CHAPTER I

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY

Gone are the days were the consumer went in search of materials from shop to shop. Today,
things are made available in one shop, one place. These days, consumer buying is not mere
transfer of items from seller to buyer. They would like to see, touch and feel the commodities
that they buy. Understanding this psycho-logy for the consumer many organizations have
come to make purchase of happy fair.

Today business faces lots of challenges. The major work today’s business is not only to face
and survive with the competitors but also to study consumer’s needs and analyze their
behaviour. Though starting a business today is easy, but surviving and attaining success is an
important issue which needs to be given more importance. Business, in olden days, the major
work of business was to concentrate on production lines, but today the scene is different.
Marketing as a business functions is charges with the movement of the products and services
from the producer to the user. Under this concept, a business is managed with sole purpose of
making and selling what the consumer wants it, and at the price he is willing to pay.

SUPERMARKET
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food
and household merchandise, organized into departments. It is larger in size and has a wider
selection than a traditional grocery store, also selling items typically found in a convenience
store, but is smaller and more limited in the range of merchandise than a hypermarket or big-
box store.

The supermarket typically comprises fresh produce, dairy, and baked goods departments,
along with shelf space reserved for canned and packaged goods as well as for various non-
food items such as household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. Most
supermarkets also sells a variety of other household products that are consumed regularly, the
traditional suburban supermarket occupies a large amount of floor space, usually on a single
level. It is usually situated near a residential area for the convenience of consumers.

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Its basic appeal is the availability of a broad selection of goods under a single roof, relatively
at low prices. Supermarkets usually allocate large budgets for advertising, typically through
newspapers.

CONSUMER
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use the goods and services
generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so
that the usage and significance of the term may vary.

The "consumer" is the one who consumes the goods and services produced. As such,
consumers play a vital role in the economic system of a nation because in the absence of the
effective demand that emanates from them, the economy virtually collapses. Father of our
nation Mahatma Gandhi said that-“Consumer is the most important visitor in our premises.
He is not dependent on us, we are on him. He is not an interruption to our work, he is the
purpose of it”

CONSUMER SATISFACTION
Consumer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied
by a company meet or surpass consumer expectation. Consumer satisfaction is defined as "the
number of consumers, or percentage of total consumers, whose reported experience with a
firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals.

Within organizations, consumer satisfaction ratings can have powerful effects. They focus
employees on the importance of fulfilling consumers’ expectations. Furthermore, when these
ratings dip, they warn of problems that can affect sales and profitability. These metrics
quantify an important dynamic. When a brand has loyal consumers, it gains positive word-of-
mouth marketing, which is both free and highly effective.

In researching satisfaction, firms generally ask consumers whether their product or service
has met or exceeded the expectations. Thus, expectations are a key factor behind satisfaction.
When consumers have high expectations and the reality falls short, they will be disappointed
and will likely rate their experience as less than satisfying. Consumer satisfaction provides a
leading indicator of consumer purchase intentions and loyalty. Consumer satisfaction data are
among the most frequently collected indicators of market perceptions.
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Consumer satisfaction is an abstract concept and the actual manifestation of the state of
satisfaction will vary from person to person and product/service to product/service. The state
of satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and physical variables which
correlate with satisfaction behaviours such as return and recommend rate. The level of
satisfaction can also vary depending on other factors the consumer, such as other products
against which the consumer can compare the organization's products.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer behaviour is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a
product. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology and economics.
It attempts to understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups.
It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural
variables in an attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the
consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS BUYER'S BLACK BOX

BUYER'S
Marketing Environmental Buyer Decision
RESPONSE
Stimuli Stimuli Characteristics Process

Problem
recognition
Economic Attitudes Information
Product choice
Product Technological Motivation search
Brand choice
Price Political Perceptions Alternative
Dealer choice
Place Cultural Personality evaluation
Purchase timing
Promotion Demographic Lifestyle Purchase
Purchase amount
Natural Knowledge decision
Post-purchase
behavior

The black box model shows the interaction of stimuli, consumer characteristics, and decision
process and consumer responses. It can be distinguished between interpersonal stimuli
(between people) or intrapersonal stimuli (within people).

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Once the consumer has recognized a problem or need, they search for information on
products and services that can solve that problem.
Sources of information include:
Sources of information include:
 Personal sources.
 Commercial sources
 Public sources
 Personal experience

The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with information search is
perception. Perception is defined as "the process by which an individual receives, selects,
organizes, and interprets information to create a meaningful picture of the world".

INFORMATION EVALUATION
At this time the consumer compares the brands and products that are in their evoked set.
Consumers evaluate alternatives in terms of the functional and psychological benefits that
they offer.

PURCHASE DECISION
Once the alternatives have been evaluated, the consumer is ready to make a purchase
decision. Sometimes purchase intention does not result in an actual purchase. The provision
of credit or payment terms may encourage purchase, or a sales promotion such as the
opportunity to receive a premium or enter a competition may provide an incentive to buy
now. The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with purchase decision is
integration. Once the integration is achieved, the organization can influence the purchase
decisions much more easily.

