INTRODUCTION

Retailing is the set of activities that markets products or services to final consumers for their own personal or household use. It does this by organizing their availability on a relatively large scale and supplying them to customers on a relatively small scale. Retailer is a Person or Agent or Agency or Company or Organization who is instrumental in reaching the Goods or Merchandise or Services to the End User or Ultimate Consumer. The word "Retail" originates from a French-Italian word. Retailer-someone who cuts off or sheds a small piece from something. Retailing is one of the pillars of the economy in India and accounts for 35% of GDP. The retail industry is divided into organized and unorganized sectors. Over 12 million outlets operate in the country and only 4% of them being larger than 500 sq ft (46 m2) in size. Organised retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those
1

who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed retail businesses. hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large Unorganised retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc. Most Indian shopping takes place in open markets and millions of independent grocery shops called kirana. Organized retail such supermarkets accounts for just 4% of the market as of 2008.Regulations prevent most foreign investment in retailing. Moreover, over thirty regulations such as "signboard licenses" and "anti-hoarding measures" may have to be complied before a store can open doors. There are taxes for moving goods to states, from states, and even within states. Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarkets in India, with more than 150 stores in operation. It is a subsidiary of Future Group Venture Ltd's,
2

and follows the business model of United Statesbased Wal-Mart.Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarket in India, which caters to every familys needs and requirements. This retail store is a subsidiary of Future group, Pantaloons Retail India Ltd. and is an answer to the United States Wal-Mart. Big Bazaar has released the doors for the like fashion sports world, goods, general cutlery, merchandise

crockery, utensils, and home furnishings etc. at best economical prices.Big Bazaar group offers more than 100 stores all over the country with an amalgamation of Indian bazaars feel and touch with a convenience and choice of the modern retail facilities. The retail format of the Big Bazaar group includes Aadhar, Rural & Home-Town retail chain, Ezone homeimprovement chain, sportswear retailer, depot and music chain is few among others. Customer perception on quality delivery

is a series of retailer service activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction that is, the feeling that a product or service has
3

met the customer expectation."Its importance varies by product, or broken industry and customer; can be defective merchandise

exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. Retail stores will often have a desk or counter devoted to dealing with returns, exchanges and complaints, or will perform related functions at the point of sale. Retail providing sales activities mainly includes providing

product

information,

information on current offers, door delivery service,t24 talktime as a special benefit, after sales services like alteration and of cloths, on processing guaranties warranties

Electronics and furniture, attending customer complaints, announcements of current offers, instant billing without waiting, sales people availability in every department, availability of all required products, and providing exchange facility on some goods and etc. What is service quality :
4

Service quality can be defined as the collective effect of service performances which determine the degree of satisfaction of a user of the service. In other words, quality is the customers perception of a delivered service. By service-quality management, we refer to the monitoring and maintenance of endto-end services for specific customers or classes of customers As larger varieties of services are offered to customers, the impact of network performance on the quality of service will be more complex. It is vital that service engineers identify network-performance issues that impact customer service. They also must quantify revenue lost due to service degradation.

NEED FOR THE STUDY

There are global players as well as Indian players in retailing. Among all the Indian Retail players Big Bazaar, Vishakapatnam was chosen which is a group of Future Value Retail Limited whose performance is rated very high. As the services providing by bigbazaar retail outlet there is a
5

need for the study is to analyze the services activities offered by retail outlet and to know the customer perception level on retail services. Study also concentrates on to find out strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities also. To change normal customer into regular customer, to know the customer perception and whether the store is utilizing all the resources in service proving.

Objectives of the study

1) To know customer perception on quality of services delivered by retail outlet. 2) To study the retail sector in India and in bigbazaar, vishakapatnam. 3) To know various services offered by the retail outlet.
6

4) To know the whether the services offered by retail outlet reaching to the customer or not. 5) To know the services which are offered by store are sufficient or not.

METHODOLOGY
Data was collected from primary sources and secondary sources.
PRIMARY DATA:

Primary data is the data that is generated by the

7

researcher for the specific purpose of research situation at hand. The primary data was collected through questionnaire. A sample of 400 was taken and analysis was conducted on them. Information was collected based on the information given by the respondents. Data also includes the following with concerned heads to obtain basic information. Discussion Interviews Observation. Structured Questionnaire

SECONDARY DATA: Secondary data is already published data collected for some purposes other than confronting the researcher at a given point of time. The secondary data was collected from different books and different web sites. In House magazine of BigBazar. Product catalogue. Annual reports. Records and files of the organization (related to the study).
8

 Information through published and mimeographed papers of the organization. Sample size: 400 Sampling Type: Random sampling technique Sampling Area: VISHAKAPATNAM

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1) As the geographical area covered under the study is restricted to DWRAKA NAGAR VIAHAKAPATNAM, it is not possible to apply the findings to entire market.
2)

As the selection sample size confined to 400 the accuracy may be decrease.
9

3)

The collection of data is depended on the information given by the respondents.

4) Duration of the project was limited to only 8 weeks, so time is limited to make a more detailed survey.

Retail Industry profile

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Indian Retail Scenario The retail scenario is one of the fastest growing industries in India over the last couple of years. India retail sector comprises of organized retail and unorganized retail sector. Traditionally the retail market in India was largely unorganized; however with changing consumer preferences, organized retail is gradually becoming popular. Unorganized retailing consists of small and medium grocery store, medicine stores, subzi mandi, kirana stores, paan shops etc. More than 90% of retailing in India fall into the unorganized sector, the organized sector is largely concentrated in big cities. Organized retail in India is expected to grow 25-30 per cent yearly and is expected to increase from Rs35, 000 crore in 2004-05 to Rs109, 000 crore ($24 billion) by 2011.
Quick facts on Indian Retail sector

Indian Retail sector is the fifth largest global retail destination.

India retail market is dominated by the unorganized sector.

The top five companies in retail hold a combined market share of less than 2%.

The Indian retail market has been ranked by AT Kearney's eighth annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), in 2009 as the most attractive emerging market for investment in the retail sector.
11

Currently the share of retail trade in India's GDP is around 12 per cent, and is estimated to reach 22 per cent by 2011.

According to Government of India estimate the retail sector is likely to grow to a value of ` 2,00,000 crore (US$45 billion) and could yield 10 to 15 million retail jobs in the coming five years; currently this industry employs 8% of the working population.

India continues to be among the most attractive countries for global retailers. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, approximately US$ 47.43 million was the amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow as on September 2009, in single-brand retail trading.

More than 80% of the retail sector in the country is concentrated in the large cities. A study reveals that among the more than 20 locations, for organized retail in India, Mumbai was found to be the most preferred location followed closely by Bengaluru in the second position. Key Players in Indian Retail Sector

AV Birla Group has a strong presence in apparel retail and owns renowned brands like Allen Solly, Louis Phillipe, Trouser Town, Van Heusen and Peter England. The company has investment plans to the tune of Rs 8000 9000 crores till 2010.

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Trent is a subsidiary of the Tata group; it operates lifestyle retail chain, book and music retail chain, consumer electronic chain etc. Westside, the lifestyle retail chain registered a turnover of Rs 3.58 mn in 2006

Landmark Group invested ` 300 crores to expand Max chain, and Rs 100 crores on Citymax 3 star hotel chain. Lifestyle International is their international brand business.

K Raheja Corp Group has a turnover of Rs 6.75 billion which is expected to cross US$100 million mark by 2011. Segments include books, music and gifts, apparel, entertainment etc.

Reliance has more than 300 Reliance Fresh stores; they have multiple formats and their sale is expected to be Rs 90,000 crores ($20 billion) by 2010-11.

Pantaloon Retail has 450 stores across the country and revenue of over ` 20 billion and is expected to touch 30 million by 2011. Segments include Food & grocery, e-tailing, home solutions, consumer electronics, entertainment, shoes, books, music & gifts, health & beauty care services.

Retail and recession

The global economic slump has had its impact on the India retail sector. One of the earliest players in the Indian retail scenario Subhiksha's operations came to a near standstill
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and required liquidity injection. Vishal Retail secured corporate debt restructuring (CDR) plan from its lenders while other players like the Reliance Retail run by Mukesh Ambani and Pantaloon led Kishore Biyani by went slow on expansion plans and even scaled down operations. However, during the last quarter a bit of confidence was restored as the economy showed signs of growth.

Future Trends

Lifestyle International, a division of Landmark Group, plans to have more than 50 stores across India by 201213.

