Calcutta Business School

A
Project Report
ON

Retail Management

Submitted In partial fulfillment of requirement of

PGDM
SUBMITTED TO: - Prof Sanajna Mondal

Biswajit
Banik
Mainak Dey
Sudipta Dey
Suraj Jaiswal

SUBMITTED BY: -

Kaushik Shrivastava
Introduction
Indian Retail Industry is ranked among the ten largest retail markets in the
world. The attitudinal shift of the Indian consumer and the emergence of
organized retail formats have transformed the face of Retailing in India. With
the sign of re-emergence of economic growth in India, consumer buying in
retail sector is being projected as a key opportunity area. As a consequence,
Indian corporate houses are refocusing its strategic perspective in retail
marketing with the idea to use resources optimally in order to create core
competence and gain competitive advantage. Retailing encompasses the
business activities involved in selling goods & services to consumers for their
personal, family, or household use. The various processes which help the
customers to procure the desired merchandise from the retail stores for their
end use refer to retail management. Retail management includes all the
steps required to bring the customers into the store and fulfill their buying
needs.
Why retail management?
Retail management saves time and ensures the customers easily locate their
desired merchandise and return home satisfied. An effective management
avoids unnecessary chaos at the store.
Wheel of retailing

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Term Project: Part A

Product no- 01

Variety
How many
variations
are there?
Assortment
How many
brands of
the same
type?
Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package
Self help
Price

Product type-

Apparels (Shirts)

Store #1

Store #2

Store #3

Store #4

Shoppers
Stop
12

Pantaloons
08

Fashion
(Amtala)
05

Style (new
market)
06

20

14

07 (although
no
recognized
big brand, all
local brands)

Yes

Yes

04 (although
mostly
unbranded
imported but
04 recognized
brands
available)
No

No

Displayed
Products
Yes
Dependent
on the brand

Displayed
Products
Yes
Dependent
on the brand

Poorly racked

Well organized

No
Cheaper than
the earlier
two stores

No
Comparatively
a high price
but less than
the first 2

Different
location
(brand wise)

Different
location
(brand wise)

In store
promotion

Yes
( discounts,
coupons, and
lucky draws)

Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Department
store

Location on
shelf

Same shelf
used for all

stores
Same shelf but
well kept.

Yes
( discounts,
coupons, and
lucky draws)

No

High bargains

Department
store

Traditional
cloth retailer

Cloth retailer
(Fashionable)

Shoppers-stop Shoppersstops target market is the upper middle class

and the high class of the society. It believes in the 80-20 rule that 80% of the
profit comes from 20% of the customers who buy from them and eventually
become loyal towards shoppersstop. The reason for their loyalty comes from
the exclusive shoppersstop membership privileges, high quality of products
and warm customer service. Shoppersstop tries to hold on to their customer
base by providing world class service, easy product returns, hassle free
problem resolution and at the same time offers cash back to its customers
with every purchase.
I think shoppersstops retailing strategy is working very efficiently.
Pantaloons- Pantaloons working is similar to shoppersstop but the only
difference is that it targets mostly the upper middle class of the society and
focuses on less costly brands.
Fashion (Amtala) This is garment seller in Amtala which targets the lower
middle class and lower class of the society and correspondingly focuses on
cheap garments

which can satisfy them. Usually colorful clothes, low on

quality. As the working capital is low of the retailer, he tries to carry as much
as low cost inventory he can. Usually he focuses on fast moving items.
Style (New Market) This is a garment retailer for men in New Market
(Shree Ram Arcade) who focuses on mainly middle class people of the
society. Mostly deals in imported clothes which are highly fashionable. The
main target customers are college goers.

