A

Project Study Report

On
Training Undertaken at
EFFECTIVENESS OF RETAILING MIX IN BIG BAZAAR AND
CUSTOMER SERVICES DESK AT BIGBAZAR

Submitted in

partial

fulfilment for the award of

Degree of
Bachelor of Business Administration
To the University of Rajasthan

Faculty guided

Submitted by:

Ms.Aparna Kalla

Sonu kumar
BBA 3 rd Year

APEX INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & SCIENCE, JAIPUR

2011-2012

PREFACE
Training is business organization in fuse among student a sense of critical analysis of
the real managerial situation to which they are exposed.

This gins them an

opportunity to apply their conceptual theoretical & imaginative skills in a real life
situations and to evaluate the results there of.
BIG BAZAAR is a name renowned name in Retail. BIG BAZAAR is now a brand
image in private retail sector. While my two month project, I was at BIG BAZAAR to
find potential of BIG BAZAAR on the presence of other retail Stores.
Practical training through experts of BIG BAZAAR gave me actual input to fulfill my
real aim.
This report is the written account of what I learnt experienced during my training. I
wish those going through it will not only find it real but also get useful information.

Acknowledgement
It gives me immense pleasure, having done a project on an interesting and
knowledgeable topic like Organizational study and the study on Customer Service
Desk at Big Bazaar.
This project has not only widened my horizon as far as academics are concerned but
also helped me to enlarge my knowledge bank. There are many people associated with
this project without which this project would not have been made possible.
I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Sunu Sundran, (Store
Manager Big Bazaar, OMR), Ms. Gayatri V M,( HR Big Bazaar, OMR) who provided me
this great opportunity to work and learn at Big Bazaar. I am also deeply grateful to Mr.
Sashanant(asst. Store Manager, Big Bazaar, OMR) who gave me this wonderful project
and for the guidance he gave throught out my project to complete it successfully. I
would like to thank Mr. Shankar (Manager, CSD, Big Bazaar, OMR) and other staff at
CSD who encouraged and guided me in doing this wonderful project on CSD.
I am indebted to my college in particular to Ms. Sasmitha Bebortha (Campus Head,
NSB, Bangalore), Mr. B. Srinivasan(Dean) and Mr. Mohan (asst. Placement Officer,
NSB, Bangalore) and would like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude for
providing me this great opportunity and encouraging me to learn more during my stay at
Big Bazaar, OMR.
I would like to thank all my seniors and fellow management trainees who assisted with
constant support and shared their experiences with me which added to my knowledge
in completion of this project successfully.
I would also like to thank all those persons who assisted me in the completion of my
project at Big Bazaar, OMR, successfully, whom I could not mention name by name due
to lack of space,
3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The companys leading formats include Pantaloons, a chain of fashion outlets, Big
Bazaar, a uniquely Indian hypermarket chain, Food Bazaar, a supermarket chain,
blends the look, touch and feel of Indian bazaars with aspects of modern retail like
choice, convenience and quality and Central, a chain of seamless destination malls.
Some of its other formats include, Depot, Shoe Factory, Brand Factory, Blue Sky,
Fashion Station, aLL, Top 10, mBazaar and Star and Sitara. The company also
operates an online portal, futurebazaar.com. A subsidiary company, Home Solutions
Retail (India) Limited, operates Home Town, a large-format home solutions store,
Collection i, selling home furniture products and E-Zone focused on catering to the
consumer electronics segment.
Pantaloon Retail was recently awarded the International Retailer of the Year 2007 by
the US-based National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Emerging Market Retailer of
the Year 2007 at the World Retail Congress held in Barcelona. Pantaloon Retail is the
flagship company of Future Group, a business group catering to the entire Indian
consumption space.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.

Descriptions

Page

1.

Introduction to the industry

no.
6-32

2.

Introduction to the Organization

33-47

3.

Research Methodology

48-49

NO.

1.

Title of the Study

2.

Duration of the Project

3.

Objective of the Study

4.

Types of Research

5.

Collection Method and Sample Size

6.

Scope of Study

4.

7. Limitation of Study
Facts and Findings

5.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

6.

Recommendation and Suggestion

7.

Questioners

63-65

8.

Conclusion

66

9.

Bibliography

67

50
51-61
62

Introduction to Big Bazaar

In India when a customer needs something for home, a typical thought is to seek it from
the bazaar. A bazaar is a place where a complete range of product is always available
to the consumer. This is true all over India. As the store would offer a large mix of

products at a discounted price, the name big bazaar was finalized. That is how the store
design was finalized. The store should on one hand provide the customer the look and
feel of a bazaar and on the other hand should provide them a shopping experience.
The store design and layout tells a customer what the store is all about. It is a very
strong tool in the hands of the retailer for communicating and creating the image of the
store in mind of the customer. The design and layout of the store are a means of
communicating the image of the retail store. The primary consideration that a retailer
takes into account while choosing the look of his store is his target audience, their need
and their buying behavior, secondly the merchandise that he is going to sell.
OMR big bazaar (super center and hypermarket) is a 7floor building comprising of 13
home line of business, 4 joint venture with (Lee cooper, Loot mart, Dollar store, Navras
gold jewelry, sports) and few shop in shop. OMR big bazaar is the Indias biggest big
bazaar with a 12000 per sq. feet sales. It comprises of built up area of 126655 sq. feet
and retail area of 65043 sq feet with average footfalls of 7000 customers per day. Big
bazaar is coming up of with more shop in shop so that they can cater to the needs of
diverse culture of customers coming to the store. Customer coming to big bazaar can
shop, eat and entertain themselves under one roof.
There are many promotional activities done in the store to promote the in house brands.
These activities are usually performed on big days in the week like Sundays, Saturday
and Wednesday. The activities done are fashion show to promote fashion @ big bazaar.
Fashion show was conducted in the exterior of the store by models that performed on
the ramp wearing big bazaar clothing. Other activities are small games such as quiz
contest, fashion show, etc. are been played to entertain customers and on the same
front promote their products.
Exterior store design:
Many a times it is the exterior look of the store that draws the customers to the store.
The factors that are considered in designing the exterior of the store are:

Site it.

Facilities like parking and ease of access.

The architecture of the building.

The display space.

The health and safety measures i.e. the security guards.

Exterior of the store is attractive and inviting. It highlights the seasonal attraction of
different sections with the help of huge hoardings.
Parking is design according to the convenience of the customer as customers have
entries close to the Parking spaces for both Two and Four Wheelers.
Customers have proper places to put their luggage while entering the store, proper
security feature are provided to give them a feeling of safety and wellbeing. Small
eateries and Snacks shop are there for the customers in wait and for those who wants
to pass their time.

Interior store design:

Interior store design is a function of the aesthetic within the store, the merchandise sold
within and the space used for the same and the overall layout of the store. The factors
that affect the interior store design are:
Space planning i.e. location of various departments, location of various products in the
department (plan gram), relation of space to profitability
Lighting scheme has to be decided on the product that is displayed.
Graphics and signage in the store provide information about the product, location,
facilities etc. in the store.
Overall format of the store, look, feel, colure scheme are decided to give a Bazaar look
where the Target Customer can have a feeling of having convenient and valued
shopping Experience.

