Consumer preference towards lifestyle products with special preference to westside

Introduction
Retailing consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store ,shopping mall etc .The retailer buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers 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 process of retailing as a necessary part of their overall distribution strategy. In the retail outlet various type of good and service are provide to the customer but all the goods and services are generally homogenous in nature through all the other retail outlets . Product and services of every company are available in every retail outlet. It is also find that many customer only used to shopping in own decided outlet rather from every outlets even there is homogenous among the product and service offer by the every retail outlet .So This put the question in the mind of the every retailer that is there is any gap between what customer expected from retailers and what retailer provides to customer during shopping. No two customers have the identical likes and preferences. Delivery value and narrowing down the zone of tolerance is a tightrope walk for marketer in organized retail sector. Especially in market like India the challenges is formidable because organizations need to cater to a wide and diverse group of customers .Thus building equity and generating volumes in such complex market tapers down to the function of managing customer expectation.

Customers take their time to first sketch their needs and then arrive at a specific decision. At the end of the day the question is what does the customer expect? How to fulfill the glaring gap between need and expectations? The answers to this question are by delivering the value But in many case retailers are not aware of what their customer expect. Hence they are unable to deliver the right value to the right customer and satisfy them .Especially in this competitive scenario where the customer are well informed, commanding and demanding at the same time it has become imperative for the organization to be updated on the WHAT,WHYand HOW of each and every customer. This calls for empathizing with the customer by indulging into their priorities and decision making. Even in the case of a product as simple as beauty soap, customer have versatile expectations like, good packaging fragrance, herbal or medical benefit, glowing skin etc. and all this at an affordable price. A daunting task but companies have no option but to offer the expected value, that too by keeping the operating costs low. Following general expectations of a typical customer Value of Money Availability and location Service expectations Quality in Product Need based solution So in other to deliver the value, Retail outlets in addition to providing products and services, need to cater for a wide range of motives. The various determinants of retail outlet preference include cleanliness, well-stocked shelves, and range of products, helpful staff, disabled access,

wide aisles, car parking, multiple billing points and environmentally friendly goods. These differing motives arise as retailers cater to different types of shoppers who include economic consumers (concern with value), personalized consumers (concern with relationships), recreational shoppers (shopping as a leisure activity) and apathetic consumers (who dislike shopping). Retailers have to satisfy budding customers, older consumers as well as time crunched individuals whose motives all tend to be conflicting as well as different. Retailers need to establish a good image to prevent customers from shopping around. They must cater to shoppers need for pleasure and practicality. If expressed as a calculation, customer satisfaction might look something like this:

Customer expectations = Companies Performance/ Companies Satisfaction Satisfaction is a consumers post-purchase evaluation of the overall service experience. It is an affective reaction (Menon and Dub, 2000) in which the consumers needs, desires and expectations during the course of the service experience have been met or exceeded (Lovelock, 2001). Satisfaction in this sense could mean that a supermarket has just barely met the customers expectations, not exceeded nor disappointed those expectations. The benefits of taking the customers response beyond satisfaction at this level by exceeding expectations, is a competitive strategy many retailers aspire to achieve. There is a recurrent struggle for existence and survival in the wake of deep competition, drastically changing customer attitudes and expectation levels. The study would enable us to understand the impact of various factors that influence a consumers shopping behavior in a departmental store. It would also help in knowing the magnitude and direction of movement of these factors amongst each other.

Objective of the study Factors influencing customers to go to westside Services and promotional schemes offered by westside Understanding the consumer behavior in retailing Understanding the factors affecting consumer decision making

Research methodology
Sample and data collection

This survey was conducted in the context of retail. For 70 percent of the interviews, data were collected in face-to-face interviews of customers coming to Westside while exiting point-of-sale venues. For the remaining 30 percent, because certain retailers prohibit the interviewing of their clients exiting their stores, interviews took place in the subjects' homes, as a function of the store they attended most frequently. The study provides a representative sample of the main westside.