Product no- 02
Product type- electronics (Mobiles)
Store #1
Store #2
Store #3
Store #4
Variety
Reliance
The mobile
Mobile gallery Spice hot
How many
digital
store
05
spot
variations
07
08
07
are there?
Assortment
How many
08
09
05
08
brands of
the same
type?
No
No
No
No
Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package
Displayed as
Displayed as
No display
Lesser no. on

well as
sealed pack
available

well as sealed but sealed

pack
pack
available
available

display but
sealed pack
available

Yes

No

No

No

Depending to
Model

Depending to
Model

Depending to
Model

Depending to
Model

Modern
display

Modern
display

No display

Modern
display

Self help
Price

Location on
shelf

No
In store
promotion

Yes

Yes

Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Departmental
store

Specialty
Store

No
Normal
retailer

Specialty
Store

Reliance digital is a part of the Reliance group which deals in consumer

electronics such as mobiles, TVs, laptops, home theatres, printers etc. The
main target customers are upper middle class and upper class of the society.
It was a wide variety of all the segments with adequate items on display. The
strategy is to attract customers and help them choose a product from their
wide variety.
The mobile store is a retail outlet that deals only in mobiles and has a wide
variety of mobile handsets. It a specialty store that deals only in mobiles and
employs technicians who can answer to the customer queries. It has a wide

variety of mobiles, of which mostly are medium range (7,000-15,000) and

some of the higher range (>15000)
Mobile Gallery is a small mobile retailer in Amtala who mostly inventories
low cost mobiles of big brands, Chinese handsets and mainly relies on mobile
recharges for revenue generation. Its target customers are local youths who
belong to the lower middle class and middle class of the society.
Spice hotspot- It belongs to the spice brand but deals in all kinds of
handsets. Its working is similar to the mobile store.

Product no- 03
Product type- Biscuits
Store #1
Store #2
Store #3
Variety
How many
variations
are there?
Assortment

Spencers
09

Traditional
kirana
04

Big Bazar
09

Store #4
Nirmal Das
shop
04

How many
brands of
the same
type?
Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package
Self help
Price
Location on
shelf

07

03

07

02

No

No

Yes

No

Well
packaged

Well
packaged

Well
packaged

Well
packaged

Yes
Same as MRP

No
Little
discount

No
Same as MRP

No
More than
MRP

Organized

Organized
Not organized

In store
promotion

Yes

Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Departmental
store

Yes
No

Product no- 04

Variety
How many
variations
are there?
Assortment
How many

Not organized

Kirana Store

Product type-

No
Departmental
store

Small retailer

footwear (Sports-shoe)

Store #1

Store #2

Store #3

Store #4

Khadims

Metro

Shoppers
stop

Raju Shoe
maker

04

06
08

01

07

01 (no well-

02

05

brands of
the same
type?

known brand,
the shop
keeper makes
the shoes)
N/A

Yes

Yes

No

Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package

Good packing

Good packing

Good packing

No packing

Self help
Price

Yes
Moderate
Well
organized

Yes
Depends on
the brand
Well
organized

No
Cheap

Location on
shelf

Yes
More than
Khadims
Well
organized

In store
promotion

Yes

No

Yes

Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Specialty
store

Specialty
store

Departmental
store

No shelves
No

Specialty
store

Product no- 05
Product type- Accessories (Deodorants)
Store #1
Store #2
Store #3
Store #4
Variety
How many

Big bazar

Spencers

Basically 2

Basically 2

A cosmetic
store in
Amtala

A cosmetic
store in new
market

variations
are there?

types (men
and women)

types (men
and women)

Basically 2
types (men
and women)

Basically 2
types (men
and women)

15

10

05

12

No

No

No

No

Sealed
package
Yes
Same as MRP

Sealed
package
Yes
Same as MRP

Sealed
package
No
Same as MRP

Sealed
package
No
Same as MRP

Well
displayed
with tester
No

Well
displayed
with tester
Yes

No display.
No tester
No

No display
but tester is
there
No

Departmental
store

Departmental
store

Specialty
store

Specialty
store

Product no- 06
Product type- Hair-oil
Store #1
Store #2
Store #3

Store #4

Assortment
How many
brands of
the same
type?
Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package
Self help
Price
Location on
shelf
In store
promotion
Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Variety
How many
variations
are there?
Assortment
How many
brands of
the same
type?
Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package
Self help
Price
Location on
shelf
In store
promotion
Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Spencers