Shoppers Stop has plans to invest Rs250 crore to open 15 new supermarkets in the coming three years.

Pantaloon Retail India (PRIL) plans to invest US$ 77.88 million this fiscal to add up to existing 2.4 million sq ft retail space. PRIL intends to set up 155 Big Bazaar stores by 2014, raising its total network to 275 stores. Timex India will open another 52 stores by March 2011 at an investment of US$ 1.3 million taking its total store count to 120. In the first six months of the current fiscal ending September 30, 2009, the company has recorded a net profit of US$ 1.2 million. Australia's Retail Food Group is planning to enter the Indian market in 2010. It has plans to clock US$ 87 million revenue in five years. In 20 years they expect the India operations to be larger than the Australia operations.

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The Road Ahead

Industry experts predict that the next phase of growth in the retail sector will emerge from the rural markets. By 2012 the rural retail market is projected to have a total of more than 50 per cent market share. The total number of shopping malls is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of over 18.9 per cent by 2015. According to market research report by RNCOS the Indian organized retail market is estimated to reach US$ 50 billion by 2011.

Retailing in India
WHAT IS RETAILING?

The word "Retail" originates from a French-Italian word. Retailer-someone who cuts off or sheds a small piece from something. Retailing is the set of activities that markets products or services to final consumers for their own personal or household use. It does this by organizing their availability on a relatively large scale and supplying them to customers on a relatively small scale. Retailer is a Person or Agent or Agency or Company or Organization who is instrumental in reaching the Goods or Merchandise or Services to the End User or Ultimate Consumer.
INTRODUCTION:15

Retailing is one of the pillars of the economy in India and accounts for 35% of GDP. The retail industry is divided into organised and unorganised sectors. Over 12 million outlets operate in the country and only 4% of them being larger than 500 sq ft (46 m2) in size. Organised retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. Unorganised retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc. Most Indian shopping takes place in open markets and millions of independent grocery shops called kirana. Organized retail such supermarkets accounts for just 4% of the market as of 2008.Regulations prevent most foreign investment in retailing. Moreover, over thirty regulations such as "signboard licenses" and "antihoarding measures" may have to be complied before a store can open doors. There are taxes for moving goods to states, from states, and even within states.
Types of Retailers in the Industry: 16

There are two types of Retailer in the industry. Store Retailers Those engaged in the sale of products from physical locations which warehouse and display merchandise with the intent of attracting customers to make purchases on site. Non-Store Retailers Those engaged in the sale of products using marketing methods which do not include a physical location. Examples of non-store retailing include: Infomercials, Direct Response, and Television advertising, Catalogue Sales, In-Home Demonstrations, Vending Marketing. Retail is India's largest industry. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the India's GDP and around eight per cent of the employment. Retail sector is one of India's fastest growing sectors with a 5 per cent compounded annual growth rate. India's huge middle class base and its untapped retail industry are key attractions for global retail giants planning to enter newer markets. Driven by changing lifestyles, strong income growth and favorable demographic patterns, Indian retail is expected to grow 25 per cent annually. It is expected that retail in India could be worth US$ 175200 billion by 2016.
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Machines,

E-commerce

and

Multi-Level

The organized retail industry in India had not evolved till the early 1990s. Until then, the industry was dominated by the un-organized sector. It was a sellers market, with a limited number of brands, and little choice available to customers. Lack of trained manpower, tax laws and government regulations all discouraged the growth of organized retailing in India during that period. Lack of consumer awareness and restrictions over entry of foreign players into the sector also contributed to the delay in the growth of organized retailing. Foundation for organized retail in India was laid by Kishore Biyani of Pantaloon Retails India Limited (PRIL). Following Pantaloon's successful venture a host of Indian business giants such as Reliance, Bharti, Birla and others are now entering into retail sector. A number of factors are driving India's retail market. These include: increase in the young working population, hefty pay-packets, nuclear families in urban areas, increasing working-women population, increase in disposable income and customer aspiration, increase in expenditure for luxury items, and low share of organized retailing. India's retail boom is manifested in sprawling shopping centers, multiplex- malls and huge complexes that offer shopping, entertainment and food all under one roof. But there is a flip side to the boom in
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the retail sector. It is feared that the entry of global business giants into organized retail would make redundant the neighbourhood kirana stores resulting in dislocation in traditional economic structure. Also, the growth path for organized retail in India is not hurdle free. The taxation system still favours small retail business. With the intrinsic complexities of retailing such as rapid price changes, constant threat of product obsolescence and low margins there is always a threat that the venture may turn out to be a loss making one. A perfect business model for retail is still in evolutionary stage. Procurement is very vital cog in the retail wheel. The retailer has to fight issues like fragmented sourcing, unpredictable availability, unsorted food provisions and daily fluctuating prices as against consumer expectations of round-the-year steady prices, sorted and cleaned food and fresh stock at all times. Trained human resource for retail is another big challenge. The talent base is limited and with the entry of big giants there is a cat fight among them to retain this talent.

19

But retail offers tremendous for the growth of Indian economy. If all the above challenges are tackled prudently there is a great potential that retail may offer employment opportunities to millions living in small town and cities and in the process distributing the benefits of economic boom and resulting in equitable growth.
Traditional Retail Scene In India

India is the country having the most unorganized retail market. Traditionally the retail business is run by Mom & Pop having Shop in the front & house at the back. More than 99% retailers function in less than 500Sq.Ft of area. All the merchandise was purchased as per the test & vim and fancies of the proprietor also the pricing was done on ad hock basis or by seeing at the face of customer. Generally the accounts of trading & home are not maintained separately. Profits were accumulated in slow moving & non-moving stocks which were to become redundant or consumed inhouse. Thus profits were vanished without their knowledge. The Manufactures were to distribute goods through C & F agents to Distributors & Wholesalers. Retailers happen to source the merchandise from Wholesalers & reach to end-users. The merchandise price used to get inflated to a great extent till it
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reaches from Manufacturer to End-user. Selling prices were largely not controlled by Manufacturers. Branding was not an issue for majority of customers. More than 99% customers are price sensitive & not quality or Brand Sensitive at the same time they are Brand conscious also. Weekly Bazaar in many small tows was held & almost all the commodities were on the scene including livestock. Bargaining was the unwritten law of market. Educational qualification level of these retailers was always low. Hence market was controlled by handful of distributors &/or Wholesalers. Virtually there was only one format of retailing & that was mass retail. Retailer to consumer ratio was very low, for all the categories without exception. Varity in terms of quality, Styles were on regional basis, community based & truly very low range was available at any given single place. Almost all the purchases / (buying) by mass population was need oriented & next turn may be on festivals, Marriages, Birthdays & some specific occasions. Impulsive buying or consumption is restricted to food or vegetables etc. Having extra pair of trousers or Shirts or Casuals & Formals & leisure wear & sports wear & different pair of shoes for occasions is till date is a luxury for majority population except for those living in Metros. Purchasing power of Indian urban consumer is very low and that of
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Branded

merchandise

in

categories like Apparels, Cosmetics, Shoes, Watches, Beverages, Food, Jewellery, are slowly seeping into the lifeline of Indian City folks. However electronic & electrical home appliances do hold appropriate image into the minds of consumers. Brand name does matter in these white goods categories. In the coming times also majority of organized retailers will find it difficult to keep balance with rest of the unbranded retail market which is very huge.
SCENARIO OF RETAILING IN INDIA

Retailing is the most active and attractive sector of last decade. While the retailing industry itself has been present since ages in our country, it is only the recent past that it has witnessed so much dynamism. The emergence of retailing in India has more to do with the increased purchasing power of buyers, especially post-liberalization, increase in product variety, and increase in economies of scale, with the aid of modern supply Indian and retailing today is distributions-solution. at an interesting

crossroads. The retail sales are at the highest point in history and new technologies are improving retail productivity.

22

Though there are many opportunities to start a new retail business, retailers are facing numerous challenges.

KEY CHALLENGES: 1) LOCATION:

"Right Place, Right choice" Location is the most important ingredient for any business that relies on customers, and is typically the prime consideration in a customers store choice. Locations decisions are harder to change because retailers have to either make sustainable investments to buy and develop real estate or commit to long term lease with developers. When formulating decision about where to locate, the retailer must refer to the strategic plan: * Investigate alternative trading areas. * Determine the type of desirable store location. * Evaluate alternative specific store sites

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2)

MERCHANDISE:

The primary goal of the most retailers is to sell the right kind of merchandise and nothing is more central to the strategic thrust of of the retailing firm. in Merchandising consists activities involved

acquiring particular goods and services and making them available at a place, time and quantity that enable the retailer to reach its goals. Merchandising is perhaps, the most important function for any retail organization, as it decides what finally goes on shelf of the store.