For the convenient movement of the customers in the store there are escalators and
lifts. The store layout is such that when one reaches at a particular level he /she can get
an overall picture of the floor in a single view. Proper spacing is provided for fixtures,
walking area and Highlights like Boards and Signages are provided in each section.
Every section is arranged in accordance to a preplanned theme for each Season and
Shopping Festival. These themes have a same kind of patter or look such that different
sections are connected in accordance with the buying behavior of the customer.
The floor arrangements are planned to suit the buying need and convenience of the
customers like grocery, food and FMCG products (daily necessities) are kept on the
ground floor as no customer will go to the 5 th floor to buy vegetables. Thus the store
designs are according to this plan.
Comfortable ambience is created with the help soothing music. Proper ventilation and
lights add to the shopping experience at OMR big bazaar. Attractive schemes and
discounts on different products on different levels are announced at regular intervals at
every floor to attract customers.
Proper fixtures are used to store and display the merchandise. The fixtures used are
flexible enough that its size can be changed or can be shifted inside the store as per
convenience.
Big Bazaar is not just another hypermarket. It caters to every need of your family.
Where Big Bazaar scores over other stores is its value for money proposition for the
Indian customers.
At Big Bazaar, you will definitely get the best products at the best prices - thats what we
guarantee. With the ever increasing array of private labels, it has opened the doors into
the world of fashion and general merchandise including home furnishings, utensils,
crockery, cutlery, sports goods and much more at prices that will surprise you. And this

is just the beginning. Big Bazaar plans to add much more to complete your shopping
experience.
It is chain of shopping malls in India currently with 31 outlet owned by Kishore
Biyanis Pantaloon Group.
Big bazaar is not just another hypermarket.
It provides the best products at the best price.
It reflects the look and feel of Indian bazaars at their modern outlets .
All over India, Big Bazaar attracts a few thousand customers on any regular day.
Target Audience:
Big Bazaar targets higher and 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.
Features of Big Bazaar,
In Big Bazaar, OMR following features are there:

1. OMR outlet focuses on all classes.

2. It is a one-stop shop, anything and everything which is in the market is present
here..

3. The food court is there where one can have refreshments and relax..
4. Photo section is there on the ground floor where one can take out prints in
different ways

Customer Service Desk

Customer Service Desk is a platform where in Customer service representatives are
employed by many different types of companies to serve as a direct point of contact for
customers. They are responsible for ensuring that their companys customers receive
an adequate level of service or help with their questions and concerns. These
customers may be individual consumers or other companies, and their service needs
can vary considerably

Features of Customer Service desk

Functions:
All customer service representatives interact with customers to provide information in
response to inquiries about products or services and to handle and resolve complaints.
They communicate with customers through a variety of meansby telephone; by email, fax, regular mail; or in person. Some customer service representatives handle
general questions and complaints, whereas others specialize in a particular area.
Many customer inquiries involve routine questions and requests. For example, customer
service representatives may be asked to provide a customer with their credit card
balance, or to check on the status of an order. However, other questions are more
involved, and may require additional research or further explanation on the part of the
customer service representative. In handling customers complaints, they must attempt
to resolve the problem according to guidelines established by the company. These
procedures may involve asking questions to determine the validity of a complaint;
offering possible solutions; or providing customers with refunds, exchanges, or other
10

offers, like discounts or coupons. In some cases, customer service representatives are
required to follow up with an individual customer until a question is answered or an
issue is resolved.
Some customer service representatives help people decide what types of products or
services would best suit their needs. They may even aid customers in completing
purchases or transactions. Although the primary function of customer service
representatives is not sales, some may spend time encouraging customers to purchase
additional products or services. Customer service representatives also may make
changes or updates to a customers profile or account information. They may keep
records of transactions and update and maintain databases of information.
Most customer service representatives use computers and telephones extensively in
their work. Customer service representatives frequently enter information into a
computer as they are
speaking to customers. Often, companies have large amounts of data, such as account
information, that is pulled up on a computer screen while the representative is talking to
a customer so he or she can answer specific questions.
Customer service representatives also usually have answers to the most common
customer questions, or guidelines for dealing with complaints. In the event that they
encounter a question or situation to which they do not know how to respond,
representatives consult with a supervisor to determine the best course of action. They
generally use multiline telephone systems, which may route calls directly to the most
appropriate representative. However, at times, they must transfer calls to someone who
may be better able to respond to the customers needs.
In some organizations, customer service representatives spend their entire day on the
telephone. In others, they may spend part of their day answering e-mails and the
remainder of the day taking calls. For some, most of their contact with the customer is
face to face. Customer service representatives need to remain aware of the amount of
time spent with each customer so that they can fairly distribute their time among the
11

people who require their assistance. This is particularly important for those whose
primary activities are answering telephone calls and whose conversations are required
to be kept within a set time limit. For those working in call centers, there is usually very
little time between telephone calls. When working in call centers, customer service
representatives are likely to be under close supervision. Job responsibilities also can
differ, depending on the industry in which a customer service representative is
employed. For example, those working in the branch office of a bank may assume the
responsibilities of other workers, such as teller or new account clerk, as needed. In
insurance agencies, a customer service representative interacts with agents, insurance
companies, and policyholders. These workers handle much of the paperwork related to
insurance policies, such as policy applications and changes and renewals to existing
policies. They answer questions regarding policy coverage, help with reporting claims,
and do anything else that may need to be done. Although they must have similar
credentials and knowledge of insurance products as insurance agents, the duties of a
customer service representative differ from those of an agent as they are not
responsible for seeking potential customers. Customer service representatives
employed by utilities and communications companies assist individuals interested in
opening accounts for various utilities such as electricity and gas, or for communication
services such as cable television and telephone. They explain various options and
receive orders for services to be installed, turned on, turned off, or changed. They also
may look into and resolve complaints about billing and other service.

Work environment:
Although customer service representatives work in a variety of settings, most work in
areas that are clean and well lit. Many work in call or customer contact centers where
workers generally
have their own workstation or cubicle space equipped with a telephone, headset, and
computer. Because many call centers are open extended hours, beyond the traditional

12

work day, or are staffed around the clock, these positions may require workers to take
on early morning, evening, or late night shifts. Weekend or holiday work also may be
necessary. As a result, the occupation is well suited to flexible work schedules. About 17
percent of customer service representatives work part time. The occupation also offers
the opportunity for seasonal work in certain industries, often through temporary help
agencies.
Call centers may be crowded and noisy, and work may be repetitious and stressful, with
little time between calls. Workers usually must attempt to minimize the length of each
call, while still providing excellent service. To ensure that these procedures are followed,
conversations may be monitored by supervisors, which be stressful. Also, long periods
spent sitting, typing, or looking at a computer screen may cause eye and muscle strain,
backaches, headaches, and repetitive motion injuries.
Customer service representatives working outside of a call center environment may
interact with customers through several different means. For example, workers
employed by an insurance agency or in a grocery store may have customers approach
them in person or contact them by telephone, computer, mail, or fax. Many of these
customer service representatives work a standard 40-hour week; however, their hours
generally depend on their employers hours of operation. Work environments outside of
a call center also vary accordingly. Most customer service representatives work either in
an office or at a service or help desk.
Customer service representatives may have to deal with difficult or irate customers,
which can be challenging. However, the ability to resolve customers problems has the
potential to be very rewarding.

Advancement:
Customer service jobs are often good introductory positions into a company or an
industry. In some cases, experienced workers can move up within the company into
supervisory or managerial positions or they may move into areas such as product
development, in which they can use their knowledge to improve products and services.
13

As they gain more knowledge of industry products and services, customer service
representatives in insurance may advance to other, higher level positions, such as
insurance sales agent.

Employment:
Customer service representatives held about 2.2 million jobs in 2006. Although they
were found in a variety of industries, about 23 percent of customer service
representatives worked in finance and insurance. About 14 percent of customer service
representatives were employed in administrative and support services. These workers
were concentrated in the business support services industry (which includes telephone
call centers) and employment services (which includes temporary help services and
employment placement agencies). Another 11 percent of customer service
representatives were employed in retail trade establishments such as general
merchandise stores and food and beverage stores. Other industries that employ
significant numbers of customer service representatives include information, particularly
the telecommunications industry; manufacturing, such as printing and related support
activities; and wholesale trade.