Big bazar

More (Joka)

06

Kirana store
at Amtala
02

06

08

08

04

05

No

No

No

No

Available in
sealed pack
and various
SKU.
Yes
Same as MRP

Available in
sealed pack
and various
SKU.
Yes
Same as MRP

Available in
sealed pack
and small
SKUs.
No
Same as MRP

Available in
sealed pack
and various
SKU.
Yes
Same as MRP

Well
displayed

Well
displayed

Unorganized.

Well
displayed

Yes

No

Departmental
store

Departmental
store

04

No
No
Traditional
kirana store

Small
departmental
store.

Product no- 07
(Noodles)

Variety
How many
variations
are there?
Assortment
How many
brands of
the same
type?
Private
label/
service
involved?
Convenient
Package
Self help
Price
Location on
shelf
In store
promotion
Type of
Retailer
Institution
Others

Product type-

packaged ready to eat food

Store #1

Store #2

Store #3

Store #4

Spencers

Big bazar

Nirmal das
shop

05

05

Kirana store
at Amtala
03

01
10

08

03

04

No

No

No

No

Various SKU
& sealed
Yes
Same as MRP

Various SKU
& sealed
packs
Yes
Same as MRP

Only the
smallest Size
No
More than
MRP

Small and
medium sizes
available
No
Same as MRP

In the fast
food
department
Yes

No displays

Kept on the
front rack
No

Departmental
store

Small
convenience
store

In the fast
food
department
Yes
Departmental
store

No

Kirana store

Part B
The retail outlet chosen in Spencers (South city location)
I. Appearance
A. The store layout, design and visual merchandising techniques used are
consistent with the exterior of the store and the location. The store is
located in the South City shopping mall at the Basement. The store is a
hyper-market which offers almost all categories of items ranging from
clothes to cosmetics to groceries to pastries and even a liquor shop.
The

basic

target

customers

are

the

mall

visitors,

families

of

neighborhood and the various people who come to the shopping mall
for their specific reasons. The layout is well designed with specific
departments like clothing section, electronic gadgets, cosmetics,
groceries and others. It uses various audio-visual merchandising tools
like screens and audios to communicate with their customers regarding
offers and other promotions. The mannequins don the latest fashion
clothes. The shelves on various departments are organized properly. It
is self-help retail but employs enough sales people who can assist the
customers if they are having any problem in finding any product. Also
it has a food counter near the exit point where customers can sit and
eat food bought from Spencers. It has also leased space to various
counters like an imitation counter, Hindustan sweets etc.
B. The stores ambience is good. It is centrally air conditioned with proper
lighting. The departments are marked clearly for customers to
understand the layout of the store. Salespeople are well educated and
train to handle customers in an efficient manner.
Overall it met my expectations as a customer.
Throughout its long history, Spencers has been a recognized and
respected player in the Indian grocery business, and is synonymous

with

quality

goods

and

services,

trusted

by

Indias

exploding

population of the upwardly mobile middle class. Spencers has

continually helped reshape the retail landscape in India, introducing a
host of innovations to make shopping an even more convenient and
enjoyable activity for the consumer, by creating an ambience that the
consumer appreciates.
C. The only scope of improvements lies in the billing area. There should
be more counters for the rush hours or may be the rush days like first
weekend of the month when usually families come for buying their
monthly replenishment of groceries and other items. Also they should
use more audio visual merchandising techniques.
II. Fixtures
The lighting highlight merchandise, structure space do capture a mood
and make the customers comfortable. The fixtures are consistent with the
merchandise and the overall ambiance of the store.
III. Promotion
The store uses the communication mix very well. The store communicates
with the customers properly with the help of feedback forms, emails, and
mobile messages. Also the salespeople are very helpful. They suggest items
which might interest the customers. The wall space is usually used to
accommodate racks and shelves, also to fit screens which continuously flash
current offers.
The store has a membership program which allows its customers to get cash
back points which the customer can redeem in the next purchase.
IV. Layout

