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Declaration
This is to certify that this research report titled A Study on Consumer Perception towards
Planet Sports and Newly Launched Brands Awareness Level is based on my original research
work, conducted under the guidance of Mr. Priyank Sahay (Senior Manager-Category, Sports
Division, Future Lifestyle Fashion Ltd.) and Mr. Dibyendu Bikash Datta (CC, FMS, NIFT,
Kolkata) towards partial fulfillment of the requirement for award of the Masters Degree in
Fashion Management, of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata. No part of this
work has been copied from any other source. Material, wherever borrowed has been duly
acknowledged.
Indranil Saha
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Acknowledgement
Apart from the researchers efforts, the success of any project depends largely on the
encouragement and guidelines of many others. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to
the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this project. The guidance
and support received from all the respondents, store managers and area heads of Planet Sports,
who contributed to this project, was the main element for the success of the project. I am grateful
for their constant support and help. I also express my gratitude towards other faculty members of
FMS department, NIFT, Kolkata for encouraging and giving me valuable advices.
Above all, the moral support of my family and friends was the most instrumental in achievement
a satisfactory level in this project. Last but not the least; I would like to thank Mr. Priyank
Sahay, my industry mentor and Mr. Dibyendu Bikash Datta, my faculty guide who more than a
guide were mentors to me, guiding, motivating, encouraging and supporting me all through the
project. Their prompt reply to my queries and valuable suggestions contributed tremendously to
my project.
Indranil Saha
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Table of Contents
1.
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 1
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................... 70
9.
ANNEXURES......................................................................................................................................... 72
1. INTRODUCTION
Future Group is among India's leading business houses with multiple businesses spanning
across the consumption space. The group operates some of India's leading retail chains like Big
Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Central, Planet Sports, Home Town and eZone and also has allied
businesses in consumer finance, life and non-life insurance, logistics infrastructure and supply
chain and brand and IPR development. The group operates around 16 million square feet of retail
space in over 85 cities and towns and 60 rural locations across India. The group's retail formats
connect over 220 million customers to over 30,000 small, medium and large enterprises that
supply products and services to its retail chains. Future Group believes in developing strong
insights on Indian consumers and building businesses based on Indian ideas, as espoused in the
group's core value of Indianness.'The group's corporate credo is, 'Rewrite rules, Retain values.
Planet Sports is India's largest multi-brand sports and lifestyle specialty retail chain.
Planet Sports offers the largest collection of International sports and lifestyle brands. Planet
Sports stores have extensive offerings for sportswear and equipment across all categories
including running, tennis, training, golf, fitness, basketball, motor sports as well as other lifestyle
products. Also available at the Planet Sports stores are lifestyle products across categories like
footwear, apparel, accessories and sports equipment. Planet Sports prides itself for the sports
expertise it has built over time and also for having introduced renowned brands across sports
categories like swimming, tennis, squash, badminton, soccer, golf and basketball. Planet Sports
brand portfolio includes leading sports brands like Converse, Speedo, Spalding, Adidas, Puma
and Nike. Planet Sports have recently launched two brands namely Umbro and Champion in
India. Planet Sports strives to provide integrated, reliable and cost efficient sports offerings to
Indian consumers and augment Indias sports culture.
Consumer perception applies the concept of sensory perception to marketing and
advertising. Just as sensory perception relates to how humans perceive and process sensory
stimuli through their five senses, consumer perception pertains to how individuals form opinions
about companies and the merchandise they offer through the purchases they make. Planet sports
requires to understand the consumer perception towards itself so that it can identify where does it
positioned in consumers mindset.
1.1.
1.2.
Planet Sports follows Spring-Summer (January-June) and Autumn-Winter (JulyDecember) seasons in the stores. The back end team starts working on a season almost twelve
months before the season begins. For an example the back end team of Planet Sports would start
working for AW2015 in the month of August, 2014. The entire process starts with analyzing the
sales data of the same season of previous year. Based on the analyzed sales data yearly budgeting
and planning are done. Several levels of budgeting happen before the range is developed.
Budgeting is done at brand level as well as category level. Depending upon the category level
budgeting the options and quantities are planned and store wise targets are set. After the option
planning is done, the data is forwarded to the design team.
The design team goes through various fashion journals and forecasting articles, analyses
the market and creates designs accordingly for the season. After the data regarding options and
quantities is received the design team starts creating the range for the season. They create options
per style according to the plan. After the range is developed, the designs are sent to the vendors
for sample making. After the samples are received, the team gives a presentation featuring the
samples of the range to the CEO. During the presentation suggestions and modifications on the
designs are noted down and the revised designs are sent for sampling. At the same time design
team works on the final Catalogue with the help of merchandising department. The merchandiser
team develops datasheets containing images of the products, style names, color options, vendors,
costs etc. The final catalogue contains merchandize specific key information like CAD
Illustration, Color options, Style name, Fabric, Content. While the catalogue for the season is
being processed, the MRPs are decided and added to the catalogue. Various determinants of
MRP are Costs, Margin and Market Demand. Top & Bottom Line Achievements indicate lower
price/unit and more sales in terms of quantity and higher price/unit and more sales in terms of
monetary value.
According to the planned quantities the orders are placed to the vendors. Planning is done
based on the previous years sales pattern. The technical team of Planet Sports starts feeding data
in the system. ERP software (SAP-System, Application & Products) helps in generating the
Articles. Information regarding costing, MRP are mentioned in the database. After the process is
done Purchase Order (PO) is raised. Barcode numbers are generated and hand tags are made.
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Allocation of the merchandize is done based on the previous seasons performance of the stores.
Stores are graded as Z+, Z, A+, A, B and C (Z+ being the best and C being the worst). Base
Stock is set according to previous seasons sales and quantity that is coming in to the store.
There are two channels for selling the merchandise-Retail & Distribution. Retail consists
of the various formats associated with Planet Sports and owned by Future Group. The formats
are Planet Sports (Stand Alone stores), Central (seamless mall), Brand Factory (Discount Store),
I am in (Departmental Store). Distribution consists of the Online Retailers (e.g. Myntra.com,
Jabong.com, Flipkart.com etc.) and the local distributors. Road show is organised to interact with
the buyers. For the road shows buy forms are made. A buy form contains all information of
merchandise. Size wise blank fields are given so that the potential buyers can mention order
quantity in those fields. In case the order quantity placed by the buyers is less than the order
placed for manufacturing, the extra allocation of the merchandise is moved to the retail formats
and if the order quantity placed by the buyers is more than the order placed for manufacturing,
the order cannot be taken and that situation is noted for future reference and learning.
Before and after the mass manufacturing process starts multi-level quality check and
sampling process is done. Each material of the merchandise is tested separately and they are
sealed for mass production only after they are approved. Mass production starts only after Fit
Samples, Reference Samples, and Wash Test Samples and Pre production samples are approved.