Job Outlook:
Customer service representatives are expected to experience growth that is much faster
than the average for all occupations through the projection period. Furthermore, job
prospects should excellent as workers who leave the occupation will need to be
replaced.
Employment Change:

14

Employment of customer service representatives is expected to increase 25 percent

from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This
occupation will have one of the largest numbers of new jobs arise, about 545,000 over
the 2006-16 projection period. Beyond growth stemming from expansion of the
industries in which customer service representatives are employed, a need for
additional customer service representatives is likely to result from heightened reliance
on these workers. Customer service is very important to the success of any organization
that deals with customers, and strong customer service can build sales, visibility, and
loyalty as companies try to distinguish themselves from competitors. In many industries,
gaining a competitive edge and retaining customers will be increasingly

important over the next decade. This is particularly true in industries such as financial
services, communications, and utilities, which already employ numerous customer
service representatives. As the trend towards consolidation in industries

continues, centralized call centers will provide an effective method for delivering a high
level of customer service. As a result, employment of customer service representatives
may grow at a faster rate in call centers than in other areas. However, this growth may
be tempered by a variety of factors such as technological improvements that make it
increasingly feasible and cost-effective for call centers to be built or relocated outside of
the United States.

Technology is affecting the occupation in many ways. The Internet and automated teller
machines have provided customers with means of obtaining information and conducting
transactions that do not entail interacting with another person. Technology also allows
for greater streamlining of processes, while at the same time increasing the productivity
of workers. The use of computer software to filter e-mails, generating automatic
15

responses or directing messages to the appropriate representative, and the use of

similar systems to answer or route telephone inquiries are likely to become more
prevalent in the future. Also, with rapidly improving telecommunications, some
organizations have begun to position their call centers overseas.
Despite such developments, the need for customer service representatives is expected
to remain strong. In many ways, technology has heightened consumers expectations
for information and services, and the availability of information online seems to have
generated more need for customer service representatives, particularly to respond to email. Also, technology cannot replace human skills. As more sophisticated technologies
are able to resolve many customers questions and concerns, the nature of the inquiries
handled by customer service representatives is likely to become increasingly complex.
Furthermore, the job responsibilities of customer service representatives are expanding.
As companies downsize or take other measures to increase profitability, workers are
being trained to perform additional duties such as opening bank accounts or crossselling products. As a result, employers increasingly may prefer customer service
representatives who have education beyond high school, such as some college or even
a college degree.
While jobs in some industriessuch as retail trademay be affected by economic
downturns, the customer service occupation generally is resistant to major fluctuations
in employment.
Job prospects:
Prospects for obtaining a job in this field are expected to be excellent, with more job
openings than jobseekers. Bilingual jobseekers, in particular, may enjoy favorable job
prospects. In addition, numerous job openings will result from the need to replace
experienced customer service representatives who transfer to other occupations or
leave the labor force. Replacement needs are expected to be significant

16

in this large occupation because many young people work as customer service
representatives before switching to other jobs.
This occupation is well suited to flexible work schedules, and many opportunities for
part-time work will continue to be available, particularly as organizations attempt to cut
labor costs by hiring more temporary workers.

Earnings:
In May 2006, median hourly earnings for wage and salary customer service
representatives were $13.62. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.73 and
$17.40. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.71 and the highest 10 percent
earned more than $22.11.
Earnings for customer service representatives vary according to level of skill required,
experience, training, location, and size of firm. Median hourly earnings in the industries
employing the largest numbers of these workers in May 2006 were:
Insurance carriers
Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related
activities
Depository Credit Intermediation
Employment services
Telephone call centers

$15.00
14.51
13.68
11.74
10.29

In addition to receiving an hourly wage, full-time customer service representatives who

work evenings, nights, weekends, or holidays may receive shift differential pay. Also,
because call centers are often open during extended hours, or even 24 hours a day,
some customer service representatives have the benefit of being able to work a
schedule that does not conform to the traditional workweek. Other benefits can include
life and health insurance, pensions, bonuses, employer-provided training, and discounts
on the products and services the company offers.
17

For the latest wage information:

The above wage data are from the OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT
STATISTICS (OES) SURVEY PROGRAM.

The Customer Service Manager's Challenge:

Leveraging the "Squeeze Play"
Most customer service managers are acutely aware of being caught in the middle. We
feel the pressure from upper management and their goals, plans, and decisions. We
also feel pressure from our department -- the needs of our employees for support,
information, resources, and often for explanation.
(What was management thinking?) If you've ever felt the pressure from both sides and
wondered how to cope, read on for definition and awareness of your role plus some
ideas to help cope productively with the "squeeze play."
From upper management's perspective, the customer service department is sometimes
viewed as
the "complaint department" -- an organizational reform school for transforming angry
customers into quiet customers. Sometimes our department is seen as a lower priority
"step-child" behind Sales, Marketing, R + D, and other departments vying for attention
and resources. As customer service managers, our primary role is to represent the
value of the customer service function. The customer service department is the
vanguard of our company's customer service reputation. Our department is a powerful
insurance policy in maintaining a loyal customer base. Studies estimate it costs 5 to 17
times more to generate a new customer than to keep the ones we have. Effective
problem resolution is a powerful way to generate customer loyalty and positive word of
mouth. Most people have either heard a positive customer service story from
Nordstrom, or have a personal experience of their own to share. These shared stories
18

are the most effective source of advertising. Our company's reputation depends on
positive customer relations. As our department's function is no less important than the
sales or advertising department, we represent it thus. We negotiate from a position of
priority for resources (budget, training, tools, recognition, etc.)
We also represent the best interests of our department in management decisions. Most
top managers have never had direct customer service management experience, and
don't know what makes the department thrive. We are responsible for representing the
customer service function and its needs. The needs might include budget, tools,
personnel, training, recognition, and especially supportive organizational policies and
structures. On behalf of our employees and our department, we represent their best
interests to upper management and affirm their value to the organization.
Just as we serve as an ombudsman for our employees to upper management, we are
also responsible for interpreting upper management's perspective to our people. Often
management decisions make sense only when viewed from a larger perspective. We
have access to the "big picture." In sharing our interpretation we help people
understand the company and the importance of their contribution. They become more
knowledgeable about their role in the company. They gain a sense of purpose and
commitment. Customer service managers strengthen the role of the department by
implementing ten key actions:

Circulate results of customer satisfaction surveys.

Publish customer service victories.

Reinforce value by researching how much company spends to acquire a new

customer.

Document cases of "valued customers/business saved" and estimate dollar

savings to the company.

19

Promote alliances with other departments and champion interdepartmental

communication.

Document potential career paths for Customer Service Representatives so the

job won't be perceived as "dead end" or "low end".

Manage positively and develop "esprit de corps." Make your department the "in"
place to work.

Read current industry and customer service publications to stay informed and
motivated.

Encourage employees to develop visibility and professionalism.

Train people thoroughly. If training budget is limited, train them yourself.

Customer Satisfaction
Customer Satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services
supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key
performance indicator within business and is part of the four perspectives of a Balanced
Scorecard.
In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer
satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element
of business strategy.
There is a substantial body of empirical literature that establishes the benefits of
customer satisfaction for firms.

Customer Service: An Organizational Objective

20

It is often said and widely accepted that customer service is the keystone to all serviceoriented business. Yet the words and concept are often not fully comprehended by
many within the service industries. Comptrollership is multifaceted, but in all respects, it
is a service-oriented business.
Assuredly, the dynamics of customer service guarantee that sooner or later the level of
service we give and receive will affect all of us, both personally and professionally.
Customer service, good or bad, doesn't just happen. Therefore, it is important that we
absolutely commit to effective customer service, understand its significance, and
promote a plan to accomplish our goals and objectives.
What Is Customer Service and Why Is It Important?
Broadly defined, customer service is an activity on behalf of a person, organization, or
cause that meets a need or requirement. This might be a simple exchange of
information, but often action or corrective measures are required. The ever-increasing
complexity of our society dictates the methods and levels of customer service that we
give and receive.
For example, electronic devices and systems have changed the communication
process--we become ever more accustomed to pressing numbers on a telephone
keypad, hearing electronic voices, and holding for the "next available associate."
Identifying areas of concern and initiating timely actions become the responsibilities of
every person involved in financial management. Timely resolution of issues is especially
important in managing federally appropriated funds that have specific parameters for
availability and usage.
As customer service providers, we must consider our role as an opportunity to gain
skills and knowledge critical to success in our profession. Most of us are entrusted with
and responsible for the proper use of organizational resources. In a resource-dependent
society, we communicate and effect necessary actions that impact various
organizations; and customer service is an integral part of our stewardship
responsibilities. Consequently, our personal goals must include reliable and timely
customer service through proactive professional behavior.

