase

revenue or profitability during a sale period.

With the constant rise of competitors in the fashion retail market, it is important to compete and sustain as a leader in the

competitive market. Future Group has emerged as a pioneer in the Indian retail market through its unique value proposition

of being a ‘people driven’ company, having a clear objective to serve the customers everything, everywhere at the best

price and in the most profitable manner as stated in their vision and mission statements. Hyderabad Central Mall or Central

is the flagship retail format of Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd which is committed to deliver on the guidelines drawn by the

parent organizations and therefore has stood up to be as a well-known brand among the top fashion merchandise retailers

across the country.

The marketing operations at Hyderabad Central mall, Panjagutta is very diverse and focuses primarily to increase the

number of footfalls into the mall and converting them as customers. The activities under Marketing Operations (MO)

which were performed for the project include auditing of customer data, recorded during the customer feedback survey

and also of the premium loyal customers’ data as a part of data warehousing and management activity. Secondly,

campaigns were organized to invite corporate customers for the sale preview; Campaigns were organized to mark Central’s

presence and association with Happy Streets, an initiative by the Times of India to invite residents of residential townships

to promote well-being and mental peace through physical fitness and various fun events; Thirdly, organizing fun

campaigns, events to celebrate occasions like Food Festival, Father’s Day, Friendship Day and so on, to create and

maintain a healthy and long lasting relationship with the customers; Fourthly, tie ups with other well-known brands

belonging to different categories like, Indigo Airlines, PayTM, Payback, Freecharge and others to penetrate deeper in the

market and hence increase the customer base.

Central’s marketing focuses on certain aspects which include, foot fall drivers, growth levers for business, society

communication and activation and brand presence campaigns.

A customer awareness survey was conducted to gain an understanding about the customer’s preferences, opinion and

awareness about the Future Group and its brands, promotional offers and other related study. The analysis demonstrated

an overview of the preferences and the level of awareness an average customer of Future Group has about the sister

concerns of the umbrella company. The level of awareness determines the effectiveness of the marketing operations

intended for increasing the customer’s awareness with respect to a particular product, service or brand.

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INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

Future Group led by its founder Mr. Kishore Biyani, CEO, is one of India’s leading business houses with

multiple businesses spanning across the consumption space. While retail forms the core activity for future

group, group subsidiaries are present in consumer finance, leisure and entertainment, brand development,

retail real estate development, retail media and logistics.

Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd’s flagship retail format, Central is a chain of department stores located in

central areas of large Indian metropolises and cities. Central stores located in large cities like Mumbai,

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Gurgaon, as well as smaller cities like Baroda, Indore,

Vizag and Surat. These are large-format stores measuring anywhere between 60,000 square feet to

230,000 square feet and offering over 500 Domestic & International brands across every category

including mens-wear, casual wear, ethnic-wear, womens-wear, kids wear, footwear, accessories, home

products, health and beauty. These stores, often located in standalone locations also have food-courts,

restaurants, supermarkets and electronics superstores built within. The Company operates around 2.4

million square feet of retail space under this brand.

Hyderabad Central is a shopping mall in Hyderabad, India, located on the Punjagutta crossroad. The

shopping space is spread over four levels, with PVR Cinemas located on the top (fifth) floor with a total

area of 250,000 sq.ft.

The mall was launched in November 2004 when the owners, Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, at the

same time also announced plans to created 12 to 15 malls across India within two years. An investment

of some 701 million rupees (approx. US$15.5 million) was made in this mall, which was the second

large-scale mall in the country, the first being in Bangalore.

Hyderabad Central has the slogan "BRAND.NEW". Earlier, the slogan was “SHOP, EAT and

CELEBRATE”, but in the year 2012 it reformed its slogan as well as its target audience, which focused

more on ‘Youth’ and ‘diversity’ rather than a family oriented approach of business as conducted earlier.

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1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

To find out the ways of increasing the foot falls leading to conversions in order to increase in the

overall sales/ turnover of the business

To analyze the consumer behavior of the customers in relation to the promotional activities executed

as a part of marketing operations, during the sale period at Hyderabad Central

To understand the activities and tasks performed by the Marketing team in a fashion retail

organization

To understand the concept of brand Central and the means to leverage out by partnering with other

like-minded brands, thereby achieving an equilibrium in terms of communication to the customers.

1.3 METHODOLOGY

• The study is accomplished through primary research and secondary research.

• Primary research is conducted through consumer feedback survey to learn about their preferences

and the choices towards the other Future brands and their overall impression of the shopping

experience at Central and its service offerings.

• As a part of marketing operations, primarily BTL or Below the Line activities are performed

• The BTL activities that are executed is listed as follows –

Flyer printing & distribution to the PVR customers and the food court dining customers for offer

promotions. Standee printing & placement to ensure customer eyeballs attraction. Gift vouchers

and discount coupons distribution to the customers for promotion of Happiness Sale. Organizing

campaigns or events like Father’s Day, Friendship Day, Ladies Day and Happy Streets in

association with TOI.

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1.4 SCOPE & LIMITATION

1.4.1 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

• This project helps to gain an in-depth knowledge of the functioning in a fashion retail mall

and introduces a certain amount of clarity about the inter-functioning of the different

departments within the mall.

• During a sale period, it helps to understand the dynamics of the fashion retail market with

respect to the competitor retailers and the customer reaction to sales promotions offered by

Hyderabad Central, which leads to increase in the revenue and profitability of the

organization.

1.4.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

• The marketing operations activities do not guarantee a 100% probability of customer

enrollment with respect to the reachability of the promotional activities.

• Since the sample size of the survey respondents are very small, therefore it is unfair to

generalize the findings done through the survey about the entire customer population of

Hyderabad Central

• The primary constraint of the project is that within such a short span of time, it is not possible

to learn about the entire dynamics and the operations of a fashion retail outlet as it is a vast

domain.

• The confidentiality clause of the organization has to be respected and thus some important

secondary data for further decision making is not made available.

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ECONOMIC INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

The retail sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in India over the last few years. The Indian retail

industry, which comprises organised and unorganised retail, is currently estimated at US$ 490 billion. It

is expected to demonstrate a promising year-on-year growth of 6% to reach USD 865 billion, by 2023,

from the current USD 490 billion. It has experienced high growth over the last decade with a noticeable

shift towards organised retailing formats. The industry is moving towards a modern concept of retailing.

Demand from international and domestic brands as well as retailers continue to strengthen rapidly, as of

2015, an unprecedented growth has been witnessed with the increase in demand for quality retail space

in metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Surat and many more.

As India’s retail industry is aggressively expanding itself, great demand for real estate is being

created. Further, easy availability of debit/credit cards has contributed significantly to a strong and

growing online consumer culture in India. With the online medium of retail gaining more and more

acceptance, there is a tremendous growth opportunity for retail companies, both domestic and

international.