After the production is over, the merchandises are then shipped to the centralized warehouse
which is situated at Bhiwandi, Mumbai. From the vendors end an ASN (advance Shipment
Notice) is raised so as to get an appointment from the warehouse. For the retail formats STOs
(Stock Transfer Order) are generated. Four steps are involved in this process so as to confirm
that the store has received the merchandize at pre-allocated quantity. The steps are Order,
Warehouse Delivery, Goods Issued (to the store) and GRN (Good Receipt Note). Order ensures
if the order is placed to the warehouse. Warehouse Delivery ensures that the warehouse
personnel have started working on the packing and the shipment of the order and they are ready
to be shipped. Goods issued ensure that the order is shipped to the stores and GRN ensures that
the store has received the order. For the distribution channels sales order is placed and bills are
generated.
Once the season starts sales data is retrieved from the retail formats as well as the
distribution channels on daily basis and DSR (Daily Sales Report) is stored in the database.
While the season comes to an end the sales for the current season is analyzed and discounts and
offers for End of Season Sale are decided. The EOSS happens in the month of January & July for
the season Autumn-Winter & Spring-Summer respectively.
2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
2.1.
Primary Objective
To study the consumer perception of Planet Sports and the recognition level of
newly launched brands
2.2.
Secondary Objectives
To identify the factors affecting the purchase intention of Planet Sports consumers
To study the buying pattern particularly with respect to the demographic factors
To identify the recognition level of newly launched foreign brands in the store
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1.
Research Type
This research is conducted in order to collect primary data and reach the objective of the
dissertation. The type of the research is Exploratory as well as Descriptive. Exploratory research
is research conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined (Patricia M. Shields, 2013).
Exploratory research often relies on secondary research such as reviewing available literature
and/or data, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with consumers, employees,
management or competitors, and more formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus
groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot studies. The results of exploratory research are
not usually useful for decision-making by themselves, but they can provide significant insight
into a given situation. Although the results of qualitative research can give some indication as to
the "why", "how" and "when" something occurs, it cannot tell us "how often" or "how many".
Exploratory research is not typically generalizable to the population at large. Descriptive
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research or statistical research provides data about the population or universe being studied. But
it can only describe the "who, what, when, where and how" of a situation, not what caused it.
Therefore, descriptive research is used when the objective is to provide a systematic description
that is as factual and accurate as possible. It provides the number of times something occurs, or
frequency, lends itself to statistical calculations such as determining the average number of
occurrences or central tendencies (Descriptive Research). This type of research methods requires
quantifiable data involving numerical and statistical explanations. Quantitative analysis hinges
on researchers understanding the assumptions inherent within different statistical models. It
generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers(Ellis, 1993). The
presentation of data is through tables containing data in the form of numbers and statistics. The
primary intention was to collect secondary data and analyze it. After that primary data was
collected through a survey. The main purpose of the survey is to collect data about the consumer
perception of Planet Sports and the recognition level of newly launched brands. The factors
affecting the purchase intention of Planet Sports consumers, the buying pattern particularly with
respect to the demographic factors and the recognition level of newly launched foreign brands in
the store are the secondary objectives of the research.
3.2.
Sampling Unit
Samples for the study consisted of the customers of Planet Sports stores all over India.
Convenience samples are drawn from the customers making purchase in the Planet Sports stores.
This segment of population was selected as they actually made purchase from the store and it
was assumed that they could evaluate the factors with respect to their purchase experience.
3.3.
The Planet sports stores of India are divided into four zones-East, West, North and South.
Stores which have relatively higher conversion rate were selected for the study and the
questionnaires were circulated among those stores only. The stores of Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri
and Shillong represented the East Zone, the stores of Mumbai and Pune represented West Zone,
The stores of Bangalore represented South Zone and the stores of Delhi, NCR and Chandigarh
represented the North Zone of India.
3.4.
Sampling Size
Since there was time and accessibility constrains a sample size of 500 thought to be an
adequate one. 125 valid responds from the stores of East, West, North and South zones of India
were planned to be taken into account. Only 370 questionnaires could be received from east,
west and north zones. Among them 357 valid questionnaires were chosen and the research is
performed.
3.5.
Research Instruments
The main tool for this study is questionnaire. The questionnaire aims to gather
information about respondents demographic background, perception about Planet Sports and the
recognition level of the newly launched brands. Besides, various aspects like products, service
and branding strategies of the EBOs of major sports brands in Mumbai were also observed to do
a SWOT analysis of Planet Sports stores.
3.6.
The data derived from the responses of the questionnaire is analyzed. The main statistical
analysis is descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and mean are calculated to
describe respondents background and purchase patterns involved with Planet Sports and their
opinion about the newly launched brands. Besides, the dependency between various variables is
analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Data Editor Software.
3.7.
When collecting data to approach the purpose of a research there are two ways in which
the data can be collected. In order to acquire a general knowledge about the topic, secondary data
is primarily used and this is one of the ways by which data can be collected. The second way to
collect data is the primary data collection. Usually when a study is conducted, secondary data is
not sufficient enough and needs to be completed with primary data which is collected by the
research. In this research study secondary data is collected from the previous research papers and
articles on the similar area to find out the background of sports industry of India, the key factors
of consumer perception and primary data is collected through a questionnaire survey so as to
gather response from the Planet Sports customers.
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4. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
4.1.
Consumer Perception
The perceptions consumers have of a business and its products or service have a dramatic
effect on buying behavior. Thats why businesses spend so much money marketing themselves,
honing their customer service and doing whatever else they can to favorably influence the
perceptions of target consumers. With careful planning and execution, a business can influence
those perceptions and foster profitable consumer behaviors.(Stan Mack, 2010)
4.2.1. Influencing Perception
Consumers continually synthesize all the information they have about a company to form
a decision about whether that company offers value. In a sense, consumer perception is an
approximation of reality, notes the book Consumer Behaviour, by Atul Kr. Sharma. Businesses
attempt to influence this perception of reality, sometimes through trickery and manipulation but
often just by presenting themselves in the best possible light. For example, advertisements often
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trumpet the quality and convenience of a product or service, hoping to foster a consumer
perception of high value, which can pay off with increased sales. (Sharma, 2006)
4.2.2. Reaching Consumers
A key factor in influencing consumer perception is exposure. The more information
consumers have about a product, the more comfortable they are buying it. As a result, businesses
do all they can to publicize their offerings. However, this causes a problem: When every
business bombards consumers with marketing messages, consumers tend to tune out. To
influence consumer perception, a business not only must expose its product to consumers, it also
must make its product stand out from the crowd.
4.2.3. Risk Perception
Consumer risk perception is another factor businesses must take into account when trying
to encourage buying behaviors. The more risky a proposition is, the more difficult it is to get
consumers to act. If consumers arent familiar with a brand of product, they cant assess the risk
involved; it could be poorly built, for instance, or too costly compared to substitutes. Businesses
can overcome this hesitancy by offering as much product information as possible in the form of
advertisements or by encouraging product reviews. Allowing potential customers to handle the
product in stores or test it at home also decreases risk perception, as does offering a flexible
return policy.(Satish K Batra, 2009)
4.2.4. Customer Retention
Successful businesses dont relax once a customer makes a purchase. Rather, they
continue to foster perceptions that result in profitable behaviors. Once consumers have tried a
product, the task becomes maintaining a good reputation and establishing brand loyalty. Offering
superior customer service is an effective tactic because it maintains the perception that the
business cares about its customers best interests. In return, customers become loyal to the
business, which secures a consistent revenue stream for the company and makes it more difficult
for competitors to poach customers.