21

Time constraints are further complicated by the performance of interrelated functions by

agencies in various locations. Since each of us depends extensively on the efforts of
others, it is essential that everyone in the process understand the necessity of efficient
customer service and mutual cooperation to that end. Customer service, the customer,
and ultimately the entire organization are affected for better or worse in direct proportion
to our success or lack thereof.
Within the last couple of decades, computer capabilities that generate large volumes of
data have enabled us to manage in a way never before possible. Automation greatly
enhances our ability to recognize, review, and evaluate potential problems, all to the
benefit of the customer. We now have the tools to recognize inconsistencies quickly and
initiate corrective actions; but again, we are dependent on the assistance of others.
Whether we assist others or require their assistance, the quality of customer service is
directly impacted by our mutual commitment to that service. We as individuals are
responsible for pro viding the quality of customer service that reflects favorably on our
organizations and ourselves.
The responsibility of management is to fully commit to effective customer service and to
instill that commitment in their subordinates. Naturally, good managers provide a
framework for achieving the goals and objectives of the organization; this is
accomplished through a customer service plan.

Customer Service Plan

Maintaining an effective customer service program is one of the biggest challenges
facing managers in the current environment. Today, managers are faced with cutbacks
in personnel, workforce reshaping, and lack of funds for adequate training. These
constraints, although serious, must not be allowed to compromise customer service.
Developing an effective customer service plan and instilling a commitment to it within
the organization are key to the management process.
Once developed and implemented, the plan helps to overcome other obstacles.
Success breeds success, and in the service business there is no greater success than a
22

satisfied customer. Therefore, managers should always consider the impact of how an
effective customer service plan can help them to meet their goals.
Enlightened managers fully recognize the relationship between a sense of ownership
and positive results. Organizations may vary greatly in their methods to establish and
maintain a customer service plan, but individual loyalty to the concept and personal
effort ensure its success. This requires the enthusiastic involvement and support of top
management, as well as the active solicitation and input of ideas from all members of
the organization.
Once in place, the plan becomes a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the
organization to meet customer needs and provides a standard for recognizing individual
performance. It should be tailored to meet the goals and objectives of the organization
and should identify a way to measure and evaluate results.
Clearly defined objectives provide the parameters and are essential for evaluating
performance. For example, measuring planned against actual accomplishments
indicates whether objectives are met and provides information on the validity of the
process.
Feedback from customers provides a valuable tool for measuring customer satisfaction
relative to the professionalism of the provider and the relevance and timeliness of the
service.
As with any plan, be realistic, periodically review, and make adjustments when
necessary. Think of the plan as being cyclical: define, schedule, allocate, oversee,
measure, and modify or change. Define objectives, schedule times, allocate resources,
oversee the process, define a means to measure and evaluate, and finally, modify or
change. The objective is not to achieve perfection at the outset, but to provide a
framework for building and improving as you progress toward a realistic and workable
plan.
Starting out with a simple plan is easier to implement and allows for more flexibility;
details can be added later. The validity of the plan to reach the objectives should be

23

reviewed during various stages. Consider lessons learned, and don't hesitate to
incorporate changes based on findings from milestone reviews.
As a customer service plan develops, it will no doubt encounter challenges. We plan to
succeed when outlining a strategy to implement our goals, and we must include within
that strategy a plan to overcome obstacles. A lack of funds for training is a significant
challenge for managers today, but most will agree that training is an integral part of
performance. So a strategy to overcome this obstacle might include looking within our
own organizations for answers.
There are individuals within most organizations who have a depth of institutional
knowledge as well as organizational expertise. These individuals will no doubt be very
familiar with the organization's goals and objectives and will be instrumental in
developing the customer service plan. As these experienced individuals train and
mentor less experienced members, many of the organizational training objectives are
accomplished in-house. As with other objectives, the results of measuring and
evaluating the training plan provide a basis to recognize and reward motivation and
promote success.
Implemented correctly, an effective customer service plan leads to a more effective and
efficient workforce. Invaluable knowledge and skills are gained by search--problem
solving is a natural result. Likewise, we gain a greater understanding of what we do and
how it impacts others. Inherent in the process, we learn what others need from us and
how we can support them in their efforts to improve customer service.
The ultimate reward for management is customer satisfaction provided by a skilled and
committed workforce able to solve problems and understand the importance of effective
customer service. Time invested initially results in time saved in the future.
Summary:
There should be no question that we are all customers who rely on each other in
performing our duties. As we consider customer service, we examine the roles of
individuals and organizations and how customer service impacts our ability to perform
our jobs and the ability of organizations to perform their missions. For this reason, it is
24

important that organizational goals and objectives are clearly defined and mirrored in a
customer service plan.
A successful plan is developed and owned by all members of the organization and has
the enthusiastic support of management. Measuring and evaluating actual performance
in relation to objectives provides a "report card" with vital information and leads to
opportunities for management to recognize and reward excellent performance.
Developing a strategy to overcome obstacles such as lack of training funds and time
constraints leads to positive results in efficiency and motivation. The successful
manager turns obstacles into opportunities by capitalizing on the expertise and
commitment to service of those within their organization.
In conclusion, the understanding of and commitment to customer service has farreaching implications, and we as individuals have the ability to make a difference. Let us
accept and focus on individual responsibility as we empower ourselves to make that
difference.
A federal service employee of 19 years, Ramona Butler currently works for the Space
and Missile Defense Command, Kwajalein Support Directorate, Huntsville, Alabama.
She is responsible for the customer reimbursable pro gram for the Reagan Test Site.
Working exclusively with customer funds contributed to her particular interest in this
year's essay topic, "What Is Customer Service?" She holds a bachelor of science
degree in business administration and has completed courses toward a master's degree
in business administration. A former Wiregrass Chapter vice president and president,
Ms. Butler is now a member of the Redstone/Huntsville Chapter of the American Society
of Military Comptrollers. This is her second ASMC essay award, having placed second
for her ASMC essay titled "The Ideal Work Environment."
Measuring Customer Satisfaction
Organizations are increasingly interested in retaining existing customers while targeting
non-customers; measuring customer satisfaction provides an indication of how
successful the organization is at providing products and/or services to the marketplace.

25

Customer satisfaction is an ambiguous and abstract concept and the actual

manifestation of the state of satisfaction will vary from person to person and
product/service to product/service. The state of satisfaction depends on a number of
both psychological and physical variables which correlate with satisfaction behaviors
such as return and recommend rate. The level of satisfaction can also vary depending
on other options the customer may have and other products against which the customer
can compare the organization's products.
Because satisfaction is basically a psychological state, care should be taken in the effort
of quantitative measurement, although a large quantity of research in this area has
recently been developed. Work done by Berry (Bart Allen) and Brodeur between 1990
and 1998 defined ten 'Quality Values' which influence satisfaction behavior, further
expanded by Berry in 2002 and known as the ten domains of satisfaction. These ten
domains of satisfaction include: Quality, Value, Timeliness, Efficiency, Ease of Access,
Environment, Inter-departmental Teamwork, Front line Service Behaviors, Commitment
to the Customer and Innovation. These factors are emphasized for continuous
improvement and organizational change measurement and are most often utilized to
develop the architecture for satisfaction measurement as an integrated model. Work
done by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (Leonard L) between 1985 and 1988
provides the basis for the measurement of customer satisfaction with a service by using
the gap between the customer's expectation of performance and their perceived
experience of performance. This provides the measurer with a satisfaction "gap" which
is objective and quantitative in nature. Work done by Cronin and Taylor propose the
"confirmation/disconfirmation" theory of

combining the "gap" described by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry as two different
measures (perception and expectation of performance) into a single measurement of
performance according to expectation. According to Garbrand, customer satisfaction
equals perception of performance divided by expectation of performance.

