International Journal of commerce
A STUDY ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
CONSUMPTION OF TEA IN ARIYALUR TOWN
K.UMA AMBIKAI.,M.Com.,M.Phil.,
Department of commerce,
Prist university,Thanjavur,
Mail:-Meenanathan31@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Tea is a part and parcel of Indian social,
economic and cultural life. Indians cannot
think of a day without their favorite cup of tea.
It is the most popular non-intoxicating
beverage in the world enjoyed by the rich and
poor alike. Being most popular consumed
beverage, in many cultures tea is consumed at
elevated social events. But regardless of its
wide consumption consumer behavioral
pattern changes from time and this behavior
change is influenced by many factors like
popularity of a brand, loyalty, aroma, colour,
price and many more. The present paper
focuses on issues that influence the behavior
of various tea consumers. Samples were
gathered across ariyalur town of state
TamilNadu to understand and pacify the actual
need and behaviour of the consumer towards
tea. The present study aims at analyzing
factors effecting consumer awareness levels
and buying perception regarding Organic Tea
with the help of an Exploratory study using a
structured survey of 100 respondents in
Ariyalur through pre-tested Questionnaires
using convenience sampling. This paper
attempts to investigate the demand status of
Organic Tulsi Tea as people residing in
Ariyalur as they are more conscious about
their health and lifestyle and maximum of
them are working professionals. The
Consumers in Metro cities have a good
purchasing power to pay premium prices for
organic products so they prefer to include
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Dr.R.SELVARAJ, M.Com, M phil,Phd,
Head of the department of commerce
Prist university,Thanjavur.
organic teas & supplements for a healthy
lifestyle.
KEYWORDS: Consumer Behaviour,
Attributes,Organic Tea, health awareness,
Environment.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Consumption of Tea has always been a social
and more of a habitual concept for most of the
Indian consumers. However, increasing health
awareness and prevalent diseases will mark a
boom to the newer variants such as Organic
Tea and Green Tea with more natural flavors,
Fruits and Herbal Infusions. It plays a very
vital role in the national economy through
export earning, trade balancing and as well as
in employment generation. It produces 2% of
world production and exports 3% of world
export. It is providing direct employment to
about 0.11 million ethnic minority people,
50% of whom are women and their civic needs
and amenities are provided by the industry free
of cost along with about 0.4 million
dependents of the permanent workers.
Furthermore, another 0.6 million people are
also dependent on tea in its export, packing,
broking and local trade, supporting factories
and workshops chest manufacturing and
transport industry etc. It gives 200 million taka
as interest against production and development
loan from the tea industry
There are different factors that directly or
indirectly affect consumer buying behaviour.
consumer.
1.2 Market Participants:
International Journal of commerce
The marketing system of tea is well organized
and is different from that of other farm
products. The parties involved in various
stages of tea marketing must need some
special qualification. The participants involved
in the tea marketing system are the tea estates,
brokers, bidders, blenders, wholesalers and
retailers.
Tea estate: The estate produces tea and after
processing it sells the tea by two different
ways. The estate may send tea for sale to the
auction market or it may directly sell tea to the
manufacturers. The manufacturers directly sell
tea to the consumers through their own
distributors.
Broker: Brokers are the very respectable
participants in the tea marketing system. There
are six brokers in Bangladesh. In Chittagong
auction market brokers control all types of
buying and selling. They receive the tea chests
from the estate after fulfilling some
formalities. In the auction market tea is sold
through brokers to three different parties. They
are exporters, bidders or local buyers and
packet tea manufacturer. The Broker Company
must have ten million taka capital and one
million paid up capital.
Bidder: Actually tea buying and selling starts
from bidders. Only the bidders can participate
in the auction market for buying. They must
have valid license from BTB and other
documents to be qualified as a bidder.
Exporter: Exporters can purchase tea from the
auction market according to the foreign buyer
choice. After buying tea, the exporter exports
the tea to the particular foreign country by ship
only from the Chittagong port.
Manufacturer: Manufacturers also purchase
tea from the auction market by bidding. They
also have to pay VAT to the authority. After
purchase of tea they pack it and assign abrand
name. The manufacturers have their own
distributors and they sell tea to the wholesalers
through distributors.
Blender: Blenders purchase open tea from the
bidders. The Blenders have their own machine
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and after purchase they mix the different types
of tea that are purchased from different estates.
They try to make a grade which might have
the high market demand. The Blenders also
pay VAT. They also need a valid license from
BTB and must have the bidder license
photocopy.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
 To conclude behavioral factors are
accountable for making a choice of a tea
brand
 To know which brand is preferred by the
customer to purchase.
 To study the effect of various promotional
schemes given by the companies.
 To study whether the customers are brand
loyal or not.
 To study the reasons of being loyal to the
brand
 To know the customers awareness
regarding tea.
 To examine consumers buying motives,
preferences and attitude towards Organic
Tea
1.4 AREA OF THE STUDY
Ariyalur is the district head quarter
and famous on cement arasu in the ariyalur
town .the area of ariyalur town is around 3
kms with a population of 1 lakes. The area
selected for this study ariyalur town is not only
famous for historical, greatness .but held’s all
the facilities of the modern town viz., hospitals
facilities ,school,colleges,and court etc.,,
1.5 METHODOLOGY
Research plan:
The research plan is to developing the
most efficient plan for gathering the needed
information.
1.6 DATA SOURCES:
The research plan can call for
gathering secondary data. Primary data and
both.
International Journal of commerce