Research design The research design would be descriptive Data collection The data would be collected from primary source through questionnaires, interviews. The sample would be surveyed on the basis of questionnaire and data would be quantified for further analysis. Sample size The sample would be selected on random basis at the store itself. A sample of 50 respondents would be used in the research. These would be further divided amongst the stores for an evenly distributed data collection. Data Sources Both Secondary and Primary Sources of data will be used.

The major type of information used is primary data. This is done through primary survey. The literature review is a secondary data type. The sources include books, periodicals, websites, printed literature etc.

Westside-Retail Giant
Established in 1998 as part of the Tata Group, Trent Ltd. operates Westside, one of India's largest and fastest growing chains of retail stores. The Westside stores have numerous departments to meet the varied shopping needs of customers. These include Menswear, Womens wear, Kids wear, Footwear, Cosmetics, Perfumes and Handbags, Household Accessories, lingerie, and Gifts. The company has already established 36 Westside departmental stores (measuring 15,000-30,000 square feet each) in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad & Noida (to be considered as 1 city), Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Jammu. The company hopes to expand rapidly with similar format stores that offer a fine balance between style and price retailing. Trent ventured into the hypermarket business in 2004 with Star Bazaar, providing an ample assortment of products made available at the lowest prices, aptly exemplifying its Chota Budget, Lambi Shopping motto. At present Star Bazaar has 4 stores in 3 cities located in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore. This store offers customers an eclectic array of products that include staple foods, beverages, health and beauty products, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, consumer electronics and household items at the most affordable prices. Star Bazaar also includes a largerange of fashionable in-house garments for men, women and children, exclusively available at the store. In addition, Trent recently acquired a 76% stake in Landmark, one of the largest books & music retail chains in the country. Landmark began operations in 1987 with its first store in Chennai with a floor space of 5500 sq. ft. At present Landmark have 10 stores, varying in size from

12,000 sq. ft. to 45,000 sq. ft, 3 in Chennai and 1 each in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Vadodara, Gurgaon, Pune, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Until 1996, Landmarks product portfolio comprised books, stationery, and greeting cards. It was later that music was added to it. Landmark also sparked the trend of stocking curios, toys and other gift items. What separates Landmark from other stores of its kind is the range and depth of its stock. This story began circa 1998 when The Tatas acquired Littlewoods a London based retail chain. This acquisition was followed by the establishment of Trent Ltd (a Tata enterprise that presently operates Westside). Littlewoods was subsequently renamed Westside. In a rapidly evolving retail scenario, Westside has carved a niche for its brand of merchandise creating a loyal following. Currently, the company has 36 Westside stores measuring 15,00030,000 square feet each across 20 cities. With a variety of designs and styles, everything at Westside is exclusively designed and the merchandise ranges from stylized clothes, footwear and accessories for men, women and children to well-co-coordinated table linens, artifacts, home accessories and furnishings. Well-designed interiors, sprawling space, prime locations and coffee shops enhance the customers shopping experience. Westside has garnered numerous accolades 1. 2. 3. 4. Awards 2005 Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame India Brand Summit Brand Leadership Retail IFA Visionary of the Year Award, 2002 Mrs. Simone N. Tata Most Admired Large Format Retail Chain of the Year - Lycra Images Fashion

5.

NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2006 - Retail Category

Mission Statement To be regarded by our customers as the most relevant retailer in the country. In order to achieve this goal, we shall develop a comprehensive understanding of their needs, strive to win their confidence, and offer them best-in-class products and services at affordable prices. We shall always be in the forefront of fashion and services by anticipating and exceeding the expectations of our customers. Our leadership will be the product of our styling, quality and service consciousness. We will continue to scale new heights of excellence through teamwork, in an atmosphere that encourages creativity and innovativeness. It is their policy to satisfy our customers with the range, quality and value of the products we offer. However, if they are dissatisfied with any item that they might have purchased they would take the necessary measures to assist them. The customers are expected to return unused merchandise along with its receipt within 30 days. We would exchange the returned items or give our customers a complete refund. In the event that they do not have the receipt we would offer them an exchange or provide them a gift voucher to the current or last known selling price. We have complete confidence in the quality of our merchandise however should our customers have any grievances, we would be happy to address them once they are brought to our attention said an employee.