Methodologies

26

The University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is a scientific

standard of customer satisfaction. Academic research has shown that the national ACSI
score is a strong predictor of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, and an even
stronger predictor of Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) growth. On the
microeconomic level, research has shown that ACSI data predicts stock
market performance, both for market indices and for individually traded companies.
Increasing ACSI scores has been shown to predict loyalty, word-of-mouth
recommendations, and purchase behavior. The ACSI measures customer satisfaction
annually for more than 200 companies in 43 industries and 10 economic sectors. In
addition to quarterly reports, the ACSI methodology can be applied to private sector
companies and government agencies in order to improve loyalty and purchase intent.
Two companies have been licensed to apply the methodology of the ACSI for both the
private and public sector: CFI Group, Inc.applies the methodology of the ACSI offline,
and Foresee Results applies the ACSI to websites and other online initiatives
The Kano model is a theory of product development and customer satisfaction
developed in the 1980s by Professor Noriaki Kano that classifies customer preferences
into five categories: Attractive, One-Dimensional, Must-Be, Indifferent, Reverse. The
Kano model offers some insight into the product attributes which are perceived to be
important to customers. Kano also produced a methodology for mapping consumer
responses to questionnaires onto his model.
SERVQUAL or RATER is a service-quality framework that has been incorporated into
customer-satisfaction surveys (e.g., the revised Norwegian Customer Satisfaction
Barometer[5]) to indicate the gap between customer expectations and experience.
J.D. Power and Associates provides another measure of customer satisfaction, known
for its top-box approach and automotive industry rankings. J.D. Power and Associates'
marketing research consists primarily of consumer surveys and is publicly known for the
value of its product awards.
Other research and consulting firms have customer satisfaction solutions as well. These
include A.T. Kearney's Customer Satisfaction Audit process, which incorporates the
Stages of
27

Excellence framework and which helps define a companys status against eight critically
identified dimensions

Improving Customer Satisfaction

Published standards exist to help organizations develop their current levels of customer
satisfaction. The International Customer Service Institute(TICSI) has released The
International Customer Service Standard (TICSS). TICSS enables organizations to
focus their attention on delivering excellence in the management of customer service,
whilst at the same time providing recognition of success through a 3rd Party registration
scheme. TICSS focuses an organizations attention on delivering increased customer
satisfaction by helping the organization through a Service Quality Model.
TICSS Service Quality Model uses the 5 P's - Policy, Processes, People, Premises,
Product/Services, as well as performance measurement. The implementation of a
customer service standard should lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction, which
in turn influences customer retention and customer loyalty.

28

A STUDY ON IMPACT OF SALES PROMOTIONS ON FESTIVEL

SEASON
(WITH REFERENCE TO BIGBAZAR)
Sales promotion
Sales promotion is any initiative undertaken by an organization to promote an increase
in sales, usage or trial of a product or service (i.e. initiatives that are not
Covered by the other elements of the marketing communications or promotions mix).
Sales promotions are varied. Often they are original and creative, and hence a
comprehensive list of all available techniques is virtually impossible (since original sales
promotions are launched daily!). Here are some examples of popular sales promotions
activities:
Sales promotion is any initiative undertaken by an organization to promote an
increase in sales, usage or trial of a product or service (i.e. initiatives that are not
Covered by the other elements of the marketing communications or promotions mix).
Sales promotions are varied. Often they are original and creative, and hence a
comprehensive list of all available techniques is virtually impossible (since original sales
promotions are launched daily!). Here are some examples of popular sales promotions
activities:

29

1. (a)

Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGOF) - which is an example of a self-

liquidating promotion. For example if a loaf of bread is priced at IN 44.37, and

cost 10 cents to manufacture, if you sell two for IN 44.37, you are still in profit especially if there is a corresponding increase in sales. This is known as a
PREMIUM sales promotion tactic.

(b) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) incentives such as bonus

points or money off coupons. There are many examples of CRM, from banks to
supermarkets.
(c) New media - Websites and mobile phones that support a sales promotion. For
example, in the United Kingdom, Nestle printed individual codes on KIT-KAT packaging,
whereby a consumer would enter the code into a dynamic website to see if they had
won a prize. Consumers could also text codes via their mobile phones to the same
effect.
(d) Merchandising additions such as dump bins, point-of-sale materials and product
demonstrations.
(e) Free gifts e.g. Subway gave away a card with six spaces for stickers with each
sandwich purchase. Once the card was full the consumer was given a free.
(f) Discounted prices e.g. Budget airline such as Easy Jet and Ryan air, e-mail their
customers with the latest low-price deals once new flights are released, or additional
destinations are announced.
(g) Joint promotions between brands owned by a company, or with another
company's brands. For example fast food restaurants often run sales promotions where
toys, relating to a specific movie release, are given away with promoted meals.
30

h) Free samples (aka. sampling) e.g. tasting of food and drink at sampling points in
supermarkets. For example Red Bull (a caffeinated fizzy drink) was given away to
potential consumers at supermarkets, in high streets and at petrol stations (by a
promotions team).
(i) Vouchers and coupons, often seen in newspapers and magazines, on packs.
(j) Competitions and prize draws, in newspapers, magazines, on the TV and radio, on
The Internet, and on packs.
(k) Cause-related and fair-trade products that raise money for charities, and the less
well off farmers and producers, are becoming more popular.
(l)

Finance deals - for example, 0% finance over 3 years on selected vehicles. Many

of the examples above are focused upon consumers. Don't forget that promotions can
be aimed at wholesalers and distributors as well. These are known as Trade Sales
Promotions. . Examples here might include joint promotions between a manufacturer
and a distributor, sales promotion leaflets and other materials (such as T-shirts), and
incentives for distributor sales people and their retail clients.

NEED OF THE STUDY

In this competitive world, there exists huge competition between organizations of retail
sector. The company which adopts best sales promotion activities, will have better
profits. So, it is necessary to know companys sales promotion activities which results in
sales growth and turn profits to the organization.
1. To Evaluate the Different Sales Promotion Activities of Bigbazar on festival
Season.
2.

To Analyze the factors impacting in Designing the sales promotion Activities

on festival Season at Bigbazar.

31

3.

To study the impact of Sales promotions on Consumer Buying Decision on

festival Season at Bigbazar.

4.

To suggest the appropriate sales promotion strategies to the Bigbazar to

attract new customers & retaining the old customers.

Big bazaar is having its sales promotional activities in such a manner. It plays a great
role in growth as well as incomes of the company.
Study is limited to only one branch located at DELHI OR AS YOU LIKE
Primary data:
It is the information collected directly without any references. In the study
it was mainly interviews with concerned officers and staffs either individual or
collectively. Some of the information had verified or supplemented with personal
observation, the data collected through conducting the personal interview with the
customers. This is through a well designed questionnaire.
Secondary data:
The secondary data was collected from already published sources such as
pamphlets, annual reports, reports and internal records the data includes. Reference
from text books and relating to articles published in business details like economic
times, business time e.t.c

LIMITATIONS
1.

Accuracy of the study is based on the information given by the

respondents.
2.

Data collection cannot be asserted to be free from errors, as the sample

size is small
3.

The project duration was only for 45 days.

32

4.

The project is done for the partial fulfilment of the MBA program.

5.

The knowledge of the employee regarding the Quality of Work Life is

taken for granted which may not be true because the understanding and
knowledge of various person in the organisation vary from employee to employer

INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY

Company profile
Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, is Indias leading retailer that operates multiple retail
formats in both the value and lifestyle segment of the Indian consumer
market. Headquartered in Mumbai (Bombay), the company operates over 10 million
square feet of retail space, has over 1000 stores across 61 cities in India and employs
over 30,000 people.
The companys leading formats include Pantaloons, a chain of fashion outlets, Big
Bazaar, a uniquely Indian hypermarket chain, Food Bazaar, a supermarket chain,
blends the look, touch and feel of Indian bazaars with aspects of modern retail like
choice, convenience and quality and Central, a chain of seamless destination malls.
Some of its other formats include, Depot, Shoe Factory, Brand Factory, Blue Sky,
Fashion Station, aLL, Top 10, mBazaar and Star and Sitara. The company also
operates an online portal, futurebazaar.com. A subsidiary company, Home Solutions
Retail (India) Limited, operates Home Town, a large-format home solutions store,
Collection i, selling home furniture products and E-Zone focused on catering to the
consumer electronics segment.

