The dissertation explores customer relationship management (CRM) in Kolkata's retail sector, contrasting branded stores like Big Bazaar with local retailers. It identifies key factors influencing consumer choices, the impact of marketing trends, and the evolving landscape of retail driven by technology and consumer behavior changes. The study emphasizes the necessity of efficient management and customer-centric strategies for both branded and local retailers to succeed in a competitive market.

1. Dissertation
STUDY OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT IN RETAIL SECTOR IN
KOLKATA
(Branded Retail Stores Vs Local Retailed Stores)
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)
O.P JINDAL GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
SONIPAT

2. Acknowledgement
I would like to express my love and a deep sense of affection to my Faculty Member: Dr.
Shubhomoy Banerjee and other members of JGBS faculty to guide me and encourage me
throughout my research work. I am very much thankful to them for their guidance, mentoring and
valuable advices towards me.
I would also like to thank some of the retail stores – Big Bazaar , Lifestyle and other local retail
stores like – Traders Assembly and Dhakeshwari bastralaya, who all have been my source of
inspirations to complete my research work from time to time.
Finally I would like to thank everyone for their time and patience and whoever has helped me in
competition of my project , a big very warm-full thankyou from my side.
Vishal Paul

3. Declaration
I thereby, declare that I have decided to name this research paper : Study Of Customer
Relationship Management In Retail Sector In Kolkata (Branded Stores Vs Local Retailed Stores)
I further like to declare that this research paper is purely based on my original content and no
part of this research paper has never been published or submitted to any other third person.

4. OVERVIEW OF MY RESEARCH
The retail industry in India has begun to evolve at a very large scale which has led to transform
other large economies. With the introduction of liberalization of consumer goods in India in the
1980’s, the retail industry has started to grow through the 90’s and has impacted the Indian
society as well as the minds of the Indian consumers affecting their consumer behaviour pattern.
The main concept of retail which is basically the communication or interaction between the
consumers and the shopkeepers, has evolved through the past years. Starting from the traditional
retail shops and local vendors to multi-national brand outlets, like the big MNCs - Big Bazar,
Shoppers Stop, Life Style etc. and other departmental stores.
The main objective is to see the various parameters or factors that have influence a particular
buyer’s or consumers reason to visit a particular retail shop which in return has led to the shop’s
turnover (in terms of sales and profits) which ultimately leads to overall success.
So, my research will include why these departmental stores or retail stores are emerging to be
every consumer’s priority lists especially the middle-class family, amongst the shopping spree in
Kolkata, as the consumers seem to gain immense pleasure of convenience and exposure,
everything under one roof, in their hustle bustle life. Also, to assess the consumer behaviour
pattern of those consumers - why they tend to choose between a branded retail shop and a local
retailed shop. Also, to see the differences between a loyal customer and a new customer. Lastly,
to see how the generation gaps plays a huge role in shaping one’s buying pattern – whether the
new generation tend to shop from the old local retail stores which their parents or family
tradition has been following or they tend to opt for the new branded retail outlets for their own
consumption.

5. Also it has been seen that some of the customers have a perception that these new branded shiny
retail stores are very much expensive and only high income group of people can afford those, but
the actual scenario is not quite true. Shops like Big Bazar and Shoppers Stop as well as West
Side – their main aim is to target the middle-class families of the society and these stores are
genuinely making constant effort in making those confused consumers to visit those stores at
least once during the sale period or the discount offers.

6. The Retail Marketing Revolution - An Introduction
“Any business that directs its marketing efforts towards satisfying the final consumer
based upon the organization of selling goods and services as a means of distribution”
- Vasanth Kumar – CEO of Lifestyle Int Pvt Ltd
By, 2020 research says that the India’s top 10 retailers will include at least 5 Indian corporates.
Through the upcoming years the retail industry in India will go through immense changes and it
will affect the new generation. It will affect the Indian cities – especially the tier 2 and 3 cities as
the branded retail stores will give immense competition to the local retail stores in those areas
specially. The local retail stores have been the major big players in the tier 2 and 3 cities, so the
branded stores will try to attract more customers from those parts of the country since these big
MNC retail stores are successful in tier 1 cities. They will try to attract more customers by
offering the right product in the right kind of environment in India.
The right shopping experience will force the Indian consumers to spend more which will
increase the revenue of the stores. This strategy is quite evident from my personal experience in
retail stores like – Music , Big Bazar , Spencer’s , Crosswords and Westside as well as Lifestyle.