INTERNAL INFLUENCES
Consumer behaviour is influenced by:
 Demographics
 Psychographics (lifestyle)
 Personality
 Motivation

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  Knowledge
 Attitudes
 Beliefs
 Feelings

Consumer behaviour concern with consumer need consumer actions in the direction of
satisfying needs leads to his behaviour of every individual depend on thinking

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES
Consumer behaviour is influenced by:
 Culture
 Sub-culture
 Locality
 Royalty
 Ethnicity
 Family
 Social class
 Past experience reference groups
 Lifestyle

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study are:
 To study the factor influencing the consumer to purchase house hold articles from
Supermarket store.
 To study the needs of the consumers at the place of purchase.
 To study the consumer’s opinion and ideas about the price, quality and services
rendered by the Supermarket stores suggest.
 To study the sales services provided by the Supermarket stores.
 To improve in sales and functions in the Supermarket stores based on results.

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1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
 In the study we could know more about the character of the consumer, his/her
approach towards a product, or the retail shop. Many of the consumers find it difficult
with different availability of the products in the market place due to low knowledge
product.
 From the study the retailers will come to know about the product which has the
complaint by the consumer. There is a consumer’s service department which solves
their complaints and tries their best to satisfy their consumer. They would try their
best not to bring a bad impression on their retail shop due to consumer compliant.
 By the study we could know that retailers continue to create points of difference
between their offers and competing on services, elements and different brand of
products availability. This is seen as a key way to attract consumers from the
competitor’s stores.

1.4 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

 The area of the study is restricted to Ernakulum city.
 The data was collected for the month of May 2012 to June 2012.
 In order to complete the study within the time frame, the number of respondent had
been restricted to 75.
 Some of the customers don’t open up fully and doesn’t co operate with the questions
asked to them.
 Time given was too short to conduct a good satisfactory research.

1.5 INDUSTRY PROFILE

SUPER MARKET
A supermarket is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's
personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the
consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product
categories. Supermarkets usually sell products including apparel, furniture, home appliances,
electronics, and additionally select other lines of products such as paint, hardware, toiletries,
cosmetics, photographic equipment, jewellery, toys, and sporting goods. Certain
supermarkets are further classified as discount stores. Discount supermarkets commonly have

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central customer checkout areas, generally in the front area of the store. Supermarkets are
usually part of a retail chain of many stores situated around a country or several countries.

The supermarket typically comprises meat, fresh produce, dairy, and baked goods
departments, along with shelf space reserved for canned and packaged goods as well as for
various non-food items such as household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies.
Most supermarkets also sell a variety of other household products that are consumed
regularly, such as alcohol (where permitted), medicine, and clothes, and some stores sell a
much wider range of non-food products.

The traditional suburban supermarket occupies a large amount of floor space, usually on a
single level. It is usually situated near a residential area in order to be convenient to
consumers. Its basic appeal is the availability of a broad selection of goods under a single
roof, at relatively low prices. Other advantages include ease of parking and frequently the
convenience of shopping hours that extend far into the evening or even 24 hours a day.
Supermarkets usually allocate large budgets to advertising, typically through newspapers.
They also present elaborate in-store displays of products. The stores are usually part of
corporate chains that own or control (sometimes by franchise) other supermarkets located
nearby—even transnational—thus increasing opportunities for economies of scale.

Supermarkets typically are supplied by the distribution centres of their parent companies,
such as Lob law Companies in Canada, which operates thousands of supermarkets across the
nation. Lob law operates a distribution centre in every province—usually in the largest city in
the province.

Supermarkets usually offer products at low prices by reducing their economic margins.
Certain products (typically staple foods such as bread, milk and sugar) are occasionally sold
as loss leaders, that is, with negative profit margins. To maintain a profit, supermarkets
attempt to make up for the lower margins by a higher overall volume of sales, and with the
sale of higher-margin items. Customers usually shop by placing their selected merchandise
into shopping carts (trolleys) or baskets (self-service) and pay for the merchandise at the
check-out. At present, many supermarket chains are attempting to further reduce labour costs
by shifting to self-service check-out machines, where a single employee can oversee a group
of four or five machines at once, assisting multiple customers at a time.
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A larger full-service supermarket combined with a supermarket is sometimes known as a
hypermarket. Other services offered at some supermarkets may include those of banks, cafés,
childcare centres/crèches, photo processing, video rentals, pharmacies and/or petrol stations.