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4.3.
Customers that are satisfied with a product or business have an overall good perception of
that product or business. When consumers' perceptions are good, they will continue purchasing
goods from this company. These customers also will avoid spreading disappointing experiences
to others. Consumer perceptions are based on feelings. A customer perception measurement is an
important tool used by companies that expresses how well the companies are satisfying
customers.(VanBaren, 2010)
Perform market research on your company's products. When measuring customer
perceptions, the first step a company should take is to identify what customers are actually
buying and why.
Create a survey to give customers. The only way to measure and increase customer's
positive perceptions of your company is to ask customer's how they feel about your company. By
creating a survey, information directly from the customer can be recorded. In order for the
survey to be successful, it should contain several key elements. The survey must be relatively
simple and short. The survey must also be created in a way that would allow actionable reports to
be generated from the information it contains.
Analyze survey results. After surveys are distributed and re-collected, the company
should analyze the results. When analyzing results, it must be remembered that customer
perception is subjective. It varies immensely from person to person and one particular
measurement may not be appropriate for the entire sample taken.
Measure the results. After the results are analyzed, the information should be measured.
This is accomplished by answering several key questions related to the objective. The results of
the survey can be compared to results of previous surveys. Each time a survey is conducted the
results should become better.
4.4.
concrete factors of price and quality to less tangible factors such a consumer's view of the
manufacturer's reputation, experience with service and the quality of packaging and branding, a
number of complex and interrelated psychological factors determine a consumer's perception of
goods and services.(Mercer, 2009)
4.4.1. Price
Price has a complex effect on consumer perception. On the one hand, consumers
appreciate a bargain and are often likely to favor an economically-priced item. On the other,
consumers often perceive very inexpensive items as cheap, ultimately damaging a consumer's
view of a product even if the product remains the same and the consumer is benefited from a
price reduction. Especially sophisticated or skeptical consumers are even prone to distrust a
product that is considerably cheaper than the alternatives. As a result, price should be part of a
comprehensive marketing plan, where even inexpensive products are depicted as favorable
alternatives with similar levels of quality to the competition, with a price that is somewhat lower
but still comparable with other possibilities.
4.4.2. Quality
The actual quality of a product is a vital part of a consumer's perception of a good or
service. Quality can describe any attribute in a set of characteristics that satisfy or disappoint a
consumer, including usability, reliability and durability. Marketing can influence a consumer's
perception of quality, but, in the end, and particularly with non-durable goods, a consumer's
actual experience with a product will determine his perception of quality. Outside the realm of
mass communication, word of mouth regarding quality also travels very quickly.
4.4.3. Service Quality
Even in the case of goods that exhibit numerous flaws, excellent service quality can often
overshadow a negative experience with the product itself. If a consumer feels that he receives
exceptional attention when encountering a problem with a product, that consumer is somewhat
more likely to trust the brand or product knowing that the manufacturer or retailer provides a
prompt and effective response to problems. Humans are social animals and their consumer
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behavior is often determined by the social relationships that surround a product, including
interactions with customer service representatives.
4.4.4. Packaging and Branding
Packaging and branding have a huge effect on consumer perceptions, particularly at the
point of purchase. Especially when consumers are purchasing a type of product for the first time,
the way the product is presented can wholly determine their perception of the item. Packaging
and branding, of course, cover everything from the attractiveness and display quality of an item
to the attributes of a product the manufacturer chooses to highlight. Depending on the type of
product and market, different branding messages from tough and reliable to fine and luxurious
can be appropriate and effective.
4.4.5. Reputation
A product's reputation is built up over time and is usually a combination of actual
experience with the product, word-of-mouth recommendations and marketing campaigns that
attempt to establish a status or shared view of the product or brand. A consumer's perception of a
product's reputation, moreover, is not only determined by the product's brand identity and
manufacturer but by the whole chain of distribution. Even if a consumer trusts a product's
manufacturer, for example, that consumer may change his mind about the product upon seeing it
available in a retailer he associates with cheap, defective products.(Ha, 2004)
4.5.
The marketing research process seeks to identify consumer perceptions and attitudes in
order to create successful products and promotional campaigns. Several research methods, such
as the Likert scale, measure consumer attitudes in a quantitative fashion. Other methods, such as
shadowing and behavior mapping, use qualitative observational data in order to interpret
consumer perceptions. Regardless of the research methods that are used, the process of
uncovering consumer perceptions and attitudes involves defining the problem, developing a
research plan, collecting the information, analyzing the information, and making a strategic
decision.(Keller, 2006)
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(Adidas, Reebok, Nike and Puma) global players, which have over 80% market share of the
organized market, with several others such as Fila and Lotto ramping up their presence.These
brands face competition from multi-brand sportswear retailers such as Planet Sports and Royal
Sporting House (RSH).
4.6.3. Major Sports Brands of India
Company
Apparel
Footwear
Accessories
Bata
Liberty
India
Woodland
Planet Sports
Adidas AG
Nike Inc
Puma AG
Fila
Rockport
Kappa
International
The Indian sportswear market is poised for strong growth over the next few years.
Several factors, including a booming middle-class population, a paradigm shift in consumers
attitude to health and fitness, an increase in the number of sports events and the growth of
organized retail are driving this market. Recent changes in government regulations on FDI in
retail, passed by the Union Cabinet, are expected to give a further impetus to the organized
sportswear market. The Government has increased FDI in single-brand retail from 51% to 100%
with conditions largely around domestic sourcing.
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initiated their online shops in India. Companies such as Puma and Nike have partnered with
online retailers such as Myntra and Jabong to expand their distribution beyond conventional
multi-brand outlets and large retailers.
Sports merchandising
Sports merchandising is an emerging concept in India. Brands have successfully tapped
the market by associating themselves with popular sports such as cricket, and using popular
sportspersons as their brand ambassadors for clothes, shoes and other products. Moreover, with
the debut of new sports such as Formula 1 (F1), brands such as Puma have begun stocking
collections inspired by F1 racing. Nike, the official apparel sponsor of the Indian National
Cricket Team since 2005, has extended its contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) for a period of five years. Other brands such as Reebok, Lotto and Puma are also cashing
in on the popularity of cricket by hopping on to the IPL bandwagon.
Product innovation
The sportswear industry has been witnessing significant innovation in the premium as
well as the mass segment. Brands such as Reebok have introduced new products such as
Easytone and Zigtech, and Nike the DriFIT apparel technology.
Lifestyle positioning
The sports lifestyle business has been growing at 30%40% per annum. Players are
increasingly positioning their sportswear brands as lifestyle products by collaborating with wellknown designers such as Manish Malhotra, Shantanu, Nikhil and Aki Narula. Other apparel
retailers such as S Kumars Nationwide and Reliance Retail have also forayed into the lifestyle
sportswear market.
Targeting hot spots of consumption
Having covered large cities, sportswear brands are now trying to ramp up their presence
in tier-II and tier-III cities. Companies are using a reduced pricing and localization strategy to
drive sales in these cities. In addition to investing in brick-and-mortar stores, they are also
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reaching out to these cities through online channels that are contributing increasingly to the
overall revenues of such players.
