“A SURVEY OF PARLE PRODUCTS AVAILABILITY AND SALES AT

INSTITUTIONAL OUTLETS IN SOUTH KOLKATA REGION.”

VIDYASAGAR UNIVERSITY

Reported Submitted by
Name: Anmol Ratan
Roll No:- PG/25/MBA/IIS/0047

Institute: Bengal Institute of Business Studies

Registration No. VU: - 01201

Company Name: Parle Products Pvt.Ltd.

Industry Mentor : Mr. Rahul Shaw

This Project is Submitted For the Partial Fulfilment of Masters of Business

Administration From Vidyasagar University

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 PREFACE

Work experience in an in-dispensable of every professional course. As we all know that without
the practical experience or knowledge the theoretical knowledge has become worthless. So the
practical training in any organization is must for each and every individual who is undergoing
management course. Without the practical exposure one cannot consider himself as a qualified
capable manager.
Entering in the organization is like stepping into altogether a new world. At first very thing
seems strange and unheard but as the time passes, one understands the concept and working the
organization and there by develop the professional relationship. The main motto of this training
is just to modify the theory so as to apply it to given practical solution. This report is the crux
of the whole project-work experience.

The research is on the topic of “A survey of Parle products availability and sales
to institutional outlets in Kolkata south region.”
I sincerely believe that there is no better place to learn this practical site of management than the
industry itself. So far as the limits of my space would allow, therefore I have tried to prepare this
report an error free report and tried to suggest the best alternative to eliminate deficiencies in the
existing system.

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Certificate

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is really a matter of pleasure for me to get an opportunity to thank all the persons who
contributed directly or indirectly for the successful completion of the project report on –

A survey of Parle products availability and sales to institutional outlets in Kolkata south region

First of all I am extremely thankful to my college “Bengal Institute of Business Studies” for
providing me with this opportunity and for all their cooperation and contribution.

I would like to express my gratitude to my project mentor Mr. Rahul Shaw for giving me the
encouragement and freedom to conduct my project.

I am also grateful to all my faculty members for their valuable guidance and suggestions for my
entire study.

I would also like to thank the “Parle Products” team for their support and cooperation for the
successful completion of the project.

I express my great sense of gratitude to all the Sales man for their guidance, support,
unforgettable experience and moral support made as when it was required to complete this study.

Anmol Ratan

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the summer internship project titled “A survey of Parle products
availability and sales to institutional outlets in Kolkata south region” being submitted for
award of Master of Business Administration and has not formed the basis for award of any
degree, diploma, associate or any other similar title and this dissertation was done independently
by me under the guidance of Mr. “Rahul Shaw” of “Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.”

PLACE: KOLKATA NAME: ANMOL RATAN

DATE: MBA 2ND SEMESTER

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Serial No. Contents Page No.

1. Preface 2
2. Certificate 3
3. Acknowledgement 4
4. Declaration 5
5. Table of Content 6
6. Executive Summary 7
7. Introduction 8-9
8. FMCG industries overview 10-11
9. Company Profile 12-15
10. The Distribution Channel Network of Parle 16-18
11. Products of Parle 19-21
12. Top Competitors of Parle 22-29
13. Market Share 30
14. Strategies to Increase Market Share 31-32
15. BCG Matrix 33-38
16. SWOT Analysis 39-40
17. Expansion Of Parle 41
18. Objective of the project 42
19. Research Methodology 43
20. Data Analysis 44-57
21. Observation and Findings 58-59
22. Conclusion and Recommendations 60-61
23. Bibliography 62
24. Appendix 63-65

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This project was mainly focused on the “Availability and Sales to institutional outlets” of Parle
products Pvt. Ltd. Channel sales are the process of distributing a product to the market,
typically by segmenting sales operations to focus on different selling vessels. For instance, the
company might implement a channel sales strategy to sell a product via in-house sales teams,
dealers, retailers, affiliates, or by direct marketing.
In this report I’ve made an unbiased attempt to understand the present market scenario in biscuits
industry which is captured by Parle and other competitor’s brands. This project helps in
analyzing the market coverage of assigned distributor of Parle Product Pvt. Ltd. and tried to
bring out effectiveness and efficiency of the retailers so that the company could maintain the
market leadership in the Biscuit Segment.
This research has been carried out by visiting all outlets in retail and wholesale market which
comes under a particular distributor at different routes of south Kolkata
The main motives of the research was
 To find out the reasons behind low demand of Parle products and try to resolve the
problems faced by the salesman while taking orders and the reason why they were not
able to convince the existing outlets for new SKU’S .
 To maintain and generate the flow of distribution by finding out new outlets to improve
the sales and deep analysis of the problems faced by Parle in the institutional outlets.
 To know about the competitive analysis and strategies of Parle Products with other
competitors in the institutional outlets.
 To help in the sales development of distributor for horizontal expansion for future
growth of the company.
In the Project I have mentioned the problems faced by Parle products during my course of
research in the whole distributional system which ultimately affects the effectiveness and
efficiency of the distributor and the company. I’ve also recommended various Innovative and
effective ideas which could take control for it. I’ve mentioned various measures and
recommendations provided by various retailers and consumers to increase the sales of Parle
biscuits and proper satisfaction with taste and preferences.

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 INTRODUCTION
About the ‘Biscuit’ Industry

• The production capacity of wafer biscuits is 60

Size of the Industry MT and the cost is Rs. 56,78,400 with a motive
power of 25 K.W.

• Biscuit Industry contributed Rs. 8000 crore to the

Output per annum
FMCG industry

• Indian Subcontinent is known to be the second

Presense in world market largest manufacturer of bisuits, the first being
USA

Indian Biscuit Industry came into major existence gaining a sound status in the bakery industry
in the later part of 20th century when the urbanized society called for readymade food products at
a tenable cost. Biscuits were assumed as sick-man in earlier days. But today it has become one of
the most loved fast food products for every age group. Biscuits are always easy to carry, taste to
eat, cholesterol free and reasonable at cost. States that have the larger intake of biscuits are
Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra and
West Bengal are the most industrially developed states and also hold the maximum amount of
consumption of biscuits. Even, the rural sector consumes around 55% of the biscuits in the
bakery products.
Indian Biscuits Industry seems to be the largest among all the food industries and has a turnover
of around Rs.3000 crores. Indian subcontinent is known to be the second largest manufacturer of
biscuits, the first being USA. The industry is classified under two sectors: Organized and
Unorganized. Bread and biscuits are the major part of the bakery products in India. Biscuits
today stand at a higher value and production level than bread. This belongs to the unorganized
sector of the bakery Industry and covers over 70% of the total production.
Government has established The Federation of Biscuit Manufacturers of India (FBMI) which has
confirmed a bright future of India Biscuits Industry in the year 1953. According to FBMI, a
steady growth of 15% per annum in the next 10 years will be achieved by the industry of India.
Besides, the export of biscuits will also surpass the target and hit the global market successfully.
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Source- http://www.indianmirror.com/indian-industries/biscuit.html

Current scenario of Biscuit Industry 2015-16

Even today the Indian Biscuit Industry is dominated by the unorganized sector with a composite
market share of 55%.
The Indian Biscuit is finding it tough to stand on its ground due to diversified products on the
shelves and also due to a huge inflow of foreign brands.
In 2017-18, the cookies segment, which includes brands such as Bournvita biscuits, Britannia’s
Good day and ITC’s Delicious, contributed 30% to the overall market and grew by more than
13% over the previous year in contrast, Marie witnessed growth of 7.9% in the same period
compared to 11.9% in 2016-17, while salt cracker declined 3.3% in 2015-16 compared to a
growth rate of 3.2% in 2016-17, according to market research firm Nielsen.

