A STUDY ON CUSTOMER AWERENESS AND SATISFACTION

TOWASRDS SIR KRISHNA DEPARTMENT STORE

(WITH SPECIAL REFRENCE TO POLLACHI AREA)

CHAPPTER-I
1. INTRODUCTION:

Gone are the days were the CUSTOMER went in search of materials from shop to shop.
Today, things are made available in one shop, one place. These days, CUSTOMER buying is not mere
transfer of item from seller to buyer. CUSTOMER wants buying to become a happy affair. They
would like to see, touch and feel the commodities that they buy.

Understanding this psychology for the CUSTOMER many organizations have come to make
purchase of happy affair. In modern major cities the departmental store made a dramatic appearance in
the man of the 19th century and permanently reshaped shopping habits, and the definition of service
and luxury.

Department stores today have sections that have sell the following clothing, furniture, home
appliances, toys, cosmetics house wares gardening toiletries, sporting goods paints and additionally
select other lines of products such as foods books electronics stationaries baby products products for
pets.

1.1. MARKETING:

Marketing is more important as it relates to CUSTOMER and their needs, whatever may be the
objectives of business, the main in which it has to concentrate will be marketing. Business today,
concentrating on marketing is found to be fairly successful though success depends on many other
factors. The purchase decision being an essence is an important aspect of marketing. CUSTOMERs
are liable for influence under different environment.

Under these circumstances a study has been conducted to analysis the preference of
consciences towards departmental stores .Channel of distribution is also called marketing channel or
trade channel, are used to provide CUSTOMER with a convenient means of obtaining the products
and services they desire. Thus, the route or path through which goods more from the place of
production to the place of consumption is called channel to distribution. There are various persons or
business CUSTOMER such as middlemen consisting of wholesalers and retailers.

I.2. DEPARTMENTAL STORES:

A departmental store, a retail trade shop, was started at strategic place to please the Customer
by giving him the choice of selecting all that he wants. There are number of departmental stores like
Sri Krishna Department Store, vinayaga departmental store, naadar departmental store, More for U,
etc. Every business is based on understanding every business man today makes some effort to
convince the CUSTOMER for buying a the CUSTOMER and providing the kind of products that the
CUSTOMER want product in a particular shop and for this reason, the researcher has under taken a
survey as to why they prefer departmental store.

What are the reasons for their purchase at a departmental store? What makes them to select
departmental stores? That other form of retails outlet in pollachi

1.3. CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR

 CUSTOMER behaviour is defined as that behaviour exhibited by people in planning,
purchasing and using economic goods and services. Buyers behaviour is the process by which
individuals decide whether, what, when, where, how and from whom to purchase goods and services.
“Instead of trying to market what is easier for us to make, we must find out much more about what the
CUSTOMER is willing to buy – we must apply our creativeness more intelligently to people, and
their wants and needs rather than to product” – Charles G. Martina emphasizing on the above
statement, the target of all marketing activities should be CUSTOMERs. The firms have to device
plans and implement them so as to achieve CUSTOMER satisfaction. This calls for an analysis of
how CUSTOMER behaves in the market place. Buyer behaviour may be viewed as an orderly process
whereby the individual interacts with his environment for the purpose of making market decisions on
products and services.

Thus, the chief characteristics of buyer behaviour are:

1. It includes observable physical activities, such as walking through the market to examine the
products and in making a purchase, and mental activities – such as forming attitudes,
perceiving advantages materials and learning to prefer a particular brand. The CUSTOMERs
apply both the activities to acquire goods and services and obtain satisfaction from them.
2. CUSTOMER behaviour is a complex and dynamic concept, too constantly changing, and
therefore management need to adjust with the change, otherwise the market may be lost.
3. The individual’s specific behaviour in the market place is affected by interval factors such as
needs, motives, perception and attitudes as well as by external or environmental influences
such as the family, social groups, cultural, economic and business influences .To achieve a
better understanding of the CUSTOMER behaviour, study of those disciplines, which may
provide some explanations as to “why people behave as they do” is required. The internal and
external forces and influences interact in highly complex ways, affecting the individual’s total
pattern of behaviour as well as his buying behaviour.