7. There are several factors that have been affecting the retail
marketing in India which are as follows:
The development of these retail stores both the branded and the local ones, all are dependent on
the various efforts of various agencies and as well as big institutions. For the last two decades a
lot of competition from the branded outlets have entered into the market. Large-format retailing
started with outlets like Vivek's and Nalli's in Chennai and Kidskemp in Bangalore, and, at
another level, with manufacturer-retail brands like Bata, Bombay Dyeing, and Titan.
 The first major factor is the Government. In India where there are so many states, the
Central Government as well as the State Government plays a very big role in bringing a
value added taxation system which provides a tax-regimes which are same all over the
country.
 The laws of the retail estate are also important. Due to this the big branded retail stores
are permitted to open stores outside the city limit also. With this law, the big retail stores
not only provided entertainment and services to those people but also encourage growth
in the tier 2 and 3 cities also. The rules allow these retail stores to operate 7 days a week
with a time frame of 12 hours.
 The second reason is the nuclear families. With the time frame the middle class families
get to spend in retail shops keeping their work time aside, these retail shops will help
them to spend their pleasant leisure time during the evenings and as well as the weekends
out at malls.

8.  Also the developers have been playing a big role in making the retail sector reach a boom
period in the last two decades. Most of the properties are constructed without keeping the
end user in minds, as a result we find high ceilinged offices and a low-ceilinged retail
stores. Also in some cases the shopper’s convenience is not taken into consideration
while the shops are being constructed.
 In the 21st century, India is large market to be ignored by big branded retail giants. From
a manufacturer’s point of view more emphasis should be given on producing more goods
and forging relationships with organized retail stores. Manufacturers should follow a well
organized plan of producing more quality goods and tie up with good retailers. Indeed,
the birth of organized retail will also engender the creation of private labels and store-
brands. Thus, if a manufacturing company lacks the resources to build a brand, it can
supply to a retail-chain that has the resources to create a brand of its own.
 The Indian consumers are changing with times and development. As a result their
consumption pattern is also gradually changing. The new generation is more inclined in
adopting the changes and shifting their consumption pattern as well as their choices of
shopping from local retailed stores to the branded retail shops. There is no such thing
called loyalty, if the offers and the products the respective shops are offering matches
their choices and preferences the new generation will quickly shift from one end shop to
another, The new generation is not only product quality oriented, they also see the terms
of services and the entire shopping experiences are taken into consideration.
 Nowadays a typical Indian customer who sops in a retail outlet compares the time spent
in a cash counter, the shopping experience, the shopping environment , the ambience and
also the services provided by the salesperson. So in order to cope up the new customer
the manufacturers or the business person not only provide good quality products but also
have to focus on the services and the shopping experiences provided to the customers. A
lot of aspects have to be taken into consideration.

9.  In this modern India, the customers are likely to visit these retail stores with their friends
and family. And the most frequent times of their visits will be during the weekends. So
everything that the retail shops provides should be available and all of those products
should be available under one roof. And India can benefit from these opportunities
because of the increase in the consumption level.
 From the past decades it has been seen that the retail organizations have shown a
different variety and keeps on emerging till the now date. There are different types of
retailers – store retailers, non-store retailers and retail organizations.
 The success of the retail stores depends on various factors such as customers reaction to
the retailing mix which in return influences the profits of a store, their turnover ratio,
market share and ultimately a retailer’s image and status in the society.

10. Trends In Retail Marketing
At this time in my research, I can surely say one thing in confidence that the main idea of
development retailers and manufacturers need to take into account as they seem to plan their
main competitive strategies.
In India it has been noticed that the trends are mainly in 3 sectors. Those 3 sectors are as follows:
Trends in Retail Marketing:
 Urban
 Suburban
 Rural
From time to time it has been seen that new retail firms with new combinations are continually
emerging. Bank branches as well as ATM branches are there in the branded retail stores – which
is a major drawback for the local retailed stores. Secondly, Gas station are pooping up which
provideds food stores and it has been seen that those food stores are making more profits
compared to the gas stations. Lastly, bookstores are emerging with coffee shops.
The digital age has given a huge rise in the growth of branded retailing shops. The customers
now get sales offer via mail or text alerts, telephones or any other social media platforms. These