In fact Parle-G Glucose biscuits have become the largest biscuit brand in the country, as the
Indian populace takes biscuits with tea or coffee on a regular basis. While Parle-G is a dominant
player over 12% market share in the rupees 25000 crore domestic biscuit market, Good Day/
which falls in the cookies category/ is the second largest player with around 9% market share.
Mondelez, maker of Cadbury chocolates and Oreo cookies is betting bid on the market that is
growing over 7% year on year. In term of volume, India has emerged as one of the top 3 market
on Oreo the world’s largest selling biscuits. FMCG major ITC has carved itself a niche share in
the Indian biscuit scenario the health category in the biscuit market that includes digestive
biscuits is pegged at around rupees 400 crore at present and growing by 15 to 16 every year.

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 FMCG INDUSTRIES OVERVIEW

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is the 4th largest sector in the Indian economy with
Household and Personal Care accounting for 50 per cent of FMCG sales in India. Growing
awareness, easier access and changing lifestyles have been the key growth drivers for the sector.
The urban segment (accounts for a revenue share of around 40 per cent) is the largest contributor
to the overall revenue generated by the FMCG sector in India and recorded a market size of
around US$ 29.4 billion in 2016-17. However, in the last few years, the FMCG market has
grown at a faster pace in rural India compared with urban India. Semi-urban and rural segments
are growing at a rapid pace and FMCG products account for 50 per cent of total rural spending.

Market Size

The Retail market is estimated to reach US$ 1.1 trillion by 2020 from US$ 672 billion in 2016,
with modern trade expected to grow at 20 per cent - 25 per cent per annum, which is likely to
boost revenues of FMCG companies. In 2017-18, revenue for FMCG sector have reached US$
49 billion and is expected to grow at 9-9.5 per cent in FY18 supported by expectations of the
total consumption expenditure reaching nearly US$ 3,600 billion by 2020 from US$ 1,469
billion in 2017. Direct selling sector in India is expected to reach Rs 159.3 billion (US$ 2.5
billion) by 2021, if provided with a conducive environment through reforms and regulation.

The government has allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in food processing
and single-brand retail and 51 per cent in multi-brand retail. This would bolster employment and
supply chains, and also provide high visibility for FMCG brands in organised retail markets,
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bolstering consumer spending and encouraging more product launches. The sector witnessed
healthy FDI inflows of US$ 13.07 billion, during April 2000 to December 2018.

FMCG in Fast Lane

India’s consumer products market grew 13.5% in FY19, with eight of 10 leading companies
posting double-digit value growth, indicating a revival in consumption after more than five years
of single-digit expansion, report Ratna Bhusan & Sagar Malviya. Biscuit maker Parle led the
biscuit category from the front. Growth was fuelled partly by the low base following
demonetization, a good monsoon, improving market sentiment after the introduction of the goods
and services tax (GST), newer launches and increased consumer promotions.

Colgate-Palmolive 8.9
HUL 9.4
Nestle 11.6
ITC 12
P&G 12.04
Britannia 14.01
Godrej Cons Products 14.07
Mondelez 15
Parle Products 15.02
GCMMF (Amul) 15.03

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Value Growth Of Top 10 FMCG Players up to 2018 in (%)

Date Source:- The Economic Times May/01/2019

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 COMPANY PROFILE

About Parle

Parle Products has been India's largest manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery, for almost 80
years. Makers of the world's largest selling biscuit, Parle-G, and a host of other very popular
brands, the Parle name symbolizes quality, nutrition and great taste. With a reach spanning even
the remotest villages of India, the company has definitely come a very long way since its
inception. Many of the Parle products - biscuits or confectioneries, are market leaders in their
category and have won acclaim at the Monde Selection, since 1971. With a 40% share of the
total biscuit market and a 15%share of the total confectionary market in India, Parle has grown to
become a multi-million dollar company. While to consumers it's a beacon of faith and trust,
competitors look upon Parle as an example of marketing brilliance.

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 History of the Company
In 1929 a small company by the name of Parle products emerged in British dominated India. The
intent was to spread joy and cheer to children and adults alike, all over the country with its
sweets and candies. The company knew that it wouldn’t be an easy task, but they decided to take
the brave step. A small factory was set up in the suburbs of Mumbai, to manufacture sweets and
toffees. A decade later it was upgraded to manufacture biscuits as well. Since then, the Parle
name has grown in all directions, won international fame and has been sweetening people's lives
all over India and abroad. Apart from the factories in Mumbai and Bangalore Parle also in
Bahadurgarh in Haryana and Neemranain Rajasthan, which are the largest biscuit and
confectionery plants in the country. Additionally, Parle Products has 7 manufacturing units and
51 manufacturing units on contract.

Parle Biscuits
Parle biscuits are linked with factors of power and wisdom providing nutrition and strength.
Parle biscuits are indeed much more than a tea- time snack, they are considered by many to be an
important part of their daily food. Parle provides one and all with a basket of biscuits which is
not only satisfying but are also of good and reliable quality. Parle biscuits cater to all tastes from
kids to senior citizens. They have found their way into the Indian hearts and homes. Parle G is a
source of strength for both body and mind due to the sumptuous amount of milk and wheat. It is
the Largest selling Biscuit Brand in the world.

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 The Production Units of Parle
The company also has plans to advance the setup operations in Assam and Andra Pradesh in
the nearest future.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/40190273/Parle-G-Sales-and-Distribution https://www.slideshare.net/d3lt4/parleg-marketing-strategy

Global Presence

http://www.parleproducts.com/global-presence

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Parle biscuits and confectionaries are fast gaining acceptance in International markets, across all
continents. The major first world markets like U.S.A., UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and
Middle East are relishing Parle products. As part of the efforts towards a larger share of the
global market, Parle has received some globally recognized certifications (FSSC:22000,
ISO:22000 and Halal Certification) and we have the membership of some of International
associations like, BCMA, (USA) etc. Today, the Parle brands have found their way into the
hearts and homes of people all over India and abroad.