Style, affordable prices, quality: these are the factors that have shaped Westsides success story in the retail fashion stores business. Launched in 1998 in Bangalore, the Westside chain has, ever since, been setting the standards for other fashion retailers to follow. Westside stands out from the competition for a variety of reasons. One is that a majority of the brands the chain stocks and sells are its own, unlike retailers who store multiple labels. About 90 per cent of Westsides offerings are home-grown, and they cater to different customer segments. The other 10 per cent includes toys, cosmetics and lingerie. Westside has recently expanded its range of merchandise by offering outfits from some of Indias best-known fashion designers, among them Wendell Rodericks, Anita Dongre, Krishna Mehta and Mona Pali. This is an interesting marketing shift, since it means moving away from the chains only-our-own-brands concept.

Pantaloon retail Shoppers shop Trent Provogue India

Arrangements in westside outlets 1. Ground Floor Cosmetics Jewellery Watches Bags

2. Ist Floor Women Section Children Section Household items

3. IInd Floor (Men Section) Casual Clothing Formal Wear Ethnic Wear Shoes

Private Brands offered by Westside

2F4U SRC Gia Urban angel Intima David Jones

Ascot Blackberry Lee Spykar Provogue

Services & Store Atmosphere in Westside

Prepurchase services include accepting telephone & mail orders, advertising, window & interior display, fitting rooms, fashion shows

It provides post purchase service including shipping & delivery, gift wrapping, adjustments & returns, alteration & tailoring

It also provides ancillary services including general information, check cashing, parking, restaurants, repairs, interior decorating, credit etc.

The Westside stores wear a bright, festive look and, in keep with the mood of the season, hosting a festival bright.

With the sole objective of rewarding its loyal customers for their patronage, Westside has lined up a bonanza of surprise gifts. Every shopper gets a scratch-and-win card which entitles them entry into a contest. Those making purchases above Rs 1,500 are also entitled to receive other pleasant surprises

The trendy household section has a complete new range of bed linen in elephant motifs, floral motifs and paisley design. The color palette for the festive collection includes flaming orange, royal blue and other vibrant colors to depict festivity.

The gift section has a plethora of gifts terracotta pots, urns, knick-knacks and diyas in beautiful colors, shapes and sizes. The store has also introduced a new range of furniture and other household goods, including cabinets, butler trays and mirrors in wood with an antique finish. An innovative range in wrought iron and rope has been introduced in utility items which include magazine racks, folding stools, jam pots on trays and Ganesha in brass and terracotta.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF WESTSIDE

The strengths of Westside are 1) It is growing at the faster pace 2) Has good brand name of TATAs. 3) It has many outlets all over India. It has a good customer base. 4) Apparels are cheaper by 5 to 10% while the price difference on the other products varies between 5 to 20%. 5) Attractive promotional schemes and heavy discounts 6) Quality and branded stuff only 7) The Westside has been positioned to the customer as a place where the customer can shop for each & everything for which he goes to a market except groceries. 8) Locational advantage- All Westside stores are located in prime locations of the city like Shivajinagar, Camp etc. Weakness: 1) Westside has not yet trapped the whole market- rural market is still untapped. Not much product range for middle class people

2) Facing problems due to political environment-Subsidy from octroi, different taxes like land tax and water tax Need help in taking over properties and real estate Need some concessions from labor laws 3) Lack of differentiation among the malls that are coming. 4) Poor inventory turns and stock availability 5) No involvement in food retailing business. Opportunities 1) Huge untapped market 2) Rising disposable income- Increase in number of people in earner category, women earning 3) Urbanization-Changing consumer habits and lifestyles as the disposable income is increasing per family. Threats 1) Competition from organized retail players which are in market and emerging like Reliance, Shoppers stop, Wal-Mart Bharti etc. 2) Competition from local retailers.