3) PRICING: Pricing is a crucial strategic variable due to its direct relationship with a firm's goal and its interaction with other retailing elements. The importance of pricing decisions is growing because today's customers are looking for good value when they buy merchandise and services. Price is the easiest and quickest variable-tochange.

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4) TARGET AUDIENCE:

"Consumer the prime mover"

"Consumer Pull", however, seems to be the most important driving factor behind the sustenance of the industry. The purchasing power of the customers has increased to a great extent, with the influencing the retail industry to a great extent, a variety of other factors also seem to fuel the retailing boom.

5) SCALE OF OPERATIONS:

Scale of operations includes all the supply chain activities, which are carried out in the business. It is one of the challenges that the Indian retailers are facing. The cost of business operations is very high in India.

GROWTH OF RETAILING IN INDIA Unorganized market: Rs. 583,000 crores.

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Organized market: Rs.5, 000 crores 5X growth in organized retailing between 20002005 Over 4,000 new modern Outlets in the last 3 years Over 5,000,000 sq. ft. of mall space under development The top 3 modern retailers control over 750,000 sq. ft. of retail space Over 400,000 shoppers walk through their doors every week Growth in organized retailing on par with expectations and projections of the last 5 Years on course to touch Rs. 35,000 crores (US$ 7 Billion) or more by 2005-06 Growth. An increasing number of people in India are

turning to the services sector for employment due to the relative low compensation offered by the traditional agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The organized retail market is growing at 35 percent annually while growth of unorganized retail sector is pegged at 6 percent. The Retail Business in India is currently at the point of inflection. Rapid change with investments to the tune of US $ 25 billion is being planned by several Indian and multinational companies in the next 5 years.
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It is a huge industry in terms of size and according to management consulting firm Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd. it is valued at about US $ 350 billion. Organised retail is expected to garner about 16-18 percent of the total retail market (US $ 65-75 billion) in the next 5 years. India has topped the A.T. Kearneys annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) for the third consecutive year, maintaining its position as the most attractive market for retail investment. The Indian economy has registered a growth of 8% for 2007. The predictions for 2008 are 7.9%.The enormous growth of the retail industry has created a huge demand for real estate. Property developers are creating retail real estate at an aggressive pace and by 2010, 300 malls are estimated to be operational in the country. With over 1,000 hypermarkets and 3,000 supermarkets projected to come up by 2011, India will need additional retail as space of to 700,000,000 sq ft today. Current (65,000,000 m2) compared

projections on construction point to a supply of just 200,000,000 sq ft (19,000,000 m2), leaving a gap of 500,000,000 sq ft (46,000,000 m2) that needs to be filled, at a cost of US$1518 billion.

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According to the Icrier report, the retail business in India is estimated to grow at 13% from $322 billion in 2006-07 to $590 billion in 2011-12. The unorganized retail sector is expected to grow at about 10% per annum with sales expected to rise from $ 309 billion in 2006-07 to $ 496 billion in 2011-12. MAJOR INDIAN RETAILERS Indian apparel retailers are increasing their brand presence overseas, particularly in developed markets. While most have identified a gap in countries in West Asia and Africa, some majors are also looking at the US and Europe. Arvind Brands, Madura Garments, Spykar Lifestyle and Royal Classic Polo are busy chalking out foreign expansion plans through the distribution route and standalone stores as well. Another denim wear brand, Spykar, which is now moving towards becoming a casualwear lifestyle brand, has launched its store in Melbourne recently. It plans to open three stores in London by 2008-end. The low-intensity entry of the diversified Mahindra Group into retail is unique because it plans to focus on lifestyle products. The Mahindra Group is the fourth large Indian business group to enter the business of retail after Reliance Industries Ltd, the Aditya Birla Group, and Bharti Enterprises Ltd. The other three
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groups

are

focusing

either

on

perishables

and

groceries, or a range of products, or both.

Vivek Limited Retail Formats: Viveks, Jainsons, Viveks Service Centre, Viveks Safe Deposit Lockers. PGC Retail -T-Mart India, Switcher , Respect India , Grand India Bazaar ,etc., REI AGRO LTD Retail-Formats:6TEN Hyper & 6TEN Super. RPG Retail-Formats: Music World, Books & Beyond, Spencers Hyper, Spencers Super, Daily & Fresh . Pantaloon Retail-Formats: Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Pantaloons, Central, Fashion Station, Brand Factory, Depot, aLL, E-Zone etc. The Tata Group-Formats: Westside, Star India Bazaar, Steeljunction, Landmark, and Titan Industries with World of Titans showrooms, Tanishq outlets, Chroma. K Raheja Corp Group-Formats: Shoppers Stop

Crossword, Hyper City, Inorbit Mall.

Lifestyle International-Lifestyle, Home Centre, Max, Fun City and International Franchise brand stores. Pyramid Retail-Formats: Pyramid Megastore, TruMart. Nilgiris-Formats: Nilgiris supermarket chain. Subhiksha-Formats: Subhiksha supermarket pharmacy and telecom discount chain. Trinethra- Formats: Fabmall supermarket chain and Fabcity hypermarket chain.
29

Vishal Retail Group-Formats: Vishal Mega Mart. BPCL-Formats: In & Out . Reliance Retail-Formats: Reliance Fresh . Reliance ADAG Retail-Format: Reliance World. German Metro Cash & Carry. Shoprite Holdings-Formats: Shoprite Hyper. Paritala stores bazar: honey shine stores. Aditya Birla Group - more Outlets. For a start, these retailers need to invest much more in capturing more specific market. Intelligence as well as almost real-time customer purchase behavior information. The retailers also need to make substantial investment in understanding/acquiring some advanced expertise in developing more accurate and scientific demand forecasting models. Re-engineering of product sourcing philosophies-aligned more towards collaborative planning and replenishment should then be next on their agenda. The message, therefore for the existing small and medium independent retailers is to closely examine what changes are taking place in their immediate vicinity, and analyze Whether their current market offers a potential redevelopment of the area into a more modern multi-option destination. If it does, and most commercial areas in India do have this potential, it would be very useful to form a consortium of other such small retailers in that vicinity and take a
30

pro-active approach to pool in resources and improve the overall Finally, it is important to note that these strategies are not strictly independent of each other; value is function of not just price, quality and service but can also be enhanced by Personalization and offering a memorable experience. In fact, building relationships with customers can by itself increase the quality of overall customer experience and thus the perceived value. But most importantly for winning in this intensely competitive marketplace, it is critical to understand the target customer's definition of value and make an offer, which not only delights the customers but also is also difficult for competitors to replicate.

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BIG BAZAAR - INTRODUCTION

Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarkets in India, with more than 150 stores in operation. It is a subsidiary of Future Group Venture Ltd's, and follows the business model of United States-based Wal-Mart. Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarket in India, which caters to every familys needs and requirements. This retail store is a subsidiary of Future group, Pantaloons Retail India Ltd. and is an answer to the United States Wal-Mart. Big Bazaar has released the doors for the fashion world, general merchandise like sports goods, cutlery, crockery, utensils, and home furnishings etc. at best economical prices. Big Bazaar group offers more than 100 stores all over the country with an amalgamation of Indian bazaars feel and touch with a convenience and choice of the modern retail facilities. The retail format of the Big Bazaar group includes Aadhar, Rural & Home-Town
32

retail

chain,

Ezone

home-improvement

chain,

sportswear retailer, depot and music chain is few among others. History of Big Bazaar The worldwide country chain, Big Bazaar, is formed by CEO of Future Group, Mr. Kishore Biyani. The group do not promises more than what it delivers. Their basic attraction associated with reasonable prices is their Unique Selling Price. Though, the products Big Bazaar stores stocks might not be advanced, but the customers are assured to avail the worth of the money spent by them. In 2001, the group opened its first store on the VIP Road, Calcutta, which was the primary departmental store offering regulated services of parking, steel vessels, apparel, electronics etc under the one roof at the competitive prices. Big Bazaar has become a massive hit with lower middle-class and middle class people as a major client base. At present, the Future Group comprises various formats and brands like Pantaloons, F123, Copper Chimney, Etam, Staples, One Mobile, Urbana, Brand Factory, LootMart, HomeTown and Central. The Big Bazaar has several stores located all over the India,
33

among

that

Chennai,

Hyderabad,

Ahmedabad,

Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi is those metro cities where the stores of Big Bazaars are located.