The store layout is well designed. The entry point is equipped with metal
detector tools and there is a baggage counter followed by the electronic
department. The electronic department at once catches the eyes of the
prospect customer and attracts them. For the women customers just after
the entry point there are various leased space for cosmetic counters from
different brands like LOreal, Lakme etc. The other departments like clothing,
grooming essentials, groceries, cookery, kitchen equipment, dairy products,
car accessories, puja essentials etc are well designed in the layout.

Also

there is billing counter adjacent to every department. Another important

note about the billing counter is that it has an express billing counter for less
items. It offers a one stop shop for customers. It has a liquor outlet too which
has a very good collection with a dedicated billing counter.
The store has also leased space given to various fast food brands including
wow momo, lazeez (biriyani), Hindustan sweets from which customers can
buy and have food in the store itself. The layout in short is organized and
well maintained with the products and the salespeople are also helpful and
friendly which makes the customers shopping experience a Good one.
Spencers designs its stores so as to deliver its brand promise in a
sophisticated manner, thereby differentiating itself from competition. Over
the years, Spencers has built a loyal customer base and strong brand equity
because of this. Central to the retail design strategy is its unique brand
positioning of Makes Fine Living Affordable, derived from its consumers
transition from a price-conscious purchaser to a global-minded, well-travelled
citizen of the world who is looking out for authentic international flavors and
experiences. Spencers has consequently evolved from being just another
grocery retailer to being a world-class hypermarket retailer. Its philosophy
translates to every element in the store: Storefront Design The store
entrance resembles that of an entrance arch, leading in the shopper to a
world that is welcoming and exciting Interior Design To ensure that
shoppers enjoy a warm, friendly ambience with an upscale look and feel, the

interiors are carefully chosen based upon the specific location of the store.
The stores have color-corrected lighting, carefully selected veneers and
textures that complement the color palette of the brand, thereby creating a
fresh, cheerful, and expansive feel. Shopfit Design The emphasis is on
attractive, space-efficient, and low-maintenance presentation of modern,
international goods alongside local products. The stores strive to drive
product experiences through hubs. Graphics & Signage - Shopping at
Spencers is a visual treat, enhanced by Heritage boards that tell the
Spencers history, curved signage featuring the signature Makes Fine Living
Affordable tagline, and category-specific color arches suspended over zones
and departments to provide visual relief and act as navigational aidsV. At Spencers, visual merchandising is taken very seriously, with the
objective of using theatre and edutainment to depict Spencers as a retailer
which Makes Fine Living Affordable. This is evident in the hotspots and focal
points dispersed around the store, which carry thematic product displays to
welcome shoppers and give them the opportunity to absorb the ambience
that constitutes a fine living experience, before continuing their journey of
exploration through the stores. It also extends to the presentation of
merchandise

in

store.

Category-specific

color-coding

allows

easy

navigation, while visual metaphors of farm-fresh and Fine Living drive

home its brand promise. Models of seafood, meats, breads, and cheese
highlight the fish &meat and delicatessen section
Differentiators- Spencers has chosen to differentiate by establishing
itself as the preferred shopping destination for young customers looking for a
range of quality products that allows them to indulge in a global lifestyle, yet
at affordable prices. Its brand image of - Makes Fine Living Affordable
stands - testimony to this philosophy. From daily to weekly to specialty
shopping, Spencers strives to fulfill every need and provide maximum
convenience. Specifically, the following distinguish the Spencers brand and

create a memorable all-encompassing shopping experience for its shoppers:

Products Spencers offers the widest assortment of food and lifestyle
(fashion, home, and entertainment), dealing both, with brands and private
labels. It has different special sections within its hypermarkets to delight the
customer Quality Quality is a major reason why Spencers is well-regard by
its shoppers. Spencers lays a huge emphasis on all-round quality in
products, stores, service standards, and customer engagement programs.
Its Quality since 1863 tagline has stood the test of time. Heritage
Spencers is Indias oldest retailer tracing its roots back to1863. The brand
has

many

firsts

to

its

credits.

