An In-depth Analysis Of Fashionandyou.

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School Of Management. KIIT University
The project deals with the indepth analysis of Fashionandyou.com, online shopping portal w.r.t, the 5 Ps in marketing. Services Marketing Baruni Rath, MBA 2 Roll no: 11202067 3/24/2013

Introduction
The world economy nowadays is increasingly characterized as a service economy. This is primarily due to the increasing importance and share of the service sector in the economies of most developed and developing countries. In fact, the growth of the service sector has long been considered as indicative of a countrys economic progress. Economic history tells us that all developing nations have invariably experienced a shift from agriculture to industry and then to the service sector as the main stay of the economy. This shift has also brought about a change in the definition of goods and services themselves. No longer are goods considered separate from services. Rather, services now increasingly represent an integral part of the product and this interconnectedness of goods and services is represented on a goods-services continuum. Definition and characteristics of Services The American Marketing Association defines services as - Activities, benefits and satisfactions which are offered for sale or are provided in connection with the sale of goods. The defining characteristics of a service are: Intangibility: Services are intangible and do not have a physical existence. Hence services cannot be touched, held, tasted or smelt. This is most defining feature of a service and that which primarily differentiates it from a product. Also, it poses a unique challenge to those engaged in marketing a service as they need to attach tangible attributes to an otherwise intangible offering. 1. Heterogeneity/Variability: Given the very nature of services, each service offering is unique and cannot be exactly repeated even by the same service provider. While products can be mass produced and be homogenous the same is not true of services. eg: All burgers of a particular flavor at McDonalds are almost identical. However, the same is not true of the service rendered by the same counter staff consecutively to two customers.

2. Perishability: Services cannot be stored, saved, returned or resold once they have been used. Once rendered to a customer the service is completely consumed and cannot be delivered to another customer. eg: A customer dissatisfied with the services of a barber cannot return the service of the haircut that was rendered to him. At the most he may decide not to visit that particular barber in the future. 3. Inseparability/Simultaneity of production and consumption: This refers to the fact that services are generated and consumed within the same time frame. Eg: a haircut is delivered to and consumed by a customer simultaneously unlike, say, a takeaway burger which the customer may consume even after a few hours of purchase. Moreover, it is very difficult to separate a service from the service provider. Eg: the barber is necessarily a part of the service of a haircut that he is delivering to his customer. Types of Services 1. Core Services: A service that is the primary purpose of the transaction. Eg: a haircut or the services of lawyer or teacher. 2. Supplementary Services: Services that are rendered as a corollary to the sale of a tangible product. E.g.: Home delivery options offered by restaurants above a minimum bill value. The internet has become an ongoing emerging source that tends to expand more and more. The growth of this particular medium attracts the attention of advertisers as a more productive source to bring in consumers. A clear advantage consumers have with online advertisement is the control they have over the product, choosing whether to check it out or not. Online advertisements may also offer various forms of animation. In its most common use, the term "online advertising" comprises all sorts of banner, email, in-game, and keyword advertising, including on platforms such as Face book, Twitter, and MySpace. Web-related advertising has a variety of ways to publicize and reach a niche audience to focus its attention to a specific group. Research has proven that online advertising has given results and is growing business revenue For the year 2012, Jupiter Research predicted $34.5 billion in US online advertising spending

The online advertising and marketing has taken an important portion of our lives. Today, we prefer to shop online and not by moving around in the malls, its not because people are lazy, its because people prefer comfortable quality shopping at the best price. Undoubtedly, most of the online shopping portals offer quality products at the best possible price with a huge variety and span of choice. This is the best part of these portals, that there is a huge range on our finger tips. The payment gateways and delivery procedures are also very convenient. A personal favorite and the biggest profit making online shopping site is fashionandyou.com. Fashionandyou.com is India's No.1 private sales club and is a leader in the online Fashion, Luxury & Lifestyle space. Since the inception in 2010, they stand today with over 3.6 million member-base across 1200 locations pan-India, and they are also the first ones to achieve over a Million fan-base on social media in the online fashion and lifestyle segment worldwide. Fashionandyou.com is a venture of the Smile Group, responsible for other e-commerce initiatives like Be Stylish, dealsandyou.com, FreeCultr and Juvalia&You. Fashionandyou.com is a part of Brand Alliance, an international organization formed by major private sales companies in Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Australia, the Middle East, the USA, India, Russia and Switzerland. shopping experience, spread the joy by inviting your friends. When they make their first purchase, you get a free shopping voucher worth Rs.500!