GROUP VISION AND MISSION

Group vision:

Future group shall deliver everything, everywhere,

every time for Indian Consumer in the most profitable manner

Group mission:

we share the vision and brief that our customers

and stakeholders shall be served only by creating and executing future scenarios in the consumption

space leading to economic development we will be trendsetters in evolving delivery

34

formats, creating retail realty, making consumption affordable for all customers segments for classes and masses we shall infuse India brands with confidence and

renewed ambition

we shall be efficient ,cost-conscious and

committed to quality in what every we do We shall ensure that our positive attitude,

sincerity, humility and united determination shall be driving force to make us successful.

VALUES Indian ness confidence in ourselves.

Leadership: to be a leader, both in thought and business. Respect & Humility: to respect every individual and be humble in our conduct. Openness: to be open and receptive to new ideas, knowledge and information. Valuing and Nurturing Relationships: to build long term relationships.

35

 Simplicity and positivism in our thought, business and action. Adaptability: to be flexible and adaptable, to meet challenges.

Some topics related big bazaar:

Nov 16, 2001 - PTI The pres trust of India Ltd April 11

2008 375 words Big Bazaar signs Dhoni as brand ambassador Mumbai Apr 11PTI Big Bazaar the flagship ... PTI The Press Trust of India Ltd September 5 2008 608 words Big Bazaar plans to open 15 stores by November end Mumbai Sep 5PTI Retail chain Big ...

Apr 5, 2006 - Bobby Gupta says he had never seen a

more massive crowd than on Jan 26 when Big Bazaar India's largest chain of discount stores held its ... The Hindustan Times February 4 2006 460 words NEW DELHI India Feb 4 WANT material Rush to Big Bazaar Big Bazaar the condition and shop at Big ...

Jul 26, 2007 - Darjeeling, India, July 26, 2007 |

Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, a part of the Future group, today announced its entry in the Queen Of Hills Darjeeling with the opening of country's largest chain of hypermarket store BIG BAZAAR.
36

Jan 24, 2010 - Big Bazaar will be holding its special

republic day offer of 'Sabse Saste 4 Din' from January 23 to 26, 2010, at its all 120 Big Bazaar pan-India. "This year, we are expecting 25-30 per cent growth in sales during this four-day Republic Day event compared to last year. ...

Facilities offered by Big Bazaar Online shopping: Big Bazaar has an official website, FutureBazaar.com, which is one of the most favorite sites among people of India for online shopping. Future Bazaar is an online business venture of Future Group, which sells an assortment of products such as fashion, which includes merchandise for men and women, mobile accessories, mobile handsets and electronics like home theatres, video cameras, digital camera, LCD TVs, kitchen appliances and many more. Discounts: Hfte ka sabse sasta din was introduced by the Big Bazaar, wherein extra and special discounts were offered on Wednesday every week, to attract the potential buyers into their store. Security check: At each exit of Big Bazaar, they use alarm systems or Electronic Article Surveillance

37

system, which detects the products that has attached tags or not.

COMPANY PROFILE OF BIGBAZAAR INTRODUCTION Type-hyper market Discount Store Value Segment Founded-2001 Head quarters-Jogeshwari, Mumbai Industry-retail Promoter-kishore biyani Parent-Pantaloon Retail India Ltd Punchline- Isse sasta aur accha kahin nahin Currently 106 outlets Indias first hypermarket retail outlet Contd Approx. 50,000 sq.ft. One stop shopping at discounted prices Provides best products at best prices Targets price-conscious majority segment of customers
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 Classless destination Big-sized Indian Mandi- Big Bazaar. Started purely as a fashion format including apparel, cosmetics, accessory and general merchandise. First Food Bazaar format was added as Shop-In-Shop within Big Bazaar in the year 2002 Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar -blend the look, feel and touch of Indian bazaars with modern retail concepts of choice convenience and quality TARGET AUDIENCE Big Bazaar targets higher and upper middle class customers . The large and growing young working population is a preferred customer segment . Big Bazaar specifically targets working women and home makers who are the primary decision makers.

PRICING Value pricing(EDLP) Promotional pricing -low interest financing -psychological discounting

39

 -special event pricing Differentiated pricing -time pricing Bundling

PLACE- STORE LOCATIONS Initially identifies future/ potential development areas. Acquires such areas at an early phase before the real estate value booms. Located at high traffic areas. Online trading. Designed to look crowded. E-tailing To overcome location disadvantage- launched a merchandise retailing website www.futurebazaar.com which targets high-end customers ready to use credit cards. Internet as place has put them in a profitable position because there is minimal expense of maintaining a website. The low level of internet penetration proves a hindrance for rapid growth.
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PROMOTION Saal ke Sabse Saste 3 Din Future card(3% discount) Shakti card Advertising(print ads, tv ads, radio) Brand endorsement by M.S DHONI Exchange offer Weekend discounts Point of purchase promotions ` Junk' swap offer- Exchange anything old for something new". Some of the key offers -5kg rice +5kg sugar+5 kg oil for Rs599/ -Branded micro wave 17ltrs at Rs 1999/ -Branded DVD player +home theater at Rs2999/-

OWN BRANDS The Future Group has built a strong portfolio of some of the fastest growing consumer brands in India. This activity is led through Future Brands India Limited, a specialized subsidiary company that was set up to
41

create and build powerful brands that address the aspirations of the new Indian consumer.

Some of the key brands in this portfolio include, John Miller, Lombard, Bare, DJ&C, Buffalo and RIG in the fashion and apparel space. Dreamline, present in the home segment, offers a wide range of products in kitchenware, bed & bath linen, and Home Dcor categories.

In the food and home care segment brands include Tasty Treat, Premium Harvest, Fresh & Pure, Care Mate and Clean Mate. In consumer durables and electronics space, the groups brands include Koryo and Sensei.

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS
42

 High brand equity in evolving Retail marketing state of art infrastructure EDLP(Every day low pricing) Point of purchase promotions increases the sales variety of stuff under single roof increase sales with the help of healthy competition between different departments

WEAKNESS Unable to meet store opening targets. Falling revenue/sq. ft. General perception. Unavailability of popular brand items with regard to clothing.

OPPORTUNITIES Population of the country is growing where the scope of marketing is kept on
43

 Increasing for the retail sector. organized retail, presently near to 4.15% in India so it acts as a great opportunity to the organization for growth Evolving consumer preferences.

THREATS Competitors Government policies Unorganized retail

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INTRODUCTION & IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING

Introduction:

Today marketing is a key function of management. It brings success to business organizations. A business organization performs two key functions. 1 Producing goods and services. 2 Making them available to the potential customers for use. An organizations success largely depends on how efficiently the products and services are delivered to the customers and how efficiently the customers perceive the difference in delivery in comparisons to the competitors. Quality production and efficient marketing are the key success factors in building sustainable competitive advantage for every business corporation. Definition of marketing: Philip Kotler defines marketing as a societal process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services of value to each other.
45

Marketing is an ongoing process of discovering and translating consumer needs and desires into products and services, creating demand for these products and services, serving the consumer and his demand through a network of marketing channels and expanding the market base in the face of competition. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. available. Marketing aims to make selling superfluous. All that should be needed then is to make the product or service

Importance of marketing:
1. Marketing ability:

Financial success often depends Finance, operations, accounting

on marketing ability.

and other business functions will not really matter if there in not sufficient demand for products and services.
2. Economic

development:
46

Marketing

has

higher

significance in an emerging economy like that of India.

3. Success:

The success of business is known by its

achievement in the marketing front.

4. Product innovation:

Marketing is also important to by supporting product

the economic progress of the country as it opens up new vistas of research innovation.
5. Provides

more alternatives: for to a consumer choose as from,

Marketing is also it provides the more price controls

important alternatives

mechanism, allows the consumer to bring a balance between his income and level of consumption.
6. Brings revenue: Marketing brings revenue and earns

goodwill for a manufacturer, provides more alternatives of choice in goods and services to the consumer and enables society in redistribution of income.
7. Easy availability:

Easy availability of high quality

goods and services at competitive prices is made possible by efficient marketing systems.
8. Utility: Marketing management creates time, place

and utility for products and services. services are useful if they are

Products and available for

consumption at the right time and right place.