PRODUCT-PRICE LIST
Product Heads Price range(in Rupees)

Men's Wear Formal Shirts Casual Shirts Formal Trousers Casual Jeans Casual T-shirts Casual Shorts Jackets Sports Wear Night Wear 500-2500 200-1200 700-3000 800-3200 150-1000 250-700 1500-3500 800-3500 700-2500

Women's Wear Indian Kurtas Casual T-shirts and Tops Casual Jeans Capris Evening Gowns Western Formals 300-1500 200-700 700-2800 500-1500 800-2500 1000-3000

Kids

Shorts Jeans T-shirts Shirts Frocks

200-800 400-1200 150-800 300-800 400-1000

Crockery and Kitchen Mugs Cup and Saucer sets Dinner Set Flower vase Photo frames Wine glasses Cutlery Sets Frying Pans Steel Thermos 99-150 50-250 2000-5000 150-450 250-500 40-150 90-150 per 3 piece 500-1000 350-900

Daily Necessities Pillows and Pillow covers Towels-: Hand and Face Bathing 50-150 350-600 200-1000

Bed Sheets Blankets

600-1500 1200-4000

Jewellery(Branded) Gilli Asmi Nirvana D'damas As per brand As per brand As per brand As per brand

Home and Gift Items Stuffed animals Toys and Games Wallet and Designer purse Traveller's bag and laptop bag Perfumes and deodorants 400-1500 200-1000 500-2500 and 800-10000 600-5000 and 600-1500 150-1000 and 500-7500

Accessories Watches-: Titan Fastrack Sunglasses-: Fastrack Polaroid 250-2000 1000-3000 1000-10000 350-2000

Belts Wrist bands Bracelets

200-600 30-80 50-250

Furniture Square coffee table Kuber Vitrine Kuber buffet Two tone coffee table Jalie Cabinet with one drawer Kuber Console Table Kuber Book Shelf X-Block Shelf Accent Side Board Telephone Stand 2000-5000 12000-20000 10000-15000 2500-4500 3500-5000 2500-4500 6000-10000 5000-8000 8000-15000 2500-5000

Footwear Bathroom Slippers Leather shoes Sports Shoes 200-700 800-3000 700-3500

Interior decoration Antiques 500-2000

Night Lamps Wall Hangings Artificial Flowers

800-2500 1000-3000 100-200

CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR Consumer Behaviour is a branch which deals with the various stages a consumer goes through before purchasing products or services for his end use. An individual buys a product when there is a need for the product, social status and for the gifting purpose. An individual does not buy a product when there is No requirement, Income/Budget/Financial constraints, Taste. A consumers purchase products mostly in Festive season, Birthday, Anniversary, Marriage or other special occasions. Several stages before purchasing a product or service: NEED INFORMATION GATHERING/SEARCH EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES PURCHASE OF PRODUCT/SERVICE POST PURCHASE EVALUATION

Need: Need is the most important factor which leads to buying of products and services. Need in fact is the catalyst which triggers the buying decision of individuals.An individual who buys cold drink or a bottle of mineral water identifies his/her need as thirst. However in such cases steps such as information search and evaluation of alternatives are generally missing. These two steps are important when an individual purchases expensive products/services such as laptop, cars, mobile phones and so on.

Information search: When an individual recognizes his need for a particular product/service he tries to gather as much information as he can. An individual can acquire information through any of the following sources: Personal Sources - He might discuss his need with his friends, family members, co workers and other acquaintances. Commercial sources - Advertisements, sales people (in Tims case it was the store manager), Packaging of a particular product in many cases prompt individuals to buy the same, Displays (Props, Mannequins etc) Public sources - Newspaper, Radio, Magazine Experiential sources - Individuals own experience, prior handling of a particular product (Tim would definitely purchase a Dell laptop again if he had already used one)

Evaluation of alternatives The next step is to evaluate the various alternatives available in the market. An individual after gathering relevant information tries to choose the best option available as per his need, taste and pocket. Purchase of product After going through all the above stages, customer finally purchases the product. Post purchase evaluation The purchase of the product is followed by post purchase evaluation. Post purchase evaluation refers to a customers analysis whether the product was useful to him or not, whether the product fulfilled his need or not?