SECONDARY DATA:
Secondary data that were collected for
another purpose and already exist same where.
The theoretical data and concepts were
collected from a number of relevant books.
Records and journals which formed the
secondary source for data.
PRIMARY DATA:
Primary data are freshly prepared or
collected through personal questionnaire
.primary data collected from 100 family using
random sampling.
1.7 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS:
To gather primary data the research
used questionnaire .As a research instrument
the questionnaires’ contains a set all questions.
Percent to responds for their answer .The
questionnaires designed in such a way it has
both opened and closed ended questionnaires.
1.8 SAMPLING PLAN
SAMPLING UNIT:
The sample unit choose by the
researcher was only family around ariyalur
.sample size thought have to make out the
research work with in a very short period the
sample size as have been confined to 100
respondents.
SAMPLING PROCEDURE & DATA
PROCESSING:
The research have mode out random
sampling procedure .Average and rank
correlation method are the tools used for
analysis .
PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS
The frequency distribution
(Descriptive/Percentage analysis) of the
variables were calculated with the help of
simple percentage, by writing the formula
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fd = f/n * 100
Where, fd denotes frequency distribution, f
denotes the number of respondents, and n
denotes the total number of sample
population.
PERIOD OF STUDY
The study has been conducted during
six month period from January to June - 2017
SCOPE OF THE STUDY:
Taking into consideration all the
theoretical concepts about the consumer
behavior, this study confined to the area of
consumer awareness in tea, the means by
which the consumer population is informed of
presence of the product in the market,
itseffectiveness, its use and so on.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:
 The time available with the researcher for
this study was limited .Hence large sample
size could not be taken.
 The study was limited to ariyalur town
generalization may not hold good.
 Some of the consumers were not willing to
co-operative with a study .So more than
one attempt had to be made to set answer
from the consumers.
CHAPTERISATION
 First chapter deals with introduction of the
study.
 Second chapter deals with review of
literature.
 Third chapter deals with the company
profile
 Fourth chapter deals with data analysis and
interpretation.
 Fifth chapter deals with findings,
recommendation and conclusion.
2. LITERATURA REVIEW
Ramanuj Majumder (2010) discussed in
detail about the importance of understanding
the consumer for the benefit of marketers and
cited many live examples of the cities how
marketers in India have utilized the knowledge
of consumer behaviour to evolve it marketing
International Journal of commerce
strategies. He also focused on issues of
decision making and the theoretical
foundations of consumer behaviour and
offered many practical insights of Indian
Market.
Schiffman G. Leon and kanuklazare Leslie -
Study of the customer behaviour includes the
study what they buy, when they buy it, when
they buy it, where they buy it, how often they
buy it and how
Snehaghai And Naleeni Ramawat(2013) “A
Study Of Consumer Perception And
Preferences Towards Organic Tea In Delhi-
Ncr” Rapid Urbanization and growing
consumer’s concern for food safety, health and
environment in recent times has resulted in a
new tide in consumption of organic foods
especially Organic Tea. Many recent
researches have studied about the awareness
and consumption pattern of Organic Foods and
concluded that it is significantly higher in
developed countries than developing ones. The
present study aims at analyzing factors
effecting consumer awareness levels and
buying perception regarding Organic Tea with
the help of an Exploratory study using a
structured survey of 200 respondents in Delhi-
NCR through pre-tested Questionnaires using
convenience sampling.
Kothari C.R. For data analysis different
statistical techniques are being used such as
scaling techniques, correlation, hypothesis
testing.
Mahavir Singh And Dr. Anita(2011)
“Consumers Buying Behaviour Towards
Branded Tea’s” The present study is focused
to examine the consumers buying behaviour
towards Branded Tea’s. The study reveals that
Tea is by far the most popularbeverage in
India. The study linkages between branded and
local tea. The findings of the study
documented that at all India level, tea
penetration averages 77.2%. The results
indicate that price, gifts, schemes, brand,
quality standard, packaging, consumption
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times, attractive facilities, awareness of the
consumers are important factors which affect
the consumers buying behaviour toward
branded Tea’s. In addition to this a number of
challenges which are faced by the consumers
are identified and discussed in this research
paper.
Akula, Ravi (2008) has focused on Co-
Branding as a modern Strategy in Marketing.
Marketers need to capture share of mind and
share of heart through innovative tools and
techniques. Brands with unreliable dimensions
of attributes, benefits, values, culture,
personality and users have the actual power to
generate wealth. Brands which are tough in
these magnitude command respectable place in
terms of sales, status, image etc., in the
market. This keeps marketers on toes to
successfully communicate their brand and its
value. Co-branding is done with a variety of
combinations among individual brands,
regional brands, national brands, world brands,
family brands or with subtle product like
service ensuring synergistic outcomeand win-
win situation for customers, brands and
companies.
Ashokan C. and Hariharan. G (2008)
attempted to study the perception and profile
of retail consumers – to understand the
behaviour of consumers, visiting the new
generation related malls like Spencer and Big
Bazaar in a small town in palakkad of kerala
state .
Derval Diana (2010): describes on people’s
favorite products and the reasons required for
product positioning and targeting the proper
segments. Direct marketing was also crucial to
the growth of a new product that was an
industry innovation and proof of brand concept
for consumers. Advertising thinking led to the
progress of a big service and branding idea
that operated as a pivot for the conversion of
internal and external attitudes, while PR
thinking helped to form events and stories that
built association and belief.
International Journal of commerce Volume 1(July 2017)