I.4. BUYING DECISION PROCESS:

 This model implies that CUSTOMER pass through all five stages in buying something.
This is not the case in respect of low – involvement purchases. CUSTOMER might skip or
reverse some of these stages. Understanding CUSTOMER needs and buying process is essential
to building effective marketing strategies.

BUYING
DECESSION
PROCESS

DECESSION PROBLEM
MAKING RECOGNITION

EVALUATION
INFORMATION
OF
SEARCH
ALTERNATIVES
I.5. PROBLEM RECOGNITION:

The buying process starts with the buyer recognizing a problem or need. The buyer
senses a difference between his or her actual state and a desired state. The need can be aroused
by internal or external factors. In the former case, the person’s normal needs – hunger, thirst to
threshold travel and become a drive. The person out of experience has learned to cope up with
the drive and its motivated towards a class of objects that he or she knows will satisfy the drive.

I.6. INFORMATION SEARCH:

As the next step, a CUSTOMER will try to search for from various sources, to have an
idea about the competing brands and their features and to purchase accordingly .The various
sources which provide information are:

1. Personal sources- Family friends, Neighbours, etc.

2. Commercial sources- Advertisements, Salesmen, Dealers, Packages

3. Public sources- Mass Media

4. Experimental source- Examining, using and handling the product

I.7. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES:

A CUSTOMER uses information to arrive at a set of final brand choices. The question is,
how does the CUSTOMER choose among the alternative brands in the choice set? He evaluates
the various alternatives available in the market on the basis of certain attributes. There is no
simple and single evaluation process used by all CUSTOMERs or by one CUSTOMER in all
buying situations. The attributes of interest to buyer vary by product, their need, quality, style,
etc.
i.8. PURCHASE DECISION:

Having evaluated the purchase alternatives, he has to decide whether to buy or not to buy.
If he has decided to buy, then he has to take decisions regarding the brand, the quantity of
purchase, the place of purchase and the mode of payment to the made

1.9. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

1. Analyse the CUSTOMER satisfaction towards Sri Krishna department stores.

2. To find out the Customer awareness about Sri Krishna department stores.

3. To know the factors influencing the CUSTOMER to prefer the department stores in pollachi area.

4. To analyse the level of satisfaction of their Sri Krishna department stores

5. To know the suggestions to improve in sales and functions in the Sri Krishna department stores
1.10. SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

 The present study helps to analyse the competitions existing in the present
departmental stores.

 The scope of the study covers the key factors, which influences the Customer to
buy products in departmental stores.

 This survey helps to know about Customer needs.

 This scope of the study helps to know about the preference of the CUSTOMERs in
departmental stores.
1.10. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.11. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY:

1. The area of study is restricted to pollachi

2. For convenience purpose, the population taken for the study refers to the Customers of Sri Krishna
Department Store, Vinayaga departmental stores, Naadar departmental stores.

3. The data was collected for the month of January 2020 to march 2020.

4. In order to complete the study within the time frame, the number of respondents had been restricted
to 100.
 1.12. INDUSTRY PROFILE

Indian market has high complexities in terms of a wide geographic spread and distinct
CUSTOMER I preferences varying by each region necessitating a need for localization even
within the geographic zones. India has highest number of outlets per person (7 per thousand)
Indian retail spuce per capita at 2 sq. f. person is lowest in the world Indian retail density of
6% is highest in the world. 1.8 million Households in India have an annual income of over
rs.4.5 million. The organized retail market has a share of 8% as per 2012. While India presents
a large market i opportunity given the number and increasing purchasing power of
CUSTOMERs, there are i significant challenges as well given that over 90%o of trade is
conducted through independent local stores. Challenges include: Geographically dispersed
population, small ticket sizes, i complex distribution network, and little use of IT systems,
limitations of mass media and existence of counterfeit goods.