Factors affecting the consumer buying decision:

1) Demographics- Density of population is very high in Camp area. Each and every kind of people from all classes and ethnic groups visit this area which is advantageous for Westside. 2) Economic- Per capita income is high in these areas and hence spending power of customer is more. Hence Westside mainly caters to high class people and has very less products for middle class people. 3) Cultural- Customers preference is affected by culture. For providing good shopping experience, retailer should understand this culture. Westside has taken care of this thing and has kept multi lingual people , traditional dresses are available in stores, some of the signages are in regional language ( Marathi) etc.

4) Demand- Population in camp area is very high and income level of people are also high, hence demand is high for quality merchandise. So Westside offers costly products like jewelry, perfumes, expensive watches and branded clothes. Infrastructure- Existing infrastructure of the area is quit good. Railway station is close, roads are good, power availability is throughout the day, communication facilities are good, computerization is very high hence all this aids Westside in operating the store and catering to needs of people.

Factors influencing customers to go to westside:

1. Availability of merchandise in the store 2. Product Quality 3. Product range (both product width and depth) 4. Promotional offers and frequency of schemes. 5. Services (pre, during and post purchase) 6. Pricing as a result of merchandise on offer 7. Ambience of the store

Promotional schemes offered by westside

1. Club west card program

An assured return-and-exchange policy reinforces customer confidence in the chain. Another winning Westside idea is Club West, a customer loyalty programme launched in May 2001. The 30,000-plus members of this club get rebates at restaurants and on holiday packages from the Taj Group of Hotels, home delivery of alterations, and best of all, special shopping hours on the first day of any discount sales event organized by the chain.

Important benefits of club west card Most attractive rewards shopping Instant use of the card Easy to operate Extra convenience Validity at all stores

Westside does its regular brand building through advertisements in the media with brand ambassador Yuvraj Singh and other young models; more important are its in-house promotions, which peak during the three main festive seasons: summer, Diwali and Christmas. The promotions are mostly theme based, with decorations to match, live bands and other attractions.

2. Fashion Logy

Westside has launched a new ad campaign titled 'Fashion Logy'. The campaign is designed to provide the buyer with not just clothing, but also guides and aid on dressing smart, styling and

accessorizing. The campaign sees on-ground activities and promotions designed to interact with the consumer about their style It includes womens corporate wear, girls wear, and glam denim.

Westside provides four levels of service

Self service- Self service is the corner stone of all discount operations. Many customers are willing to carry out their own locate compare select process to save money.

Self selection- Customer find own goods, although they can ask for assistance Limited Service- Westside also offers services like credit, merchandizing etc. Full Service- Sales people are ready to assist to any phase of the locate compare select process. Customers who like to be waited own prefer these types of stores.

Questionnaire
Name:

Age:

Male female

Disposable income (P.M)

< Rs. 5,000 Rs. 5,001- Rs. 10,000 Rs. 10,001- Rs. 20,000 Rs. 20,000 plus

1) From which source did you came to know about this retail outlet?

Advertisements (Media) Friends/Relatives Company Outlet Internet

2) How far are you satisfied with the prices of the products offered in the outlet? 1- Very Dissatisfied 3- Satisfied 2- Dissatisfied 4- Very Satisfied

3) How far are you satisfied the promotional schemes offered by the westside? 1- Very Dissatisfied 3- Satisfied 2- Dissatisfied 4- Very Satisfied

4) How far are you satisfied with the sales person services offered by westside? 1- Very Dissatisfied 3- Satisfied 2- Dissatisfied 4- Very Satisfied

5) How far are you satisfied with the brands offered by westside? 1- Very Dissatisfied 3- Satisfied 2- Dissatisfied 4- Very Satisfied

6) Are the products offered in the retail outlets are reliable? 1- Strongly Disagree 2- Disagree 3- Agree 4- Strongly Agree

7) Is ambience of the store an important factor? 1- Not at all 2- Weak

3- Moderate 4-Strong 5- Very Strong

8) How much satisfied are you with the westside store ambience? 1- Very Dissatisfied 3- Satisfied 2- Dissatisfied 4- Very Satisfied

9) Is convenience of the store would be given special attention? 2- Not at all 2- Weak

4- Moderate 4-Strong 5- Very Strong