47

9. Additional

employment:

It generates additional

employment through manufacturing and trading and improvement in the overall standard of living of the citizens of a country, increases per capita income and helps in 10.
11.

the overall progress of an economy Optimum utilization: This emphasizes optimum

utilization of resources and concerted effort on the part of the marketing manager to deliver higher value to customer and greater profit to the organization.

DEFINITION AND CONCEPT OF RETAILING Retail consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated may from be services, individuals or such or as delivery. In Purchasers quantities businesses.

commerce, a "retailer" buys goods or products in large manufacturers importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the end-user. Retail establishments are often called shops or stores. Retailers are at the end of the supply chain. Manufacturing marketers see the
48

process of retailing as a necessary part of their overall distribution strategy. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service provider services the needs of a large number of individuals, such as a public utility, like electric power. Shops may be on residential streets, shopping streets with few or no houses or in a shopping mall. Shopping streets may be for pedestrians only. Sometimes a shopping street has a partial or full roof to protect customers from precipitation. Online retailing, a type of electronic commerce used for business-toconsumer (B2C) transactions and mail order, are forms of non-shop retailing. Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products. Sometimes this is done to obtain necessities such as food and clothing; sometimes it is done as a recreational activity. Recreational shopping often involves window shopping (just looking, not buying) and browsing and does not always result in a purchase. Retail marketing mix Retail marketing mix is the term used to describe the various elements and methods required to formulate and execute retail marketing strategy. Retail managers must determine the optimum mix of retailing activities
49

and co-ordinate the elements of the mix. The aim of such coordination is for each store to have a distinct retail image in consumers mind. The mix may vary greatly according to the type of market the retailer is in, and the type of product/services. While many elements may make up a firms retail marketing mix, the essential elements may include: Store location, merchandise assortments Store ambience, customer service, price, Communication with customers Personal selling Store image Store design Sales incentives People Process Physical evidence

50

Types of Retail Outlets A marketplace is a location where goods and services are exchanged. The traditional market square is a city square where traders set up stalls and buyers browse the merchandise. This kind of market is very old, and countless such markets are still in operation around the whole world. In some parts of the world, the retail business is still dominated by small family-run stores, but this market is increasingly being taken over by large retail chains. Retail is usually classified by type of products as follows:

Food products Hard goods ("hard-line retailers") - appliances, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, etc. Soft goods - clothing, apparel, and other fabrics. are the following types of retailers by

There

marketing strategy:

Department stores - very large stores offering a huge assortment of "soft" and "hard goods";
51

Discount stores - tend to offer a wide array of products and services, but they compete mainly on price; General merchandise store - a hybrid between a department store and discount store; Supermarkets - sell mostly food products; Warehouse stores - warehouses that offer lowcost, often high-quantity goods piled on pallets or steel shelves; warehouse clubs charge a membership fee;

Variety stores or "dollar stores" - these offer extremely low-cost goods, with limited selection; Demographic - retailers that aim at one particular segment (e.g., high-end retailers focusing on wealthy individuals). Some stores take a no frills approach, while others

are "mid-range" or "high end", depending on what income level they target. Other types of retail store include: Automated Retail stores are self service, robotic kiosks located in airports, malls and grocery stores. The stores accept credit cards and are usually open 24/7. Examples include Zoom Shops and Redbox.
52

 Big-box stores encompass larger department, discount, general merchandise, and warehouse stores. Convenience store - a small store often with extended hours, stocking everyday or roadside items; General store - a store which sells most goods needed, typically in a rural area;

DEFINITION OF THE RETAIL SERVICE ACTIVITIES Retail service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation." Its importance varies by product, industry and customer; defective or broken merchandise can be exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. Retail stores will often have a desk or counter devoted to dealing with returns, exchanges and complaints, or will perform related functions at the point of sale.

53

54

Retail

sales

activities

mainly

includes

following

activities: Providing product information Providing information on current offers Door delivery service T24 Talk time After sales services like alteration of cloths Processing guaranties and warranties on

Electronics and furniture Attending customer complaints Announcements of current offers Instant billing with out waiting Sales people availability in every department Availability of all required products Providing exchange facility on some goods and etc.

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CONCEPT OF RETAIL SERVICE ACTIVITY According to the book "Discovery-Based Retail" customer service is the "sum of acts and elements that allow consumers to receive what they need or desire from your retail establishment." Layout of a Retail Self-Service Activity The first consideration in installing a self- service operation is a preconceived, well-thought- out plan. To plan an efficient and attractive layout for a retail service activity, you must keep three objectives in mind 1. 2. Proper and intelligent circulation of customer displays of

traffic throughout the entire store. Traffic-stopping, appealing conveniently placed merchandise that will sold.) 3. Strategically placed equipment to perform a function a. To lead the customer, after the selection has been made, through a convenient, rapid, efficient checkout procedure; and b. To provide adequate store protection from pilferage. All equipment should be placed to focus
56

result in

sales. (Merchandise that is seen and handled is half twofold

exits

through

one

narrow

point;

thus, adequate

security is provided Organization must carefully consider the entire physical arrangement of the sales area including doors, windows, posts, and other abutments. The objective is to lay out the equipment so that the customer will be induced to circulate around the entire store before arriving at the check-out stand. Aisle space may vary from 4 to 6 feet depending on the confinements oft he room. Six-foot aisles should be used when you have the space available. When organization is confined to a smaller space, their heavy traffic or main aisles should be 6 feet wide, with side aisles narrower, to provide for an easier flow of traffic. Customer service is normally an integral part of a companys customer value proposition. In their book Rules to Break and Laws to Follow, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D. write that "customers have memories. They will remember you, whether you remember them or not." Further, "customer trust can be destroyed at once by a major service problem, or it can be undermined one day at a time, with a thousand small demonstrations of incompetence. From the point of view of an overall sales process
57

engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. Some have argued that the quality and level of customer service has decreased in recent years, and that this can be attributed to a lack of support or understanding service policy. at To the executive this and middle many management levels of a corporation and/or a customer address argument, organizations have employed a variety of methods to improve their customer satisfaction levels, and other KPIs. Instant feedback Recently, many organizations have implemented feedback loops that allow them to capture feedback at the point of experience. For example, National Express, one of the UK's leading travel companies invites passengers to send text messages whilst riding the bus. This has been shown to be useful as it allows companies to improve their customer service before the customer defects, thus making it far more likely that the customer will return next time.
58

Customer service A challenge working with Customer Service is to ensure that you have focused your attention on the right key areas, measured by the right Key Performance Indicator. There is no challenge to come up with a lot of meaningful KPIs, but the challenge is to select a few which reflects your overall strategy. In addition to reflecting your strategy it should also enable staff to limit their focus to the areas that really matter. The focus must be of those KPIs, which will deliver the most value to the overall objective, e.g. cost saving, service improving etc. It must also be done in such a way that staff sincerely believe that they can make a difference with the effort. ` One of the most important aspects of a customer

service KPI is that of what is often referred to as the "Feel Good Factor". Basically the goal is to not only help the customer have a good experience, but to offer them an experience that exceeds their expectations. Several key points are listed as follows: 1. Know your product - Know what products/service

you are offering back to front. In other words be an information expert. It is okay to say "I don't know", but
59

it should always be followed up by... "but let me find out" or possibly " but my friend knows!" Whatever the situation may be, make sure that you don't leave your customer with an unanswered question. 2. Body Language/Communication Most of the

communication that we relay to others is done through body language. If we have a negative body language when we interact with others it can show our lack of care. Two of the most important parts of positive body language are smiling, and eye contact. Make sure to look your customers in the eye. It shows that we are listening to them, not at them. And then of course smiling is just more inviting than someone who has a blank look on their face.

3. Anticipate Guest Needs - Nothing surprises your customer more than an employee going the extra mile to help them. Always look for ways to serve your customer more than they expect. In doing so it helps them to know that you care and it will leave them with the "Feel Good Factor" that we are searching for.

Seven Keys to Building Customer Loyalty and Company Profits

60

A personal bond with customers lets company escape the commodity pricing wars and provides you with a powerful new marketing arm: loyal customers who will promote and defend your company online and off--for free. Here are seven tips for getting the process started of building customer loyalty in a big way. 1. Are your doorknobs sparkling brightly?