HISTORY
In the early days of retailing, all products generally were fetched by an assistant from shelves
behind the merchant's counter while customers waited in front of the counter and indicated
the items they wanted. Also, most foods and merchandise did not come in individually
wrapped consumer-sized packages, so an assistant had to measure out and wrap the precise
amount desired by the consumer. This also offered opportunities for social interaction: many
regarded this style of shopping as "a social occasion" and would often pause for
conversations with the staff or other customers. These practices were by nature very labour-
intensive and therefore also quite expensive. The shopping process was slow, as the number
of customers who could be attended to at one time be limited by the number of staff
employed in the store.

The concept of a self-service grocery store was developed by American entrepreneur

Clarence Saunders and his Piggy Wiggly stores. His first store opened in Memphis,
Tennessee, in 1916. Saunders was awarded a number of patents for the ideas he incorporated
into his stores. The stores were a financial success and Saunders began to offer franchises.
The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) was another successful early grocery
store chain in Canada and the United States, and became common in North American cities in
the 1920s. The general trend in retail since then has been to stock shelves at night so that
customers, the following day, can obtain their own goods and bring them to the front of the
store to pay for them. Although there is a higher risk of shoplifting, the costs of appropriate
security measures ideally will be outweighed by reduced labour costs.

Early self-service grocery stores did not sell fresh meats or produce. Combination stores that
sold perishable items were developed in the 1920s.

Historically, there was debate about the origin of the supermarket, with King Kullen and
Ralph's of California having strong claims. Other contenders included Weingarten's Big Food
Markets and Henke & Pilot. To end the debate, the Food Marketing Institute in conjunction
with the Smithsonian Institution and with funding from H.J. Heinz, researched the issue. It
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defined the attributes of a supermarket as "self-service, separate product departments,
discount pricing, marketing and volume selling.

It has been determined that the first true supermarket in the United States was opened by a
former Kroger employee, Michael J. Cullen, on August 4, 1930, inside a 6,000 square foot
former garage in Jamaica, Queens in New York City.[9] The store, King Kullen, (inspired by
the fictional character King Kong), operated under the slogan "Pile it high. Sell it low." At the
time of Cullen's death in 1936, there were seventeen King Kullen stores in operation.
Although Saunders had brought the world self-service, uniform stores and nationwide
marketing, Cullen built on this idea by adding separate food departments, selling large
volumes of food at discount prices and adding a parking lot.

Other established American grocery chains in the 1930s, such as Kroger and Safeway at first
resisted Cullen's idea, but eventually were forced to build their own supermarkets as the
economy sank into the Great Depression, while consumers were becoming price-sensitive at
a level never experienced before. Kroger took the idea one step further and pioneered the first
supermarket surrounded on all four sides by a parking lot.

Supermarkets proliferated across Canada and the United States with the growth of automobile
ownership and suburban development after World War II. Most North American
supermarkets are located in suburban strip malls as an anchor store along with other smaller
retailers. They are generally regional rather than national in their company branding. Kroger
is perhaps the most nationally oriented supermarket chain in the United States but it has
preserved most of its regional brands, including Ralphs, City Market and King Scoopers.

In Canada, the largest such chain is Loblaw, which operates stores under a variety of regional
names, including Fortinos, Zehrs and the largest, Loblaws, (named after the company itself).
Sobeys is Canada's second largest supermarket with locations across the country, operating
under many banners.

In the United Kingdom, self-service shopping took longer to become established. Even in
1947, there were just ten self-service shops in the country. In 1951, ex-US Navy sailor
Patrick Galvani, son-in-law of Express Dairies chairman, made a pitch to the board to open a
chain of supermarkets across the country. The UK's first supermarket under the new Premier
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Supermarkets brand opened in Streatham, South London, taking ten times as much per week
as the average British general store of the time. Other chains caught on, and after Galvani lost
out to Tesco's Jack Cohen in 1960 to buy the 212 Irwin's chain, the sector underwent a large
amount of consolidation, resulting in 'the big four' dominant UK retailers of today: Tesco,
Asda (owned by Wal-Mart), Sainsbury's and Morrisons.

In the 1950s, supermarkets frequently issued trading stamps as incentives to customers.

Today, most chains issue store-specific "membership cards," "club cards," or "loyalty cards".
These typically enable the card holder to receive special members-only discounts on certain
items when the credit card-like device is scanned at check-out.

Traditional supermarkets in many countries face intense competition from discount retailers
such as Wal-Mart, Tesco in the UK, and Zellers in Canada, which typically are non-union
and operate with better buying power. Other competition exists from warehouse clubs such as
Costco that offer savings to customers buying in bulk quantities. Superstores, such as those
operated by Wal-Mart and Asda, often offer a wide range of goods and services in addition to
foods. The proliferation of such warehouse and superstores has contributed to the continuing
disappearance of smaller, local grocery stores; increased dependence on the automobile;
suburban sprawl because of the necessity for large floor space and increased vehicular traffic.
Some critics consider the chains' common practice of selling loss leaders to be anti-
competitive. They are also wary of the negotiating power that large, often multinational
retailers have with suppliers around the world.