4.6.6. Key Drivers
Awareness
of health
and fitness
Growing
middle
class
population
Growth in
organized
retail
Increase in
sporting
events
Convenience Sampling
the population as a whole, and it might be biased by volunteers. For example, a study to
determine the average age and sex of gamblers at a casino that is conducted for three hours on a
weekday afternoon might be overrepresented by elderly people who have retired and
underrepresented by people of working age. This is also called accidental sampling. (What is
Convenience Sampling?)
5.2.
Hypothesis Testing
A statistical hypothesis test is a method of making decisions using data from a scientific
study. In statistics, a result is called statistically significant if it has been predicted as unlikely to
have occurred by chance alone, according to a pre-determined threshold probability, the
significance level. The phrase "test of significance" was coined by statistician Ronald Fisher.
These tests are used in determining what outcomes of a study would lead to a rejection of the
null hypothesis for a pre-specified level of significance; this can help to decide whether results
contain enough information to cast doubt on conventional wisdom, given that conventional
wisdom has been used to establish the null hypothesis. The critical region of a hypothesis test is
the set of all outcomes which cause the null hypothesis to be rejected in favor of the alternative
hypothesis (Kaye & Freedman, 2011). Statistical hypothesis testing is sometimes called
confirmatory data analysis, in contrast to exploratory data analysis, which may not have prespecified hypotheses. Statistical hypothesis testing is a key technique of frequentist inference.
Statistical hypothesis tests define a procedure that controls (fixes) the probability of
incorrectly deciding that a default position (null hypothesis) is incorrect based on how likely it
would be for a set of observations to occur if the null hypothesis were true. Note that this
probability of making an incorrect decision is not the probability that the null hypothesis is true,
nor whether any specific alternative hypothesis is true. This contrasts with other possible
techniques of decision theory in which the null and alternative hypothesis are treated on a more
equal basis. One naive Bayesian approach to hypothesis testing is to base decisions on the
posterior probability (Schervish, 1996). But this fails when comparing point and continuous
hypotheses. Other approaches to decision making, such as Bayesian decision theory, attempt to
balance the consequences of incorrect decisions across all possibilities, rather than concentrating
on a single null hypothesis. A number of other approaches to reaching a decision based on data
are available via decision theory and optimal decisions, some of which have desirable properties,
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yet hypothesis testing is a dominant approach to data analysis in many fields of science.
Extensions to the theory of hypothesis testing include the study of the power of tests, which
refers to the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis when a given state of nature
exists. Such considerations can be used for the purpose of sample size determination prior to the
collection of data.
5.3.
A chi-squared test, also referred to as chi-square test or w test, is any statistical hypothesis
test in which the sampling distribution of the test statistic is a chi-squared distribution when the
null hypothesis is true. Also considered a chi-squared test is a test in which this is asymptotically
true, meaning that the sampling distribution (if the null hypothesis is true) can be made to
approximate a chi-squared distribution as closely as desired by making the sample size large
enough.
One case where the distribution of the test statistic is an exact chi-squared distribution is the
test that the variance of a normally distributed population has a given value based on a sample
variance. Such a test is uncommon in practice because values of variances to test against are
seldom known exactly. (Corder, 2009)
If a sample of size n is taken from a population having a normal distribution, then there is a
result (see distribution of the sample variance) which allows a test to be made of whether the
variance of the population has a pre-determined value. For example, a manufacturing process
might have been in stable condition for a long period, allowing a value for the variance to be
determined essentially without error. Suppose that a variant of the process is being tested, giving
rise to a small sample of n product items whose variation is to be tested. The test statistic T in
this instance could be set to be the sum of squares about the sample mean, divided by the
nominal value for the variance (i.e. the value to be tested as holding). Then T has a chi-squared
distribution with n 1 degrees of freedom. For example if the sample size is 21, the acceptance
region for T for a significance level of 5% is the interval 9.59 to 34.17. (Weisstein, 2012)
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5.4.
Pie Chart
A pie chart (or a circle graph) is a circular chart divided into sectors, illustrating numerical
proportion. In a pie chart, the arc length of each sector (and consequently its central angle and
area), is proportional to the quantity it represents. While it is named for its resemblance to a pie
which has been sliced, there are variations on the way it can be presented. The earliest known pie
chart is generally credited to William Playfair's Statistical Breviary of 1801. (Cleveland, 1985)
Pie charts are very widely used in the business world and the mass media. However, they have
been criticized, and many experts recommend avoiding them, pointing out that research has
shown it is difficult to compare different sections of a given pie chart, or to compare data across
different pie charts. Pie charts can be replaced in most cases by other plots such as the bar chart.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis is a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats of an organization. SWOT is a basic, straightforward model that assesses what an
organization can and cannot do as well as its potential opportunities and threats
(INVESTOPEDIA). SWOT Analysis of Planet Sports has been done based on observation of
Planet Sports stores and EBOs of major sports brands of India. Various articles regarding Indian
Sportswear industry were also gone through.
Strength
Planet Sports is India's largest multi-brand sports and lifestyle specialty retail chain
Planet Sports stores have extensive offerings for sportswear and equipment across all
categories as well as other lifestyle products
Planet Sports belongs to a Strong Parent Company Future Group which has a strong
Retail Presence in India
Variety of products and brands under single window increasing the chances of
customer time and choices
Planet Sports provides sports offerings to Indian consumers and augment Indias sports
culture
Weakness
Lower Price Points for Agency Brands resulting in high quantity sales but lesser turnover (Opportunity Loss)
Less of promotional activities done by Planet Sports and not much of advertisement
Excessive inventory
Opportunity
Growing awareness of sports and fitness among the population in India, especially in
Metros
Product expansion in areas like sports accessories and equipment (soccer ball,
mountaineering equipment etc.) which may give high profit
Enhance brand visibility by collaborating with major sports academies and national
sports events across India for nurturing young talent
Training sessions for the sales representatives regarding product specification and
SOP of the store
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Threat
100% FDI in single Brand Retail causing more Brands setting up their own Exclusive
Outlets
Harsh competition and to keep-up with the competitions efforts will cost a lot of money
and pressure on marketing and R&D
Footwear market is highly competitive, major competition from low end brands
available online
Fake imitations and replicas of renowned brands and logos often cause a problem
Adaption of new techniques and innovation in the EBOs of the major sports brands
6.2.
Research Results
Gender
Gender
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Male
Female
Total
6.2.1.2.
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
298
83.5
83.5
83.5
59
16.5
16.5
100.0
357
100.0
100.0
Age Group
Age
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Under 20 Years
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
74
20.7
21.3
21.3
20-25 Years
117
32.8
33.7
55.0
26-30 Years
44
12.3
12.7
67.7
31-40 Years
64
17.9
18.4
86.2
41-50 Years
31
8.7
8.9
95.1
51-60 Years
13
3.6
3.7
98.8
1.1
1.2
100.0
347
97.2
100.0
Above 60 Years
Total
24
Missing
System
Total
6.2.1.3.