Favourable demographics, increasing urbanisation, nuclear families, purchasing power of consumers,

preference for branded products and higher aspirations are some factors which will drive retail

consumption in the country.

MARKET SIZE ~

India’s retail market is expected to touch a whopping Rs.47 trillion (US$ 782.23 billion) by 2016–17,

expanding at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent, according to a study by a leading

industrial body. The total organised retail supply in 2013 stood at approximately 4.7 million square feet

(sq ft), witnessing a strong year-on-year (y-o-y) growth of about 78 per cent over the total mall supply

of 2.5 million sq ft in 2012.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in single-brand retail trading during the period April 2000–

January 2014 stood at US$ 98.66 million, as per data released by Department of Industrial Policy and

Promotion (DIPP).

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GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES ~

The Government of India has allowed 51 per cent FDI in Multi-Brand Retail Trading (MBRT) and 100

per cent in Single-Brand Retail Trading (SBRT).

According to the extant policy, foreign retailers investing more than 51 per cent can open outlets across

the country on the condition that 30 per cent of their sourced sales would come from small to medium-

sized domestic enterprises. Further, global chains will now need to invest only 50 per cent of the initial

compulsory investment of US$ 100 million in setting up cold storages and warehouses in India. Foreign

chains have been given the green signal to set up stores in cities with a population of less than one million.

Earlier, supermarkets could only commence their operations in 53 cities, the ones with a population of

more than a million.

THE INDIAN APPAREL MARKET~

The share of apparel in India’s retail market is 8%, corresponding to a value of USD 40 billion. In

addition to fashion apparel, the growing demand for fashion accessories makes the Indian fashion market

both interesting and lucrative.

The Indian fashion retail market has witnessed several fascinating changes and challenges in recent years,

which are indicators of the country’s evolving fashion retail market. The challenges associated with these

changes need to be addressed in the most efficient and prudent manner in order to harness the

concomitant benefits.

The trends emerging within the Indian fashion market can be broadly classified into four categories,

depending on their associations; these are discussed in the following sections.

• India’s Macroeconomic Scenario

The sound growth of the fashion products market, driven by the 8-to-9% GDP growth and positive

investment sentiment, is promising and at the same time challenging. Our country’s growth rate

under 5%, coupled with inflation, has dampened consumer demand for fashion items. As a result,

the Indian fashion products consumer has become a cautious spender; demanding value for the

money spent. In many cases, the Indian middle class has started trading down by shifting to either

products available at a lower price-range or to lowering purchase volumes if within the same price

range.

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Consumption expediture of househoulds in India is estimated at 43.6 trillion Indian

rupee (2010). Expenditure on clothing and footwear contributes around 3.1 trillion

Indian rupee, 7.2 percent of the total domestic consumption. Approximately 2 million

people are employed in the manufacture of textiles, clothing, leather and footwear in India.

• India’s Demographic Dividend

The demographic dividend of India is tilted in favor of the consuming age group. In contrast to the

increasingly- aged populations in the West, Japan, and even China, India is expected to become

the world’s youngest emerging economy by 2020, with around 64% of its population in the

working age group. This young consuming class has new aspirations and is more open to

experimenting with fashion brands and modern designs.

In addition to such a favorable age group, the Indian fashion retail market is expected to deal with

a heterogeneous consumer group. The Indian fashion consumer has been traditionally

heterogeneous as a result of income disparities, the influence of ethnic clothing, regional

preferences, etc. But in recent times, heterogeneity in taste, choice, and preferences has increased

substantially even within consumers in the same region and same ethnic group, belonging to the

same income level and age range.

The Indian consumer is now conscious about his/her personality and selects such fashion products

as might suit his/her personality the best. As a consequence, exclusive ethnic wear brands are

multiplying in a market which is also accepting western-wear fashion items more readily.

• Retail-specific Policies

The government’s decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail is

considered one of the most radical and reform-oriented decisions taken in recent times. However,

despite the approval of the Indian parliament, the country is yet to witness any major inflow of

FDI in multi-brand retail. The declaration of the major opposition party to the effect that it would

disallow FDI in multi-brand retail if it comes to power, combined with rules specific to backend

infrastructure and local sourcing have been the most contentious issues.

The policy governing FDI in multi-brand retail necessitates substantial investment in backend

infrastructure. At present, most domestic retailers have not made substantial investments in

backend infrastructure. Most of them outsource apparel manufacturing as well as logistics to third

parties. However, a select few have their own manufacturing facility. Most domestic retailers own

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warehouses in different regions of the country and possess the IT infrastructure needed to manage

inventory and operations. Investments in backend infrastructure development could be a challenge

for many international, multi-brand apparel retailers seeking entry into India through the FDI

route.

The policy also requires retailers to source at least 30% of their products from such domestic

sources as medium and small scale industries. It is expected that, due to the presence of the

vertically-integrated textiles and apparel industry, local sourcing will not be a constraint for

international retailers.

Despite the initial reluctance of retailers, it is crucial to note that many international retailers will

enter the Indian market through the FDI route within a couple of years. This will open up an

opportunity to learn international best practices and thus improve India’s overall business

performance. The fashion and fashion accessories industries are also expected to benefit from

better product designs and improved deployment of technology.

• Consumers’ Buying Behavior

One of the most critical factors determining the success of fashion retailers in India is the ability

to gauge trends in consumer purchase decisions. The Indian fashion consumer is undergoing an

evolution and is rapidly adapting to international fashion statements. Increasing disposable

incomes, exposure to international events and fashion icons, and rising confidence levels are

driving the changes in the consumer purchase behavior.

• Increasing Time-poverty

India’s core consuming class is experiencing an ever-increasing time-poverty. The richer sections

of the society are able to outsource most of their activities to the poorer sections who work as

domestic help, shop and office attendants, etc. Routine activities that do not require a personal

presence, e.g. cooking, vehicle servicing, grocery purchases, etc. are outsourced to others. Being

an emerging economy with a large rural population, there is no shortage of people who might

work as domestic help or attendants, at relatively lower wages. On the other hand, these poorer

masses lack substantial purchasing power to contribute to the retail economy. However, the worst-

hit section is the middle income class, as, for them, it is a clear trade-off between the time required

for their regular employment and the time needed for routine, yet necessary, activities that are

generally time-intensive.