1.6 COMPANY PROFILE

“NILGIRIS - at the heart of great taste”, since 1905. Nilgiris is South India’s leading chain
of retail stores providing consumers a shopping experience that hinges around freshness of
produce, superior quality and better value. From humble beginnings in the hills around Ooty
and Coonoor at the turn of the twentieth century, Nilgiris has grown from being a Dairy Farm
specializing in butter to a supermarket chain of over 90 stores spread across India’s southern
states.
It is the only supermarket chain that lays special emphasis on its own products, sold under the
brand name of Nilgiris 1905. With in-house capabilities centering on Bakery and Dairy
products, Nilgiris has grown to become a household name in the south with consumers
spanning successive generations.
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Nilgiris is one of India’s pioneering champions of organized retail and has ushered in the age
where consumers now seek more value in their shopping experience than before. Beginning
with a single store on Brigade Road in Bangalore with butter as its mainstay, Nilgiris has
scripted a story of success with multiple stores across cities each delivering unmatched value
in terms of range and shopping experience to the consumer, offering a wide range of grocery,
general products.

With the mission of constantly improving and upgrading capacities to satisfy consumers
through a wide range of food products and service offered at the right quality, quantity and
price supported by innovative solutions, Nilgiris is all set to embrace emerging technologies
and be recognized for its integrity, customer focus and commitment to quality.

PRODUCT PROFILE
 Baby foods and baby-care products such as disposable diapers.
 Breads and bakery products.
 Books, newspapers, and magazines, including supermarket tabloids.
 Bulk dried foods such as legumes, flour, rice, etc.
 Canned goods and dried cereals.
 CDs, Audio cassettes, DVDs, and videos.
 Confections and candies.
 Cosmetics.
 Dairy products and eggs.
 Delicatessen foods (ready-to-eat).
 Diet foods.
 Feminine hygiene products.
 Frozen foods and crushed ice.
 Fresh produce, fruits and vegetables.
 Greeting cards.
 House-cleaning products.
 House wares, Dishware and cooking utensils, etc. (typically limited).
 Laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, etc.
 Luggage items (typically limited).
 Meats, fish and seafood.

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  Medicines and first aid items.
 Nonalcoholic beverages such as soft drinks, juices, bottled water, etc.
 Personal hygiene and grooming products.
 Pet foods and products.
 Seasonal items and decorations.
 Snack items.
 Tea and Coffee.
 Toys and novelties.
 A separate room for cosmetics items.

1.7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

There has been a rapid transformation of the food retail sector in developing countries,
beginning in the 1990s. This applies particularly to Latin America, South-East Asia, China
and South Africa. However, growth is being witnessed in nearly all countries. With growth,
have come considerable competition and some amount of consolidation. The growth has been
driven by increasing affluence and the rise of a middle class; the entry of women into the
workforce; with a consequent incentive to seek out easy-to-prepare foods; the growth in the
use of refrigerators, making it possible to shop weekly instead of daily; and the growth in car
ownership, facilitating journeys to distant stores and purchases of large quantities of goods.
The opportunities presented by this potential have encouraged several European companies to
invest in these markets (mainly in Asia) and American companies to invest in Latin America
and China. Local companies also entered the market. Initial development of supermarkets has
now been followed by hypermarket growth. In addition there were investments by companies
such as Makro and Metro in large-scale Cash-and-Carry operations.

While the growth in sales of processed foods in these countries has been much more rapid
than the growth in fresh food sales, the imperative nature of supermarkets to achieve
economies of scale in purchasing means that the expansion of supermarkets in these countries
has important repercussions for small farmers, particularly those growing perishable crops.
New supply chains have developed involving cluster formation; development of specialized
wholesalers; leading farmers organizing supply; and farmer associations or cooperatives. In
some cases supermarkets have organized their own procurement from small farmers; in
others wholesale markets have adapted to meet supermarket needs.

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 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 REVIEW OF LIERATURE
According to Mohammad Beheshti; Azadeh Bagheri [2010] Swedish universities have
always received greater attention from international students, thanks to their well-quality and
tuition-free programs. However, due to the introduction of tuition fee for non-EU/EEA
students from fall 2011, it is predictable that by raising the threat of losing a rather large
portion of international students, Swedish universities may experience a critical period over
the early years after this change

Andrey Mikhailov; Kungaba Cedric Pefok says Quality is increasingly becoming a strategic
issue in the Western world (Bergman and Klefsjo, 2003). One of the main reasons for the
successes of Japanese industry in the 1970s and 1980s was that the Japanese realized early
that quality concept should emanate from the requirements and expectations of the customers
(Bergman and Klefsjo, 2003).