33

Pantaloon Retail was recently awarded the International Retailer of the Year 2007 by
the US-based National Retail Federation (NRF) and the Emerging Market Retailer of
the Year 2007 at the World Retail Congress held in Barcelona.
Pantaloon Retail is the flagship company of Future Group, a business group catering to
the entire Indian consumption space. Pantaloon is not just an organization - it is an
institution, a centre of learning & development. We believe that knowledge is the only
weapon at our disposal and our quest for it is focused, systematic and unwavering.
At Pantaloon, we take pride in challenging conventions and thinking out of the box, in
travelling on the road less traveled. Our corporate doctrine Rewrite Rules, Retain
Values is derived from this spirit.
Over the years, the company has accelerated growth through its ability to lead change.
A number of its pioneering concepts have now emerged as industry standards. For
instance, the company integrated backwards into garment manufacturing even as it
expanded its retail presence at the front end, well before any other Indian retail
company attempted this. It was the first to introduce the concept of the retail
departmental store for the entire family through Pantaloons in 1997. The company was
the first to launch a hypermarket in India with Big Bazaar, a large discount store that it
commissioned in Kolkata in October 2001. And the company introduced the country to
the Food Bazaar, a unique 'bazaar' within a hypermarket, which was launched in July
2002 in Mumbai. Embracing our leadership value, the company launched aLL in July
2005 in Mumbai, making us the first retailer in India to open a fashion store for plus
size men and women.
Today we are the fastest growing retail company in India. The number of stores is going
to increase many folds year on year along with the new formats coming up. The way
we work is distinctly "Pantaloon". Our courage to dream and to turn our dreams into
reality that change peoples lives, is our biggest advantage. Pantaloon is an invitation
to join a place where there are no boundaries to what you can achieve. It means never
having to stop asking questions; it means never having to stop raising the bar. It is an

34

opportunity to take risks, and it is this passion that makes our dreams a reality.Come
enter a world where we promise you good days and bad days, but never a dull
moment!
Big Bazaar was launched in September, 2001 with the opening of three stores in
Calcutta, Bangalore and Hyderabad in 22 days. Within a span of ten years, there are
now 148 Big Bazaar stores in 80 cities and towns across India.
Big Bazaar is designed as an agglomeration of bazaars or Indian markets with clusters
offering a wide range of merchandise including fashion and apparels, food products,
general merchandise, furniture, electronics, books, fast food and leisure and
entertainment sections.
Food Bazaar, a supermarket format was incorporated within Big Bazaar in 2002 and is
now present within every Big Bazaar as well as in independent locations. There are now
169 Food Bazaar outlets, including those located within Big Bazaar.
A typical Big Bazaar is spread across around 50,000 square feet of retail space. While
the larger metropolises have Big Bazaar Familycentres measuring between 75,000
square feet and 1,60,000 square feet, Big Bazaar Express stores in smaller towns
measure around 30,000 square feet.
Most of the Big Bazaar stores are multi-level and are located in stand-alone buildings in
city centers as well as within shopping malls. These stores offer over 200,000 SKUs in a
wide range of categories led primarily by fashion and food products.
Big Bazaar is part of Future Group and is owned through a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Pantaloon Retail India Limited, that is listed on Indian stock exchanges.
Big Bazaar sees no growth problem, upbeat on demand

35

There is no reason for any pessimism on Indian retail market prospects, Sanjeev
Agarwal, the Joint CEO of Big Bazaar, the Future Group chain, said here on Friday.
Speaking to Business Standard at the launch here of their 148th store in the country, he
said the market was far from saturation. We plan to continue opening one to two stores
every month, he said. We are positive on consumer spending.

Agarwal said the chains revenue was growing at 25 per cent yearly. However, he
declined to talk on investments made or being planned.
Ruling out a foray abroad, he said the opportunity in India was quite large and,
therefore, there was no reason to look elsewhere. Our strength lies in knowing the
Indian customer well.
As for the decision by retail chains, including his own, to substitute Reckitt Benckisers
products with their own after the latter cut the sales margins it allowed them, Agarwal
said the shift to in-house brands (he prefers the term private brands to private labels)
was 15 years old, not something triggered recently. We have been running the private
brand programme for 15 years now, he said. The Future Group had always believed in
managing the entire supply chain, he added.
On the protest against the Budget proposal to impose 10 per cent excise duty on
branded apparel, Agarwal refused to comment. Earlier, retailers, including the Future
Group, had said their stores would down shutters on Monday, to express their protest
against the move. No comment, was all that Agarwal said on Friday on the matter.
The Future Group operates other retail chains, too, such as Pantaloons, Food Bazaar,
Central, Home Town and eZone. It also has a presence in other segments such as
consumer finance, insurance, logistics, brand development, and infrastructure. Future
Group CEO Kishore Biyani had recently said stake sale was a possibility in some non-

36

core assets, to be able to raise between Rs 2,500 crore and Rs 4,000 crore. The
Groups overall debt was pegged at Rs 4,800 crore, according to reports.
The Future Group is believed to be in talks with French retail major Carrefour for a joint
venture, but that can only happen after the government opens multi-brand retail to
foreign investment. Carrefour has, meanwhile, entered India in the wholesale business,
and has opened one outlet in the capital. Up to 100 per cent foreign direct investment is
allowed in the wholesale business, up to 51 per cent FDI in single-brand retail, and no
foreign investment is permitted in multi-brand retail.

The Great Exchange Offer at Big Bazaar 2011

Just like last year and every year, Big Bazaar has come up with The Great Exchange
Offer in which you can sell old junk or scrap to them and instead buy anything from
their stores. With this offer you can sell old for more price and buy new for less price.
You can buy something from the Big Bazaar stores with the coupons given to you after
you sell your old scrap or junk at the individual stores located across India. This offer is
valid only for limited period (but the end date is not given) and hence you will need to
hurry before it ends.
Old Junk Price
With this Great Exchange Offer, you can sell your old electronics like old TV, old DVD
Player, computers, etc for up to Rs. 10,000. They will accept old plastics at Rs. 80 per
kg. Similarly they also accept old news papers for Rs. 30 per kg (remember the regular
rate for these newspapers would be around Rs. 5 to Rs. 7 at your neighborhood scrap
retailers). Big Bazaar also accepts your old clothes at Rs. 250 per kilogram. You can get
Rs. 150 per kg for your old utensils at home.

37

Old furniture can be sold for up to Rs. 12,500 depending upon the quality and condition
of the furniture. Big Bazaar is also accepting old luggage for Rs. 100 per bag. Old shoes
can also be sold back to them at Rs. 50 per pair. Even the old and worn out tyres can
be sold with this Great Exchange Offer at Rs. 50 per tyre. The old leather goods is
accepted at Rs. 80 per kg and any other old products, scraps or junks can be sold for
Rs. 50 per kg.

Exchange Coupons
You will be issued with the special exchange coupons which you can use at the
respective Big Bazaar stores. You can use these exchange coupons for the shopping at
4 to 10 times the value of the exchange coupons. The rates at which you can shop
varies from each section at Big Bazaar like the Food Bazaar, Electronics Bazaar,
Furniture Bazaar, etc.
The old merchandise or scraps that you are giving should have some resale value and
they reserve the complete rights to buy them as they can even reject some of the old
junk that you bring.
Not Valid On
This exchange coupon or this offer is not valid on for purchase of gold or certain
products or categories inside the store and they reserve the full rights to deny or accept
your exchange coupons for the same. If you want to use those exchange coupons to
purchase mobile phones, then your purchase value should be at least 25 times the
value of the coupon.