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• Shift from Need-based Purchasing to Aspiration-based Purchasing

There was a time when fashion items were being purchased as and when required. Now-a-days,

fashion clothing is more than a basic need; it is a reflection of aspiration, personality, and one of

the biggest status symbols. The Indian fashion consumers can tell the difference between

unbranded and branded apparel. They are able to decode the messages communicated by different

brands on different occasions. The aspirational youth is also influenced by peer groups working

with multinational companies and having international exposure. Though basic textiles and

footwear continue to be a part of the consumer’s basket, the demand for aspirational fashion

clothing and fashion accessories has increased substantially in recent years.

• Growing Value Consciousness

Although the fashion consumer is willing to spend more on clothing and accessories of choice,

the consciousness of value received for the money spent has increased manifold. The weak

economic outlook and higher inflation rates have also contributed to this heightened value

consciousness. There is a distinct differentiation between pre-2008 and post-2008 India. Even

while long-term faith in the growth and consumption story of India stays intact, the short-term

scenario appears bleak. The fear of job loss, stagnation of personal income, increased spending

on food, etc. have a profound impact on the purchasing behavior of consumers. The consumer is

inclined towards value and affordability, but, at the same time, there is an inherent need for a

fashionable look.

BIG PLAYERS IN THE INDIAN FASHION RETAIL INDUSTRY

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MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCES MODEL OF THE INDIAN FASHION INDUSTRY

THREAT OF NEW

ENTRANTS: HIGH

• As the Fashion retail industry is lucrative and promising especially due to Government's introduction of 100%, many domestic and international players are venturing into India to capture a significant retail market share with the obejctive to enjoy high profits

COMPETITIVE RIVALRY: HIGH

• Since the number of players are high in this industry, the competition is very tough in the Indian Fashion Retail market

POWER OF BUYER:

LOW

• Buyers do not enjoy much bargaining power as compared to any other industry as the prices decided by the industry have to be agreed by the buyer. But, since the players are more, the buyer has the power to decide to purchase from the most valuable retailer

POWER OF SUPPLIER:

LOW

• Since there are many suppliers in the fashion retail market, therefore a particular supplier does not enjoy the power and the freedom to dictate the market

AVAILIBILTY OF SUBSTITUTES:

LOW

• Clothes form a core necessity commodity of the customers and hence there are no substitutes of clothes available in the market.

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COMPANY ANALYSIS

1.1 ABOUT FUTURE GROUP – HOW IT ALL STARTED

Future Group was founded by Mr. Kishore Biyani in the year 1987 in India and since then over the

years of constant leadership under Mr. Biyani, who is also called as the ‘retail king of India’, the

Group has emerged to be the leading business house with multiple businesses spanning across

India. The group operates over 12million sq. ft. of retail space in 71 cities and towns and 65 rural

locations across India. Headquartered in Mumbai, it employs around 30,000 people and is listed on

the Indian stock exchanges. The company follows a multi format retail strategy that captures

almost the entire consumption basket of Indian customers. The groups speciality retail formats

include books and music chain, planet sports, electronics retailer, home improvement chain, home

town among others.it also operates popular shopping portal, futurebazaar.com.

The groups presence in leisure and entertainment segment led through, Mumbai based listed

company galaxy entertainment limited. Galaxy is leading leisure chains, sports bars and family

entertainment centres. Through its partner company, blue foods the group operates around 100

restaurants and food courts through brands like Bombay blues, spaghetti kitchen, the spoon, copper

chimney etc.

RETAIL:

Future Group makes every effort to delight its customers, tailoring store formats to changing Indian

lifestyles and adapting products and services to their desires.

The group is credited with creating some of India’s most popular retail chains. The 162-store

hypermarket chain, Big Bazaar is ranked amongst the top 3 service brands in the country by The

Nielsen Company. Other retail chains include, department store chain, Central, outlet stores chain,

Brand Factory, sportswear chain, Planet Sports, home improvement and consumer durables chain,

Home Town and Ezone, supermarket chain, Food Bazaar, convenience stores chain, KB’s fair price

and a growing rural distribution network through Aadhaar.

As modern retail drives fresh demand and consumption in new categories, our strategy is based on

a deep understanding of Indian consumers, the products they want, and making these products

available in every city, in every store format. Future Group offers innovative offerings at affordable

prices tailored to the needs of every Indian household.

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• Pioneers in the India’s retail space, our formats are household names in more than 95 cities

across the country

• Our stores cover around 16 million square feet of retail space and attract around 300 million

customers each year

• Future Retail Limited focuses on the hypermarket & supermarket business led by formats like

Big Bazar, Food Bazar, Fashion Big Bazar, Food hall, Home town & Ezone.

• Future Lifestyle fashion focuses on the fashion business with over 24 popular fashion brands

& retail formats like Central, Brand Factory, Planet Sports, I am in and aLL.

• Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd is group's integrated food company with Food & FMCG

brands & retail formats like KB’s Fairprice & Aadhar. It also has interest in Food Parks.

HYPERMARKET AND HOME RETAILING:

The group’s flagship company, Future retail operates national hypermarket chain, Big Bazaar and

supermarket chain, Food Bazaar. It also operates home retailing format Home Town and consumer

durables chain, eZone.

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FUTURE GROUP VISION:

The group shall deliver everything, everywhere, every time for every Indian customer in the most

profitable manner.

FUTURE GROUP MISSION:

• We share the vision and belief that our customers and stakeholders shall be served only by

creating and executing future scenarios in the consumption space leading to economic

development.

• We will be trend setters in evolving delivery formats, creating retail reality, making

consumption affordable for all customer segments.

• We shall infuse Indian brands with confidence and renewed ambition.

• We shall be efficient, cost conscious and committed to quality in whatever we do.

• We shall ensure that all our positive attitude, sincerity, humility and united determination shall

be the driving force to make us successful.

MAJOR MILESTONES:

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1987: The Company is incorporated under the name of Manz Wear Private Limited.

Pantaloons, one of India’s first formal trouser brands, is launched.

1991: BARE, an Indian denim brand is launched.

1992: Pantaloon Retail India Ltd makes an Initial public offer (IPO).

1994: The Pantaloon Shoppe, Future Group’s exclusive menswear store in a franchisee format is

launched across the nation. The company starts distribution of branded garments through

multi-brand retail outlets across the nation.

1995: Future Group launches John Miller, a brand for Formal shirts.

1997: Future Group enters modern retail with the launch of the first 8000-sq. ft. store Pantaloons in

Kolkata.

2001: Future Group launches three Big Bazaar stores within a span of 22 days in Kolkata,

Bangalore and Hyderabad.

2002: Food Bazaar, the supermarket chain is launched.

2004: Future Group launches India’s first seamless mall, Central, in Bangalore.

2005:

• Future Group moves beyond retail and acquires a stake in Galaxy Entertainment, Indus

League Clothing and Planet Retail.

• Future Group sets up Kshitij, India’s first real estate investment fund, to build a chain of

shopping malls.