Product Life Cycle (PLC)

Parle as a company has reached the maturity stage in its products life cycle. Since products such
as Parle-G, Monaco, Krack-Jack which from a major part of Parle products sales has captured
most of the Indian market.
Presently, Parle G is in the maturity stage of its PLC. But for its Platina premium biscuits Parle
Hide & Seek, Milano, Choco-role are presently at growth and introduction stage respectively.
Having mentioned this, the brand is going strong.

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 The Distribution Channel network of Parle

http://achandra325.blogspot.com/2013/10/distribution-decisions-parle-g.html

Intensive Distribution
Parle uses Intensive Distribution for Parle G. This is the ideal strategy for the market leader as
intensive distribution has the following advantages:
 Increases coverage and sales
 Increases product availability
 Encourages retailers to compete aggressive. Higher competition leads to narrower
margins for the retails hence, increases the ultimate margin for the manufacturer.

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The Channel Members of the Distribution Network of Parle
The Parle distribution network for biscuits has essentially four levels as enlisted below:
 Parle Depots
 Wholesalers and Distributers
 Carry Forward Agents (if required)
 Retailers

The Channel Members and Logistics

Parle has nearly 1500 wholesalers, catering to 425000 retail outlets directly or indirectly. A two
hundred strong dedicated field force services these wholesalers and retailers. Additionally, there
are 31 depots and Carry and Forward agents supplying goods to the wide distribution network.
Parle has level 1, level 2, level 3 distribution channels levels.
Level 1: Availability of Parle G biscuits at all departmental stores across the length and breadth of
the country.
Level 2: Since it's an FMCG product this channel exists for customers scattered throughout the
country.
Level 3: Mass consumption and suitable for National and International coverage. For e.g. Parle's
international operations consist of serving markets in the Middle East, Africa, South America,
Sri Lanka, Australia and North America for which the 3 level distribution channel exists.

Channel Dynamics
Parle has a multi-channel marketing system since it uses more than two marketing channels to
reach all its customer segments.
Selection of Channel Members for Parle
Parle takes into consideration a host of factors while selecting the channel members. This is
because it believes that selection of channel members is a long run decision and the rest of the
decision regarding the supply chain depends upon the efficiency and coverage by the channel
members.
The following are the host of factors considered by the company in selecting the channel
members:

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  Authentication is required by the regarding the identity of the channel members, which
includes the name and address, photograph of the location.
 Inventory or the perishable goods kept by the distributor/ dealer should be in good
condition which means a detail of storage space and Refrigeration facility is to be
provided.

Details of the delivery vehicle, which includes the following:

 Light Commercial Vehicles
 Matador
 3 Wheeler Van
 Tricycle Van and Hand/Push cart.
 The number and model of each of the vehicle needs to be furnished to the company.
Company acknowledges the fact that it needs to be sensitive to the market demands. For this it
requires that a number of salesmen needs to be present on the field.
The salesmen too are divided into various categories like
 The Field salesmen
 Counter salesmen
The details of Clerical Staff and labor are to be provided. The technical competence of the
salesmen needs to be mentioned.
Details of the various products of other companies that the channel member keeps have to be
provided. The following also need to be furnished with the above:
 The annual sales of these products have to be mentioned.
 Details of complementary products and product lines need to be mentioned.
Dealers of the company must carry a good reputation. This is due to the fact that Parle believes
that the reputation of the dealer affects the clientele in the long run.
Market coverage by the distributors needs to be defined which includes details of Geographic
coverage and Outlets per market area.
The company also requires the dealers to furnish any Advertising and Sales initiative undertaken
by them on behalf of the company.

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 PRODUCTS OF PARLE

The highest and the fast selling product under Parle Company are biscuits. It has the largest
number of shares and it plays a vital role in biscuits industries. The Parle Products consists of the
following:
 Biscuits
 Confectionery
 Snacks
 Rusk
 Pulses

Biscuits are fond of everyone, kids, adult, old or new generation. Parle brings wide variety of
Biscuits which gives consumers to choose wide range of these products and enjoy the benefits.
Out of all the biscuits, Parle-G plays a vital role in biscuit industry and has a major share of the
Indian Biscuit Market.

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List of total Parle Products available at the assigned distributor are:-

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21
 TOP COMPETITORS OF PARLE

1. Britannia Industries Limited:-

Based in Bangalore Britannia Industries Ltd is reputed as being one of the top biscuit brands in
India. The company was established way back in 1892 and till today has managed to maintain a
distinctive position in the Indian biscuit industry specially with its most popular brand called
Tiger.
Britannia is presently one of the biggest brands in India and also the leading food related brand.
It is well known for its ground breaking approach towards product manufacturing and marketing.
Forbes Global has rated it as one of the Top 200 Small Companies of the World and it is also the
second most trusted brand in India.
Following are its various brands in the biscuits segment:
 Pure Magic
 Treat
 Britannia Cookies
 Milk Bikis
 Tiger
 Nutri Choice
 Good Day
 Time Pass
 Bourbon
 Little Hearts
 50-50
 Nice Time
 Marie Gold
 Rusks

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 2. Biskfarm:-

Biskfarm was established during 2000. It is marketed and held by SAJ Food Products (P) Ltd,
which is a sister concern of Aparna Group of Companies. It is primarily available in North
Eastern and Eastern part of the country as well as several parts in Southern, Northern, and
Central India.

It is among the top 3 bakery brands in all the markets where it enjoys a substantial presence.

Biskfarm biscuits can be categorized into the following products:

 Sweet
 Countlines
 Semi Sweet
 Creams
 Crackers
 Rusk

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 3. Priya Gold Biscuits:-

Priya Gold is a part of Surya Foods & Agro Ltd that was established during November 1992. Its
commercial operations, which included selling and making biscuits under the brand name Priya
Gold started during October 1993. Following are the various biscuits and cookies offered by

Priya Gold:

 Italiano Cookies
 Glucose V
 Chatpatta Jeera and Cashew
 Butter Bite
 Cheez Bit
 Cheese Cracker
 CNC
 Marie Lite
 Snacks Zig Zag
 Coconut Crunch
 Kids Cream
 Classic Cream

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 4. Anmol:-
Anmol Biscuits is especially popular in eastern and northern India. It has a couple of top class
production units at Noida and Dankuni in West Bengal. Following are its main products:

 Lemon Mazaa
 Dil Khush
 Funfill Choco Vanilla
 Dream Lite
 Yummy - Milk Cream
 E-Time
 Tip Top Kajoo Kurkure Masala
 Funfill Orange
 Coconutty
 Funfill Rich Chocolate
 Thin Arrowroot
 Golmol
 Marie
 Jadoo
 Veg Munch
 Marie Time
 2 in 1
 Snackles
 Butter Bake
 Milk Made
 Cream Cracker
 Bakersville

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 5. ITC Sunfeast:-

Sunfeast is the biscuit brand of ITC and was initiated during July 2003. To start with the brand
dealt with glucose, Marie, and cream biscuits.