Innovations/Specialty

In

Spencers

hypermarkets, the shopper can find specialty sections such as a live bakery,
the patisserie, a nuts counter, a dedicated wine & liquor section, and
Epicuisine. Promotions Spencers seek to offer the right products at the
right time at the right price, with promotions carefully designed to suit the
needs and wants of the consumers monthly, weekly and daily shopping
basket.

Brand

Imagery

Spencers

stores

have

contemporary

and

international interiors, and it's extensively trained staff strive to make

customers feel at home while they shop, with a welcoming and trusted
attitude.
VI. Suggestions

Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) or daily used items should be

available in more number of varieties because customers of South city
complain regarding this and FMCG product should be placed near exit
door as customers can purchase the daily use items at the time of exit,
which can directly increase the sales of Spencers as done in other
retail outlets.

Most of the customers believe that stock is not updated and no offer
schemes are provided by Spencers on the old stock. Same price is
charged for both the fresh stock and old stock. Respondents feel offers
should be provided on the old stock, as is done in other retail stores.

As the majority of population at South city are falling into the age
group of 26-35 and 18-25.Company should concentrate on the need of
people falling into that category.

Customer of south city Spencers says that Spencers should employ

experienced sales staff so that they can better explain the quality and
features of the products.

Some of the people find in-store environment of Spencers very dull, so

try to maintain nice store image which attracts the customers and it
works in word of mouth marketing for attracting more customers.

Variety of products should be increased for better selection by the

customers so that customers can choose from a huge lot of items of
different companies having different features

Store layout should be redesigned that a customer can have easy

access to the product.

Spencers should provide club Spencers membership card (apart

from HSBC Loyalty card), on that card one unique no. should be there
and offer some point system on every purchase that will attract the
customers, through that Spencers can increase its sales.

People generally search for the product on offer so the high margin
product should be up fronted that mean those item should be in the
eye height so that it easily catches the customers attention and
generates impulse purchase.

Company should try to include mens, ladies, and kids apparels

segment in the Spencers daily for attracting the customers.

Spencers should try to attract that family by providing family pack

apparels. Offer at discount rate.

To improve Product visualization the Company should do visual

merchandising in better way.

Spencers should do intensive advertisement through pamphlets, local

newspaper, banners, FM Radio, Kiosks for creating more awareness.

Variety of products should be increased with deep assortment for

better selection by the customers so that customers can choose from
huge lot of items of different companies having different features.

Customers are very eager to know about offers, discount schemes

provided by Supermarkets/Spencers then Spencers should do better
marketing for creating awareness about offers and discount schemes.

Complained and feedback should be taken care in well manner to

create the loyalty and goodwill.

Merchandise should be arranged properly.

Company should offer competitive price with good quality of products

because most of the customers visit to Supermarket for better price
and quality of products.

Company should give information to the customers through the

marketing gimmick (sms) using database of customers.

Keep high quality fruits and vegetables in the stores, employees must
be courteous and friendly as most of the customer gave their
preferences regarding these.

Billing should be fast because customers dont want to stay in the store
after purchasing the products.

Part C: Evaluate Web Sites.