10
2.8
357
100.0
Education Qualification
Education
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
2.0
2.0
2.0
60
16.8
16.9
18.8
178
49.9
50.0
68.8
Master Degree
88
24.6
24.7
93.5
Doctorate Degree
12
3.4
3.4
96.9
Others
11
3.1
3.1
100.0
356
99.7
100.0
.3
357
100.0
Bachelor Degree
Total
System
Total
6.2.1.4.
Valid Percent
High School
Missing
Percent
Occupation
Occupation
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Student
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
134
37.5
38.0
38.0
Housewife
17
4.8
4.8
42.8
Employee
128
35.9
36.3
79.0
Entrepreneur
30
8.4
8.5
87.5
Government Official
22
6.2
6.2
93.8
Others
22
6.2
6.2
100.0
353
98.9
100.0
1.1
357
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
25
6.2.1.5.
Monthly Income
MonthlyIncome
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
28.9
36.8
36.8
20,000-30,000
60
16.8
21.4
58.2
30,001-40,000
37
10.4
13.2
71.4
40,001-50,000
21
5.9
7.5
78.9
50,001-60,000
16
4.5
5.7
84.6
43
12.0
15.4
100.0
280
78.4
100.0
77
21.6
357
100.0
System
Total
6.2.1.6.
Valid Percent
103
Total
Missing
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
250
70.0
74.4
74.4
No
86
24.1
25.6
100.0
336
94.1
100.0
21
5.9
357
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Total
Demographic Inference:The above table provides the insights of the demographic profile of the
respondents. The sample size for the study was of 357 respondents which includes 298 males and
59 females. Major population of the sample belongs to 20-25 years of age. 50% of the
respondents have bachelor degree as educational qualification and majorly the respondents are
either students or working as an employee. Major population of the sample lies in the monthly
income group of Less than 20,000 INR and 20,000-30,000 INR. 74.4% respondents are into
sports activities where it was found that the respondents associated with sport activities are
mostly into Football and Cricket.
26
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
North
126
35.3
35.3
35.3
East
126
35.3
35.3
70.6
West
105
29.4
29.4
100.0
Total
357
100.0
100.0
Inference:
The questionnaires were circulated among the stand alone stores of Planet Sports all over
India; however, data from three zones (i.e. North, East and West) could only be received and
analyzed. It is seen that 35.3% of the responds have come from the Northern part of India which
includes the stores of Delhi, NCR and Chandigarh and the Eastern part of India which includes
the stores of Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Shillong. 29.41% of responds have come from the
Western part of India which includes the stores of Pune.
27
Code
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Range
99-2853
2854-5606
5607-8360
8361-11114
11115-13868
13869-16621
16622-19375
19376-22129
22130-24882
24883-27636
Missing
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
1.00
201
56.3
56.8
56.8
2.00
123
34.5
34.7
91.5
3.00
19
5.3
5.4
96.9
4.00
1.4
1.4
98.3
5.00
.6
.6
98.9
7.00
.3
.3
99.2
8.00
.6
.6
99.7
10.00
.3
.3
100.0
Total
354
99.2
100.0
.8
357
100.0
System
28
Inference:
The above graph clearly shows that maximum (56.78%) billing amount is from 99-2853 INR
and 34.75% respondents made purchase of 2854-5606 INR. It is clear from the figures that there
is a huge potential of the products which are priced below 6000 INR.
6.2.4. Consumer Perception of Planet Sports
6.2.4.1.
Shopping frequency
ShoppingFrequency
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
Once in a Month
131
36.7
36.9
36.9
144
40.3
40.6
77.5
Once in a Year
44
12.3
12.4
89.9
More Frequently
36
10.1
10.1
100.0
355
99.4
100.0
.6
357
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
29
Inference:
The above graph and tables shows the shopping frequency of the respondents. Major
population of the sample (40.56%) visit Planet Sports once in six months and 36.9% visit Planet
Sports once in a Month. From the above data we can infer that there is a major possibility of a
customer to visit Planet Sports is six times in six months.
6.2.4.2.
Valid
Valid Percent
Percent
Apparels
73
20.4
20.6
20.6
Footwear
150
42.0
42.3
62.8
Accessories
27
7.6
7.6
70.4
Sports Equipment
38
10.6
10.7
81.1
2.2
2.3
83.4
59
16.5
16.6
100.0
355
99.4
100.0
.6
All
Apparels & Footwear
Total
Missing
Percent
System
30
Inference:
The above graph shows that the Planet Sports 42.3% customers purchase Footwear and
20.5% population of the sample purchase apparels from the store. 7.6% of the respondents
purchase sports equipments and it is seen that 16.6% respondents purchase both Apparels and
Footwear. From the data it can be inferred that the management can mainly focuson the footwear
and apparels category. The accessories and sports equipments section should offer more
versatility in terms of product offerings and price points so as to attract the customers to the
mentioned departments.
31
6.2.4.3.
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
Newspaper
20
5.6
5.7
5.7
Hoardings
74
20.7
21.2
26.9
Friends
197
55.2
56.4
83.4
Others
58
16.2
16.6
100.0
349
97.8
100.0
2.2
357
100.0
Total
Missing
Percent
System
Inference:
The above pie chart shows that 56.4% of the population from the sample size gets to know
about the store from friends through word-of-mouth communication process. A major section of
the respondents i.e. 16.62% says that they got to see the store through walk in to the shopping
area or the mall. It is clear from the data that the management should increase the promotion and
branding of the store and its agency brands in the print and visual media so as to increase the
awareness.
32
6.2.4.4.
Valid
Low Price
Percent
9.8
9.9
9.9
Better Quality
130
36.4
36.8
46.7
Variety of Products
131
36.7
37.1
83.9
51
14.3
14.4
98.3
1.7
1.7
100.0
353
98.9
100.0
1.1
357
100.0
Others
Total
Total
Valid Percent
35
Various Brands
Missing
Percent
System
Inference:
The above table of data and the bar graph represent the driving factors which influence the
customer to purchase from Planet sports. 36.83% and 37.11% of the sample says they find better
quality and a variety of products respectively in the Planet Sports stores.
33
6.2.4.5.
Inference:
The above graph represents the approximate amount that a customer spends during shopping.
It is seen that 23.45% of the respondents shop within the price bracket of 2501-3500 INR. A
major section of the respondents (20.62%) spends 1500-2500 INR while shopping. It was seen
that the respond percentages are almost equal within the range of 1500 to 5500 INR which
supports the percentage variation of the billing amount distribution.
34
6.2.4.6.
Inference:
The above graph answers whether the customers finds wide range of products in one product
category. 68.56% of the sample agrees that Planet Sports provide wide range of products in one
product category. 20.11% of the sample says there are not many options in product categories
where 7.082% completely disagrees with the fact that Planet Sports provide wide range of
products in one product category.
35
6.2.4.7.
Valid
Effective
Not Effective
Good
No Interaction
Total
Missing
Total
System
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
162
45.4
45.6
45.6
.6
.6
46.2
190
53.2
53.5
99.7
.3
.3
100.0
355
99.4
100.0
.6
357
100.0
Inference:
The above graph tells about the sales representatives interaction within the store. Whether
the interaction is effective enough to make a purchase decision or not is aimed to be found out
from the above data. 45.63% sample says that the interaction was effective and 53.52% says that
it was good enough to make a purchase decision. The data gives a very strong and positive
feedback regarding the sales representatives interaction in the store.