2006:

• Future Capital Holdings, the group’s financial arm, is formed to manage over $1.5 billion

in real estate, private equity and retail infrastructure funds.

• HomeTown, the home building and improvement products retail chain, is launched

along with consumer durables format Ezone and furniture chain Furniture Bazaar.

• Future Group enters into joint venture agreements to launch insurance products with

Italian insurance major Generali.

• Future Group forms joint ventures with US office stationery retailer Staples.

2007:

• Future Group crosses the $1 billion turnover mark.

• Specialized companies in retail media, logistics, IPR and brand development and retail-

led technology services become operational.

• Pantaloon Retail wins the International Retailer of the Year award at US-based National

Retail Federation convention in New York, and Emerging Retailer of the Year award at

the World Retail Congress held in Barcelona.

• Online portal Futurebazaar.com becomes India’s most popular shopping portal.

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2008:

• Future Capital Holdings becomes the second group company to make a successful Initial

Public Offering (IPO) in the Indian capital market.

• Big Bazaar crosses the 100-store mark, marking one of the fastest expansions of the

hypermarket format anywhere in the world.

• Total operational retail space crosses the 10 million square feet mark.

• Future Group acquires rural retail chain Aadhar from the Godrej Group, which has a

presence in 65 rural locations.

2009:

• Future Group celebrates its first Shopping Festival across all retail formats in key Indian

cities.

• Future Innoversity starts its campuses in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kolkata to offer

degree programs through a tie-up with IGNOU.

• Future Group partners with Hong Kong-based Li & Fung Group to strengthen its supply

chain and logistics network across the country.

2010:

• Future Group launches its telecom brand T24 in partnership with Tata Teleservices

to provide additional loyalty benefits to its customers.

• Future Group launches products in key FMCG categories through Sach, a brand co-

created with Sachin Tendulkar.

• Future Group connects over 4000 small and medium Indian manufacturers and

entrepreneurs with consumers.

2011:

• April 2011 – KB’s Fairprice celebrates opening its 200 stores in India

• May 2011 – Future Supply Chains becomes ISO certified.

2012:

• Big Bazaar redefined the concept of customer service with the launch of the Rajajinagar

Family Centre in Bengaluru with its unique Seva initiative on 24th February 2012

• Future Sharp Skills Ltd. launched its first skill centre in Kolkata with a vision to train

and provide sustainable livelihood to five lakh youth of West Bengal by 2022

• Pantaloons became the first retailer to introduce a reality hunt as it set out on a

countrywide search for their next Fresh Face

• Pantaloons launched its first store in Ludhiana, Visakhapatnam, Bilaspur

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• Future Group started Aadhaar Franchise

• Future Supply Chains Express Logistics business became the fastest profitable Express

Business in India

• Keeping pace with the ongoing trends Fashion@ Big Bazaar decided to reposition itself

as fbb

• Pantaloons joined hands with PAYBACK. Being India's largest and one of the

strongest loyalty programs in Europe, PAYBACK offers were made available to all

Pantaloons customers

• Big Bazaar launched its home delivery services in Mumbai

2013:

• Big Bazaar introduced an exciting occasion for shopping 'April Utsav'.

• Future Group officially launched India's largest State of the Art Logistical Distribution

Hub at Nagpur.

• Big Bazaar introduced a unique customer membership program 'Big Bazaar Profit Club.'

• Food Hall, the premium lifestyle food destination launched in New Delhi.

2014

Future Group partnered with the Fortune 500 company and one of the largest online

shopping destination, Amazon

Future Consumer Enterprises Limited acquired one of the India's oldest supermarket

chains in India with origins dating back to 1905 ,Nilgiris.

Future Supply Chain acquired New Delhi based processed-foods supply chain

company, Brattle Foods

Future Group partnered with world's leading customer science company, dunnhumby

for data analytics services

Future Group announced its strategic tie-up with SAP company hybris, that delivers

OmniCommerce™: state-of-the-art master data management for commerce and unified

commerce processes to its clients.

India's First Mega Food Park was inaugurated by India's Honourable PM Shri Narendra

Modi at Tumkur Karnataka

Central completed its 10 glorious years of serving customers

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• HomeTown underwent a complete makeover with a new tagline, 'The Art of Better

Living', logo and in-store branding.

• Future Group's premium food destination Foodhall launched in Saket, New Delhi.

• Big Bazaar and Ezone were voted as one of the Top 50 Most Trusted Brands in the

country and in the Brand Equity Survey 2013 conducted by Nielson. The survey also

revealed that Big Bazaar is the 4th Most Trusted Service Brand of the country

• FBB ties up with India's largest Beauty Pageant Femina Miss India 2014

• A New Generation Big Bazaar, Big Bazaar Family Centre was launched at Alcove in

Kolkata on January 6, 2014

2015

• Big Bazaar announced an exclusive tie-up with a leading mobile wallet company,

MobiKwik

• The UK based Plymouth City College awarded Future Sharp with a title of 'The Best

International Business Partner'

• Giovani, Indus League's suits & jackets brand signs Fawad Khan as it's brand

ambassador

• T24, Future Group's unique telecom service and loyalty program and of India's first

unpaid GSM mobile service completed 5 eventful years

• Future Group's niche plus-size clothing brand, aLL celebrated 10 years journey of

serving customers

• The most affordable fashion destination, fbb signed youth style icons Katrina Kaif

and Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassadors

• Bharti Retail joins hands with Future Retail

• Future Supply Chains Solutions Ltd launched its cold storage warehouse facility at

Mehsana, Gujarat

• Future Group forays into M-Commerce with the T24 Mobile App

• Big Bazaar redefines weekends with the launch of a never-seen-before campaign, 'Crazy

Weekend'.

• Future Group launched the new age convenience store format, KB's Conveniently Yours.

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1.2 ABOUT FUTURE LIFESTYLE FASHIONS LTD.

Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd. or FLF is a wholly owned subsidiary of Future Group which offers a

strong portfolio of own brand and licensed brand merchandise to the middle class and upper class

customers across India as an organized retail body. FLF aims to unite fast growing fashion brands

having a strong distribution network, under a single entity. FLF is a unique player in the fashion

industry that is primed to gain leadership in building both fashion brands and fashion retailing in

India.

FLF has four retail formats which are Brand Factory, Planet Sports, I Am in and Central, which is

the flagship retail format of FLF. Brand Factory offers more than 200 domestic and International

brands at affordable prices for cost conscious youth. Planet Sports has been awarded as India’s

leading multi-brand sportswear and sports goods specialty chain. Planet Sports is a one-stop

destination for the latest global trends in the sports segment offering apparel, footwear, sports-wear,

equipment and accessories. This format is majorly concentrated around Tier I and Tier II cities. “I

Am In” caters to enthusiastic Gen Next crowd who are in know-how of latest fashion trends and

happenings. A brand new concept by Future Lifestyle Fashion, “I Am In” appeals to consumers who

are fashionable, stylish, social media savvy and selfie-lovers.