Online merchandising refers to the strategy of selecting products to promote
and displaying those products to increase a shoppers likelihood of
purchasing. Merchandising can cover a wide range of activities, including
pricing, product placement, up-sell and cross-sell promotions, and the
placement of related content to convert more customers. The key to being
effective is to align your products and content as closely as possible with the
customers needs. In other words, deliver the right promotion in the right
place at the right time to the right person. In the e-commerce world, retailers

can take advantage of the interactivity of the online channel, easily

accessing

customer

information

and

delivering

content

relevant

to

customers needs. Technology enables retailers to leverage a wealth of

available data to target individual shoppers, but delivering the perfect
promotion at all times is no simple task. In fact, there are several
technologies and approaches to merchandising, and no one approach is
appropriate in all mileposts on the shoppers path. To apply best practices to
your site, you must understand the different online merchandising options
available and the benefits of each.
So for this we have selected the product Shirt With brand name United
Colors Of Benetton (UCB)
The Four Retail websites are:
MYNTRA
JABONG
FLIPKART
SNAPDEAL
We have chosen Myntra.com from the above given retail websites.

Myntra.com : Myntra.com has wide range of apparel, footwear and

accessories, featuring all the best brands. The shopping at Mynta.com is very
simple. Open the home page of Myntra.com where you need to register on
this site. After getting registered then you need to select the category of the
product that you want to buy. After you select the product, the product's
specification will be displayed on the screen. You can choose your size of that
product and you can save that product to wish list and after that you can

select the mode of payment of your desired product as if you want to pay
through debit card or through cash on delivery. In the mens section, there
are several sub-categories which let you decide what item of clothing youre
looking for. From topwear, bottomwear, footwear, ethnicwear, etc, its a fairly
comprehensive tab list. The list is organised differently in which is according
to Indian Wear, Western Wear, etc.
When you click on each of these sub-tabs, options under each heading show
and you can just choose what you want. Dresses for instance come under
topwear.
Its when youve finally decided on what clothing item you wish to browse,
that trouble starts. The Refine tab which lets users add filters from colours
to brands to pricings is actually quite comprehensive. For a snap-and-buy
shopper like myself, this comprehensive quickly turns into tedious.
Given my preference for a few select brands, I found it a chore to keep
scrolling down to get to them, while I tried to set a filter in my hunt for a
dress. If youre a brand conscious consumer, the app is feels like a special
kind of heaven.
b) How do you compare your experience shopping on the Internet to
shopping in a local store for this type of product?
Youd have a hard time finding anyone to argue against the proposition that
online and brick-and-mortar shopping are fast merging into one shopping
experience. The big buzz words are omnichannel and omni-device, Thats
a user-driven need. Users dont see channels. They dont see devices. They
just interact and if youre not there, where theyre looking for you, when
theyre looking for you, thats a miss.
And the truth is that shoppers cant be sorted into tidy baskets those who
prefer to shop online, those who prefer to shop in store, those who prefer
mobile etc. because each individual shopper might have a different

preference depending on what theyre shopping for, when they need it, how
long they have to get it and any number of other factors.
And so that crucial customer experience must be built across all those
channels for every consumer. Online and in-store shopping differentiates in
various ways. However, they both are convenient ways to shop. Recently,
online shopping has been most convenient for me, but I enjoy both ways of
shopping. I believe that shopping preferences change depending on a
persons situation. I noticed that many people are starting to prefer online
shopping

more

than

in-storeshopping.

Online shopping is most convenient for individuals that dont have time to go
to the store. If youre busy with an online job or online classes then online
shopping can sometimes be more convenient. Its also convenient since you
dont have to drive, catch the bus, wait in a long line, or deal with not being
able to find an item. All you have to do is type in the item youre looking for
and its there. Once you find the item, you can order it at anytime because
online

stores

never

close.