Research proves that customers remember the first and last moments of a service encounter much more vividly--and for longer--than the rest of it. Make sure that the first and final elements of your customer interactions are particularly well engineered, because they are going to stick in the customer's memory. Example: Chris Cambridge's gift shop in the tourist town of Bar Harbor, Maine puts customers on a good footing immediately with a cheery sign: "YES: Your Ice Cream Cones Are Welcome (just be careful of the drips) ... And We Love Your Dogs, Too!" What a sharp contrast this offers to the buzzkill from "no food-no drink-no soliciting-no shoes-no shirts-no pets!" signs found everywhere else in town. Weary tourists who've been feeling scolded by all of those "no way!" signs are going to be uniquely disposed to whatever Chris is selling-61

from the moment they cross his threshold. 2. Set your clocks forward. Modern customers expect speedier service than did any generation before them. In this age of Blackberrys and iPhones, Twitter and Zappos, you might as well not be there if you're going to be late. Example: Think your latest Amazon.com order was handled at Amazon HQ by Mr. Bezos' hand-picked crew? Maybe not! Amazon.com has partnered so closely with UPS that your order may have been transmitted instantly to Lexington, Kentucky, where UPS had the object of your desire already warehoused and ready to ship. This makes it possible for you to place your order well into the evening and--in a pinch-receive that item early the next morning with nearly 100% accuracy, a result that has amplified expectations of what "timeliness" means for customers nationwide. 3. Allow your customers to connect with a real person--online or off. Online customers are literally invisible to you (and you to them), so it's easy to shortchange them emotionally. But this lack of visual and tactile presence makes it even more crucial to create a sense of
62

personal,

human-to-human

connection in the online arena. Example 1: Instead of a Web-based chat window that blandly announces "You are now chatting with Jane," try "You are now chatting with Jane YangKatzenberg." The customers will treat your "Jane" better, they'll take her advice more seriously--and they'll be more likely to want a committed customer relationship with her company. Example 2: Netflix has long had a superbly functioning Web site, and adequate self-help-style online support. So there's probably no reason you truly need to talk with a real human being about your Netflix account. But that hasn't stopped Netflix from trying to pull you into a phone conversation if you encounter even the briefest rough going online! Recently, Netflix has begun plastering their toll-free number all over their Web site and has even staffed an expensive new call center--in Portland, Oregon, not overseas--to handle the increased calls. Why go to these expensive lengths, for customers who hardly need any technical support in the first place? Simple. As competition for online video customers began tightening recently, Netflix realized that to maintain competitive advantage they needed to bind themselves to their customers. So
63

they're

creating

the

warm,

personal,

human

connections that produce customer loyalty. That's bound to be money well spent. 4. Remember each customer's roles, goals, and preferences. No matter how large your company is--or is hoping to be--strive companywide for the emotional impact of the beloved neighborhood bartender, doorman, or hairstylist--the kind of person who would remember Bob's special preferences, his schedule, the quirks of his lifestyle. For all sizes and types of companies, a superb client tracking system can provide this information instantly--so that you can create for returning customers the crucial feeling of being noticed and remembered. Example: Manufacturing, My own company, Oasis musicians Disc and

serves

independent

filmmakers. We rely on customized software to help us capture customer information in specific categories, such as which genre of music and instrument a customer plays, as well as any number of unique details related to the customer's interests or sources of pride (which, ultimately of course, are sources of pride for us as well, as our success rests on the success of our clients). For example, we might jot down (electronically) a note about a big movie the client has
64

worked on, a treasured industry award she has received, and so on. Or, we might note that a client's wife is ill and that the client hates being called on the phone in the morning. These data allow Oasis to still offer the feeling of close connection with customers that it had when my Oasis "empire" consisted entirely of just me taking phone orders and processing them myself. 5. Anticipate a customer's wishes. When a

customer's wish is met before the wish has been expressed, it conveys the message that you are paying attention; that you care about the customer as an individual. That cared-for feeling is where you generate the fiercest loyalty. Example: At the Inn at Little Washington, a stunning restaurant in the countryside village of Washington, Virginia (population 183), the staff discreetly tries to detect and record the emotional state of each person in a dinner party on a scale of 1 to 10. Their goal is to get you up to at least a "9" before the long drive home. This simple rating system allows the staff at The Inn to make very subtle adjustments to service throughout the night--so that even someone who arrives for dinner in a serious funk will likely wind up walking on country air before the night is through.
65

(Importantly,

the

system

is

used

with

extreme

discretion--so discreetly that my business collaborator Leonardo Inghilleri and I never caught the Inn rating us during any of the delicious "customer service systems research" we did there!) 6. Don't leave the language your team uses up to chance. Develop and rehearse a list of vocabulary words and expressions that fit your business brand perfectly--and ban, companywide, the ones that don't. Equally important, search out and destroy any vocabulary phrases that could hurt customer feelings. Example 1: The expression "no worries!" sounds fine coming from a clerk at an audio or appliance store, but would sound seriously "off" coming from the concierge at a five star hotel (or an oncology assistant at Johns Hopkins). Example 2: There is no organization in which a billing department should tell a customer, "You owe us." (Try instead: "Our records seem to show a balance ... ") 7. Be patient when filling positions. Finding and keeping suitable employees for all customer-facing positions is a key to customer excellence. And, in most great organizations, all jobs are, from time to time,
66

customer-facing. The secrets to achieving this include hiring for innate traits (which tend to be immutable) rather than for specific skills (which are by-and-large teachable); finding meaningful ways to reinforce your staff (because customer service is a uniquely draining job); designing employment in a way that allows employees to provide input and experience personal growth; and protecting your superb staff once assembled. Example: In a superb service organization, a single disagreeable or unresponsive team member can erode customer loyalty and team morale. That is why it can be better to leave a position unfilled rather than to rush to hire someone who is not fully suitable. (It's a heck of a drag--I know!--to hear that phone ringing a sixth time while an unfilled position awaits the right applicant, but it's infinitely better than having it answered on the second ring by a congenital grouch.

TYPICAL RETAIL SERVICES Prepurchase Services 1. Accepting telephone orders

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2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Accepting mail orders Advertising Window display Fitting rooms Shopping hours Interior display Fashion shows Trade-ins

Post purchase Services 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Door delivery Shipping via U. S. mail or Federal Express Gift wrapping Adjustments Returns Alterations Tailoring Installations Engraving

Ancillary Services 1. 2. 3. Check cashing General information Free parking

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4. 5. 6. Gender

Restaurants Repairs Interior decorating Number of respondents 252 148 400 Credit Rest rooms Baby attendant services Percentage

Male Female Total 7. 8. 9.

63 37 100

GENDER:
Table: 5.1

69

INTERPRETATION:

Out of a sample of 400 respondents, 63% of the respondents are male and 37% respondents are female. From the graph it can be interpreted that most of the customers visiting Bigbazaar are male customers.

Respondents by age: Table: 5.2

Age group Below 20 Between 21-30 Between 31-40 Between 41-50 Above 50 Total Number of respondents 7 257 105 24 7 400 Percentage 1.75 64.25 26.25 6 1.75 100

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INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples 64.25% of the customers who are visiting store are the age group between 21 and 30 and 26.25% of the customers belong to age group between 31 and 40. Hence from the graph it can be say that store is attracting the middle age customers (90.5%).

Respondents by occupation:
TABLE:5.3 Occupation Employee Student Self employed House wife Retired Number of respondents 136 121 73 65 5 Percentage 34 30.25 18.25 16.25 1.25

Total

400
71

100

INTERPRETATION: From the above data, 34% of the respondents are

employees and 30.25% are students. It is clear that store is attracting employees and students which is about 64.25%.

Q1. How often do you visit big bazaar?

TABLE:5.4 Frequency Daily Weekly Biweekly Monthly Bimonthly Number of respondents 2 79 127 141 51 Percentage 0.5 19.75 31.75 35.25 12.75

Total

400

100

72

INTERPRETATION: From the above data it is observed that most of the customers (35.25%) are visiting store monthly once to purchase and 31.75% the respondents are visiting biweekly. Hence 67% of the total customers visit store minimum monthly once.

Q2. What makes you to visit big bazaar? Table:5.5

73

Service T24 talk time Near to house Offers, discounts, benefits Quality products Sales people All in one shopping

No of respondents
10 37 223 17 0 113

Percentage 2.5 9.25 55.75 4.25 0 28.25

Total

400

100

INTERPRETAION: From the above data it is clear that most of the

customers (55.75%) coming to the store for offers, discounts, benefits and 28% of the people coming for all in one shopping.

Q3. Is big bazaar layout making you is to find what you required? TABLE: 5.6
74

Level of agree Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

Number of respondents 208 171 18 3

Percentage 52 42.75 4.5 0.75

Total

400

100

Interpretation: From the above graph we can say that most of the
customers (52%) are strongly agreed and 42.75% customers agreed for the layout of the store making them easy to find required products. Hence it is cleared that 94.75% of the customers responded positively.