36
6.2.4.8.
Yes
No
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
352
98.6
98.6
98.6
1.4
1.4
100.0
357
100.0
100.0
Inference:
The above table and graph represent whether the customer feels satisfied after they make a
purchase from Planet Sports. 98.6% of the sample says that they feel satisfied after shopping at
Planet sports which is again a very positive indication regarding the store from the consumers
point of view.
37
6.2.4.9.
Product quality
ProductQuality
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Percent
197
55.2
55.6
55.6
Average
145
40.6
41.0
96.6
12
3.4
3.4
100.0
354
99.2
100.0
.8
357
100.0
Total
Total
Valid Percent
Excellent
Below Average
Missing
Percent
System
Inference:
The above table and graph show the customers view on how Planet Sports is maintaining
product quality compared to the other retail stores. A scale of three heads (excellent, average &
below average) is given to get response. 55.65% respondents say that they find the quality of the
Planet Sports store excellent and 40.96% respondents say that they find it average.
38
Statistics
RatingPS
N
Valid
346
Missing
Mean
11
3.6301
Inference:
The above table and graph give the overall rating of the Planet Sports store compared to other
similar stores that offer sports products. A scale of five heads (1 to 5 representing low rating to
high) is given to get response. This includes all possible factors like ambience, look, smell, the
overall experience inside the store etc. 41.62% respondents rated Planet Sports between average
and high, however, the mean value comes out to be 3.63 from which it can be inferred that Planet
Sports store gets high rating from its customers.
39
Missing
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
224
62.7
65.1
65.1
No
120
33.6
34.9
100.0
Total
344
96.4
100.0
13
3.6
357
100.0
System
Inference:
The above table and graph indicate if the customer heard about the newly launched brands
(i.e. Umbro and Champion) ever. The result shows that 65.12% of the respondents heard about
the brands and 34.88% never heard about these two brands.
40
6.2.5.2.
Valid
326
Missing
Mean
31
2.2730
Inference:
The above table and graph indicate if the customer heard about the newly launched brands
(i.e. Umbro and Champion), how often they heard about it. 51.84% respondents say that it was
moderately often that they heard of the brands. A huge section of the respondents (37.73%) say
that it was not at all often that they heard about the brands.
41
6.2.5.3.
Missing
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
240
67.2
70.4
70.4
No
101
28.3
29.6
100.0
Total
341
95.5
100.0
16
4.5
357
100.0
System
Inference:
The above table and graph indicate if the customer was informed about the newly launched
brands (i.e. Umbro and Champion) and its products after he/she entered Planet Sports. The result
shows that 70.38% of the respondents were informed about the brands and 29.62% was never
informed about these two brands after they entered the store.
42
6.2.5.4.
Valid
336
Missing
Mean
21
2.1280
Inference:
The above table and graph give the data ofhow familiar the customer is with the newly
launched brands. Familiarity simply means the presence of knowledge (concept, product range
etc) regarding the brands. A scale of three heads (extremely familiar, moderately familiar and not
at all familiar) is given to get response. 65.18% respondents were moderately familiar with the
brands. The mean value (2.13) of the result supports the data.
43
6.2.5.5.
Percent
56
15.7
16.3
16.3
Hoardings
61
17.1
17.8
34.1
Television
63
17.6
18.4
52.5
122
34.2
35.6
88.0
41
11.5
12.0
100.0
343
96.1
100.0
14
3.9
357
100.0
Others
Total
Total
Valid Percent
Newspaper
Never Seen
Missing
Percent
System
Inference:
The above table and graph give the data of visibility of the newly launched brands in Media.
35.57% respondents never saw the advertisements of Umbro& Champion anywhere. 18.37% and
17.78% respondents say that the brands were visible on TV and hoardings respectively.
44
6.2.5.6.
Missing
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
Yes
154
43.1
44.5
44.5
No
192
53.8
55.5
100.0
Total
346
96.9
100.0
11
3.1
357
100.0
System
Total
Inference:
The above table and graph answers if the respondent has ever used the brands Umbro&
Champion. 55.49% respondents never used the brands Umbro and Champion and 44.51% says
that they have used the brands.
45
6.2.5.7.
Valid
Total
Valid Percent
Percent
Extremely Satisfied
59
16.5
27.1
27.1
Moderately Satisfied
133
37.3
61.0
88.1
26
7.3
11.9
100.0
Total
218
61.1
100.0
System
139
38.9
357
100.0
Missing
Percent
Inference:
The above table and graph answers if the respondent has ever used the brands Umbro&
Champion, whether they are satisfied with the products of the brands. 61.01% population of the
sample who had used the brands says that they are moderately satisfied with the new brand(s).
46
6.2.5.8.
Valid
Percent
16.5
18.4
18.4
2000-3000
123
34.5
38.4
56.9
3001-4000
78
21.8
24.4
81.3
4001-5000
38
10.6
11.9
93.1
5001-6000
15
4.2
4.7
97.8
2.0
2.2
100.0
320
89.6
100.0
37
10.4
357
100.0
Total
Total
Valid Percent
59
Missing
Percent
System
Inference:
The above table and graph give the data regarding the preferred price range a customer is
willing to pay for one unit of Performance sports shoes (running, training etc). The result says
the price bracket of 2000-3000 INR is most preferred price range for the same. 24.38%
respondents were also willing to spend 3001-4000 INR for the same category.
47
Percent
16.0
20.9
20.9
2000-3000
106
29.7
38.8
59.7
3001-4000
60
16.8
22.0
81.7
4001-5000
33
9.2
12.1
93.8
5001-6000
10
2.8
3.7
97.4
2.0
2.6
100.0
273
76.5
100.0
84
23.5
357
100.0
Total
Total
Valid Percent
57
Missing
Percent
System
Inference:
The above table and graph give the data regarding the preferred price range a customer is
willing to pay for one unit of lifestyle sports shoes (casual). The result says the price bracket of
2000-3000 INR is most preferred price range for the same. Almost similar percentage of
respondents is ready to pay 3001-4000 INR and Less than 2000 INR for the same category.
48
6.2.5.9.
49
Inference:
The above graphs show the most preferred brand for the Apparels, Footwear and Accessories
categories. According to the result Nike is the most preferred brand as 41.27%, 46.65% and
38.78% respondents choose Nike for apparels, footwear and accessories respectively.
Respondents have chosen Umbro more than Champion as preferred brand, however the
percentage of both brands are very less than the brands leading the list.
50
Valid
287
Missing
70
Mean
4.9199
UCRecommendation
Cumulative
Frequency
Valid
Missing
Total
Percent
Valid Percent
Percent
1.00
21
5.9
7.3
7.3
2.00
27
7.6
9.4
16.7
3.00
38
10.6
13.2
30.0
4.00
41
11.5
14.3
44.3
5.00
55
15.4
19.2
63.4
6.00
37
10.4
12.9
76.3
7.00
22
6.2
7.7
84.0
8.00
19
5.3
6.6
90.6
9.00
14
3.9
4.9
95.5
10.00
13
3.6
4.5
100.0
Total
287
80.4
100.0
70
19.6
357
100.0
System
51
Inference:
The above graph and tables give the information about how likely the customer would
recommend the newly launched brands to the peer groups. In order to get the respond a ten point
scale was used. And the mean value comes out to be 4.91 which tell that the recommendation
chance is neither extremely likely nor not at all likely as the mean value lies almost at the center
of the data range.