Lately, Ive been having a lot online shopping experiences. I usually buy from
websites with a huge variety of sellers to be sure that I get the best price.
When youre looking for the best price, it requires research. The best price is
more often found online, but not always. Online merchants will sometimes
sell you an item for double the retail price. When the price isnt doubled, it
may be the same price plus shipping costs. Therefore, you still wont have
the best price. This item could possibly be on sale in retail stores
c) What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet
shopping experience?
Advantages

Access - Online shopping allows you to shop from any vendor, at

any time, anywhere in the world. Virtual window shopping enables
all users to shop at their leisure and across multiple marketplaces.

Time Saver - You no longer have to get in your car and have to
drive to the mall to shop. There are no lines and you can come
back to your cart whenever you want.

Online Deals and Promotions - Before you checkout, you can

scour the Internet for online coupon codes or special discounts.
Many companies send coupons to their customers who have opted
into their email marketing campaigns, delivering them with the
latest product or service information and what current promotions
they are currently holding.

Information and reviews: Online stores must describe products

for sale with text, photos, and multimedia files. Some stores even
allow customers to comment or rate their items.

There are also dedicated review sites that host user reviews for
different products.

Reviews and now blogs gives customers the option of shopping

cheaper organize purchases from all over the world without having
to depend on local retailers.

Convenience: Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day,

and many consumers have Internet access both at work and at
home. Other establishments such as internet cafes and schools
provide access as well.

A visit to a conventional retail store requires travel and must take

place during business hours.

Disadvantages

Shipping Rates - Though some companies offer free flat rate

shipping, it still may come at a cost. For instance, a clothing store
may offer free shipping but at a minimum of a $50 purchase.

Waiting - If you're an impatient person, waiting for your product to

be delivered can be a pain. There is a lack of instant gratification

and even possibilities of delay when it comes to receiving your

items.

Refunds/Returns Disputes - If an item comes damaged or not as

described, you will want to return the item or be refunded your
money. Depending on where you purchased your item, there can
be different policies for refunds and returns; this process is tedious
and is prolonged since you would have to ship back the item and
wait on the buyer to refund your payment

Fraud and security concerns: Given the lack of ability to inspect

merchandise before purchase, consumers are at higher risk of
fraud on the part

of the merchant than in a physical store.

Merchants also risk fraudulent purchases using stolen credit cards

or fraudulent repudiation of the online purchase.

With a warehouse instead of a retail storefront, merchants face less

risk from physical theft.

Lack of full cost disclosure: The lack of full disclosure with

regards to the total cost of purchase is one of the concerns of
online shopping.

While it may be easy to compare the base price of an item online,

it may not be easy to see the total cost up front as additional fees
such as shipping are often not be visible until the final step in the
checkout process

Compare the retail offerings of the product you were

shopping for:
Attribut
es
a)Product
Quality

b) Price
c) Suggestive
Selling

Myntra

Jabong

Flipkart

Snapdeal

One can easily

get the desired
information
about any
product by
clicking on the
desired options.
Quality as
mentioned in the
website about
the genuineness
of the apparel
and other
product. It
creates a good
impression about
the quality of the
products offered

In case of each
product various b
rands and
varieties were off
ered. Well-known
brands ensure
good quality of
the offerings

As the websit
e is not that
informative,
so nothing
much could
be concluded
about
the products
Quality.
However, the
store had a
wide
range of
mens
Footwear to
offer.

The number
of brands
and varieties
offered
exceeded
any other
store. There
were also
some brands
also Overall
quality of
the products
offered is
very good.

When one
chooses a
particular
product, all the
related brands

Though brands of
similar
type were displa
yed on the
website page,

Brands of
similar
type were dis
played on
the website

No such
information is
provided in
the website, neit
her any attempt

and products are

displayed. This
also helps a
customer to reevaluate upon
his/her buying
decision.

but the varieties

available for
online
purchase was ver
y less Price range
was also
displayed, so
that accordingly
one can buy the
product.
The website
The website is
consisted of the
able to provide
information
information
about the various about the
offerings made
organization,
by the company
products offered,
in various
contact
categories and
information and
sub categories
link to be
and makes
followed for
proper usage of
online shopping.
drop down lists.
Moreover
It also has a
products with lat
return option
est offers are
along with a link
also displayed
to know about
the latest offers.

page. Price
range was
also
displayed.

is made to cater
to the enquiry of
the customer

Website
consisted of
constantly
changing
images
and very
captivating
graphics. A
store locater
option was
also present.