3 COMPANY PROFILE bodied. It was in Assam that the first tea estate
CONSUMER was established, in 1837.
Darjeeling
Consumer are people in families and The Darjeeling region is cool and wet, and
other kinds of households who and use tucked in the foothills of the Himalayas. The
products and services in order to satisfy their tea is exquisite and delicately flavored, and
personal needs and wants. considered to be one of the finest teas in the
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR world. The Darjeeling plantations have three
distinct harvests, and the tea produced from
Consumer behavior is defined as the each ‘flush’ has a unique flavour. First flush
acts of individuals in obtaining and using teas are light and aromatic, while the second
goods and services including the decision flush produces tea with a bit more bite. The
process that proceeds and determine the acts . third or autumn flush gives a tea that is lesser
in quality.
CONSUMER MARKET Nilgiri
This tea comes from an even higher part
Marketing is concerned with the
of India than Darjeeling. This southern Indian
creation of customer. Consumer research is the
region has elevations between 1,000 and
careful and systematic investigation of the
25,000 metres. The flavours of Nilgiri teas are
consumer attitudes ,actions, preference and
subtle and gentle. They are frequently blended
other reactions to the particular problems
with other, more robust teas.
under survey .for such research the customers
4.Data Analysis And Interpretation.
are grouped according to age ,sex
,caste,relgion,occupation ,class, education Table :1
,intelligence ,income ,material possession
Classification Of The Respondents Based
Indian Tea On Age Group
Tea had been known for millennia in India as a
medicinal plant, but was not drunk for pleasure Age No. of Percentage
until the British began to establish plantations group .respondents
in the 19th century. Darjeeling tea, from the
Below 20 12 12
Darjeeling region in West Bengal has
traditionally been prized above all other black 20-30 38 38
teas, especially in the United Kingdom and the
countries comprising the former British 30-40 21 21
Empire. The Chinese variety is used for Above 40 29 29
Darjeeling tea, and the Assamese variety,
native to the Indian state of Assam, Total 100 100
everywhere else. Indian tea companies have Sources: primary data
acquired a number of iconic foreign tea Interpretation:
enterprises including British brands Tetley and
Typhoo. It is very clearly says that out of 100
Assam respondents 38% of the consumer were
Assam tea comes from the north-eastern between the age group of 20 to 30 years 21%
region of the country. This heavily forested of responds in the age group of 30 to 40 years
region is home to much wildlife, including the 21% are the age group of above 40 years .
rhinoceros. Tea from here is rich and full-