Research done by Parunya Vanasakul; Supisra Arayaphong; Ploychompoo Wankeao;[2008]

proved The battle of DTAC in Thailand’s mobile phone operator market Strategic question
How can DTAC gain higher market share by focusing on customers in Bangkok? Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate, analyze current competition between DTAC
and other competitors with customer insight in order to find out the possibility for DTAC to
gain more market share in Thai telecommunication market by focusing on customers in
Bangkok area. Theory and Method Researchers apply ‘Business Strategy theory and
Marketing mix for service company or 7Ps’ to answer the strategic question by collecting
primary data from questionnaire and interview, while the secondary data are collected from
various reliable source

According to Robert A. Peterson,University of Texas and William R. WilsonVyvx, Inc., Self-

reports of customer satisfaction invariably possess distributions that are negatively skewed
and exhibit a positivity bias. Examination of the customer satisfaction literature and empirical
investigations reveal that measurements of customer satisfaction exhibit tendencies of
confounding and methodological contamination and appear to reflect numerous artefacts’.
Implications and suggestions for research and practice are discussed.

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Richard A. Spreng Michigan State University and Richard W. Olshavsky Indiana University
says the disconfirmation of expectations model has been increasingly criticized in recent
years and, as a result, standards other than expectations have been suggested. The present
research proposes consumer desires, based on means-end theory, as the comparison standard.
Results of an experiment show that the extent to which performance is congruent with desires
is a powerful antecedent to satisfaction, while the effect of disconfirmation of expectations is
no significant

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 CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH
Research can be defined as the search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, with
an open mind, to establish novel facts, usually using a scientific method. The primary
purpose for applied research (as opposed to basic research) is discovering, interpreting, and
the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a
wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe.

Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method, a harnessing of curiosity.
This research provides scientific information and theories for the explanation of the nature
and the properties of the world around us. It makes practical applications possible. Scientific
research is funded by public authorities, by charitable organizations and by private groups,
including many companies. Scientific research can be subdivided into different classifications
according to their academic and application disciplines.

Artistic research, also seen as 'practice-based research', can take form when creative works
are considered both the research and the object of research itself. It is the debatable body of
thought which offers an alternative to purely scientific methods in research in its search for
knowledge and truth.

PERIOD OF STUDY
It was a six weeks study in the retail department, I could know more about the consumer
behavior and study of about retailing.

RESEACH METHODOLOGY
Research Methodology can be:
1. "The analysis of the principles of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a
discipline".
2. "The systematic study of methods that are, can be, or have been applied within a
discipline".
3. The study or description of methods.

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Research Methodology can be defined as a systematic and orderly procedure or process for
attaining some objective. Methodology doesn't describe specific methods; nevertheless it
does specify several processes that need to be followed. These processes constitute a generic
framework. They may be broken down in sub-processes, they may be combined, or their
sequence may change. However any task exercise must carry out these processes in one form
or another.

Methodology may refer to nothing more than a simple set of methods or procedures, or it
may refer to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study
relative to the scientific method. For example, scholarly literature often includes a section on
the methodology of the researchers.

RESEARCH APPROACH
The approach adopted to complete this project was that of “COSUMER SATIFACTION”.
And the study of secondary data is collected from various news papers, internet, and books.
The survey was done in Nilgris Supermarket.

RESEARCH DESIGN
Depending upon the objectives of the research the most suitable marketing research design is
“Descriptive research”. The purpose is to find out the satisfaction of customers while
shopping in Nilgris Supermarket. Research designs are concerned with turning the research
question into a testing project. The best design depends on your research questions. Every
design has its positive and negative sides.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The instrument that was chosen to conduct the market research was that of “structured
questionnaire”. This has been done because data obtained in structured studies are easier to
tabulated and interpret then data gathered in other ways. A list of questionnaire was prepared
which could give relevant information when answered by the respondents.

SOURCE OF DATA
The main source used for the research is questionnaire. It has helped a lot in the findings and
to get the knowledge about the customers and their service that is provided to them.

16
The questions were very simple and it was understandable. The questions were then
distributed to customers and they filled it and help me to collect the information.

PRIMARY DATA:
Primary data was collected by distributing structured questionnaire to the respondent. It can
be said as Data observed or collected directly from first-hand experience. Primary data is the
specific information collected by the person who is doing the research. It can be obtained
through clinical trials, circulating questioner, case studies, true experiments and randomized
controlled studies. This information can be analyzed by other experts who may decide to test
the validity of the data by repeating the same experiments.

SECONDARY DATA
Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of
secondary data for social science include censuses, surveys, organizational records and data
collected through qualitative methodologies or qualitative research. Primary data, by contrast,
are collected by the investigator conducting the research. Secondary data analysis saves time
that would otherwise be spent collecting data and, particularly in the case of quantitative data,
provides larger and higher-quality databases than would be unfeasible for any individual
researcher to collect on their own. In addition to that, analysts of social and economic change
consider secondary data essential, since it is impossible to conduct a new survey that can
adequately capture past change and/or developments. Sources like news paper, magazines,
office staff and websites were used to collect the company history, profile etc.