52
Variables:
Hypothesis:
H0: The often purchased product type does not depend on customers sports involvement
H1: The often purchased product type depends on customers sports involvement
Missing
Percent
334
93.6%
Total
Percent
23
6.4%
Percent
357
100.0%
SportActivitiesPerformed
PrefferedProductType * SportActivitiesPerformedCrosstabulation
Count
SportActivitiesPerformed
Yes
PrefferedProductType
No
Total
Apparels
56
11
67
Footwear
106
39
145
Accessories
18
25
Sports Equipment
29
36
34
20
54
248
86
334
All
Apparels & Footwear
Total
53
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig. (2Value
df
sided)
.180
Likelihood Ratio
7.673
.175
Linear-by-Linear
4.078
.043
Pearson Chi-Square
7.594
Association
N of Valid Cases
334
As the Pearson Chi square significant value is greater than the test significant value (0.05), we accept
null hypothesis.
Inference: The often purchased product type does not depend on customers sports involvement.
54
6.2.6.2.
Variables:
Billing Amount
Customers monthly income
Hypothesis:
H0: The billing amountdoes not depend on customers monthly income
H1: The billing amountdepends on customers monthly income
Missing
Percent
277
77.6%
MonthlyIncome
55
Total
Percent
80
22.4%
Percent
357
100.0%
More than
20,000
Recoded Billing Amount
Total
20,000-30,000
30,001-40,000
40,001-50,000
50,001-60,000
60,000
Total
1.00
66
31
17
10
15
146
2.00
27
25
13
25
106
3.00
19
4.00
5.00
7.00
10.00
103
58
36
21
16
43
277
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig. (2-
A
Value
df
sided)
30
.013
Likelihood Ratio
36.911
30
.180
Linear-by-Linear
6.799
.009
Pearson Chi-Square
49.957
Association
N of Valid Cases
277
. 29 cells (69.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .06.
56
As the Pearson Chi square significant value is greater than the test significant value (0.05), we accept
null hypothesis.
Inference: The billing amount does not depend on customers monthly income.
6.2.6.3.
Variables:
Hypothesis:
H0: The driving factor for purchase does not depend on Customers occupation
H1: The driving factor for purchase depends on customers occupation
Missing
Percent
350
98.0%
57
Total
Percent
7
2.0%
Percent
357
100.0%
Housewife
Employee
Entrepreneur
Official
Others
Total
Low Price
19
35
Better Quality
43
61
128
Variety of Products
51
36
15
14
130
Various Brands
19
21
51
134
16
127
29
22
22
350
Others
Total
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig. (2Value
df
sided)
20
.043
Likelihood Ratio
34.599
20
.022
Linear-by-Linear
.861
.353
Pearson Chi-Square
32.036
Association
N of Valid Cases
350
58
As the Pearson Chi square significant value is greater than the test significant value (0.05), we accept
null hypothesis.
Inference: The driving factor for purchase does not depend on Customers occupation
6.2.6.4.
Variables:
Hypothesis:
H0: The satisfaction factordoes not depend on customers sports involvement
H1: The satisfaction factor depends on customers sports involvement
59
Missing
Percent
336
94.1%
Total
Percent
21
5.9%
Percent
357
100.0%
SportActivitiesPerformed
Satisfaction * SportActivitiesPerformedCrosstabulation
Count
SportActivitiesPerformed
Yes
Satisfaction
Yes
No
Total
No
Total
247
84
331
250
86
336
Chi-Square Tests
Value
Pearson Chi-Square
Continuity Correction
Likelihood Ratio
sided)
sided)
sided)
.457
.052
.820
.503
.478
.553
b
df
.606
.551
Association
N of Valid Cases
336
60
.458
.380
As the Pearson Chi square significant value is greater than the test significant value (0.05), we accept null hypothesis.
Inference: The satisfaction factor does not depend on customers sports involvement
6.2.6.5.
Variables:
Customers age
Hypothesis:
H0: The often purchased product type does not depend on customers age
H1: The often purchased product type depends on customers age
Missing
Total
Percent N Percent N
345 96.6%
61
12 3.4%
Percent
357 100.0%
Total
20-25 Years
26-30 Years
31-40 Years
41-50 Years
51-60 Years
Above 60 Years
Total
Apparels
16
32
72
Footwear
43
42
19
23
11
146
Accessories
25
Sports Equipment
10
10
38
All
21
12
56
74
117
43
63
31
13
345
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig. (2Value
df
sided)
30
.013
Likelihood Ratio
47.160
30
.024
Linear-by-Linear
9.733
.002
Pearson Chi-Square
49.752
Association
N of Valid Cases
345
62
As the Pearson Chi square significant value is greater than the test significant value (0.05), we accept null hypothesis.
Inference: The often purchased product type does not depend on customers age
63
6.2.6.6.
Variables:
Hypothesis:
H0: The often purchased product type does not depend on customers gender
H1: The often purchased product type depends on customers gender
Missing
Percent
355
99.4%
Gender
64
Total
Percent
2
.6%
Percent
357
100.0%
Female
Total
Apparels
59
14
73
Footwear
130
20
150
Accessories
21
27
Sports Equipment
33
38
45
14
59
296
59
355
All
Apparels & Footwear
Total
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig. (2Value
df
sided)
.287
Likelihood Ratio
7.342
.196
Linear-by-Linear
.671
.413
Pearson Chi-Square
6.200
Association
N of Valid Cases
355
65
As the Pearson Chi square significant value is greater than the test significant value (0.05), we accept null hypothesis.
Inference: The often purchased product type does not depend on customersgender
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6.3.
Research Analysis
The previous chapter focused on the research results of the questionnaire survey. In this part
the outcome from the results, suggestions for improvements as well as general conclusions are
going to be discussed. The purpose of this paper is to find out how the companys existing
customers perceive the store, how they experience the service they receive and the products they
are offered. The research revealed a very positive result, the customers service expectations are
met and surpassed and the existing customers have in general a very positive attitude towards
the atmosphere and image of the store. Nevertheless, the results also showed on aspects the
company can work on in the future in order to improve the customers perceptions even more.
This study may help the company to discover and learn more about their customers opinions
and perceptions. By doing so, the company can learn how to serve their customers even better in
the future.
6.3.1. Consumer Perception of Planet Sports
On an overall basis the responses were very positive and the results showed on the strengths
the company possesses when it comes to product offerings, price, quality and service. While
analyzing the results the first weakness was the lack of female respondents, only 16.53% of the
respondents were female. The consumers are mostly 20-25 years of age and they are either
students or employees. Moreover, the monthly income of the customers is mostly less than
30,001 INR. So from the research it can be aptly said that college students and the young
professionals are the consumer base of Planet Sports. From the research it was also seen that the
customers are mostly into sports activities like Football, Cricket, and Volleyball etc. Above
information generates the need of focusing on the sport enthusiast youth and understanding the
needs and wants of that particular demographic segment.