11. give a huge advantage to these branded stores.
But on the other hand those local retail shop keepers are not having this competitive advantage. I
mean they are promoting themselves on social media as much as possible, but their social media
reach is not enough close enough to those of the branded retailers. Mainly the management teams
plays a very important role. The local retail stores don’t have that skilled management to help
them in marketing. On the bright side the branded local stores have a proper skillful management
who take s care of their marketing. And as a result, the branded stores have a very huge
competitive advantage over others.
Competition today is so much intense and increasing at such a high speed that there have
emerged as different types of store outlets.
These small independent and local retail stores have one advantage to them. They have the
power to buy bulk orders. These local retailers get more favorable terms than others.
In today’s world, these independent local retailers are slowly moving towards one of two poles.
They are more inclined towards operating themselves as mass merchandiser or a specified
retailers. On the other hand these branded superstores are emerging. Due to their special offers,
good marketing and a proper efficient team – these branded stores are able to attract more
customers. They offer items for the whole variety of people starting from middle class people to
high end consumers. Their customer reach is very much diversified and pricing strategy give
them the competitive edge. These branded stores are able to use various data and using fancy
marketing strategies are able to deliver goods as well as top quality services to mass of
consumers.
It has been seen that the branded retailers sometimes customize their products and opertaions
time to time based on the ongoing trends and customer needs. They ask the manufactures- what

12. to make , how to price a specified product and also when and how to ship the stock and others.
This helps them to improve their production time and also maintain an efficient management
system. These also helps the branded retail shops to gain a competitive advantage compared to
the local retailers.
.
Lastly, there is also a technological advantage in this battle. As discussed before these branded
stores used AI and data analysis to manage their marketing promotions which help them to
attract more customers throughout the year. Some technologies like self checkout systems and
electronic fund transfer and improved merchandise handling system also help these branded
stores to act smartly and efficiently.

13. Retail Marketing In India
There are several ways in making a particular goods available to consumers which are
like as follows:
1.) Company to distributor to wholesaler to retailer to consumer
2.) Company to salesperson to consumer
3.) Company to consumer - online
The above mention points are the most common way of delivering the finished good to their
respective customers. But in India it has been seen that there is a three layered system of
distributor, wholesaler and retailer and these form the major backbone of the most retailed shops
whether they are the branded ones or the local ones.
The main reasons behind the fragmented retailed scenario in India are as follows:
 Poverty and lower literacy levels.
 Low per capita income.
 Savings focused and less indulgence mindset.
 Poor infrastructure facilities like roads etc.
 Restrictions on intra-state good movement.
 High taxes.
 No exposure to media.
 High import duties on imported goods.
 FDI in retailing is not allowed.

14. CRM In Retail Marketing:
Relationship with customer activities have mean the most crucial factor in retaining all the
old customers. Every interaction with the customers has both negative and positive
chances. If a customer interaction goes wrong – the business firm could loose a customer or
if everything goes well, the firm gains a new customer. The branded stores are using the
customer needs by offering customized products, special festive offers and other tools to
attract more customers and increase their customer retention rate each year.
What do you mean by CRM ?
First, let’s have a look at some of the definitions given by eminent professors:
Following are some of the definitions I have chosen for this research paper:
 "CRM is the business strategy that aims to understand, anticipate, manage and
personalize the needs of an organization's current and potential customers" -- PWC
Consulting .
 CRM is a business strategy, one that puts the customer at the heart of the business.

15.  “That’s nothing new” I hear you say, and you would be right. Good business people have
always understood the relationship between happy customers that come back again and
again and creating long term, sustainable profitability. Big Bazaar has realized this and
applied this to effect.
In the case of the old traditional and local shops, the shopkeepers remembers each and every
customers name, birthdays and as wella simportant alinments to prove their loyalty. But in case
of the branded retail shops, AI and technology have played a very important role in managing
their customer-centricity on a alrge scale.
Coming to Big Branded Retail Stores Like Big Bazar And Lifestyle.
It has been seen that a successful CRM will allow your company or firm’s Customer Service,
Sales and also the Marketing Team to have a holistic view of each and every customer. The
management team will have a clear vision and mission to enforce so that the sales increases from
time to time. In return this will help the retailers to make and quick decisions and also create
cross selling opportunities and also to measure if their strategies are viable enough or bot,
whether their plan is working or not. Ultimately their aim is to deliver highest level of Customer
Satisfaction. And these branded stores like Big Bazaar whose tag line is Isse Sasta Aur Achha
Kahin Nahi – is the best example to delivering customer satisfaction through every leve.
History Of CRM
Following the invention of Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP, first time the term CRM was
used in mid-1990’s. CRM in past was referred to the software or engineering that helps to
develop the business strategies of a company or maintain their customer relationships from day
to day basis. Starting from sales force automation software which was also known as SFA –