SAMPLE AREA
Nilgris Supermarket, Ernakulum

SAMPLE SIZE
A sample of 75 customers were taken for the study.

SAMPLE DESIGN
In this study I have opted convenience sampling design. The sample size of a
statistical sample is the number of observations that constitute it. It is typically denoted n, a
positive integer (natural number).

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Typically, all else being equal, a larger sample size leads to increased precision in estimates
of various properties of the population, though the results will become less accurate if there is
a systematic error in the experiment. This can be seen in such statistical rules as the law of
large numbers and the central limit theorem. Repeated measurements and replication of
independent samples are often required in measurement and experiments to reach a desired
precision.

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 CHAPTER IV
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

TABLE NO. 1
TABLE SHOWING THE GENDER OF THE RESPONDENT
GENDER NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)
RESPONDENTS
MALE 40 53
FEMALE 35 47
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the sex of the respondent’s .it shows that, about 46.67% of the
respondent are female and 53.33 % are male.

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 TABLE NO. 1
CHART SHOWING THE GENDER OF THE RESPONDENT

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

MALE

FEMALE

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 TABLE NO. 2
TABLE SHOWING THE EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF THE
RESPONDENT

PARTICULAR NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)

RESPONDENTS
SCHOOL 18 24
DEGREE 27 36
PG LEVEL 20 26
OTHER QUALIFICATION 10 14
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the Educational qualification of the respondent’s .it shows that,
about 36 % of the respondent are with degree qualification and ,26 % are PG level,24% of the
respondent are school level and rest of the belongs to other qualification.

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 TABLE NO. 2
CHART SHOWING THE EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF THE
RESPONDENT
120

100

80

60

40
PERCENTAGE (%)

20

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 TABLE NO. 3
TABLE SHOWING THE OCCUPATION STATUS OF THE RESPONDENT

PARTICULAR NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)

RESPONDENTS
STUDENT 14 19
EMPLOYED 20 27
BUISNESS 16 21
HOUSE WIFE 25 33
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the occupation status of the respondent’s .it shows that, about 33
% of the respondent are house wife and, 27% are employed, 21% of the respondent is doing
business and rest 19%of them are students.

23
 CHART 3
CHART SHOWING THE OCCUPATION STATUS OF THE RESPONDENT

100

90

80

70

60

50
PERCENTAGE (%)
40

30

20

10

0
STUDENT EMPLOYED BUISNESS HOUSE TOTAL
WIFE

24
 TABLE NO. 4
TABLE SHOWING THE MARITAL STATUS OF THE
RESPONDENT

PARTICULAR NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE (%)

MARRIED 40 53

UN MARRIED 35 47

TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The table represents the marital status of the respondent .it shows that, about 53 % of the
respondents are married and 47% are unmarried.

25
 CHART NO. 4
CHART SHOWING THE MARITAL STATUS OF THE RESPONDENT

MARRIED
UN MARRIED

26
 TABLE NO. 5
TABLE SHOWING THE MEDIA INFLUENCING THE CUSTOMERS TO
PURCHASE FROM THE SUPERMARKET

PARTICULAR NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)

RESPONDENTS
TELEVISON 14 19
NEWSPAPER 21 28
PAMPLETS 17 23
WORD OF MOUTH 33 44
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table shows that the media influences the customers to purchase from the
supermarket .it reveals that, about 44 % of the respondent are aware of the super market
through word of mouth and only 19% is through television, 23% through palm lets and 28
through news paper.

27
 CHART NO. 5
CHART SHOWING THE MEDIA INFLUENCING THE CUSTOMERS TO
PURCHASE FROM THE SUPERMARKET

PERCENTAGE (%)
50
40
30
20
10
0
PERCENTAGE (%)

28
 TABLE NO. 6
TABLE SHOWS THE DIFFERENT PLACE OF PURCHACING THE PRODUCT BY
THE RESPONDENT
PARTICULARS NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)
RESPONDENTS
SUPERMARKET 26 55
SHOP/ MARKET 22 29
SALES 16 21
REPRESENTATIVE
EXHIBITION 11 15
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the different place of purchasing the product by the respondent .it
shows that, more than 50 % of the respondents are purchasing through supermarket the other
respondent choose to buy from other options like exhibition, sales representative,
shop/market.

29
 CHART NO.6
CHART SHOWING THE DIFFERENT PLACE OF PURCHACING THE PRODUCT
BY THE RESPONDENT

PERCENTAGE (%) PERCENTAGE (%)

60

40

20

0
PERCENTAGE (%)

30
 TABLE NO. 7
TABLE SHOWS THE REASON FOR PURCHASING THE PRODUCT BY THE
RESPONDENT FROM SUPERMARKET
PARTICULAR NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)
RESPONDENT
SERVICE 10 13
QUALITY 25 33
TIME SAVING 14 19
LESS COST 26 35
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the different reason for purchasing the product by the respondent
from supermarket. It shows that, more than 30 % of the respondents are purchasing through
supermarket because of quality and less cost, others buy because of time saving and services.