The 5 Ps in Marketing: Fashionandyou.com

1st P: Product:
A product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need. In retailing, products are called merchandise. In manufacturing, products are bought as raw materials and sold as finished goods. Commodities are usually raw materials such as metals and agricultural products, but a commodity can also be anything widely available in the open market The product offered by Fashionandyou is an online portal for shopping, broadly and the product range in it.

Fashionandyou.com gives its members access to the best of international, luxury, hi-fashion, lifestyle brands & designer labels at up to 80% off retail. With multiple options for women, men and kids, the offerings include apparel, footwear, accessories, fragrances, watches, cosmetics, and home & lifestyle products. They bring their members 15 new sales every day, showcasing merchandise of over 500 brands through limited-time events. Each sale starts at 10.00 AM sharp and lasts for 3 days on an average. The thorough selection of brands and products, the personalized before and after-sales service, the ease of site navigation and the attention to detail, ensure an offering of exceptional quality to each of our members. Members are prepped and notified about upcoming sale events by emailers, SMS and through our social networking pages. Each event clears out on a firstcome, first-served basis, so it's best to log on early and bag the best deals. Access to fashionandyou.com sales is reserved for registered members only. Membership is free with no obligation to purchase. To become a member, all you need to do is register online. Once you join and discover the great deals on fashionandyou.com and the delightful Shopping experience spread the joy by inviting your friends. When they make their first purchase, you get a free shopping voucher worth Rs.500! The website is very colorful, accessible, user-friendly and interesting. It generates an interest in the users psyche which almost forces the customer to go ahead and pick things. The categorical differentiation and separation makes it much easier for the customers to access and have a good experience. The website is more or less same as others but still it gives a different spark that gives them a competitive edge. The information provided in the website gives proper authentication and enough amount of knowledge to trust the portal and go ahead with the transaction. It is very user friendly and makes it very easy to carry out a transaction. The website gives clear and no suspicious information about discounts, offers and rewards unlike other shopping portals who dissuade customers through noise. The home page gives a different esthetic view. The following picture is the home page which is young, peppy and very attractive. AS online shopping has become a craze in youngsters, they have tapped on the right string and have been strumming successfully.

When a product is selected, the registered members can have a look from all angles which makes it easy for them to make the choice and the page is very user-friendly as it directs the customer to the right direction, and makes it easy. A drop down can also be made according to the budget or the size of the wallet. It is very important for a person to have the proper look and feel of what he/she is buying and it is even more important when the shopping transaction is done online. This portal specifically, gives attention to these things and the navigation and personalization has been accordingly and it is very user-friendly. The picture followed by the text gives a clear impression bout this. The customer can make a choice of size and color also:

2nd P: Product range:

A set of variations of the same product platform that appeal to different market segments or a complete portfolio of products that a company manufactures and/or markets , is a simple definition of a product range. Product range includes the different types of products and services provided by the seller/service provider from his end. Fashionandyou as an online shopping portal gives a wide range of products and services which gives the customer a sense of delight. The product span ranges from mens casual and formal wear to kids wear, home furnishings to electronical gadgets, kitchen essentials to footwear. There are many brands that have done tie ups with the site such as levis, spykar, MYCK,SAAGA Handicrafts, Tommy Hilfiger, Raasi, Urban Dory, etc.

The product and service provided by this shopping portal gives a long range with a comfortable price range also:

3rd P: Payment/Purchase services:

The most important part of any online transaction is the fear of losing the money after entering the bank payment gateway, so the online shopping portals give most important to make it safe so that there is no customer dissatisfaction. Fashionandyou takes the responsibility very efficiently and has made proper arrangements by keeping safety subways in the payment gateway, so that the transaction ends successfully and never ends on a harsh note.