Following are the major brands of Sunfeast:

 Sunfeast Milky Magic

 Sunfeast Dream Cream
 Sunfeast Marie Light
 Sunfeast Snacky
 Sunfeast Dark Fantasy
 Sunfeast sweet 'n salt
 Sunfeast Dark Fantasy Choco Fills
 Sunfeast Nice
 Sunfeast Glucose
 Sunfeast Special

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 6. Dukes:-
Dukes biscuits are marketed by Ravi Foods Private Limited. The organization has set up many
plants in Hyderabad that are at par with ISO 9001 requirements. Yet another plant is being set up
at Rudrapur in Uttarakhand.

It offers the following biscuits:

 Marie Break
 Cream Cracker
 See Saw
 Nice
 Salt Kiss
 Danish Butter Cookies
 Masala Nibbles Namkeen
 Salted Crackers
 Cream 4 Fun
 Teddy Bear Cookie Honey
 Cream 4 Fun Bourbon
 Dukes Minees Sandwich Cookies
 Kukkies
 Delicious Kukkies - Chocolate
 Merry Milk

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 7. Nezone:-
Nezone Biscuits started off as an organization during 1996 and presently has a yearly production
of INR 100 crore. Its present production capacity is 60 tons and offers 40 different types of
biscuits that may be enumerated as below:

 Chocolate Marie Biscuit

 Sweet Biscuit - Elaichi
 Marie Biscuit
 Sweet Biscuit - Gluco Rich
 Marie Super Biscuit
 Milk Rusk
 Nutri Marie Biscuit
 Suji Rusk
 Orange Marie Biscuit
 Cream Biscuit - Energy Mix
 Prince Marie Biscuit
 Hit Cream Biscuit
 Salted Biscuit: Snacks (Classic Salted)
 Butter Cookies
 Salted Biscuit: Snacks (Mast Masala)
 Kaju Cookies
 Sweet Biscuit - Butter Kaju
 Coconut Cookies
 Sweet Biscuit - Butter Yums
 Classic Arrowroot Marie Biscuit

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 8. Horlicks
Horlicks Biscuits were introduced during 1992 and since then the brand has witnessed increasing
popularity. These are liked by both children and parents. Every pack provides 100 percent
calcium and the biscuits are available in elaichi and standard flavors.

9. CREMICA
CREMICA is one of the most prominent biscuit brands in northern India. Its products are
primarily available in four categories – crackers, cookies, cream biscuits, and glucose biscuits.

The company is setting up a new plant in Himachal Pradesh, which is expected to have a
capacity of 5 thousand tons on a monthly basis. This will be a fully automated plant and is
supposed to be one of the very best in its kind in the country.

In a recent survey done by Insight, a famous consumer magazine, as per parameters stated by the
BIS, the glucose biscuits of CREMICA came first in the category for sweet biscuits.
It is also a part of the Indian government’s program to create fortified biscuits for people in
Afghanistan. The whole program is being done under the guidance of the World Food
Organization. It has also been entrusted with the responsibility of exporting biscuits to Iraq as
part of the World Food Program.

10. Sobisco:-
Sobisco is part of the Sona Biscuits Ltd group, which was incorporated during 1992. Its head
offices are at Kolkata and it is presently an ISO 22000 organization. It also enjoys the
membership of the American Institute of Bakery. It offers 54 different products under 4 major
categories such as sweet biscuits, salted biscuits, semi sweet biscuits, and cream biscuits.
Majority of its annual production is done in the sweet biscuits, and cream biscuits segments.

Following are other biscuits brands operating in India:-

 Oreo
 Sumo
 Happy Bite

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 MARKET SHARE
Parle Products is aiming to grab half of the super-premium biscuit market in 1 year with its
Platina range, as said by the company top official. “We have around 40 % plus market in this
segment. We are looking at 50% in next one year, “Quoted by Parle Category Head Mayank
Shah.

The super-premium biscuit market is of around Rs 1,700- 1,800 crore and is dominated by three
main players - Parle, ITC, and Britannia.

This segment is 6% of the total biscuit market, the company has the presence in the segment
through its Platina brands such as Hide & Seek, Black Bourbon, Milano, Choco Rolls Cookie.
Parle Platina is a separate division set up for the company's premium products.

Parle has a turnover of around Rs 10,000 crore, in which 75% is contributed by the biscuit
segment. The premium biscuits contribute around 20% of this 75%. Parle Products is aiming to
increase its market share in the premium biscuits category to around 20% in 2017-18 from 15%.

Parle Products has a market share of 28% in the overall Rs 36,000 crore biscuit markets.
Presently export contributes around 10% of the total and Parle is expecting to take it to 15% in
next 2 years.

Source of Info:- https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/parle-eyes-50-market-share-of-super-premium-biscuits-2560439.html

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 STRATEGIES TO INCREASE MARKET SHARE

1. Multi Brand Strategy:-

 A company often nurtures a number of brands in the same category. There are various
motives for doing this.
 The main rationale behind this strategy is to capture as much of the market share as
possible by trying to cover as many segments as possible, as it is not possible for one
brand to cater to the entire market.
 This also enables the company to lock up more distributer shelf space.
2. Product Flanking:-
 Refers to the introduction of different combinations of products at different prices, to
cover as many market segments as possible.
 It is basically offering the same product in different sizes and price combinations to tap
diverse market opportunities.
 The idea behind this concept is to flank the core product by offering different variations
of size and price so that the consumer finds some brand to choose from.
3. Brand Extensions:-
 Companies make brand extensions in the hope that the extensions will be able to ride on
the equity of successful brands, and that the new brand will stand in its own right in the
course of time.
 A well respected brand name gives the new product instant recognition and easier
acceptance.
 It enables the company to enter new product categories more easily.
4. Building Product Lines:-
 Some companies add related new product lines to give the consumer all the products
he/she would like to buy under one umbrella.
5. Innovations in Core Products:-
 Marketers continually try to introduce new brands to offer something new and meet the
changing requirements of customer.
 It is prudent for a marketer to innovate from time to time both by technological expertise
as well as from the consumer’s or dealer’s feedback.
31
 6. New Product Development:-
 A company can add new products through the acquisition of other companies or by
devoting one’s own efforts on new product development.
 With the help of new products a company can enter a growing market for the first time,
and supplement its existing product lines.

7. Long term outlook:-

 Many companies adopt a long term outlook towards growth in an FMCG market. In the
process, short term gains which might adversely affect the long term prospects of the
company are sacrificed.

8. Wide distribution network:-

 A very simple way of increasing FMCG company’s market share is by developing a
strong distribution network, preferably in terms of more locations.
 An extensive distribution system can be developed over time, or the company many
acquire another company which has an extensive distribution network.