Q4. Are you able to move freely in the store? Table:5.7

75

Level of opinion Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

Number of respondents 226 159 14 1

Percentage 56.5 39.75 3.5 0.25

Total

400

100

Interpretation: Out of 400 samples, 56.5% of the customers strongly

agreed, 39.75% of the customers agreed, 3.5% of the customers are disagreed and 0.25% of the customers are strongly disagreed for their ability to move freely in the store. Hence from the above graph 96.5% of the customers are satisfied with the layout of the store.

Q5. Is big bazaar providing you low prices as they are claiming nobody sells better & cheaper?

Table:5.8
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Level of 0pinion Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total

No of respondents 102 138 109 51 400

Percentage 25.5 34.5 27.25 12.75 100

Interpretation: out of 400 samples, 34.5% of the customers are agreed,

25.5% of the customers are strongly agreed, 27.25% of the customers are disagreed and 12.75% of the customers are strongly disagreed for providing them low prices as store claiming. It is cleared that most of the customers (60%) responded positively for the statement .

Q6. Does the employee in the store have the knowledge to answer your questions? Table:5.9
77

Opinion Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

No of respondents 129 203 47 21

Percentage 32.25 50.75 9.25 5.25

Total

400

100

INTERPRETATION:

Out of the 400 samples of respondents most of the customers (50.75%) agreed, 32.25% of the customers are strongly agreed, 11.75% of the customers disagreed and 5.25% of the customers strongly disagreed for the employee knowledge to answer their questions. Hence it can be interpreted from the above graph 83% of the customers responded positively.

Q7. Are you receiving the quality that you are expecting from your purchase in big bazaar? Table:5.10
Opinion Number of respondents
78

Percentage

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total

42 144 166 48 400

10.5 36 41.5 12 100

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, 41.5%

of the customers disagreed, 36% of the customers are agreed, 12% of the customers strongly disagreed and 10.5% of the customers are strongly agreed for receiving the quality that they are expecting from their purchases in bigbazaar. It can be interpreted from the above data 52% of the customers responded positively.

Q8. Among the following what will you prefer to buy the products in big bazaar? Table:5.11
Preference Discount No of respondents 121
79

Percentage 30.25

Quality Requirement Free gifts Total

118 145 16 400

29.5 36.25 4 100

INTERPRETATION: out of 400 samples of respondents, most of

the customers (36.25%) are preferred their requirement to buy the products in bigbazaar, 30.25% of the customers are preferring discount, 29.5% of the customers are preferring quality and 4% of the customers preferring free gifts.

Q9. Have you utilized exchange & alteration service before in big bazaar? TABLE:5.12 Customer No of
80

Percentage

Answer Yes No Total

respondents 149 251 400

37.25 62.75 100

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, most of

the customers (62.75%) are ever utilized exchange &alteration service before in the store and 37.25% of the customers have utilized exchange & alteration service in bigbazaar.

Q10. Which service scape dimension attracts you much? Table:5.13

81

Service scape Temperature Cleanliness Lighting All Total

No of respondents 10 233 112 45 400

Percentage 2.5 58.25 28 11.25 100

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, most of

the customers (58.25%) are attracted for store cleanliness, 28% of the customers are attracted for store lighting, 11.25% of the customers are attracted for all store service scape dimensions (temperature, cleanliness, lighting) and 2.5% of the customers are attracted for temperature of the store.

Q11. How satisfied are you with the location of the store? Table: 5.14

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Satisfaction level Strongly satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Strongly dissatisfied Total

No of respondents 48 181 145 26 400

Percentage 12 45.25 36.25 6.5 100

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, most of the

customers (45.25%) are satisfied with the location of the store, 36.25% 0f customers are dissatisfied, 12% are strongly satisfied and 6.5% are strongly dissatisfied. From the above graph it can be interpreted that 57.25% of the customers are satisfied with the location of the store.

Q 12) providing product information Table: 5.12

Rating Outstanding Number Of respondents 136
83

Percentage 34

Good Average Poor Total

194 64 6 400

48.5 16 1.5 100

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, for the

question of providing product information by retail store, 48.5% of customers gave rating as good and 34% gave as outstanding, 16% as average and 1.5% as poor. Totally 82.5% customers are responded positively.

Q 13) providing information on current offers

Table: 5.16
Rating Number of respondents Percentage

84

Outstanding Good Average Poor Total

106 204 80 10 400

26.5 51 20 2.5 100

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, for the

question of providing information on current offers, most of the customers 51% gave rating as good, 26.5% as outstanding, 20% gave rating as average and 2.5% gave rating as poor.

Q 14) Door delivery Table: 5.17

Rating Outstanding Number of respondents 28
85

Percentage 12.5

Good Average Poor Total

136 50 10 224

60.72 22.32 4.46 100

Number of not responded customers: 176

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, 44% of the

respondents of total 400 were even not aware the door delivery service provided by the retail store. Among remaining 56% respondents, 60.72% gave rating as good, 22.32% as average, 12.5% as outstanding and 4.46% as poor .Totally 73.22% were responded positively.

Q 15) After sales service Table: 5.18

Rating Outstanding Number of respondents 22
86

Percentage 11.22

Good Average Poor Total

118 50 6 196

60.20 25.52 3.06 100

Number of not responded customers: 204

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, 52% of the

respondents of total 400 were even not aware the after sales service provided by the retail store. Among remaining 48% respondents, 60.20% gave rating as good, 25.52% as average, 11.22% as outstanding and 3.06% as poor. Totally 71.42% were responded positively.

Q 16) processing guarantees & warranties Table: 5.19

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Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total

Number of respondents 24 130 50 6 210

Percentage 11.43 61.91 23.80 2.86 100

Number of not responded customers: 190

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, 47.5% of

the respondents of total 400 were even not aware the processing guarantees & warrantees service provided by the retail store. Among remaining 52.5% of respondents, 61.91% gave rating as good, 23.80% as average, 11.43% as outstanding and 2.86% as poor. Totally 73.34% were responded positively.

Q 17) T24 talk time

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Table: 5.20
Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 80 148 56 4 288 Percentage 27.78 51.39 19.44 1.39 100

Number of not responded customers: 112

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, 28% of the

respondents of total 400 were even not aware the t24 talktime service provided by the retail store. Among remaining 72% of respondents, 51.39% gave rating as good, 27.78% as outstanding, 19.44% as average and 1.34% as poor. Totally 79.17% were responded positively.

Q 18) Exchange
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Table: 5.21
Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 66 196 40 6 308 Percentage 21.43 63.64 12.98 1.95 100

Number of not responded customers: 92

INTERPRETATION: Out of 400 samples of respondents, 23% of the

respondents of total 400 were even not aware the exchange service provided by the retail store. Among remaining 77% of respondents, 63.64% gave rating as good, 21.43% as outstanding, 12.98% as average and 1.95% as poor. Totally 85.07% were responded positively.

Q19) Announcement on current offers

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Table: 5.22
Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 152 180 60 8 400 Percentage 38 45 15 2 100

INTERPRETATION: From the above data, for the question of

announcement of current offers by retail store, Out of 400 samples of respondents, 45% of the total respondents gave rating as good and 38% as outstanding,15% as average and 2% as poor. Totally 83% were responded positively.

Q20. Instant billing without waiting

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Table: 5.23
Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 24 118 158 100 400 Percentage 6 29.5 39.5 25 100

INTERPRETATION: From the above data, for the question of

instant billing without waiting by retail store, Out of 400 samples of respondents, 39.5% of the total respondents gave rating as average, 29.5% as good, 25% as poor and 6% as outstanding. Totally 35.5% were responded positively.

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Q21.Sales people availability in the store Table: 5.24

Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 104 200 86 10 400 Percentage 26 50 21.5 2.5 100

INTERPRETATION: From the above data, for the question

sales people availability in retail store, Out of 400 samples of respondents, 50% of the total respondents gave rating as good and 26% as outstanding,21.5% as average and 2.5% as poor. Totally 76% were responded positively.
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Q22. Availability of required products Table: 5.25

Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 60 180 126 34 400 Percentage 15 45 31.5 8.5 100

INTERPRETATION: From the above data, for the question of

availability of required products by retail store, Out of 400 samples of respondents, 45% of the total respondents gave rating as good and 31.5% as average,15% as outstanding and 8.5%
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as poor. Totally 60% were responded positively.