Website is very
plain with usage
of very few
colors and
illustrations. It
gave basic
information
about the
various
categories and
sub categories
and the
offerings

e) Design
of Website

Website design is
very innovative
and modern. One
can easily get
the detailed
information of
any product as
desired

The website is
endowed with
constantly
changing
graphics,
slideshows and
small
animations.

The website
s
Design is
very plain
and bare and
consists
of very few
animation
effects. It
lacks
innovation
and needs to
be improved
a lot.

Design lacked
innovation, and
provided very
little/minimal
information
about the
product. No
animation and
frequently
changing
graphics.

f)Ease
of Website

The website is ve
ry
user-

The experience
of website usage

The ease of
using

The website
though modern

d) Website
Featured

use

friendly.
Dropdown lists
also helps any
buyer to buy the
product which he
wants to
purchase. Overall
the purchase
experience was
simply
great. And the
transaction was
also
very fast

g) Closing of
Sales

The payment can

be made online.
All sorts of debit
and credit cards
can be used to
make the
payment. Secured
transaction was
ensured as link
was directly
transferred to the
respective banks
website, following
the secured
transaction
protocols

is quite
satisfying. All the
required
information whic
h one might seek
regarding a
particular
product is easily
available. But
we would sugges
t that it should
include the
usage of more
product related
pictures and
videos to
enhance the
usage ease.
The secured
transaction
gateway is used
to make the
transaction
smooth and fast.

the website i
s just fine.
But it lacks
the element
of specialty.
However it
can improve
a lot on these
grounds

lacks the basic

quality of giving
the customer a
good
experience. Only
basic
information
about the
different brands
offered was only
available

The secured
transaction
gateway is
used to make
the
transaction
smooth and
fast

No such
payment
gateways were
present there
was no buying
option present

e) Which one of these sites would you use? Why?

I will prefer Myntra.com over all the above retail websites the reasons are as
follows

Myntra, in contrast, is completely homegrown. It started off as a

customization platform, selling sweatshirts, tees, mugs and such to
colleges and companies. It changed direction in 2010-11 to full blown
large scale online fashion and lifestyle retail.

Myntra focuses on quality and innovation. E.g., the Style Studio

(Myntra Style Studio), the first and only of its kind in India, and
probably the only one in the entire world to not use Flash as a

platform. (It is completely made in HTML5 using canvas.)

In terms of positioning, Myntra envisages itself as a fashion portal, a
destination for fashion content, trends and tips. This can be seen in
Myntra's endeavours like style, and in the fashionable design of the

website itself, if I may say so.

Services Comparison: That's an important aspect in comparing the
Ecommerce portals. Unfortunately, there's no specific website which does
this for you, and if you look at their FB pages and reviews section, there
will be someone or the other always cribbing about delayed delivery or
bad services. So, the best way to do this is with your own experience, or
from an experience of someone you know very closely. For example: I
might be getting something Rs 100 - 200 cheaper at Jabong than Myntra. I
will still go with Amazon because of the service quality they have. When I
say, service I mean, their logistics, customer service, return / exchange

policies, etc.
Return / Refund Policy: This is an important point to keep in mind. Always
make sure that you read the return / refund policy of an Ecommerce
company. Read between the lines, Is it 15 days or 30 days? Is it from
dispatch or from delivery? Customer Service is 24 X 7 or a few hours a
day. Do they have Email / Chat support or not? All these questions are
important because, that will give you an idea, in case of return, how will
you be treated? And Myntra has a best return policy over the others
because it is using the logistics of Flipkart.

Thank You