The management can mainly focus on the footwear and apparels category as these two
categories are purchased more than the other categories. The accessories and sports equipment
section should offer more versatility in terms of product offerings and price points so as to attract
the customers to themselves. So other than anything else consumers perceive Planet Sports as a
store where a wide range of products of each product category of apparels and footwear are
offered. Mostly it was word-of-mouth by which customers got to know about planet sports. From
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the research results it is seen that the interactions with the sales representatives are good and
effective which slightly differs from the store visit observations. During the store visit of a store
of Planet Sports, Mumbai it was observed that the sales representatives are reluctant to approach
the customers and they are not so knowledgeable as compared to the other EBOs of major sports
brands. As this research does not include data from any store of Mumbai, this difference may be
dependent on the location of the store. Most of the customers are satisfied after shopping at
Planet Sports as they find the product quality of the store excellent as compared to the other
stores. It is also seen that Planet Sports gets high rating as compared to other similar stores that
deal with products related to sports.
Several dependency tests were done to find out if the factors of consumer perception
depended on the demographic factors. The factors considered while performing the dependency
tests are product type & sports involvement, billing amount & income, driving factor &
occupation, satisfaction after purchase & sports involvement, product type & age and product
type & gender. It is seen that none of the tests rejected null hypothesis which means the factors
are not dependent on each other. As the customer base can clearly be identified from the
response data, the management can focus on their product offerings, marketing methods and
service irrespective of the income, age, gender, occupation of entire population of customers.
6.3.2. Brand recognition level of newly launched brands-Umbro& Champion
This section is going to answer the second part of the research objective. According to the
research most of the customers heard about the new brands probably because they were informed
about the new brands after the walk in to the store. The customers moderately often heard about
these brands in their peer group. Although the customers heard about the brands mostly, they are
found not be extremely familiar with the brands and most of the customers never got to use these
brands. The customers who had actually used products of Umbro and/or Champion were
moderately satisfied. For sports shoes of both category (Performance and Lifestyle) mostly the
customers are willing to pay 2000-3000 INR. It is seen that Nike, Puma, Adidas and Converse
are most preferred and loved brands in terms of sports apparels, footwear and accessories. The
customers would moderately likely recommend these brands to their peer group. All the above
information shows that the recognition level of the brand is not so high. The present scenario
generates the need of awareness of these brands among the target customer base and the
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marketing strategies and pricing strategies should meet the consumers expectations. These two
new brands can import the ideas, trends and technologies from the major sports brands of India
to divert consumers mind and to survive and expand the market share.
related to the other industries. The findings are often very industry specific and therefore, they
are hard to apply on other retail sectors and it is difficult to know if they are applicable. Hence,
another suggestion for improvement is to do a similar study for a similar store. Retailing is
nowadays much more competitive than it used to be, therefore it would be interesting to compare
the results from this study against the results from another store within the same industry and
segment. When comparing the results against each other Planet Sports could benefit from the
results. Knowing one anothers strengths and weaknesses originates in new ideas and
perspectives and it is possible to learn from others mistakes. On the other hand as time was a
constraint in this research, more detailed study can be done taking all the stores of Planet Sports
into account. Moreover, zone wise sales data can be analyzed to study different product
categories and zone wise consumer perception can be found out through a more detailed
research. The brand recognition analysis can be done after one season so as to evaluate the
measures taken for improvement of the brand awareness.
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bland, J., & Altman, D. (1996). "Statistics notes: measurement error.".
Cleveland, W. S. (1985). The Elements of Graphing Data. Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth & Advanced Book
Program.
Corder, G. F. (2009). Nonparametric Statistics for Non-Statisticians: A Step-by-Step Approach Wiley.
Descriptive Research. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.htm.uoguelph.ca/MJResearch/ResearchProcess/DescriptiveResearch.htm
Ellis, A. &. (1993). Research on educational innovations. Eye on Education.
Flamand, L. (2012). Consumer Perception Theory|eHow. Retrieved June 24, 2014, from eHow:
http://www.ehow.com/about_6561090_consumer-perception-theory.html
Graphpad. (2009, January 1). Graphpad-FAQ-1089-What is the difference between ordinal, interval and
ratio variables? Why should I care? Retrieved December 2, 2013, from Graphpad Software:
http://www.graphpad.com/support/faqid/1089/
Ha, H.-Y. (2004). Factors inuencing consumer perceptions. Journal of Product & Brand Management.
Kaye, D. H., & Freedman, D. A. (2011). "Reference Guide on Statistics" (3rd ed.). (R. M. Evidence, Ed.)
Eagan, MN Washington: D.C: West National Academies Press.
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71
9. ANNEXURES
9.1.
Once in a year
More Frequently
Footwear
Accessories
Sports Equipments
1.3. How did you come to know about Planet Sports?
News paper
Hoardings
Friends
Others (Please Specify) ___________
1.4. What makes you purchase from Planet Sports?
Low price
Various Brands
Better Quality
Variety of products
1.5. How much money (in Rs.) do you generally spend while shopping?
Less than 1500
1500 2500
2501 3500
3501-4500
4501-5500
1.6. Does Planet Sports provide wide range of products in one product category?
Yes
No
Not many
None
Not effective
Good
No Interaction
No
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1.9. How is Planet Sports maintaining product Quality compared to other retail stores?
Excellent
Average
Below Average
1.10.
Compared to other similar stores that offer sports products, how would you rate
Planet Sports?
Low
Average
1.11.
Were you informed about Umbro& Champion after you entered Planet Sports?
No
How familiar are you with Umbro& Champion?
Extremely Familiar
1.14.
No
Yes
1.13.
Yes
1.12.
High
Moderately Familiar
Newspaper
Hoardings
Television
Never Seen
1.16.
If you have already used products of Umbro and/or Champion, how would you rate
your satisfaction level?
Extremely Satisfied
Moderately
Satisfied
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1.17.
How often have you heard other people talking about Umbro and/or Champion?
Extremely Often
Moderately Often
Category
1.18.
According to the following categories please choose your preferred price range(s)
which you are willing to pay per unit:
Price Range (in Rs.)
Less
20003001than
3000
4000
2000
40015000
50016000
6001
and
Above
1.19.
According to the following categories please choose your most preferred brand?
Category
Puma
Nike
Adidas
Converse
Brands
Skechers
Fila
Umbro
Champion
Others
(Please
Specify)
Apparels
Footwear
Accessories
1.20.
Please mention the product categories that are missing from the brands-Umbro&
Champion (if any)?
__________________________________________________________________________________
1.21.
How likely is it that you would recommend Umbro& Champion to a friend or
colleague?
Extremely
Likely
1
2
3
4
Name: _____________________________
Not at
all
Likely
10
2.1. Gender
Male
Female
Others
Under 20 years
20 25 years
26 30 years
31 40 years
41 50 years
51 60 years
2.2.Age
Above 60 years
2.3 Education
Under High School
High School
Master Degree
Bachelor Degree
Doctorate Degree
2.4 Occupation
Student
Housewife
Employee
Entrepreneur
Government Official
30,001 40,000
50,001 60,000
No
___________________________________________
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