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International Journal of commerce Volume 1(July 2017)

Table :2 preference for tea users vary above 48% of the

respondents has only 4 to 5 members in the
Classification Of The Respondents Based family and 43% of the respondents has only 2
On Occupation to 4 members in the family.

No. of Percentage Table:4

Occupation
.respondents
Classification Of The Respondents Based
Agriculture 21 21 On Different Brand Of Tea Preferred
Business man 38 38
No. of Percentage
Salaried Brand name
24 24 .respondents
persons
Three Roses 42 41
Other 17 17
Kannan Devan 3 3
Total 100 100
Green Table 11 11
Sources: primary data
Arokia 6 6
Interpretation:
Charkara Gold 13 13
It is clear from the above table that all the
respondents are classified on the basis or Lipton Tazza 2 2
occupations out of the these total 38% were
Avt Assam 1 1
business man 24% agriculture the other group
17% Top Star 15 15

Table :3 Surya 3 3

Classification Of The Respondents Based Gemini 3 3

On Family Size
Other 1 1
No. of
Percentage Total 100 100
Family Size .responde
nts Sources: primary data
2 to 4 members 43 43 Interpretation:
4 to 7 members 48 48
From the above table it is clear that
7 to 10 most of the respondents preferred to three
4 4
members roses for its quality about 42% of consumer
10 and Above 5 5 like or preferred three roses and 15% of
consumer like top star
Total 100 100
Sources: primary data Table:5

Interpretation: Classification Of The Respondents Based

On Motivation Source
From the above table it is clear that
depending upon the size of the respondents

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Table:8
No. of Percentage
sources
.respondents Classification Of The Respondents Based
On Prefer Other Brand
Television 69 69
prefer
News paper 15 15 No. of Percentage
other
.respondents
Radio 9 9 brand

Sales man 7 7 Yes 24 24

no 76 76
Total 100 100
Sources: primary data Total 100 100
Sources: primary data
Interpretation:
Interpretation:
From the above table it is clear that
69% of the respondents preferred TV and 15% 76% of the respondents have brand
of respondents preferred news paper to know loyality towards three roses 24% only
about the various brands. preferred other brand

Table : 9
Table : 7 Classification Of The Respondents Based
On Expenditure On Beverages
Classification Of The Respondents Based
On Drinking Frequency A Day
Expenditure No. of Percentage
per month .respondents
Drinking No. of Percentage
Frequency .respondents Below 50 10 10
one 15 15 50-100 30 30
Two 26 26 100-150 35 35
three 59 59 Above 150 25 25
Total 100 100 Total 100 100
Sources: primary data Sources: primary data

Interpretation: Interpretation:

59% of respondents drinking tea in 3 times in
a day and 26% drink twice a day and 15% of
the respondents have the habited drinking just
in a day.
The table clearly indicates the majority of
the respondents spend between Rs.100-150 per
month. Constitutes 35% of total but the same
time 30% of respondents depend Rs. 50-
100.35% of the respondents have purchase tea
only from any convenient shop