31
 CHART NO. 7
CHART SHOWS THE REASON FOR PURCHASING THE PRODUCT BY THE
RESPONDENT FROM SUPERMARKET

35 PERCENTAGE (%)

30

25

20

15

10

0
SERVICE QUALITY TIME SAVING LESS COST

32
 TABLE NO. 8
TABLE SHOWS THE RESPONSE OF THE SUPERMARKET TOWARDS
EXCHANGE

PARTICULAR NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE (%)

IMMEDIATE EXCHANGE 16 21
DELAYED EXCHANGE 22 30
NO EXCHANGE 15 20
NO RESPONSE 8 10
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents responds of the supermarket towards exchange. It shows that, 30
% of the respondents are getting delayed exchange though 21% customers are getting
immediate exchange.

33
 CHART NO. 8
CHART SHOWS THE RESPONDS OF THE SUPERMARKET TOWARDS
EXCHANGE

PERCENTAGE (%)

30

25

20

15

10

0
1
2 PERCENTAGE (%)
3
4

34
 TABLE NO. 9
TABLE SHOWS THE RESPONDENT’S SATISFACTION TO SERVICE PROVIDED
BY THE SUPERMARKET

PARTICULAR NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)

RESPONDENTS
HIGHLY SATISFIED 16 21
FAIR 24 32
SATISFIED 21 28
NO RESPONCE 14 19
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the respondent’s satisfaction to the customers’ service provided by
the supermarket. It shows that, more than 32 % of the respondents are getting fair satisfaction
to the customer’s services provided by supermarket

35
 CHART NO. 9
CHART SHOWS THE RESPONDENT’S SATISFACTION TO SERVICE PROVIDED
BY THE SUPERMARKET

PERCENTAGE (%)

40

30

20

10

0
HIGHLY SATISFIEDFAIR PERCENTAGE (%)
SATISFIED
NO RESPONCE

36
 TABLE NO. 10
TABLE SHOWING THE WILLINGNESS OF RESPONDENTS TO RECOMMEND
OTHERS

PARTICULAR NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE (%)

YES 44 59

NO 31 41

TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the willingness of respondent to recommend others to buy from
the supermarket .it shows that, about 59 % of the respondent are willing to recommend the
place of buying.

37
 CHART NO. 10
CHART SHOWING THE WILLINGNESS OF RESPONDENTS TO RECOMMEND
OTHERS

YES
NO

38
 TABLE NO. 11
TABLE SHOWING THE FEELING OF RESPONDENT THAT SUPERMARKET IS
MORE ADVANTAGE THAN ANY OTHER

PARTICULAR NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE (%)

YES 46 62

NO 29 38

TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table shows the feeling of respondent that supermarket is more advantages than
any other. It shows that, more than 60 % of the respondents are feeling that supermarket is
more advantage than any other.

39
 CHART NO. 11
CHART SHOWING THE FEELING OF RESPONDENT THAT SUPERMARKET IS
MORE ADVANTAGE THAN ANY OTHER

YES
NO

40
 TABLE NO. 12
TABLE SHOWING THE SATISFACTION OF RESPONDENT TOWARDS THE
DOOR DELEVERY SYSTEM

PARTICULAR NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE (%)

YES 48 64

NO 27 36

TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The shows the satisfaction of respondent towards the door delivery system . It shows that,
more than 60 % of the respondents are feeling that supermarket having a good door delivery
system.

41
 CHART NO. 12
CHART SHOWING THE SATISFACTION OF RESPONDENT TOWARDS THE
DOOR DELEVERY SYSTEM

PERCENTAGE (%)

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
YES PERCENTAGE (%)
NO

42
 TABLE NO. 13
TABLE SHOWS THE RESPONDENT’S SATISFACTION WITH PRODUCT
PURCHASED FROM SUPERMARKET

PARTICULAR NO. OF RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE (%)

HIGHLY SATISFIED 20 27
SATISFIED 25 33
NEUTRAL 10 13
DIISSATISFIED 12 16
HIGHLY DISSATISFIED 08 11
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the respondent’s satisfaction with product purchased from
supermarket. It shows that, 27 % of the respondents are highly satisfied with the product
purchased from supermarket. Though some have some dislike towards it.

43
 CHART NO. 13
CHART SHOWS THE RESPONDENT’S SATISFACTION WITH PRODUCT
PURCHASED FROM SUPERMARKET

PERCENTAGE (%)

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

PERCENTAGE (%)

44
 TABLE NO. 14
TABLE SHOWS THE RESPONDENT’S SATISFACTION WITH SERVICE
PROVIDED BY THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE

PARTICULAR NO. OF PERCENTAGE (%)

RESPONDENTS
HIGHLY SATISFIED 14 19
SATISFIED 20 27
NEUTRAL 22 29
DIISSATISFIED 11 15
HIGHLY DISSATISFIED 8 11
TOTAL 75 100

INTERPRETATION
The above table represents the respondent’s satisfaction with service provided by the sales
representative. It shows that, 29 % of the respondents are not that satisfied with the services
provided by the sales persons the respondent fells just neutral.