Q23. Attending customer complaints Table: 5.26

Rating Outstanding Good Average Poor Total Number of respondents 40 154 146 60 400 Percentage 10 38.5 36.5 15 100

INTERPRETATION: From the above data, for the question of

attending customer complaints by retail store, Out of 400 samples of respondents, 38.5% of the total respondents gave rating as good and 36.5% as average,15% as poor and 10% as outstanding. Totally 48.5% were responded positively.
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FINDINGS
During the study findings are concluded on the base of analysis of collected data.
The store is attracting major the male customers,

it is observed as 63%.
Main customers who are visiting store are belongs

to age group between 21 and 30. It means store is concentrate on youth customers. Employees and students are regular customers

who are visiting store. It was found that 64.25% are employees and students. Most of the customers visit store minimum

monthly once.
The main reasons for customers visiting store are,

offers, discounts, benefits in store, and all in one shopping, layout structure, sales people rapport with the customers, store cleanliness, and location of the store. Most of the customers responded positively for the questions relating to those areas. These are success secrets of Big Bazaar.

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 So many customers were not aware the door delivery service, about guaranties and warranties, exchange services, after sales services and t24 talk time benefit which are offered by retail store.
Most of the customers suffered with late billing

process.

Nearly

64.5%

of

the

customer

gave

response to improve in the area.

Providing product information is good enough to customers but it should be maintained to improve sales.
Providing

product

information

and

providing

information on current offers is one type of sales promotion. Major part of customers feels as good and it results in increasing the sales.

Announcement of current offers in the store is

outstanding. It is better to announce in telugu and hindi also.

Attending

customer

complaints

needs

improvement. Nearly 51.5% of the customers gave

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response to improve in the area.

Temperature of the store is not good enough;

nearly 40% of the customers gave their suggestions for the question, suggestion for a better service.

SUGGESTIONS
These suggestions are for the improvement of service activities and collected from customers feed back. Most of the customers who are visiting store are male so store should try to attract female customers. The services which are offered by store have to reach the customers properly. Providing product information has to be made clear to customers for picking up easily. All the products must be attached with signage for the best communication of offers and discounts.
Most of the customers are shopping due to all-in-

one shopping and offers, discounts, benefits are available here. So it had better maintain all the required products and discounts. Maintain communication signage for door delivery, alteration desk and Customer Service Desk (C.S.D)
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also for the best service. Please take feed back regularly from the customers to know their satisfaction level Announcement of current offers leads to customer to particular department. So it is better to maintain all days and all the departments.
Checking of bar codes before display is best thing

for instant billing without waiting the customers.

SUMMARY
Retailing consists of the sale of goods or

merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing includes all the activities just before to reach ultimate consumer. Retailing is the set of activities that markets products or services to final consumers for their own personal or household use. It does this by organizing their availability on a relatively large scale and supplying them to customers on a relatively small scale. Retailer is a Person or Agent or Agency or Company or Organization who is instrumental in reaching the Goods or Merchandise or Services to the End User or Ultimate Consumer. Retail service is a series of activities designed to
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enhance the level of customer satisfaction that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation. Its importance varies by product, industry and customer; defective or broken merchandise can be exchanged, often only with a receipt and within a specified time frame. Retail stores will often have a desk or counter devoted to dealing with returns, exchanges and complaints, or will perform related functions at the point of sale. The main objective of this study is to know customer satisfaction level on service and various services offered by the retail outlet, to know the services which are offered by store are sufficient or not, and to portray organization profile the Big Bazaar. The main need to study the global retail players as well as Indian retail players in India, study also concentrates on to find out strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities also. Data was collected from primary sources and secondary sources, primary data from customers at random by using questionnaire and secondary data by internet, books and journals. The main limitation is that the collected data may be biased and as the selection sample size confined to 400 the accuracy may be decrease, the collection of data is depended on the information given by the respondents and since only a
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small segment of the market has been covered, the exact conclusion cannot be generated.

The services offered of retail store are to improve sales and to make customers as loyal to store. So that the store can be competed with global standards. The store is attracting youth customers and who purchase for family. Most of the customers visit store minimum monthly once. The services offered are not reaching to customers in proper way. Providing product information is good enough to customers but it should be maintained to improve sales. Most of the customers suffered with late billing process. Nearly 60% of the customer gave response to improve in the area. Processing guaranties and warranties are important services which are mostly customers are expecting those services. The services offered of retail store are to improve sales and to make customers as loyal to store. Main customers of store belong to above middle level, those are the main contributors for the store. The services offered are not reaching to customers in proper way. But store was failing to implement their services planes properly. These services are secreting success for the store to be as one the leading stores.

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102

CONCLUSION
Big Bazaar is the one of the leading retail outlet in India offering goods and purchase for lower cost comparatively other stores. The services which are offered by the store is good and enough process but have the be implementation planning

developed to optimize services. The services offered of retail store are to improve sales and to make customers as loyal to store. So that the store can be compete with global standards. The store is attracting youth customers and has to concentrate to attract all level of customers .Occupation of the main customers of store belong to employees, those are the main contributors for the store. The services offered are not reaching to customers in proper way. Processing guaranties and warranties are important services which are mostly customers are expecting those services. Store is offering so many services. These services are secreting success for the store to be as one the leading stores.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books references
MARKETING MANAGEMENT, PHILIP KOTLER, Prentice Hall of India pvt ltd, 9TH Edition Marketing Management, Tapan K Panda, Excel Books publication, Second Edition.
Courtiers

of

retailing,

S.A.Chunnawala,

Himalaya

Publishing House, edition 3rd. Sales and Distribution Management, Tapan K Panda and Sunil Sachadev, Oxford University Press
Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Research;

Nair

Suja

R.

Hardcover,

Published

2004

by

Himalaya

Publishing House,
Mall Management With Case, Abhijit Das, Taxmann

Published 2008

Journal references

Journals of marketing , June 2007and November 2008 Editions Indian journal of marketing

Web references. 104

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/customer_services#References http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Retail.

ANNEXURE I Questionnaire

Customer Perception On Quality Delivery

Name: _______________________________________________ Gender: Male Female Contact No :_________________________________________ Age: [ ] Below 20 [ ] Above 50 [ ] 21-30 [ ] 31-40 [ ] 41-50 [ ]

Occupation: [ ] Employee House Wife [ ] Retired

[ ] Student

[ ] Self Employed

How often do you visit Big Bazaar? [ ] Daily Bimonthly [ ] Weekly [ ] Biweekly [ ] Monthly [ ]

What makes you to visit Big Bazaar? [ ] T24 Talk Time [ ] Near To House Discounts, Benefits [ ] Quality Products [ ] Sales People One Shopping [ ] Offers, [ ] All In

Is Big Bazaar layout making you easy to find what you required? [ ] Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree [ ]Agree [ ]Disagree [ ]

Are you able to move freely in the store? [ ] Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree [ ] Agree [ ] Disagree [ ]

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Is Big Bazaar providing you the low prices as they are claiming nobody sells better & cheaper? [ ] Strongly Agree Disagree [ ]Agree [ ]Disagree [ ]Strongly

Does the employee in the store have the knowledge to answer your questions? [ ]Strongly Agree Disagree [ ]Agree [ ]Disagree [ ]Strongly

Are you receiving the quality that you are expecting from your purchase in Big Bazaar? [ ]Strongly Agree Disagree [ ]Agree [ ]Disagree [ ]Strongly

Among the following what will you prefer to buy the products in Big Bazaar? [ ] Discount Free Gifts [ ] Quality [ ] Requirement [ ]

Have you utilized exchange & alteration service before in Big bazaar? [ ]yes [ ]no

Which service scape dimension attracts you much? [ ] Temperature All [ ] Cleanliness [ ] Lighting [ ]

How satisfied are you with the location of the store? [ ]Strongly Satisfied [ ] Strongly Dissatisfied [ ]Satisfied [ ]Dissatisfied

Rate the following (please mark in only one box opposite to each question) S. No 12 13 14 15 16 Big Bazar Service Providing Product Information Providing Information On Current Offers Door Delivery After Sales Service Processing Guarantees & Warranties Outstan ding Goo d Avera ge Po or

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17 18 19 20 21 22 23

T24 Talk Time Exchange Announcement Of Current Offers Instant Billing Without Waiting Sales People Availability In The Store Availability Of Required Products Attending Customer Complaints

24. Do you want to add any suggestions for a better service? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Signature : ____________________________________

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