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1.3 ABOUT CENTRAL

Central is a retail hypermarket chain operated by Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd, the child company

of the Indian conglomerate, Future Group. It was founded in the year 2001 with the objective of

giving access to a one-stop-shop for the customers who would prefer it as a weekend recreation venue

for an ideal family outing. The Company operates around 2.4 million square feet of retail space under

this brand. The brand slogan ‘Shop, Eat, Celebrate’ earlier communicated the idea of central’s

conception precisely and hence the retail hypermarket offered a variety of services for the customers.

It would comprise of multi-brand retail space consisting of own and licensed merchandise brands for

the price conscious middle and upper class customers. Furthermore, the retail hypermarket would

also comprise of a FMCG and perishables retail outlet like FoodBazaar for those customers who

would shop for groceries while leaving for their homes; a multiplex like PVR, where families could

watch movies before/after the purchase of apparels. Also, it would comprise of a food court

accommodating fast food joint giants like McDonalds, KFC, Subway and Pizza Hut, which would

invite the families for meals after shopping or movie watching.

Central’s target audience was primarily family focused. The original belief was that, a family having

an intention to purchase products based on different needs and wants, would generate more revenue

than single customers.

Post 2011, Central witnessed a reform with respect to its brand slogan as it had been changed to

‘BRAND.NEW’, thereby changing the entire service offerings and marketing mechanics as

compared to earlier. The paradigm shift has led the retail outlet to focus on elements – ‘Youth’,

‘Diversity’, ‘Trends’ and ‘fashion’. With this shift, many upcoming brands catering to such sections

joined hands with Central to promote their own products under the retail space provided by the retail

hypermarket. It is then when FLF saw a window of opportunity to own a growth of exclusive licensed

brands and to introduce own brands, to connect with the customers at a personal level and thus

increase the loyalty among them. At present FLF has 28 licensed and own fashion brands in the

stores.

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Hyderabad Central mall was launched in November 2004 when the then owners, Pantaloons Retail

India Ltd. (PRIL) announced their plans to launch 12 to 15 malls across India. It became the second

large-scale mall in the country with an investment of 701 million dollars, the first being in Bangalore.

Hyderabad Central focuses on certain key parameters which are –

• Walk-ins (number of customers visiting the store): The main objective of the marketing

operations (MO) is to increase the number of walk-ins on daily basis.

On an average around 8000 customers visit the store during weekdays and approximately

14000-15000 customers visit the store during weekends.

• Average bill pays defines the customer portfolio or the average purchasing capacity of the

customer. Average bill value is calculated as Total Sales/Number of bills

• To find out how many walk-ins actually get converted into customers,

Conversion rate or the number of customers converted into buyers

= (number of bills/ walk-ins)*100. The conversion rate is around 40% per day

• To find out the sales value data or revenue generation from the sale, the formulae is

Sale = walk-ins*conversion rate*average bill value

FLOOR WISE DETAILS OF HYDERABAD CENTRAL MALL

LEVEL - 0: FOOD COURT AND CAFETERIA

The floor serves as a secondary entrance to the mall, giving customers the access to the fast-food eating

joints like:

• Pizza hut • Kfc (Kentucky Fried Chicken) • McDonalds • Subway

T24 mobile connection is a telecom product of Future Group which is also offered in this floor to the

customers who have purchased merchandise from Central, valuing above Rs.2500.

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LEVEL - 1: LADIES FLOOR:

The floor serves as the main entrance to the mall and is categorized into:

• Apparel –ethnic wear

• Apparel –western wear

• Accessories

• Jewellery

• Cosmetics

• Perfumes

• Watches

• Handbags

• Electronic gadgets

LEVEL - 2: MENS FLOOR:

The floor is categorized into:

• Formals

• Casuals

• Party wear

• Ethnic

LEVEL – 3: YOUTH FLOOR:

The floor is categorized into:

• Apparels for youth

• Planet sports

Planet sport include all types of sports equipment and sports apparels, accessories

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LEVEL- 4: KIDS FLOOR AND HOME PRODUCTS

The floor serves as the entrance to PVR Cinemas and further is categorized into:

• Kids wear

• Foot wear

• Crockery items

• Home decorative items

• Soft toys

• Luggage

• Ohris’ Food Court

LEVEL – 5:

PVR cinemas

1.4 ABOUT PAYBACK

PAYBACK is a loyalty program for the retail business customers where

they can collect points after a purchase and can redeem them for vouchers,

goods or money. In 2011, Pantaloons joined hands with PAYBACK,

India’s and Europe’s largest customer loyalty program.

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1.5 SWOT ANALYSIS OF FUTURE GROUP

SWOT Analysis

Strength 1. Wide presence in India covering almost all major cities and towns

2. Efficient ,cost conscious committed quality service

3. High brand equity in evolving market

4. Variety of products under single window increasing the chances of customer time and choices

5. Has an employee base of over 35,000

6. Everyday low prices, which attract customers, and has a Huge investment capacity.

7. It offers a family shopping experience, where entire family can visit together.

8. Available facilities such as online booking and delivery of goods

Weakness 1. Dependent heavily on India, and is susceptible to foreign players

2. Stiff competition from global players means market share growth is limited

3. Extremely popular means heavily crowded during festive/discount seasons

Opportunity 1. Evolving customer touch points and achieve operational excellence

2. Organized retail is still in the growth stage and not entirely utilized

3. Global expansion and tie-ups with international brands

Threats 1. Global players trying to enter into Indian market

2. Low priced product could be perceived as low quality product

3. Government policies are not well defined in country like India

Competition

Competitors 1.Reliance retail

2.Birla group retail

3.Landmark Retail

4. Online retailers

P a g e | 29

PROJECT SPECIFIC ANALYSIS

The objective of the project is to understand about the consumer behavior with respect to the fashion

retail market dynamics conjoined with marketing efforts or operations to increase revenue or profitability

during a sale period. Commenced from July 7th 2015, Happiness Sale is Central’s End of Season Sale

(EOSS) to clear out the previous stocks of Spring/Summer at an exciting sale discount up to 51%

for the customers. The marketing activities performed prior and after the sale period are focused on

brand awareness and engaging in customer loyalty and customer acquisition initiatives. The activities

include, Fashion Fridays – a series of new collections being introduced to the store on every Friday for

a month, promoting 100 new collections of fashionable apparels and accessories by different brand

partners of FLF. Secondly, Kids Carnival – a kids fashion show, Exclusive offers for fathers on the

occasion of Happy Father’s Day, Brand promotion campaign with association with Happy Streets, a

Times Of India initiative.