16. whose main aim was to focus on solving problems between the management team and the
customer needs – this was the basic idea of the early CRM.
But with development, the idea of CRM has been changing with times. CRM now seen as a
border concept which includes more strategic approach and investment of many funds from
investors all over the world.
First Things First:
A successful CRM will always have a proper business strategy, this in turn will help to bring
some changes in the organization and make proper progress who are guided by technological
advances. But it not always true. The main idea is to create a perfect Customer – centric idea that
pleases each and every customer at some point of time in their idea. Starting from CSR to the big
place of CEO, each and every member of the company will work according to customer needs
and wants and focus their idea based on their customer wants.
The Technology :
It is very much important for any company if they want to play in huge scale with lots of
competitors, they need to have the right technology and equipment. In global market the CRM
services is worth $148 Billion. So a good retailer should select the right technology for their
business – starting from a web based solution whose main aim is with less than 10 employees in
order to give a perfect solution which is suitable for multi-national enterprises with millions of
customers.

17. The Future in CRM :
CRM is becoming a very huge and important part of today’s each and every business. More and
more companies are becoming more customer centric and they are focusing on CRM, but those
business who are not focusing on their CRM will surely die out and loose their competitive
advantage. As technological advancements are made from time to time, business should try to
focus on their technological advancements and how they should implement them in order to fully
utilize them from time to time.
However, we should keep in mind that CRM is all about people first and then followed by
technology. This is where the true value of CRM lies, using the full potential of the people in
order to create a grater customer experience and later using the CRM based technology to
increase the viability of CRM.
Advantages of Branded Retailers by using CRM :
By using CRM, these branded retailer s can easily :
 Enhance their customer services
 Increase their revenues
 Make new customers
 Cross sell or Up sell more efficiently
 Enable to close deals faster
 Making call centers more efficient
 Enhance their marketing and sales processing

18. By using these advantages, these branded stores were able to learn more about their customers
needs and behavioral pattern. These help them to make a more stronger relationships with them.
By implementing CRM, it helped them to get a lot of information about their customers, sales,
marketing effectiveness and also have a deeper knowledge about the marketing trends.
Also CRM helps in human resources or HR to gain a deep knowledge and sight of the consumer
behaviour and access the value of each and every customer.

19. Challenges faced by local retail stores in implementing CRM:
 These retailers are unable to estimate the accurate projections and thus they fail to
deliver successful proposals, which ultimately leads to missing important opportunities
and bad profits and also missing important prospects.
 Lack of knowledge about product placement among the sales executives.
 Not able to sell the right product to the right person at the right time. The strategy
alignment was not perfect for the company during that particular time frame or period.
 Delay in updating information among the employees and lack of communication as well
as coordination among the sale executives.
 Sales executives rely mainly on the products, pricing and customer information – if all
these three are not provided correctly, false information can lead to loose of valuable
customers.
 Customer needs and wants changes from time to time. These local retails stores
sometimes fail to keep up with the ongoing trends and somehow they are loosing the
competition as well as market share in this competitive world.

20. Customer Satisfaction in Branded Retail Stores
“The degree of customer satisfaction you deliver determines the level of long-term success
you will achieve in business.” - --- Training Mantra for Sales Force
Customer Satisfaction is their top Priority:
The main mantra for these branded retail stores is that don’t make only sales, also create
customers – mainly satisfied customers. They not only focus on making large profit, satisfying
their customers will also help to build their business in other ways also:
1.) The customers changes into repeated customers. It means the repeated customers of the same
product or service will help to increase their revenue also help them in acquiring new customers
on a daily basis. It means buyers for additional products and services.
2.) They naturally prefer more business to an indivual from their friends and business contacts
from time to time. This is very much highly profitable as it doesn’t cost any extra money to
acquire it.
Deliver what they promised:
These branded stores always deliver what they promises. Because if they fail to deliver what they
had promised, The customers will feel alienated and ultimately losse faith and trust in them.