Future Group

38

Future Group is one of the countrys leading business groups present in retail, asset
management, consumer finance, insurance, retail media, retail spaces and logistics.
The groups flagship company, Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited operates over 10 million
square feet of retail space, has over 1,000 stores and employs over 30,000 people.
Future Group is present in 61 cities and 65 rural locations in India. Some of its leading
retail formats include, Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Central, Food Bazaar, Home Town,
eZone, Depot, Future Money and online retail format, futurebazaar.com.
Future Group companies includes, Future Capital Holdings, Future Generali India Indus
League Clothing and Galaxy Entertainment that manages Sports Bar, Brew Bar and
Bowling Co. Future Capital Holdings, the groups financial arm, focuses on asset
management and consumer credit. It manages assets worth over $1 billion that are
being invested in developing retail real estate and consumer-related brands and hotels.
The groups joint venture partners include Italian insurance major, Generali, French
retailer ETAM group, US-based stationary products retailer, Staples Inc and UK-based
Lee Cooper and India-based Talwalkars, Blue Foods and Liberty Shoes.Future Groups
vision is to, deliver Everything, Everywhere, Every time to Every Indian Consumer in
the most profitable manner. The group considers Indian-ness as a core value and its
corporate credo is- Rewrite rules, Retain values

39

MANAGEMENT STYLE
The organization structure for Big bazaar is flat in nature. For Big bazaar, the divisions
are apparel, non apparel and the new business division, which includes gold, footwear
and the shop-in-shops. For Food Bazaar, a separate teem has been created which
again works independently.
About 1,800 people work for Big bazaar directly. Support and ancillary services
comprise another 400 people. A new trainee is put through a basic three day training
program before going on the shop floor. Evaluation is done every six months.

40

THE STRATEGY
Saving is key to the Indian middle class consumer. The store, which would be created,
had to offer value to the consumer. Keeping this in mind, the concept of Big bazaar was
created.
In India, when a customer needs some thing for the home, a typical thought is to seek it
from the bazaar. A bazaar is a place where a complete range of products is always
available to the consumer. This is true across India. As the store would offer a large mix
of products at a discounted price, the name Big bazaar was finalized. The idea was to
re-create a complete bazaar, with a large product offering (at times modified to suit local
needs) and to offer a good depth and width in terms of range. The mind to market for
the first store was just six months.
Price was the basic value proposition at Big bazaar. The Big bazaar outlets sold a
variety of products at prices, which were 5 to 60 percent lower than the market price.
The line
A retailer or retail store is any business enterprise whose sales volume comes primarily
from retailing. Retail organizations exhibit great variety and new forms keep emerging.
There are store retailers, non store retailers, and retail organizations. Consumers today
can shop for goods and services in a wide variety of stores. The best-known type of
retailer is the department store. Japanese department stores such as Takashimaya and
Mitsukoshi attract millions of shoppers each year. These stores feature art galleries,
cooking classes, and childrens playgrounds.
A retailer is at the end of the distributive channel. He provides goods and service
to the ultimate consumers. This he does through his small organization, with the help of
a few personnel. In an individual retail store there is not much scope for organization
except in the sense that the shopkeeper has to organize apportions his time and
resources. The need for organization becomes essential as soon as he hires people o
enters into partnership or takes the help of members of his family in running his store. A

41

retailer deals in an assortment of goods to cater to the needs of consumers. His

objective is to make maximum profit out of his enterprise. With that end
in view he has to pursue a policy to achieve his objective. This policy is called
retailing mix. A retailing mix is the package of goods and services that store offers to the
customers for sale. It is the combination of all efforts planned by the retailer and
embodies the adjustment of the retail store to the market environment. Retailing mix, a
communication mix and a distribution mix. The maximum satisfaction to the customers
is achieved by a proper blend of all three.
The success of the retail stores, therefore, depends on customers reaction to the
retailing mix which influences the profits of the store, its volume of turnover, its share of
the market, its image and status and finally its survival.

RETAIL
Retailing is the set of business activities that adds value to the products and services
sold to the consumer for their personal or family use.
a "retailer" buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or 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 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.

42

Retailing is an important institution in our society,

Retailing provides considerable value to consumers while giving people

opportunities for rewarding and challenging careers.

Retail formats and companies are now major factors in the industry.

The key to successful retailing is offering the right product, at the right price, in
the right place, at the right time, and making a profit.

Retailers must understand what customers want and what competitors are
offering now and in the future.

The World of Organized Retailing

Retailers are using sophisticated communications and information systems to

manage their business. The use of new technologies helps retailers reduce their
operations costs, while better serving their customers.

To compete against non-store retailers, stores are now becoming more than just
places to buy products.

They are offering entertaining and educational

experiences for their customers.

In this dynamic environment, entrepreneurs are launching new companies and

concepts and becoming industry leaders, while traditional firms have had to
rethink their business.

Retail managers today must make complex decisions on selecting target markets
and retail locations, determining what merchandise and services to offer,
negotiating with supplier and distributing merchandise to stores, training and
motivating sales associates, and deciding how to price, promote and present
merchandise.

43

RETAIL MIX.
The retail mix is the combination of factors retail used to satisfied customer needs and
influences their purchase decision. Its include the type of merchandise and services
offered, merchandise pricing, advertising, promotional programs store design
merchandise

display, assistance

to

customer

provided

by salespeople,

and

convenience of the stores location.

Retail 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 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 the retailer is in, and the type

of product/services.
While many elements may make up a firms retail mix, the essential elements may
include:

Store location,

merchandise assortments

Store ambience,

customer service,

price,

Communication with customer

44

Personal selling

Store image

Store design

Sales incentives

People

Process
Composition of retail mix

Place

Product

Price

Promotion

People

Process

Physical Environment

Key element
1)Place (store location)

Target market

Channel structure

2)Product (merchandise)
Product development
Product management
45

Channel management

Product features and benefits

Retailer image

Branding

Retail logistics

Retail distribution

Packaging

3)Price

4)Promotion

Costs

Developing promotional mixes

Profitability

Advertising management

Value for money

Sales promotion

Competitiveness

Sales management

Incentives

Public relations

Quality

Status

After-sales services

Direct marketing

5)People element

Staff capability

Efficiency

Availability

6)Process element
Order processing
Database management
Service delivery

46

Effectiveness

Queuing system

Customer interaction

Standardisation

Internal marketing

Retail mix planning

Retail mix plan consists of:

Setting objectives

Systematic way of identifying a range of options.

Formulation of plans for achieving goals

Logical sequence of retailing activities.

Importance of Retail mix planning

Hostile and complex retail environment

External and internal retail organisation factors interact

Maximising revenue

Maximising profit

Maximising return on investment

Minimising costs

47

Each element has conflicting needs

All these variables interact

All these variables result in optimum compromise.

Approaches to planning
Top down approach

Retail management sets goals and plans for all levels of management.

Bottom up approach

Various units prepare own goals and plans sent up for approval.
It is the effective blending of all the elements of retail mix activities within the

retail organization that determines the success of retail management. Discuss this
statement and explain with retail examples how the elements of retail mix could be
blended to ensure the success of retail operation.

48

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
TITLE OF THE STUDY
EFFECTIVENESS OF RETAILING MIX IN BIG BAZAAR AND

CUSTOMER

SERVICES DESK AT BIGBAZAR

DURATION OF THE STUDY

15 may to 30 june 2011 (45 days)

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE :
To study the effectiveness of retailing mix in the store.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES :

1. To identify the performance of store operations.

2. To understand the quality of services maintained in the store.
3. To determine the performance of sales persons in the store.
4. To understand the availability of products in the store.
5. To identify the effectiveness of atmospherics in the store.
49

 Type of research
Descriptive

Type of data
Primary data

Data collection method

Data is collected through structured questionnaire.

Sampling
Convenient sampling

Sample size
100

Data analysis technique

Quantitative

Data analysis tool

Bar charts, pie charts.

Limitations of the study

1.
2.
3.
4.

Time limit is the major constraint.

Some respondents refuse to co-operate.
Some respondents replied half heartedly.
Some respondents gave incomplete information.
50

5. The survey was conducted in very general way as no other variable such as their
education level, occupation and sex.

FACT & FINDINGS

Store performing well in attracting the customers.