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International Journal of commerce Volume 1(July 2017)

Table: 10 others 2 2
Classification Of The Respondents Based Total 100 100
On Price Strategy
Sources: primary data

No. of Percentage Interpretation:

price
.respondents
The above table clearly reveals that the
Low 11 11 importance of price is a factor that determines
the buyers choice of a particular brand of tea
High 27 27 powder . majority of the users of three roses
Reasonable 62 62 gave importance to thind applied to price and
the same chakra gold and others.
Total 100 100
Table:12
Sources: primary data
Classification Of The Respondents Based
Interpretation:
On Attractive Packing Of Various Brand
From the above table it is clear that
62% of respondents purchasing the particular No. of Percentage
Brand name
brand for reasonable price. Only 11% people .respondents
purchase for low price and 27% of the people
Three roses 20 20
do not have price sensitive towards brands

Table: 11 Kannan deven 12 12

Classification Of The Respondents Based Green Lable 18 18

On Pricing Strategy
Arokia 12 12
No. of Percentage
Brand name
.respondents Chakra Gold 5 5
Three roses 20 20
Lipton tazza 3 3
Kannan deven 8 8
Avt assam 5 5
Green Lable 6 6
surya 6 6
Arokia 8 8

Chakra Gold 15 15 Top star 15 15

Lipton tazza 11 11 Gemni 1 1

Avt assam 10 10
others 3 3
surya 10 10
Total 100 100
Top star 7 7
Sources: primary data
Gemni 9 9

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International Journal of commerce
Interpretation:
Packing was not considered to be an
important factor in determine the buyer choice
of particular brand. Majority of the person like
three roses attractive packing of green lable do
not complete with three roses.
FINDINGS
1. 56% of the respondents are male and
fall in age group of 20 to 30.
2. Business are of 38% among the
respondents.
3. 45% of respondents are fall in the
income group of 6000 to 7000.
4. Most of the family among the 100
consumer consists 4 to 7 members as the
tea powder is selected according to the
size of the family.
5. Of the various meadia of adverision,
advertisement was the TV. The most
eddectve and attractive meadia and TV
has played a major role in influencing
the consumer toselect a particular brand.
6. The manufracture expected three roses
must concentrate on the tase of the
products rather then cicertating more on
the advertisement.
7. Drinking a frequency table-10 says that
only 15% of the respondents drink only
once a day but , 59% have a tea for 3
times in a day.
8. As the income by the consumers
increased more consumption has been
given to superior quality brands
9. 76% of the respondents have stiff brand
loyality towards three rises.
10. Majority of the group consumer
expenditure fell under the expertidure
group of 100-150.
11. Majority of the repondents like tea for
freshness , remaining 48% of the
respondents like tea to taste.
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SUGGESTION
 Tea Powder is a segment which is liked by
most of the Indian consumers. There is a
need to devise a refinement of business
classes during a distinctive product
development based on its ingredients
focused towards health concept.
 Girnar tea powder symbolizes quality,
health and great taste, followed by Society,
Lipton, Taj and Tetley.
 The result of the analysis says that success
of product in market is mainly due to brand
awareness factor. In terms of media
revelation, education, earnings, city and
village blend, huge gap does exist amongst
consumers of our country
 But the most surprising discovery in this
study is that the group of self-prepared
drinks pays more attentions and concern on
the healthy and formula drinks than the
group of bottle drink and handmade
beverage
 The group of self-prepared drinks don't like
soft drink and tea beverage as much as the
other two groups.
CONCLUSION
 In this section paper contains
information relating to finding and
suggestions of the study. The study reveals
that the tea market is demand driven and
facing cut throat
competition.
 It has been found from the study that
majority of people consuming the tea 3-4
times in a day. Dark tea is also preferred by
large number of respondents. More than
half of the respondents are unaware of the
ingredients of the tea. Majority of the
samples did not check whether it is of
quality standard or not.
 The primary survey portrays
significantly how attributes like brand
loyalty exists supremely in consumer and
the study also depicts brand loyalty as the
dominating attributes amongst all.
International Journal of commerce Volume 1(July 2017)

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