21. They won’t be willing to do business with them. The customers will share their unhappy
experience and ultimately the retailers will loose bith the new as well a sthe old customers.
Always deliver what the customer expects:
The branded stores always aim to meet the expectations of their customers. In some intances it
has been seen that the branded stores aim to exceed their customers expectations. As a result the
customers become loyal and try to continue their shopping with one and only retailers. These in
turn help the retailers to attain their old customers also gain new customers from time to time.
Also this give a competitive advantage to the retailers.
Valuation of customers:
The branded stores let their customers to think about them and explore. Keeping a continpus
check and maintain a good communication flow with the customers helps to increase their
customer retention ratio. This helps the branded stores to increase their revenue as well as
maintain a strong hold in the market share.

22. Process of CRM:
The main idea of CRM is to bringing the customer and the company closely together.
There are many areas of a company, where CRM can be implemented. The main goal of
the CRM is to retain their old customers as well as gain new customers from time to time.
Targeted Marketing :
These branded stores focuses on targeted marketing to enhance their business. The main
aim is to gain more information about the customers. The information will help to
understand the consumer’s buying habits and buying trends from time to time. This help
the retailers to analyze the market specific products and keep a track of the customers
buying patterns. Also the discount offers and special credit card offers help them to
increase their business revenues. Also this targeted marketing helps these retailers to
expand in online market. By selling on online platforms these retailers offer more
diversified products to their customers based on their buying patterns and product ratings.
Emails and core calling plays an important role in their business models. Marketing the
right products to the right customer at the right time will increase their sales within a
minimum costs.

23. Consumer Behaviour
Options:
Branded stores offer a variety of options. The customers are not confined into only one
option. They have a larger pool of options to choose from.
Alternatives:
The alternatives play a big important role. If a consumer is unhappy with a particular
option and they are feeling that the price is not perfect enough. They have an alternative
option to choose from. If a consumer is not happy with the product and services of Big
Bazaar, they have alternatives like Lifestyle, West Side etc to purchase branded items.
But this is not applicable for local retail stores. They are confined to one and only limited
options only. The branded stores can shift their alternatives with different offers and price
strategies in order to retention their customers. But this scenario is not true for the local
branded stores.
Displays:
Attractive displays plays an important in marketing a retail store whether it is a branded
store or a local stores. But the branded local stores invests a lot of money and marketing
in the front display of their products. It attracts a lot of customer. Because it helps the
customers to easily find new items according to their choices and preferences. Also it
enhances their shopping experience which is very much important. The local retail shops
don’t give enough importance in their display settings.

24. Brands:
With the evolving in taste and preferences of customers, the awareness of branded
products is emerging in the new generation especially. The new generation is more
inclined towards branded clothes and items. Also with branded products the
consumers feel a slight sense of trust, awareness and security. Also the policies
offered by the branded companies is very much needful and attracting o the
customers. So with these on going trends even some of the old generation as well as
the new generation is moving towards the branded local retail shops. Also the
advertising campaigns done by the branded stores is at very high scale which attracts
a lot of customers compared to the local stores. These plays a very huge role in
shipping one firm’s business.
Preferences :
It has been seen that the consumers tend to select a variety of products for their
consumption at one time buying time frame. So if the retailers are not able to offer
various products at their one time frame of purchase, this could be a major drawback.
Also the branded retail stores are expanding according to the customers preferences.
They not only prefer one variety of items, but they are expanding their business lines.
Lifestyle and Bigbazaar have started to offer food – like Big Bazzaar has now Food
Bazzar for grocery shopping and also Life Style also started to sell different accessories
like jewelers bags, shoes etc in order to attract more customers. Different item are now
being available to customers under one rooftop this is a huge advantage etc them. The
scenario is opposite in local retail stores. Each local retail stores is only providing one

25. specific item which is a outdated form of business and as result they are losing customers
in the end.
Product Modifications :
The branded stores sometimes bring product modifications in order to keep up with the
on going trends. Also they take into consideration the customer needs and try to modify
their products to give special attention to customers. With modification, the branded
retailers keep up with the new fashion, as a result they gain new customers from time to
time. So the local retail stores are not able to keep up with this quick space of business
with new modifications.