During a sale period at any retail outlet, the store anticipates new as well as old customers to shop from

their outlet. It is during this period, the new customers are acquired with the help of merchandise offers,

service of the staff members, loyalty programs and other schemes. The ‘schemes’ are a vital part of the

marketing strategy planning and execution to ensure customer attraction and retention.

Conventionally, a hypermarket is viewed as a shopping and recreational venue and Central’s ‘seamless’-

Unique selling proposition business model helps the customers realize it quickly, making Central the

most preferred shopping destination. It is regarded as a one-stop shop for the purchase of apparels and

accessories by offering over 200 licensed and own brands to all age groups in a demography.

The average number of walk-ins during a weekday at Hyderabad Central is 7000 and during the

weekends, the number rises to 15000 to 20000 people visiting the mall.

The average bill value of a customer is around Rs. 6000 which makes Central a high revenue generator

venture. The Winxcorp billing tool’s analysis states that around 65% of the total revenue earned are from

the PAYBACK customers or those who have enrolled for PAYBACK. One of the primary operations of

the marketing team at Hyderabad Central is to enroll the Non-PAYBACK customers i.e. the rest 35% to

being PAYBACK customers thereby increasing the percentage of 65%, since the contribution would be

higher and thus lead to more profitability.

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1.1 TIMELINE OF THE ACTIVTIES PERFORMED DURING HAPPINESS SALE AT

HYDERABAD CENTRAL

MONTH: JUNE

• Sort the priority guest customers’ invitation envelopes and audit the guest credentials

• Supervise at the POS (Point of sale) or cash counters for PAYBACK Loyalty Cards

enrollment of the customers.

• Flyer distribution to the PVR Cinemas customers as well as to the food court dining

customers and communicating about the discount offer at Central with respect to the food

bill or movie ticket receipt.

• PAYBACK signage placements at all the POS to communicate about the benefits of being a

PAYBACK member.

• Supervised standee placement for communicating the discount offer available to the

customers after displaying their movie tickets or their food bill.

• Co-ordinated the event ‘Happy Father’s Day’ at central on 21st June, 2015.

• Supervised and managed the installation of a POS counter for Ferns & Petals, the

confectionary and bouquet outlet, in association with Hyderabad Central to celebrate

Father’s Day by taking orders from the customers who wish to home deliver the cakes for

their Fathers and other family members.

• Co-ordinated and managed the entire family photoshoot event on the occasion of Father’s

Day.

• Communicated the importance of PAYBACK & T24 enrollment by the customers to the

cashiers at all the POS.

• Auditing priority guest customer data from various databases and forwarding them for

delivery after authenticating with the invitation envelopes’ data.

• Co-ordinated and managed the corporate invitation event at DLF Cybercity & Waverock

campus, Gachibowli, inviting the corporate customers for the preview sale

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MONTH: JULY & AUGUST

• Data entry of 2000 customers as a part of the data warehousing exercise • Tele-calling the priority customers and inviting them for the preview sale beginning from

6th July, 2015. • Supervised the flyer distribution activity for communicating the special sale preview offer

for PAYBACK enrolled customers. • Observed the marketing mechanics of Central’s branding while associating with another

brand at Malaysian Township, as part of the Happy Street events organized by TOI. • Supervised and collaborated with the operations conducted by The Pista House in

association with The Hindu as a part of the Food Festival celebrations during the last week of the Holy month Ramadan.

• Served as a customer relationship representative on the Big Day Sale at the Customer Service Desk or CSD, 3rd Floor.

• Handled customer grievances effectively and efficiently and solved their queries. • Competition Crackdown: Visited Shopper’s Stop and Lifestyle mall, Begumpet, and

observed their customer walk-ins, rush at the POS, staff’s attitude, sale offers and made a quick overall comparison of the performance of Lifestyle and Shopper’s Stop mall with Hyderabad Central to determine the response of the customers during the Big Day Sale.

• Collected survey data as a part of the Chairman Club’s activity about the general opinion of Future Group from the customers and their general preferences of the other brands Future Group along with Central.

• Analyzed the survey data and summarized the findings and reported the recommendations to the Regional Head South, FLF, before sending the findings to the Head Office of Future Group i.e. in Bengaluru for further analysis.

• Performed data entry of customers for the scope of SMS Blasting. • Broadcasted sales and promotional offer communication chats to customers through

WhatsApp. • Auditing of PAYBACK enrollment at all the POS using audit mode feature of WINXCORP

Billing system. • Customer feedback survey through Central Live Feedback app for iOS collected on iPad

for HO analysis. • Supervised vinyl plotting decals placement on the trial rooms communicating the ‘Wifi

enabled’ message to the customers and staff members. • Friendship Day and Ladies Day campaigns at Hyderabad Central on August 2nd and August

8th respectively.

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1.2 PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ACTIVTIES PERFORMED DURING HAPPINESS SALE AT

HYDERABAD CENTRAL

1.3

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1.3 SURVEY ANALYSIS FOR THE CHAIRMAN’S CLUB AT GROUP LEVEL TO

UNDERSTAND THE CONSUMPTION AND BUYING PATTERNS OF INDIAN

HOUSELHOLDS AND THEIR GENERAL OPINION ABOUT THE FUTURE GROUP AND ITS

BRANDS

SURVEY ANALYSIS REPORT

CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO

The study is conducted using a sample size of 20 customers/household members, representing the

overall characteristics of the respective households. The average age of the customers lie between 20

and 30, consisting about 65% of the entire respondent sample. The gender proportion of customers

reflect around 60% as male customers and the marital status proportion report suggest that around

60% of the customers are unmarried. The family size proportion report suggest that around 15%

are having a family size of 1-3 and the other 20% indicate 4-5 and >5.

The monthly income proportion report of customers indicate that around 40% customers earn >

100,000,

20% of the customers earn between 50,000 and 100,000, and other 20% of the customers earn

between 20,000 and 50,000 and the rest 15% earn < 20,000.