9. Advertising and Media coverage:-

 Advertising is required to build awareness about an FMCG or brand which is available in
the market but not many people might know about it.
 Informative advertising figures heavily in the pioneering stage of a product category,
where the objective is to build primary demand.
 Persuasive advertising becomes important in the competitive stage where the objective is
to build a selective demand for a particular brand.
 Reminder advertising is quite common with mature products.

10. Sales promotion:-

 Sales promotions offer a direct incentive to buy more in the short term.
 They are designed to stimulate quicker and/or greater purchase of particular products by
consumers or the trade.

32
 BCG MATRIX

The Boston consulting Group’s portfolio matrix allows a firm to visually display information
about each of its. The BCG matrix has as its axes the market growth rate (Broken into high and
low growth) and the relative market share as compared to the largest competitors (high and low
relative market share).

The BCG matrix method is based on product life cycle theory that determines the product
portfolio of a unit which contains both high growth product & low growth product having 2
Dimensions: Market share & Market growth.

33
 I. Star

A star has a high relative market share in a high-growth market. A star may be only cash-neutral
despite its strong position, as large amounts of cash may need to be spent to defend an
organization’s position against competitors.

 Competitors will be attracted to the market by the high growth rates.

 Failure to support a star sufficiently strongly may lead to the product losing its leading
market share position, slipping eastwards in the matrix and becoming a problem child.
 A star, however, represents the best future prospects for an organisation.
 Market share can be maintained or increased through price reductions, product
modifications, and/or greater distribution.
 As industry growth slows, stars become cash cows.

As per above conditions and the company’s survey, PARLE G is at its peak of success &
therefore it comes under the STAR category thereby the Company can invest more on it for its
advancement and modification.

34
 II. Cash cow

A cash cow has a high relative market share in a low-growth market and should be generating
substantial cash inflows.

 The period of high growth in the market has ended (the product life cycle is in the
maturity or decline stage), and consequently the market is less attractive to new entrants
and existing competitors.
 Cash cow products thus tend to generate cash in excess of what is needed to sustain their
market positions.
 Profits support the growth of other company products.
 The firm's strategy is oriented towards maintaining the product's strong position in the
market.

As per above conditions and the company’s survey, products like KRACK JACK, PARLE
MARIE, PARLE HAPPY HAPPY comes under this category. The total growth is already
achieved by these biscuits so they must hold on their position in the market.

35
III. Question Mark or Problem child

A problem child ('question mark') is characterised by a low market share in a high-growth

market. Substantial net cash input is required to maintain or increase market share.

 The company must decide whether to do nothing (but cash continues to be absorbed) or
market more intensively (requiring substantial investment) or get out of this market
("double or quit").
 The questions are whether this product can compete successfully with adequate support
and what that support will cost.

As per above conditions and the company’s survey, products like CHOX, NIMKIN KREAMS
GOLD, PARLE 20-20, MONACO JEERA comes under this. Due to High demands & Low
returns because of Low market share makes the Company to sell off & deliver cash.

36
IV. Dog

The dog product has a low relative market share in a low-growth market. Such a product tends to
have a negative cash flow that is likely to continue.

 It is unlikely that a dog can wrest market share from competitors without getting bigger
but the market is not attractive enough to warrant such investment.
 Competitors, who have the advantage of having larger market shares, are likely to
fiercely resist any attempts to reduce their share of a low-growth or static market.
 An organisation with such a product can attempt to appeal to a specialised market, delete
the product or harvest profits by cutting back support services to a minimum.

As per above conditions and the company’s survey, products like SIXER and JEFFS are at the
DOGS stage because they are doing no good for the company & have remained as an liability.

37
 Strategies based on the BCG Matrix

There are four strategies possible for any product/SBU and these are the strategies which are
used after the BCG analysis. These strategies are

1) Build – By increasing investment, the product is given an impetus such that the product
increases its market share. Example – Pushing a Question mark into a Star and finally a cash cow
(Success sequence)

2) Hold – The Company cannot invest or it has other investment commitments due to which it
holds the product in the same quadrant. Example – Holding a star there itself as higher
investment to move a star into cash cow is currently not possible.

3) Harvest – Best observed in the Cash cow scenario, wherein the company reduces the amount
of investment and tries to take out maximum cash flow from the said product which increases the
overall profitability.

4) Divest – Best observed in case of Dog quadrant products which are generally divested to
release the amount of money already stuck in the business.

Thus the BCG matrix is the best way for a business portfolio analysis. The strategies
recommended after BCG analysis help the firm decide on the right line of action and help them
implement the same.

38
 SWOT ANALYSIS

Parle G is one of the largest selling biscuit brands in the world. It is simple in its taste and simple
in its packaging. But this simplicity has taken the brand to great heights. There are many
positives which make Parle G the brand that it is. It is easily access able to a wide population and
its taste is addictive because of its sweetness.
Strengths
 Diversified product range: - It has a vast variety of products range which helps the
company to reach out to all the types of taste preferred people.

 Low and mid-price range/packaging: - Parle G is appreciated for its low price/packaging.
It even has a small 3rs packaging. When there were Floods in Mumbai or when there are
floods in other areas, Parle G biscuits are the first ones to be distributed because of their
small packaging, range and easy distribution advantage and because of their glucose
content.

 The Parle Girl: - The Parle Girl is one of the most famous brand mascots because it
belongs to one of the most famous brands of the country.

 Extensive distribution network: - Parle G is without a doubt the most widely distributed
Indian biscuit brand. It crossed Rs 5000 crore in retail sales a couple of years back and it
is increasing since then.

 Make in India: - Parle G is the First domestic brand to cross rs 5000 crore in retail sales.
This further boosts the Make in India initiative for the domestic country.

 Trusted brand: - In 2014, Parle-G was ranked the 42nd most trusted brand in India.
Considering a population of 1 billion and rising, that’s saying a lot.

 Exports: - Parle G is exported to SAARC countries & to US, UK and Europe as well as
to parts of Africa. Thus the export segment of the brand is very strong too.
39
Weakness

 Manufacturing bottlenecks: - Massive distribution requires massive manufacturing and

this creates problem if its own with consistent manufacturing bottlenecks coming up.
Because of the huge demand, Parle G has to cater to exports as well as domestic sales.

 Marketing is very less: - Marketing of Parle G is very less. It came as

a product placement during the “Shaktimaan” series. Alternatively, there have
been ATL ads or some BTL involvement. It still depends upon retailers & grocery Stores
for displaying diversified Parle Products on shelf induce impulsive buy.

Opportunities

 Increase marketing communications: - First step which Parle G can take is to increase its
efforts of marketing communications. It needs something unique like the AMUL girl
which helps people to connect with the brand even further. This need not mean a lot of
expenses. Just mind share and retention is needed from time to time.

 Premium Biscuit market: - Parle Products is aiming to grab half of the super premium
biscuit market in 1 year with its Platina range, as said by the company top official.

 Growth in export: - Presently export contributes around 10% of the total and Parle is
expecting to take it to 15% in next 2 years.