Big bazaar provides better shopping experience.
Brands and products availability in big bazaar is not up to the mark. Especially in
apparels.
Noisy and unpleasant environment is irritates customer. Air conditioning is really

good.
Discounts and offers doing well in the store.
In offer days the store management is good.
Home delivery services are not used by customer.
Product display and signage is good.
Quality in products is not up to the mark.
Location of big bazaar is outstanding. It is situated central business district (CBD)
Parking facility in big bazaar is good.
Cleanliness and hygiene maintained in the store is up to the mark

5. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

51

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Q1. In a month how many times you visit big bazaar?

a)

Once

b)

Twice

23

c)

Thrice

d)

More than thrice

25

e)

As per requirement

37

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

37
25

23
7

INTERPRETATION:
52

Out of 100 respondent, 37% people visit the store when they have some requirement
and 25% are visited more than thrice, 23% visited two times in month and 7% & 8%
people visited one and three times in a month respectively. Most of them regularly visit
big bazaar.
Maximum number of people visited store frequently

Q2. Your shopping experience in big bazaar is always!

a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

21

c)

Good

43

d)

Average

32

e)

Bad

43

45
40

32

35
30
21

25
20
15
10
5

0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

INTERPRETATION:
53

Bad

Out of 100 respondent, 43% people has good shopping experience in big bazaar,32%
has average and 21% people has excellent. But 1% has outstanding shopping
experience and 3% has bad shopping experience.

Maximum numbers of people has a better experience of shopping in big bazaar.

Q3. Brands and products availability in big bazaar is !
a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

28

c)

Good

44

d)

Average

22

e)

Bad

44
45
40
35

28

30

22

25
20
15
10
5

0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

INTERPRETATION:
54

Bad

Out of 100 respondents, Over all 31% customer are satisfied by the availability of brand
and products in big bazaar,66% customer product availability is average rest said it is
bad.
Some people think there is no good brands and products availability in big bazaar.
Especially in apparels.
Q4. Ambience & atmosphere inside the store is !
a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

27

c)

Good

41

d)

Average

21

e)

Bad

41

45
40
35
27

30

21

25
20
15
10

5
0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

55

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
Out of 100 respondents, Ambience & atmosphere inside the store is good feel by 41%
customers, 27% feel it is excellent and only 3% feel outstanding. But 27% customers
are not satisfied by the ambience & atmosphere inside the store of big bazaar.
Due to much noisy and unpleasant environment some of the customer irritates.
Atmosphere is really good
Q5. Discounts and offers served in big bazaar is !

a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

32

c)

Good

36

d)

Average

23

e)

Bad

36

40
32

35
30

23

25
20
15
10

7
2

5
0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

56

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
Out of 100 respondents, Discounts and offers served in big bazaar is good said by 36%
customers, 32% feel it is excellent and only 7% feel outstanding. But 25% customers
are not satisfied by Discounts and offers served in the big bazaar.

Maximum Customers are satisfied by Discounts and offers served in the

big bazaar.

Q6. Home delivery services of big bazaar is !

a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

19

c)

Good

38

d)

Average

28

e)

Bad

38

40
35

28

30
25

19

20
15
10

5
0
outstanding

Excellent

Good

Average

57

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
Out of 100 respondents, Maximum number of respondent i.e. 64% is satisfied by Home
delivery services of big bazaar rest 36% is not satisfied.
Some customer never used this facility.

Q7. Location 0f big bazaar in your city is !

a)

outstanding

29

b)

Excellent

32

c)

Good

22

d)

Average

13

e)

Bad

32

35
29
30

22

25
20

13

15
10

4
5
0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

58

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
Out of 100 respondents, 61% is highly satisfied with location of big bazaar in city, 22%
is satisfied and only 17% is not satisfied.
Location of big bazaar is outstanding. It is situated central business district
(CBD).

Q8. Product display and signage in the store is !

a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

36

c)

Good

40

d)

Average

14

e)

Bad

2
40
36

40
35
30
25
20

14

15
10

8
2

5
0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

59

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
Product display and signage in the store is highly satisfactory according to 44% of the
respondent, satisfactory according 40% of the respondent rest 16% are not satisfied
with it.
Customers are satisfied with Product display and signage in the store.

Q9. In offer days the shopping experience in the store is!

a)

outstanding

b)

Excellent

29

c)

Good

39

d)

Average

25

e)

Bad

60

39
40
35

29

30

25

25
20
15
10
5

0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
Out of 100 respondent, 39% people has good shopping experience in big bazaar, 25%
has average and 29% people has excellent. But 3% has outstanding shopping
experience and 4% has bad shopping experience.
Maximum numbers of people has a better experience of shopping in offer days.
Some customer do not enter in store due to heavy rush

Q10. How do you feel about sales persons and promoters?

a)

Outstanding

b)

Excellent

21

c)

Good

49

d)

Average

23

e)

Bad

61

49
50
45
40
35
30

23

21

25
20
15
10

5
0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

Bad

INTERPRETATION:
74% of the respondents are satisfied by the sales persons and promoters in the store
rest 26% respondents are not satisfied by the sales persons and promoters in the store.
Sales persons and promoters behave well with customer
Q11.The parking facility in bag bazaar is!
a)

outstanding

17

b)

Excellent

29

c)

Good

32

d)

Average

17

e)

Bad

62

32

35
29
30
25
20

17

17

15
10

5
0
outstanding Excellent

Good

Average

Bad

RECOMMENDATIONS
Create awareness & manage home delivery services properly.
There should be proper assortment of various product categories.
Proper signage should be there so that customer can locate the products easily.
Cleanliness and hygiene should be maintained regularly.
Proper training should be provided to sales person so that they can deal with the
customer efficiently.
Various schemes and offers can be provided to them and attract new customers
(Use pull strategy).
No. of cash counter needs to be increased keeping in view customer traffic
intensity.
Quality in products should be increased up to mark.

63

QUESTIONNAIRE
Q1. In a month how many times you visit big bazaar ?
a) Ones

b) twice

c) Thrice

d) more than thrice

e) As per requirement

Q2. Your shopping experience in big bazaar is always!

a) Outstanding

d) Average

b) Excellent

e) Bad

Q3. Brands and products availability in big bazaar is !

64

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q4. Ambience & atmosphere inside the store is !

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q5. Discounts and offers served in big bazaar is !

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q6. Home delivery services of big bazaar is !

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q7. Location 0f big bazaar in your city is !

65

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q8. Product display and signage in the store is !

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q9. In offer days the shopping experience in the store is!

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

Q10. How do you feel about sales persons and promoters ?

a) Outstanding

b) Excellent

c)Good
d) Average

e) Bad

66

Conclusion
Big bazaar offers a wide variety of products of different prices and different quality
satisfying most of the customer.
Prices and offers in big bazaar have been one of the main attraction and reason for its
popularity. The price ranges and the product offered are very satisfying to the customer.
Considering the fact that there are huge middle class familier in India big bazaar had a
huge impact on the middle class section of India, the price, variety and sales strategy
has helped in getting the middle income group getting attract toward big bazaar.
The store layout and the assortment of goods is not the best at big bazaar customer find
it hard to find what they require, this needs desire of customer.

67

Customers are not aware and hence dont avail added service provided by the store.
Customers are more satisfied with the merchandising present in the food bazaar and
house hold utensils section.
Big bazaar are not acclaimed for high class services the staffs requited is not very well
trained and the billing queues take a long time to move, this irritates customers which
makes them visit the store more seldom.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS:
Kishore Biyani (2007) , It Happened In India (1 st edition), Rupa publications.
Stephen covey (1994), The seven Habbits of Highly Effective People (6 th edition),
Simon&Schuster UK Ltd.
Anthony Robins(1992), Awaken The Gaint Within you (1 st edition), Simon&Schuster UK
Ltd.
Robbins, Stephen P. (2004), Organizational Behaviour (10 th edition), Prentice-Hall India.

Websites:
www.pantaloon.com
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www.futuregroup.com
www.pantaloonretail.in
www.bigbazar.org

69