Important Findings (According to sections)

• Fashion( Brands – FBB, Brand Factory, Central)

25%

25%

40%

10%

Shopped in CentralMost PerferredStore

Shopped Last 6Months

Shopped in Last 1Month

Never Shopped

5% 10%

15%

70%

Shopped in FBB

MostPerferredStoreShopped Last6 Months

Shopped inLast 1 Month

NeverShopped

20%

45%

15%

20%

Shopped in Brand Factory

MostPerferredStore

ShoppedLast 6Months

Shopped inLast 1Month

NeverShopped

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Food( Brands – Big Bazar, Easy Day, Food Hall, KB’s, Food Bazar, Nilgiri’s, Big Apple)

10% 5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

65%

Reasons for not preferring Central

Convenience ofLocation

Quality ofSalesperson

Product Quality

Product Range

Pack Sizes

Service Quality

Ambience

No Complaints

35%

10%

55%

Reasons for not preferring Brand Factory

Convenience ofLocation

Quality ofSalesperson

Product Quality

Product Range

Pack Sizes

15%

55%

20%

10%

Shopped in Big Bazaar

MostPerferredStoreShopped Last6 Months

Shopped inLast 1 Month

NeverShopped

10%5%

85%

Shopped in Food Hall Most

PerferredStore

ShoppedLast 6Months

Shopped inLast 1Month

5%

95%

Shopped in KB'SMost PerferredStore

Shopped Last 6Months

Shopped in Last 1Month

Never Shopped

15%

5%

80%

Shopped in Nilgiri's

Most PerferredStore

Shopped Last 6Months

Shopped in Last 1Month

Never Shopped

100%

Shopped in Big Apple Most Perferred

Store

Shopped Last 6Months

Shopped inLast 1 Month

Never Shopped

5%

95%

Shopped in Easy Day

MostPerferred StoreShoppedLast 6MonthsShoppedin Last 1MonthNeverShopped

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47%

6%12%

35%

Reason for not preferring Food Bazaar Store

Convenience ofLocation

Quality ofSalesperson

Product Quality

Product Range

Pack Sizes

Service Quality

Ambience

No Complaints

40%

25%

35%

Shopped in Food Bazaar

MostPerferredStoreShopped Last6 Months

Shopped inLast 1 Month

NeverShopped

31%

16%16%

37%

Reason for not preferring Big Bazaar Store

Convenience ofLocation

Product Quality

Product Range

No Complaints

47%

6%12%

35%

Reason for not preferring Food Hall Store

Convenience ofLocation

Product Quality

No Complaints

75%

25%

Reasons for not preferring KB'S

Convenience ofLocation

No Complaints

35%

15%

50%

Reasons for not preferring FBB

Convenience ofLocation

Product Quality

No Complaints

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1.3.1 SURVEY ANALYSIS FINDINGS SUMMARY

Based on the analysis of the survey questionnaire by the respondents, it demonstrates certain key findings

which are ~

• In the fashion section, 70% of the sample size have mentioned that they have NEVER shopped

in FBB or Fashion Big Bazar; 20% have mentioned to have NOT shopped from Brand Factory

and 10% have mentioned about Central of not shopping there. At the group level, these un-

shopped customers are treated as an ‘opportunity’ and therefore all efforts are invested to acquire

them

• 5%, 20% and 25% of the survey respondents have voted FBB, Brand Factory and Central as their

‘Most preferred Store’, which indicates a healthy growth in terms of Central’s business and the

management should strive more to increase the percentage value of 25%’

• Around 65% have stated to be satisfied with Central, indicating no complaints. But some

customers who fall in the 5% to 10% of the survey respondent population mentioned convenience

of location, quality of the salesperson, product quality, service quality, pack sizes, ambiance and

product range as being not satisfactory.

• A majority of the respondents comprising of 55% and 35% have complained against Quality of

the sales person and convenience of location respectively of Brand Factory, while 10% have

voted against the product quality.

• In the food section, Big Bazar has been voted as the ‘most preferred store’ with 15% agreeing to

it. It is observed that it is regarded as one of the ‘frequently’ visited stores as 20% have mentioned

that they keep visiting the store ‘once a month’ or quite frequently. While others have stated it

to have visited the outlet within 6 months.

• 80%, 95%, 95%, 85% and 100% have stated to have NOT heard or visited the outlets Nilgiri’s,

EasyDay, KB’s, Food Hall and Big Apple respectively. It is because, these outlets are not present

in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, and therefore the respondents have indicated ‘convenience of

location’ reason for not purchasing as high as compared to other factors.’

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1.4 SURVEY ANALYSIS FOR EVALUATING THE PREFERENCES OF FEMALE

CUSTOMERS ON LADIES DAY SPECIAL SALE

SURVEY ANALYSIS REPORT

YES6%

NO94%

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME TO CENTRAL

MORE OFTEN

22%

ONCE A MONTH

45%

ONCE A WEEK11%

TWICE A MONTH

22%

HOW OFTEN DO YOU VISIT CENTRAL

YES56%

NO44%

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT EXCLUSIVE FOR LADIES PROMOTION

YES NO

THROUGH FRIENDS AND

FAMILY67%

HOARDING/COMMUNICATION

AT ROAD5%

PAPER AD, TELECALLING

5%

PAYBACK/EMAIL

6%

STORE FACADE/COMM

UNICATION FROM OUTSIDE

11%

PAPER AD6%

HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW ABOUT HAPPINESS SALE AT CENTRAL

2-3 TIMES PER MONTH

6%

ONCE PER MONTH

28%

1-5 TIMES PER YEAR

44%

4-7 TIMES PER MONTH

11%

5-10 TIMES PER YEAR

11%

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PURCHASE A NEW ITEM OF CLOTHING

ALL THE TIME22%

VERY OFTEN

22%

SOMETIMES

56%

WHILE SHOPPING A NEW ITEM, DO YOU BUY A MATCHING OUTFIT ITEMS

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QUALITY34%

BRAND20%

COMFORT14%

PRICE14%

STYLE11%

COLOR 2%MATERIAL

5%

WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN CRITERIA FOR SHOPPING

QUALITY BRAND COMFORT PRICE STYLE COLOR MATERIAL

LIFESTYLE41%

SHOPPERS STOP31%

FOREVER 217%

WESTSIDE7%

MARKS N SPENCERS7%

FOREVER NEW7%

WHICH OTHER STORES DO YOU VISIT APART FROM CENTRAL

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TRY NEW SHOPS20%

ALWAYS RETURN TO THE SAME SHOPS

25%

GO TO SHOPS WHERE THERE ARE SPECIAL

OFFERS35%

DECIDE TO GO IN DUE TO THE WINDOW

DISPLAY10%

SEARCH BEFORE HAND FOR INFO AND THEN

VISIT THE RIGHT STORE10%

WHEN SHOPPING CLOTHES, DO YOU?

FRIENDS SUGGESTION

33%

CELEBRITY STYLE21%

FAMILY SUGGESTION

12%

PARTNER SUGGESTION

13%

A LIFE CHANGING

EVENT17%

SELF4%

WHAT WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TRY OUT FASHION AND STYLE AT CENTRAL

HOUSE WIFE33%

SALARIED61%

PROFESSIONAL6%

OCCUPATION

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CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO

The study is conducted using a sample size of 18 female customers, representing the overall

preferences of a female customer. The average occupation of the customers indicate as salaried and

working professionals.