Threats

 Mature market: - There comes a time when people become bored by a taste and they want
to try new tasting things. Parle G is soon reaching the mature market stage where
everyone knows the taste of a Parle G biscuit and might want to try something new.
Hence, expansion to other territories is very important for the brand.
 Consistent competition: - Parle and Britannia are evergreen FMCG competitors
and ITC is close behind.
40
 EXPANSION ON PARLE

A. Vertical Expansion: - In vertical expansion the existing products as well as the new products
are pushed to the retailers and wholesaler so that the sales of the company could increase.
 Salesman should carry a sample of SKU’s when they visit to the existing stores
for taking orders.
 The distribution should maintain a records for the which are more in demand and
ordered frequently by the retailers and sub wholesalers and he should make sure
that such SKU’s must be available in godown.
 The existing retailers and sub-wholesalers must be assigned some target if they
achieved that target rewards points will be given to them.
 If the retailers and sub-wholesalers are not able to achieve their target then they
should use scheme and push the product sell in the market.

B. Horizontal Expansion: - Within horizontal expansion new outlets and new channels are
discovered to increase the sale of company.
 It should be the responsibility of salesperson to find new outlets in every beat so
that the sales can be increased.
 Each beat must have 35 retailers within it and if it increase more than 35 than it
should be added with other beat where less outlet are present. This could help in
easy delivering of products.
 If a distributor is not able to provide proper service than we should reduce some
of the beat and transfer it to other distributors and new distributors.
 If these are executed then all the outlets will be covered and Parle product can
reach to every outlet in a regular visit.

41
 OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT

Indian Biscuits Industry seems to be the largest among all the food industries and has a turnover
of around Rs.3000 crores. Indian subcontinent is known to be the second largest manufacturer of
biscuits, the first being USA. The industry is classified under two sectors: Organized and
Unorganized. Bread and biscuits are the major part of the bakery products in India. Biscuits
today stand at a higher value and production level than bread. This belongs to the unorganized
sector of the bakery Industry and covers over 70% of the total production.

The unorganized sector is estimated to have approximately 30,000 small & tiny bakeries across
the country.

This project is focused on the following main factors of the company: -

 To understand the availability and sales for the wholesalers.

 To understand the factors that affect purchases.
 To understand the market demand and preferences.
 To find out the satisfaction levels towards service provided by Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.
 To find out the major competitor of Parle Products.
 To understand and help in eradicating the distribution channels problems of Parle.
 To understand the relationship between distributor and wholesaler

42
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction:-
The process used to collect information and data for the purpose of making project decision is
called research methodology. The methodology may include interviews, surveys, and other
research techniques and could include both present and historical information. This project was
conducted through interviews of wholesalers based on some parameters in questionnaire form.
Mechanics:-
1. Place
 This survey was conducted to all the institutional outlets which comes under distributor
“Sappers Infotech”.
 I visited to the different key outlets of South Kolkata for Institutions survey to collect the
data at 12 routes.
 I visited to the different institutional outlets at Ganguly Bagan, Garia 1, Garia 2, Shree
Colony, Baghajatin, Sulekha, Paal Bazar, Netaji Nagar, Santoshpur 1, Santoshpur 2
,Ballygunge and Park Circus for the survey.
2. Channels
 This survey was conducted on general trade.
 Institutional Outlets
 Wholesale market
3. Time of completion of project
 Total number of days taken for the completion of the project is 64 days.
4. Presentation of data
 At first the primary data are accumulated from the wholesalers and institutional outlets.
 Secondary data are used for industry and company over view.

43
 DATA ANALYSIS

ANALYSIS: - This Survey was done while interacting with the Institutional outlets and
wholesalers.

I.

Q1: DO YOU KEEP PARLE PRODUCTS?

Yes No

91 9

DO YOU KEEP PARLE PRODUCTS?

No: 9%

Yes: 91%

After surveying near about 100 outlets, I observed that 91% shops keep Parle Products including
biscuits and confectionery. Whereas 9% shops were either not interested or have got some or the
other issues. So after the survey I have come upon a conclusion that Parle biscuits are not
available in 9% shops because of the irregular visits of salesperson and deliveryman. I tried to
sort out this problem and suggested the company few solutions for it so that the no. of orders
taken per day of that distributor can increase which affects the sales volume of the company.

44
 II. Q2: IF NO, THEN WHY?
LESS
LOW OFFERS
MARGIN REPLACEMENT PROBLEM FOR INADEQUATE AND
BENEFIT DAMAGE PRODUCTS SUPPLY BENEFITS
57 23 6 14

14% LOW MARGIN BENEFIT

57%
REPLACEMENT PROBLEM FOR
DAMAGE PRODUCTS
INADEQUATE SUPPLY
6%

LESS OFFERS AND BENIFITS

23%

Here I noticed that among total of 9% taking it into 100 , 57% of the retailers didn’t keep Parle
Products because they faces the problem of low margin benefit provided by the distributor
whereas 23% among the retailers faces the problem of damage replacement problem and 6% stop
keeping Parle products because of inadequate supply while 14% didn’t want to keep because of
less offers and benefits provided by the company. Now these are very vital problems facing by
the company, so I suggested the company to look into this matter and try to improve the system
and to maintain the golden image of the company.

45
III. Q3: IF YES THEN WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF PRODUCTS DO YOU
KEEP?

PLATINA ALL
BISCUITS CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS PRODUCTS
57 23 6 14

Here, I observed that among 91% of wholesales who had Parle products most of the shops prefer
keeping Parle Biscuits but the company has future goals regarding Parle Platina Products, So
company is required to give their more focus on Platina Products. The reason why this problem
has occurred is due to the lack of ATL marketing, general people asks & buy the products if they
are aware of it. So more attention is required since these products are going to be the new
backbone of the company.

46
IV.
Q4: WHICH BRANDS OF BISCUITS AVAILABLE AT YOUR
SHOP?
BISK
ITC BRITANNIA OTHERS PRIYA FARM PARLE
25 29 7 9 20 26

Q4: WHICH BRANDS OF BISCUITS

AVAILABLE AT YOUR SHOP?
35

30

25

20

15

10

0
ITC BRITANNIA OTHERS PRIYA BISK FARM PARLE

Series1

Here after visiting the outlets which include wholesale and retail both, I observed that most of
the shops contain Britannia Biscuits more than Parle Biscuits and other competitors such as Bisk
Farm and ITC were also very close too. This shows that the competition is at heat and the
company needs to sort out all the problems so that it can maintain its king position.