45
 CHART NO. 14
CHART SHOWS THE RESPONDENT’S SATISFACTION WITH SERVICE
PROVIDED BY THE SALES REPRESENTATIVE

30

25

20

15

10 PERCENTAGE (%)

46
 CHAPTER V
FINDINGS, SUGGETIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.1FINDINGS
 A majority of respondents comes to know about the Supermarket stores through the
word of mouth only.
 Many customers visiting the stores belong to the age group of 21-30 years.
 More number of married respondents visits the store.
 The female respondents visiting the stores outnumber the male.
 More number of degree and PG level respondent also visit the store.
 Most of the respondents visiting the stores are housewives followed by the
employees.
 The family size of the most of the respondent falls within 3-4 members.
 Most of the respondents are purchasing products from supermarket/Supermarket
stores followed by shops/markets.
 A majority of the respondent prefers the supermarkets for
a) More quality
b) Less cost
c) Convenience
 Most of the responders are visiting the store for more than one year.
 The store provides discounts to their customer.
 Most of the responders are happy with service provided by sales representative.
 Most of the customer comes to the store for purchasing Stationery and food products
 Customers are also provided with exchange on damaged goods.
 Most of the customers are not aware about the door delivery system provided by the
store.
 Sales representatives are not up to date and responsive.
 The step taken to attract customer by providing snacks and refreshments outside the
store premises is appreciable.

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5.2 SUGGESTIONS
 As the majority of the respondents are aware of the department stores not through
advertisements, it is suggested that the store puts some efforts in making advertising
media an effective sources of information in reaching the customers at large.
 Efforts should be made to reduce the price of certain product like fancy items,
children’s toys, etc.
 Steps should be formulated to make the customers aware about the door delivery
facility is provided.
 It is suggested to the management to appoint more number of skilled sales persons in
order to attract customer.
 It is recommended to the management to make the billing procedure more convenient.
 Steps should be taken to avoid waiting and arrangements for parking the customer
vehicle without any problem.
 Steps should be taken to set up Supermarket stores on different parts of the city for the
ease of accessibility.
 The total spacing of the store can be increased.
 Steps should be taken to add more brands under specific items.
 The arrangement of the products can be made better.
 Offers and special discount can be offered to the customer on special occasion to
attract more.
 It’s better to have a good amount of goods which are sold out fast so that the out of
stock problem will not appear.

48
5.3 CONCLUSION

The starting point in evolution of market driven strategies in getting know about what,
where, when and how the customers are in need of their wants. The various marketing
channels are used to provide consumers with a convenient means of obtaining the products
and services they desire one. Such retail marketing channel is the Supermarket stores. The
features such as product choice, display of good and other services facility provided attract
the customers at large.

The study reveals customers are satisfied with the contributors made by Supermarket stores
and they are interested in recommending it to other prospective customer.

49
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reference books:
 C.R.Kothari, Research Methodology; Methods and Techniques Second edition
published by New Age International Publishers, New Delhi, 2004.
 Philip Kotler, Marketing Management,Thrid Edition published by Mc-Grew New
Delhi 2012.

Websites:
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.managementhelp.org
 www.custoumersatisfaction.com
 www.experiment-resources.com
 www.blurtit.com
 www.google.com

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 QUESTIONNAIRE
Name…………………………………………………
1. Gender
() male
() female
2. Educational qualification
() school level () degree level
() PG level () other qualification
3. Occupation status
() student () employed
() business () house wife
4. Marital status
() married
() unmarried
5. Which media insists you to purchase in the Supermarket store?
() advertisement through television
() advertisement through news paper
() advertisement through pamphlets
() word of mouth advertisement
6. Which is your first preference to purchasing the products?
() Supermarket store () shops/market
() sales representative () exhibition
7. Reason for purchasing through Supermarket stores.
() service () quality
() time saving () less cost
8. If there is any damage in the product, how do they handle?
() immediate exchange () no exchange
() delayed exchange () no response
9. Are you satisfied with the product service through Supermarket store?
() highly satisfied () Neutral
() satisfied () dissatisfied
() highly dissatisfied

51
10. Will you recommend others to buy through Supermarket store?
() yes () no
11. Do you feel that Supermarket store is more advantageous than any other type?
() yes () no
12. Is our door delivery system satisfies you?
() yes () no

13. Are you satisfied with the product purchase through Supermarket store?
() highly satisfied () Neutral
() satisfied () dissatisfied
() highly dissatisfied
14. Are you satisfied with services provided by the sales representative?
() highly satisfied () Neutral
() satisfied () dissatisfied
() highly dissatisfied

52