1.4.1 SURVEY ANALYSIS FINDINGS SUMMARY

Based on the analysis of the survey questionnaire by the respondents, it demonstrates certain key findings

which are ~

• Upon asking them if it was their first to Central, 94% of the sample respondents said NO. They had visited Hyderabad

Central earlier too.

• 45% said that they visit Hyderabad Central ‘once a month’, 22% indicating both ‘more often’ and ‘twice a month’, and

11% mentioned to visit ‘weekly’

• 56% of the customers knew about the Ladies Day exclusive promotion.

• Upon asking them about how did they come to know about the Happiness Sale at Hyderabad Central, 67% mentioned

‘through friends and family’, 11% through store façade/communication from outside, 6% agreed through ‘paper ad’ and

‘PAYBACK/EMAIL’, 5% through ‘Tele-calling’ and the rest 5% through ‘Hoardings’

• Upon asking the frequency of shopping clothes, 44% of the customers mentioned 1-5 times per year and 28% mentioned

once a month. 6% customers agreed to shop 2-3 times per month and the remaining 11% agreed to shop 1-5 times per year

and 4-7 times per month respectively.

• A specific preference for matching accessories and apparels was asked on which, 56% replied as ‘sometimes’ and the

remaining 44% replied ‘all the time’ and ‘very often’ respectively.

• 34% of the customers rated ‘quality’ of the clothes to be main criteria of shopping while 20% rated ‘brand’, 14% ‘comfort’,

14% ‘price’, ‘style’ 11%, ‘color’ 2%, and the remaining 5% as ‘material’.

• 41% rated ‘Lifestyle mall’ as their favorite mall after Hyderabad Central, 31% for ‘Shopper’s Stop’, and the remaining

28% voted for ‘Forever 21’, ‘Forever New’, ‘Marks & Spencers’ and ‘Westside’ respectively.

• 35% of the customers mentioned that they visit such malls only where there is an offer or during sale period. 25%

mentioned that they visit the same stores and other 20% mentioned that they prefer trying new stores.

• Upon asking what would encourage the customers more to shop at Central, 33% customers replied ‘friends suggestion’

21% ‘celebrity style’, 17% ‘a life changing event’, 13% ‘partner suggestion’, and 4% ‘self-motivation’.

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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

The project specific analysis and the survey findings helped us to meet our project objective of finding

the accurate motivation factor, primarily price discounts and quality of merchandise thereby offering a

great value for money, for customers to visit Hyderabad Central during sale period and purchase

merchandise and hence increasing the overall profitability of the fashion retail outlet.

The objective of the project was to understand the consumer behavior and the motivation factors with

respect to the sale offerings and promotions executed by Hyderabad Central mall marketing team, thus

analyzing the inflow (footfalls or walk-ins) of old as well as new customers in the mall during the

Happiness Sale period.

The survey findings indicate that Hyderabad Central is regarded as one of the ‘most preferred store’ for

shopping, also summarizing the customers’ loyalty towards the fashion retail outlet throughout the year.

The recommendations or suggestions for the organization would include –

• Adapting ‘Six Sigma’ and ‘Lean’ practices for reduction of wastages in terms of scrap which are

born after the marketing activities, which would not be used any further

• The company should follow a ‘stream-lined’ process for the entire organization which would

focus more on planning and execution of the activities much prior to the actual event.

P a g e | 46

CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORGANISATION

As a part of my learning through this Internship Program at Hyderabad Central mall, Panjagutta, I gained

a deep knowledge of how a retail mall functions and what are the roles and responsibilities of a marketing

manager in such organization.

My contribution as a minor support service to the marketing team of Hyderabad Central mall has been

satisfactory, as per the feedback received by the Company guide. Though my contributions have been

insignificant as compared to the efforts put by the other employees of the challenging organization, I

wish to state a feeling of contentment and accomplishment on the conclusion of the internship. The roles

and responsibilities that were offered to me were diverse and at the same time challenging, which

included a great amount of learning associated with each task.

The significance of my work was reflected by my company guide Mr. Arpit Puri by sharing the increase

in number of customer footfalls on the first Big Day of the Happiness Sale, which was an outcome of the

personal invitation through tele-calling of the premium customers on the day before.

Before concluding, I would like to thank Hyderabad Central for the warmth and affection showered on

me during the tenure which elated me to feel almost like an employee amongst them. It has been truly a

privilege to me working for this dynamic, growing and a very challenging organization.

Thank You

AMARTYA GHOSH

P a g e | 47

LEARNING FROM SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Hyderabad for

allowing to me intern for 8 weeks at Hyderabad Central mall, Panjagutta. The basic functioning of an

organization was well-known to me as I have been a working professional prior to my higher studies at

SIBM-Hyderabad. My knowledge was limited to the practices and the executables performed by a

fashion retail organization, and through this Summer Internship Program, the marketing mechanics

performed by the marketing team brought on clarity to the project and helped me understand the insights

deeply.

I learned about the different trends of a fashion merchandise set by the trendsetters, merchandisers and

how it influences the purchasing decisions of a customer while shopping in the mall. I was introduced to

the various BTL or Below the Line activities and the vehicles of communication executed by the

organization for the promotion of its bi-annual sale, the Happiness Sale. I was fortunate to learn about

the strategizing, planning and execution of the marketing activities done performed during the sale

period. Central being a custodian brand with a hunger to grow, looks out to leverage its own brand with

similar minded brands. During my tenure, I had the opportunity to interact with the event planners and

other vendors, and learnt about the significant association and their inter-dependency for a successful

execution of an event.

The Summer Internship Program has helped me reform my outlook towards the functioning of an

organization and furthermore, it has helped me grow as an individual.

P a g e | 48

REFERENCES

http://www.futuregroup.in/about-us/about-group.html

http://www.futuregroup.in/about-us/strategy.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Group

http://www.futuregroup.in/about-us/milestones.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=141290195972317&story_fbid=423919284376072

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/future-lifestyle-fashions-tap-overseas-markets-brands-696

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_(Hypermarket)

http://futurelifestyle.in/about_us.html

http://futurelifestyle.in/brands_business.html#fashion brands

http://futurelifestyle.in/business_overview.html#fashion retail

http://business.mapsofindia.com/top-brands-india/top-apparel-brands-in-india.html

https://fashionunited.in/fashion-industry-statistics-india

http://www.indiaretailing.com/7/1/83/12965/Top-Trends-in-Fashion-Retailing

http://www.technopak.com/Technopak-Fashion.aspx

http://www.technopak.com/Files/fashion-retail-scenario-in-india.pdf

http://www.technopak.com/Files/trends-in-fashion-retailing-in-india.pdf