26. S.W.O.T Analysis of Branded Retail Stores :
Strength :
 All the stores are located in prime and main locations in Tier 1 cities.
 Visual Merchandising is maintained through proper large floor displays
 Large Stock availability due to infrastructure
 Good and skilled Management team
 Sales Force
 Branded Items
 Large Scale operations throughout the year.
Weakness:
 They have to operate at a very large scale which sometimes act as a disadvantage
because the customer base is huge and giving same aatention to each and every
customer is very much difficult.
 The flexibility of operations management is hampered. As a result the fixed costs are
hampered.
 Sometimes the decisions that are have to be taken are not up to the mark. Taking a
quick decision and implementing them is not possible, all the other aspects are taken
into consideration which in turn may lead to delay in decision making.

27. Opportunities:
 The branded stores have been a huge success in the Tier 1 cities as well in important parts
of India. Cities like Pune, Lucknow, Indore , Ahmedabad, Chandigarh etc are also some
of the attractive places where the branded stores have been successful. Now in the Tier 2
cities are also ready to adopt these brand stores as the people are becoming more brand
awareness. So these branded stores have a huge opportunity in the Tier 2 cities also.
 These branded stores are providing “value for money” which helps them to attract more
customers. Recent research shows that these branded stores provide consumers a lot of
variety of item under one roof. So not only limiting themselves into one segment, these
branded stores are most welcome to extend their business where they can be very much
successful. BigBazaar’s FoodBazar is the biggest example.
 By spreading their business through e-commerce, these branded stores have gained a
competitive advantage. With the online selling, these branded stores have been able to
destroy the geographical barrier which have helped them to increase their customer base.
Threats:
These branded stores have nothing to worry about their domestic rivalry. Because the local
retailers are far way behind in the competition. These branded stores have brought a
revolutionary change in the mind sets as well as in the consumer behaviour of Indian citizen. The
only competition they are gonna face in the near future are from international markets, when big

28. branded shops are goanna penetrated especially into the middle class families. Also Flipkart and
amazon these two e-players have also gave them a tough competition in the market share.

29. Result of Survey on CRM in Retail Management
Branded Retail Stores VS Local Retail Stores
Customer Survey
1. Which one you prefer the most ?
Result :
Out of 50 respondents : majority of the people with 80% said they prefer branded retail stores
like Big Bazaar, Life Style , Shoppers Stop etc. And the remaining 20% went for local retail
stores.
2. Are you satisfied with the services provided by your preferred Retailed Stores ?

30. Result : Yes most of the people like the attitude of their respective retail stores.
3. How do you find the Shopper Assistant’s behavior at the preferred Retail Store ?
Result :
Yes out of 50 respondents, 45 found that the shopper’s attitude, nature, behaviour was very much
helping, that’s one of the major reason why they go to that particular shop.
4. How would you rate the Shopper Assistant’s behavior on the scale of five?

31. Result :
Majority of the people have rated them between 4-5, which is a good thing and a positive
remark.
5. Do you find the Layout of The Retail Store helpful in Shopping Experience?
Result :
The people who voted for NO, most of that category of people goes to the local retail shops. The
display game of the local retailers need to change their game plan.
6. What do you like most about your Retail Store ?

32. Result :
All the above mentioned points are very much crucial as customers look for shops who delivers
all the above mentioned attributes. It’s very much difficult to distinguish between them. So any
shop who delivers all the 6 features, will be main point of attraction.
7. How often do your Retail Stores services exceed your expectations?
Result :
The branded stores always delivers out of their customer’s expectations. This is a very big
advantage for the branded local stores.
8. Do you think that your Retail Stores follow the ethical Mktg. Practices like right pricing, right
quality and right quantity?

33. Result :
Majority of the people are in a dilemma whether their stores follow the marketing practices truly
or not.
9. What comes first when you think about your Retail Stores?49 responses
Result :
Majority of the respondents preferred to seek quality over prices. This is a very good and
positive sign as the customers are willing to pay a higher price for good quality.
10. How would you rate theme–setting display of your Retail Stores in comparison to other?50
responses

34. Result :
The visual display or the display theme is another major factor for attracting customers and
branded retails stores invests a lot of money in shaping the design and display of their stores.
11. What is the most important criteria you look for in Store Assistant and Store Manager?
Result :
Majority of the customers prefer staff members who have a pleasing personality, listens to their
views and complaints, trustworthy and friendly in nature.
12. How do you decide of point of purchase counter?