47
 V. Q5: WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT YOU ARE WILLING TO
SPEND ON A PACKET OF BISCUITS?
ALL RANGE
Rs.03-10 Rs.10-20 Rs.20-30 Rs.30-35 BISCUITS

43 34 31 30 11

What is the maximum amount you are willing to spend on a

pcket of biscuits ?
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Rs.03-10 Rs.10-20 Rs.20-30 Rs.30-35 All range biscuits

Here I came to understand that most of the outlets were fond of ordering and keeping small range
packet biscuits rather than high value biscuits even though they get more profit in keeping them.
The reasons which I came to understand is that small packet biscuits have got a high demand
since it is cheaper & small in packet so easily carry able and low chance of damage since its
packaging is more compact rather than other Big biscuits. And also the number of low
purchasing capacity of customers are much higher than others.

48
VI.

Q6: ARE YOU SATISFIIED WITH THE PARLE SUPPLY

& REPLACEMENT SCHEMES?
Yes No
47 53

Here we can clearly observe that 53% of the retailers and wholesalers are not somehow satisfied
with the Parle Supply and damage control schemes. While being on the field I also noticed that
they are trying to look for some other available options which is not good for the company’s
distributors point of view. For example they are either neglecting the orders knowingly or
sometimes not giving orders to the distributor since lack of supply of a running product.

49
VII.

Q7: HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU ORDER PARLE BUISCUITS?

Every 3 Days Every 1 week Every 2 week

42 68 40

How frequently do you order parle products ?

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Every 3 days Every 1 week Every 2 week

Now here I came to understand that the wholesalers were keen to order products every 3
day and other outlets were mainly ordering after 1 week, So I suggested the company to
improve its supply chain because of previous complaints regarding the supply of
products, the demand of the biscuits are very high and due to adding of new outlets it
becomes more important to increase the volume of Sales.

50
VIII. Q8: DO YOU GET TO KNOW ABOUT ALL THE PARLE PRODUCTS WHILE
ORDERING?

Yes No Maybe

36 32 34

Here I noticed that most of the outlets knew about all the products and they order it as per their
requirement. Meanwhile I also observed that the number of retail shops who were not sure about
knowing all the products are also high in numbers and also that many retailers hardly knows
anything. This shows that the Sales persons were not been able to somehow take the orders
properly which also affects the volume of sales happening per day and also the growth of the
distributor. So I suggested few solutions to the company for completely eradication of such kinds
of problems.

51
IX.
Q9: WHICH OF THE FACTORS AFFECT THE PURCHASE?
ATTRACTIVE BRAND
ADVERTISEMENT SUGGESTIONS DISPLAY INGREDIENTS AMBASSDORS

30% 15% 20% 10% 25%

25%
30% ADVERTISEMENT
SUGGETIONS
ATTRACTIVE DIPLAY

10% INGREDIENTS
BRAND AMBASSDORS
15%
20%

Now I came across the factors that affected the purchase of the wholesalers, they use to keep
those products in bulk which had its own brand preference for eg. which were more advertised,
those products whose ambassadors were known people, or those products were sold more whose
packaging were attractive, So I came to know by the survey that Advertisement took 30% of the
sales ,suggestions took sales by 15%, Attractive display raised the sales by 20% , Ingredients
least affected the sales by 10%, Brand Ambassadors raised the sales by 25%.

52
 X.

Q10: IF THE COMPANY ANNOUNCES A HIKE OF 10% IN THE RATE OF YOUR FAVORITE
PLATINA PRODUCT, WILL YOU BUY IT?

Yes No Maybe

32 31 37

Now as we can see that due its Brand loyalty 32% of Platina customers would still like to buy
their favorite Platina Products even if there is a hike of 10%. This shows that the products are at
good quality state with its taste and preferences which have made a unique status of getting fond
of consume. In the same note there are 31% customers among them which would straight away
reject the product if there is any kind of fluctuation in the rate and 37% customers were at
confusing state of mind.

53
XI.
Q11: DO YOU ORDER PARLE PRODUCTS FROM ANYOTHER SOURCE
EXCEPT DISTRIBUTOR?

Sometimes Yes No

20 25 36

In this Chart we can observe that most of the retailers are loyal and takes orders directly
from the authorized distributors which shows their trust towards the company and
distributors but here we can also see that many amongst them also look for any other
source for ordering the products which is problem because it also affects the efficiency
and effectiveness of distributor and company both because this kinds of scenario leads to
Hoarding and Black marketing. So I suggested the company to maintain their trust and
brand name amongst the retailers and wholesalers by providing them the quality service.

54
XII.

Q12: IF YES, WHY?

BETTER QUICK
AVAILABILITY MARGIN DELIVERY REPLACEMENT FEASIBILITY ALL

8 5 4 3 2 3

Reason why 25 retailers ordered from other source than

distributor
9

0
AVAILABILITY BETTER MARGIN QUICK DELIVERY REPLACEMENT FEASIBILITY ALL

By looking at the Chart we can see that those Wholesalers who orders or buys the products from
external or any other source is because of the availability of the running products which are
required in the market. But due to lack of availability in the distributor they go look for other
source. One more important take away from this chart is that the Margin which is provided by
those sources is much cheaper and highly profitable than the distributor. So I recommended the
company to look into this matter seriously and improve the discipline into the system for overall
development.

55
XIII.
Q13: Which company’s products are more selling?
Others ITC Britannia Bisk farm Parle
10 19 29 22 25

From this we can obviously conclude that products of Britannia are mostly selling products and
the 2nd most selling products is of Parle while other competitors are also following up in the
Race specially ITC and Bisk Farm. This says that the company which will provide more and
more benefits to customers concurrently to distributors and continues to capture the market is
going to sustain and hold the position.

56
XIV.
Q14: HOW WOULD YOU RATE PARLE PRODUCTS?

EXCELLENT GOOD MODERATE POOR

43 34 31 30

HOW WOULD YOU RATE PARLE PRODUCTS?

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
EXCELLENT GOOD MODERATE POOR

After looking at this Chart we can analyze that most of the Parle products are rated these
between excellent to poor which is good as it is at the Beginning and Growth stage of PLC.
While 25% customers believed that it is more costly than its quality.

57
 OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS

During my visit I found that there was severe lack of POP’s. Which is a huge problem for the
company since the company’s direct interaction depends upon visible advertisement
such as Product Display.

I observed that as per the Salesman the validity of the biscuits are 6 months and the
delivery of the products happens after 2 to 3 months, and if the products fails to be get
sold to the consumer then it remains in the stock of the outlets so the shops refuses to
order more from the distributor.

I came to know that few distributors of same Parle Company sells the products at low
profit margin cost for themselves to catch the given target of the company. So few Sub-
wholesalers don’t want to order the products at genuine price to the assigned distributor
since the Parle Products were available at low cost with huge benefit.

To tackle this and upcoming kind issues I suggest the company to develop and introduce a
“software” which should be connected with an “android application” controlled by the
“salesman” who is only answerable to the company. It helps in keeping a track of
everyday data and puts an end to all unethical jobs.

I noticed that the assigned distributor provides 12% margin on every Parle products while
the competitors and other distributors provide 13.5% to 14% margin on all products. So
the retailers prefer ordering the products from other existing sources.