A number of merger and acquisitions have begun in Indian retail market. It is estimated that
the multi-brand retail market to grow to $220 billion by 2020. The Indian retail industry hasi
experienced high growth over the last decade with a noticeable shift towards organised
retailing formats. The industry is moving towards a modern concept of retailing. The size of
India's retail market was estimated at US$ 435 billion Of this. US$ 414 billion (95% of the
market) was i traditional retail and USS 21 billion (5% of the market) was organized retail.
India's retail market is expected to grow at 7%o over the next 10 years, reaching a size of USS
850 billion by 2020. Traditional retail is expected to grow at 5% apd reach a size of USS 650
billion (76%), while organized retail is expected to grow at 25% and reach a size of US$ 200
billion by 2020. The US-based global management consulting firm . A T Kearney In its
Gilobal Retaill Development Index has ranked India as the fourth most attractive nation for
retail investment, i among 30 emerging markets. As India’s retail industry is aggressively
expanding itself, great demand for real estate is being created. The cumulative retail demand
for real estate across India Is expected to reach 43 million square feet by 2013. Around 46 per
cent of the total estimated demand between 2009 and 2013 will be come from Ter-l cities
 1.13. COMPANY PROFILE.

Si Krishna departmental store is a start up retail outlet by Mr. Giobi Krishna. It’s almost from its
commencement o business it gradually strengthening CUSTOMER base. It s a kind old retail and
whale sale combined kind of approach that is followed at Sri Krishna departmental store. Their store
is fily computerized which made the functioning of accounting and billing aspects low smoothly.

The objective of the Sri Krishna departmental store lies in its vision that is to provide genuine
products to the CUSTOMERs. The ultimate aim to provide hygienic and best quality of products’
They are best in CUSTOMER engagement and they have spread happiness in the heart of every
CUSTOMER and they are synonym for service with smile.

All the spices, grains and pulses sold here are clean. stone free and handpicked. They have gained rusl
and confidence of by building rapport and meeting the expectations of their CUSTOMERs.
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

For the survey of existing literature, the research papers published in Journals, Reference
books, Magazine, internet, government report etc were referred. The Observation and findings
presented in this section are based on this literature review.

NEWBY (1997)

Other relevant studies address the interaction between the physical infrastructure and
CUSTOMER’s choice of retail outlet.

FERNIE (1998)

Does not treat CUSTOMER preference as a separate issue , his work seems likely to provide
inspiration for the present study.Fernie looked at the retail changes in the UK and included a
consideration of the logistical consequences of the developments there.

CHRISTENSEN (1999)

Shows that out shopping is inversely related to the size of the town of the residence. Some
researchers have viewed shopping as a leisure activity

ROY (2000):

In his study considered several characteristics of shoppers - such as functional shopping

motivation, deal proneness, recreational shopping motivation, age, income and family size, to be a
significant influence on mall shopping frequency.
SURBHI KOSHAL (2006)

Surbhi Khosla in her article briefly discussed about the retail sector in India and its journey.
The article mentions in the chronological order the evolution of different retail formats in India and
also major retailers in different formats. The article also discussed the recent trends in the formats and
future scope of the different formats of retailing.

RAKASH CHANDRA DAS (2007):

Rakash Chandra Das studied and explodes the opportunities, challenges and strategies of Indian
retail sectors. The paper discusses the challenges like merchandising mix, retail differentiation, supply
chain management and also competition from supplier's brand in the Indian perspective.

KAY M. PALAN (2008):

In his paper outlined gender identity, of CUSTOMER behaviourstudies in the marketing

literature that have examined gender identity. Based on theliterature review, the paper evaluates
whether gender identity research is stillwarranted, and proposes specific research questions to guide
future research. Theauthor is of the view that it is very essential to understand the complex and
changeablenature of personality traits associated with gender categories.