After a choice is made, and all the specifications are given, the portal gives a confirmation s to what has been selected: STEP 1:

After the confirmation is done, the portal asks for the billing and shipping address: STEP 2:

Then it asks for the payment option, whichever way i.e., debit card, credit card or net banking, whichever is convenient for the customer, he/she can choose and move ahead towards the payment gateway and can close the deal by paying:

STEP3:

Hence, the payment making and closing the transaction is very easy and safe. The three step payment procedure is very reliable and not painstaking. Fashionandyou has set a different level of elegance and safety for the customers, because of which they have managed to run their turnover in million dollars with a customer base of millions as well. There are various terms and conditions laid by the website which gives the right picture clearly. A few important points are as follows: Disclaimer of Warranty all content, products, and services on the site, or obtained from a website to which the site is linked (a "linked site") are provided to you "as is" without warranty of any kind either express or implied including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, security or accuracy. all warranties, if any, relating to the product and services would be provided by the manufacturer/supplier of such product and not by fashionandyou.com. any claim in relation
1.

to the same should be raised against respective manufacturer/supplier and not fashionandyou.com in any case whatsoever. fashionandyou.com does not endorse and is not responsible for (a) the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made through the site by any party other than fashionandyou.com, (b) any content provided on linked sites or (c) the capabilities or reliability of any product or service obtained from a linked site. other than as required under applicable consumer protection law, under no circumstance will fashionandyou.com be liable for any loss or damage caused by a user's reliance on information obtained through the site or a linked site, or user's reliance on any product or service obtained from a linked site. it is the responsibility of the user to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any opinion, advice or other content available through the site, or obtained from a linked site. please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific opinion, advice, product, service, or other content. 2. Billing The price of our merchandise is inclusive of the VAT. The vat charged shall depend upon the destination where the order has to be shipped. The tax rate applied to the order will be the combined tax rate for both state and local tax rates in accordance with the address where the order is being shipped. Fashionandyou.com reserves the right to collect taxes for shipping charges wherever applicable. 3. Returns and Exchange You acknowledge that these terms of returns and exchange are limited to direct sale by fashionandyou.com to you and that these terms of returns and exchange are not available in case of a sale by third party and invoice which shall be governed by the terms of such sale. fashionandyou.com may accept returns on apparel and footwear for account credit only. For this purpose fashionandyou.com must receive the merchandise within 14 days from the date it was shipped to you. Items must be unused, unworn, unwashed and undamaged by you. Goods will be returned only if they are returned in their original packaging, including: hangers, poly bags, hang tags on garments, shoe boxes, dust bags, eye glass cases and gift boxes. No returns, refunds or exchanges will be accepted on Accessories, Beauty and Fragrances, Home Dcor, Handbags, Hosiery, Intimates, Jewellery, Leather Goods, Swimwear, Sunglasses, Vintage, Wallets and Watches as these items are for final sale only. We do not provide refund on any goods sold. Goods once sold can only be exchanged for replacement or a store credit if they meet our terms and conditions. Since we keep limited

inventory and do not always have all sizes available and under such circumstances the amount paid by you can be used by you whenever you shop with us next time. All conditions applicable to return of goods shall also apply to exchange of goods. To return an item, the customer must write to us at support@fashionandyou.com, a prompt response is assured to such mails. Alternatively, the customer may even call at our customer care number +910120-6734999 which remains open 10am-7pm IST On all 7 DAYS. If you are not satisfied with the product received by you for any reason you may have the option to exchange and at the sole discretion of fashionandyou.com receive a refund. Fashionandyou.com is not liable for any damages caused to the Product during transit. 4. Miscellaneous If any of these conditions are deemed invalid, void, or for any reason unenforceable, the parties agree that the court should Endeavour to give effect to the parties intentions as reflected in the provision, and the unenforceable condition shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining condition. From time to time fashionandyou.com may offer special promotional offers which may or may not apply to your fashionandyou.com account. To avail of such promotional offers, you agree to be bound by any additional terms and conditions for these special offers which are laid down by fashionandyou.com. This T&C and the relationship between you and fashionandyou.com will be governed by the laws as applicable in India. Any disputes will be handled in the competent courts of New Delhi, India. The failure of fashionandyou.com to act with respect to a breach by you or others does not waive its right to act with respect to subsequent or similar breaches. Fashionandyou.com does not guarantee it will take action against all breaches of this T&C. Except as otherwise, expressly provided in this T&C, there shall be no third-party beneficiaries to this T&C. This T&C constitutes the entire agreement between you and fashionandyou.com and governs your use of the Site, superseding any prior agreements between you and fashionandyou.com with respect to the Site.