35. Result :
Brand plays a big role in deciding the purchase decision of most of the customers.
Findings:
Here are the following findings found while doing this research paper:
 The branded stores are targeting almost all segments of the society especially the middle
class family. Their pricing strategy helps in gaining more customers by maintain a decent
standard of quality.

36.  Most of the branded stores are located at a prime location which is easy to access and easy
to transport.
 Their sales executives are very much trained and skillful.
 There is a large diversity of products which are available to customers under one roof.
 The staff members are very much groomed and well trained in meeting the consumers
needs and behaviors.
 The marketing strategies as well as the pricing strategies give these branded stores a
competitive advantage.
 The layout display in the branded stores are far more better than the local retail stores which
help the customers to easily find their products. Also it is very much pleasing to the eyes
also.
 All the branded stores maintain their dignity and quality in all of their branches.
 The branded retail shops aimed at providing highest level of customer satisfaction.
 Branded items are always available in the branded stores. They never ran out of their
stocks.
Recommendation :
 The local retailers need to convert their customers into loyal and regular customers. They
need to come up with new marketing ideas in order to promote them. They need to
educate their customers and make aware of their business by spreading information to
other people through their old customers. An endorsement is all it needs because it will
be more effective and cheaper compared to advertising.

37.  The local retailers need to improve their game. They need to give surprises to their
customers from time to time. In every purchase each and every customer should be
awarded with new bonuses. These will help them to increase their retention ratio of
consumers as well as acquire new customers also.
 When an old customer brings a new customer, the local retailers should awarded them
with some new discount offers so that the customer seems happy and recognized for their
effort. Customers should be awarded for their effort it will help the local retailers to
spread positivity among everyone.
 The local retail shops in order to increase their efficiency and productivity of their
business, they need to have a proper management system. A proper management system
can bring a lot of changes in the business models. With the right leadership of
management thee local retail shops can implement good advertising strategies,
promotional strategies and the perfect price strategies. These all can be reached with a
good management team. A good management team can also give them new leads and
increase their market share. Also the sales executives needs to more educated and skilled
enough to handle more customers as well as pressure.
 The local retailers also need to improve their visual merchandising. Sometimes the
customers come to shops only to browse but not to buy. So if the local retailers change
their visual display it can surely help them to increase their game.
 Schemes: The local retailers needs to come up with new schemes to attract more
customers. The branded local stores always come up with new schemes throughout the
year, they are not only restricted during the festival seasons, the branded retailers always
give new sales discounts or any kind of offers from time to time in order to attract more
customers. So the local retailers can copy their scheme strategy to attract more
customers.

38. Conclusion:
In order to grow their business the local retailers need to spice their game up. They need to
set some goals and increase their standard of delivering. They should try to provide what the
customer wants and should try to meet their expectations. They should try to keep their
promises. The local retailers need to spend their time and money in market research. They
should try to know what their customer demands are, what is the ongoing trends, what are
their competitors are doing. They should keep themselves updated with the digital era. They
should know where are they lacking and why people are choosing branded retail stores over
them, they should have crystal clear clarifications. Another thing these local retail stores can
do is that have a setting-reviews system from their customers. They should ask their
customers from time to time whether they are satisfied with their services or not. They could
ask for some more suggestions. They could have a 360 degree feedback communication
system. Feedback from customers and keep a routine check on their customers will surely
help them to decrease the communication gap between the firm and the customers. As
mentioned before, a clear communication between the firms and the customers is a big
success advantage. These branded retail stores have a clear communication flow between the
front line employees and the customers. This only factor help them to gain a competitive
advantage over the local retail stores. The local retail stores needs to work on their
communication flows in order to reach the branded retail store’s level. The next question that
the local retailers need to ask themselves is that : “Are they organized ? Punctual ? Reliable ?
trustworthy ? is everything okay with customers ? are there any communication gap between
them ? how effective are their pricing strategies and how are they promoting themselves?
If majority of the above questions are answered, then there is no problem for the local retail
stores. If they can deliver all the above mentioned questions then they are more than average.

39. Branded Retailer’s Marketing Mix
 Product Branding
 Price
 Cost Of Goods
 Packaging
 Product Design
 Assortment
 Promotion
 Advertising
 Persona; Selling
 Sales Promotion
 Public Relations
 Visual Merchandising
 Business Expenses
 Gross Margin
 Profit
 Distribution
 Logistics
 Store Location
 Site Evaluation
 Transportation
 Stock

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