Competitors such as Britannia provide percentage benefits to the retailers on every bulk
demand like 3+1, 2+1 which does not exist in Parle.

While on the Job I noticed lack of discipline and punctuality during the job in the
salespersons and the distributor which affects the ethical working environment and also
the effectiveness of the distributor.
58
 To tackle the above situation an introduction of an “App” could work greatly since it can
minimize time and provides proper surveillance to maintain the discipline.

While my daily visit to the market and after completion of overall 12 market routes I
founded that there were 30 outlets where Parle Products were not supplied due to some or
the other issues with the distributor.

While working in the market such as Selinpur and Santoshpur 2 route there were lack of
supply of running products.

I have noticed that at the assigned distributor point of Parle, the distribution of Parle
products were lagging behind mainly due to the lack of man power available with the
distributor knowingly.

I also observed that the assigned distributor holds other company’s products distribution
too which in the end leads to the conflict of interest. The distributor focuses on that company’s
products which provide the most profit.

During my working days I also noticed that sometimes the salespersons ignores the visits
to the outlet which was assigned to them due to unethical behavior of the retailer.

I also noticed that when the beat value is less than Rs.5000 then the distributor neglects
the products delivery.

I was also able to found out that other competitors’ distributors for Display counters
provides discount and sometimes extra products which is used to be equal to the value of
the promised amount.

I also understood the reason of underperformance of the assigned distributor. There is a

lack of manpower available at their distributor point. One Salesperson performs multiple
tasks every day. The minimum requirement of manpower at the point is 12-14 but it only
has 6.
59
 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

It was concluded that Parle is the good preference of both the Wholesalers and Institutional
Outlets (Organized and unorganized both) because of its price and brand image.
Even in today’s times when multinationals are beefing up their operations and
trying to change the dynamics of the market, Parle’s chips and sticks numerous uno position is
unchallenged. Its competitors have roped in superstars like King Khan and Sachin Tendulkar, but
Parle wafers is going from strength to strength. Trust, relevance, affordability are its hallmarks,
which have withstood pressures from the hyper-competitive market place.
The Parle wafers brands, such as, masala kachha, masala munch, tangi pickle, tangi tomato and
confectionery brands, such as, Melody, Poppins, Mango bite enjoy a strong imagery and appeal
amongst consumers across the world. This can be seen from the success of its new brands such
as pickles, Aalu chat etc.

Parle Products Pvt Ltd., is now lagging in services to Wholesalers because of improper supply
and distribution in some areas and competitors taking advantage of these points.

It’s my recommendation to the company to develop and introduce “software” which should be
connected with an “android application” controlled by the “salesman” and
retailers for taking orders. It will help the salesperson in taking all the products orders and
simultaneously help the retailers and Sub-wholesalers in keeping a track of the supply
concurrently, It will help the company in keeping a track of everyday data and puts an
end to all the unethical jobs.

After completion of the project and getting the response of 100 outlets, I observed that
most of the shops prefer keeping Parle Biscuits which is a good sign as per the company
has future goals regarding Parle Platina Products, and I also understood that 22% outlets
keep Parle Platina while 31% keeps confectionery and 14% amongst them keep all
products. So, I would like to recommend the company to give their more focus on Platina
Products. The reason is that there is a lack of ATL marketing, general people asks & buys
the products if they are aware of it.
60
 Increasing the man power will be able to be much more productive and efficient in
developing sales and revenue to the company.

The relevance and importance of conventional marketing especially in the fast moving
consumer goods category, has slid down to give way for more aggressive market savvy
solutions that can revolutionize the way products sell these days.

Consequent to the changing parameters, both tangible and intangible, if the products do
not respond and reorient themselves to the new environment, they run the risk of
becoming obscure. The point here is that however much financial wizardry an
organization might deploy, however much R&D they get into, however much technology
they enjoy, unless brand building takes the front seat with clear-cut strategies that
predispose the product behavior, the chances of creating a winner is quite remote.

The name of the marketing game is therefore repositioning your brand and thereby, the
competition. When the stakes are high and when you are not able to take the competition
head-on, the only way to survive and build on equity is through repositioning.

The success of Shaktiman from Parle-G again has tremendous scope in retailing,
merchandising and event marketing. May be this was a deliberate strategy from Parle to
reposition its biscuits with a Shakti(power) aura against the much-hyped biscuit brands.

Parle-G eventually might use the Shaktiman umbrella strategy to replicate the success for
its other brands in these markets. Small wonder then, that Parle-G, with its mass market
appeal and distribution in over 4.25 lakh retail outlets, is today the number one biscuit
brand in the world.

While dealer productivity and market penetration are still important in the overall
marketing activity, the brand has to evolve and revolve in a different orbit. It has to
reposition itself if it really wants to make a difference in the highly competitive market.

61
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Primary data has been collected from the field by questionnaire, depth interview and survey.

2. Marketing Management by Philip Kotler, Kevin Lane Keller, Abraham Koshy and
Mithileshwar Jha.

3. http://www.parleproducts.com

4. http://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com

5. http://www.indianmirror.com

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parle_Products

7. http://www.blog.sanasecurities.com

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 APPENDIX
This Questionnaire is meant for the survey of Availability and Sales at Institutional outlets in
South Kolkata Region.
Sample size: 100
1. Do you keep Parle products?
a)Yes
b)No
2. If No then why?
a)Low margin benefit
b)Replacement or Damage problem
c)Inadequate Supply
d)Less offers and benefits
3. If yes what are the types of product do you keep?
a)Biscuits
b)Confectionery
c)Platina products
d)All products
4. Which brands of biscuits available at your shop?
a)ITC
b)Britannia
c)Bisk Farm
d)Priya
e)Parle
f)Others
5. What is the maximum amount you are willing to spend on a packet of biscuits ?
a)Rs.03-10
b)Rs.10-20
c)Rs.20-30
d)Rs.30-35
e)All range biscuits

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6. Are you satisfied with the Parle supply & replacement schemes?
a)Yes
b)No
7. How frequently do you order Parle biscuits?
a)Every 3 days
b)Every 1 week
c)Every 2week
8. Do you get to know about all the Parle products while ordering?
a)Yes
b)No
c)Maybe
9. Which of the factors affect the purchase?
a)Advertisement
b)Suggestions
c)Attractive Display
d)Ingredients
e)Brand Ambassadors
10. If the company announces a hike of 10% in the rate of your favorite Platina Product, will you
buy It?
a)Yes
b)No
c)Maybe
11. Do you order Parle products from any other source except distributor?
a)Sometimes
b)Yes
c)No
12. If Yes, why?
a)Availability
b)Better Margin
c)Quick Delivery
d)Replacement
e)Feasibility
f)All
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13. Which company’s products are more selling?
a)ITC
b)Britannia
c)Bisk Farm
d)Parle
e)Others
14. How would you rate Parle products?
a)Excellent
b)Good
c)Moderate
d)Poor

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