4th P: Processing:
The website promises to deliver the goods within 3-7 working days, which has no complains till date. Whenever there is a hitch and the product cannot be shipped, automatically a mail, a sms and followed by a call comes from the office with immediate deposit of the money. The goods are delivered through a dedicated courier service as per the shipping address mentioned in the transaction details by the customer. Packaging of this portal especially, is unique and safe. The triple layered packaging is followed for any good/ product for its safety and guard as it goes through a shipping procedure. After the transaction is complete online, there is an email received by the customer wherein all the information regarding the courier, the tracking ID etc will be mentioned. This facility is very important and vital as it gives the customer hands on control over the transaction. Continuous email and SMS alerts are received before after and during the transaction. Even during sale or any special offer the alerts are received. Under the terms and conditions, there is an important and relevant point which is as follows: fashionandyou.com endeavors but does not guarantee to deliver the products to customers within 3-4 weeks from the day of close of sale depending upon the shipping location. Fashionandyou.com works with different type of suppliers (Manufacturers, distributors, importers etc.) and the delivery time to customers is subject to delivery of products from supplier to fashionandyou.com. Other factors include delay in delivery through the courier partner, transporters strike etc. fashionandyou.com reserves the right to make delivery of the goods by installments. If the goods are to be delivered in installments, each delivery will constitute a separate contract. You may not treat the contract (as a whole) as repudiated if fashionandyou.com fails to deliver any one or more of the installments or if you have a claim in respect of any one or more of the installments. If you fail to take delivery of the goods, fashionandyou.com may at its discretion charge you for the additional shipping cost. Our terms and conditions pertaining to the delivery of the Products can be accessed through the following link and we hereby assume that the same has been read and agreed by you.

Further, fashionandyou.com may at times be unable to deliver the confirmed order(s) to you and the reason for the same could be inclusive of but not limited to the following: (i) unavailability of the relevant product; (ii) failure of the concerned manufacturer/supplier/importer to deliver relevant product to fashionandyou.com; (iii) poor/improper/defective quality of the relevant product ascertained through our quality audit process; and (iv) inaccuracies or errors in product or pricing information. In the event of any circumstance(s) as aforementioned; you shall not be entitled to any damages, monetary compensation, redeemable vouchers and/or store credits. In case fashionandyou.com is unable to deliver the confirmed order(s) as mentioned hereinabove and the payment for such order(s) has been made by you through your credit/debit card, the amount paid by you while placing the order(s) on the Site will be reversed back in your card account. No refunds shall be applicable on the orders made by the Customer(s) under the Cash on Delivery ("COD") option.

5th P: Promotion:
Fashionandyou and many other online shopping portals believe in word of mouth promotion. Besides this, there are full scale promotions on face book, twitter and other social media websites wherein the youngsters reside and they get a huge mileage out of it.

Recommendations:
The Portal can expand its product range more into home furnishings, electronic gadgets, real estate facilities, and other services In addition to the huge range they can introduce a concept called the carting system, wherein not only the price will get sort but the customer can give a budget and the database system can generate a shopping list according to the budget and the requirement list They can make the terms and conditions regarding the delivery and returns little flexible for the customer convenience There is room for improvement in making the home page more attractive

Fashionandyou.com is a very successful online shopping portal with a huge customer base and annual sales turnover running in millions. It is one of the early movers into this scale of business. It has proven to be exemplarily good by giving A class quality, timely delivery and optimum customerisation.