PROJECT REPORT

ON

STUDY OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN BIG BAZAR

Submitted in Fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MARKETING

MANAGEMENT)

(2016-2018)

Submitted to Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University,

Fatehgarh Sahib

Under Guidance of : Submitted by:

Dr. J S Dhillion Sikander Singh

Roll no. 16062123

1
 CERTIFICATE

I certify that this Project“STUDY OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN BIG BAZAR” Sub

mitted to Submitted to Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University,

Fatehgarh Sahib in fulfillment of the award of Master Of Business Administration (Mark

eting management), is a record of independent research of and carried out by Sikander Sing
h under my supervision and guidance.

Guide:-

Dr. J S Dhillion

(School of Commerce and Management)

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 DECLARATION

I, Sikander Singh hereby declare that Project title “STUDY OF CONSUMER BEHAVIO
UR IN BIG BAZAR”is the outcome of my Research work. This research has not been submi
tted earlier to any institution or university for the award of any degree/diploma.

The Project report is the result of my own hard work and self-belief.

SIKANDER SINGH

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 PREFACE

This report“STUDY OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN BIG BAZAR”. The idea of prep

aring this research report comes from our degree of Master of Business Administration (Mark
eting Management) , theoretical knowledge without the practical exposure is of little value. T
heoretical studies in classroom are not sufficient to understand the functioning and nature of t
he research. Therefore it becomes necessary to undergo any research project work.

I complete my research project on the topic“STUDY OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN

BIG BAZAR”. During the research project i got an opportunity to learn valuable things, whi
ch i could never been able to learn from theory classes.

In nutshell, whole of my report was invaluable experience in the pursuit of knowledge. In the
forthcoming pages attempt has been made to present a comprehensive report concerning diffe
rent aspect of my research. The overall gain to me will be reflected in the report itself.

4
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

No great Endeavour in any field is possible in solitude. It needs inspiration, guidance and Hel
p at every step. So, I must preface my report by expressing sincere and deep gratitude to thos
e who made it possible for me to complete any project work.

First of all, I bowmy head in gratitude to God for His blessing. It is my pleasant duty to plac
e on record my sincere thanks to worthy and honourable HOD Dr. R K Sharma for encouragi
ng and liberal facilities during the course of my study.

It gives me immense pleasure my profound sense of gratitude and indebtedness to my

Major advisor Dr. JS Dhillon for her valuable guidance, support and cooperation extended to
me during the course of the study.

I am thankful to other lecturer of my department for giving their valuable suggestion

s. Sincere thanks to the respondents who extended their cooperation by providing the Informa
tion for study and for showing interest in my research.

I shall be failing in my duty if I don’t thank many others who are directly or indirectl
y helped me.

SIKANDER SINGH

5
 S.N. INDEX PAGE NO.
CHAPTER - 1 INTRODUCTION 7
1.1 INTRODUCTION ABOUT RETAIL SECTOR 8-9
1.2 UNDERSTANDING BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF CO 9-10
NSUMER
1.3 NATURE OF CONUSMER BEHAVIOUR 10-12
1.4 IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR 12
1.5 CONSUMER BUYING DECISION 12-14
1.6 MODELS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 14-15
1.7 COMPANY PROFILE 16
1.8 HISTORY OF BIG BAZAR 17-18
1.9 SCHEMES OF INNOVATION 18-19
CHAPTER – 2 REVIEW OF LITERARTURE 19-21
CHAPTER - 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21
3.1 NEED OF STUDY 22-23
3.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 23
3.3 TYPE OF RESEARCH 23
3.4 SOURCE OF DATA & COLLECTION TOOL 23
3.5 SAMPLING 23
3.6 SAMPLE SIZE 23
3.7 LIMITATIONS 24
CHAPTER – 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 25-44
CHAPTER – 5 FINDINGS 45-46
CHAPTER – 6 CONCLUSION 46
CHAPTER – 7 SUGGESTIONS 47
BIBLIOGRAPHY 48-49
ANNEXURE 49-52

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 Chapter- 1

INTRODUCTION

Retailing is the interface between the producer and the individual consumer buying for perso
nal consumption. This excludes direct interface between the manufacturer and institutional bu
yers such as the government and other bulk customers. A retailer is one who stocks the produ
cer’s goods and is involved in the act of selling it to the individual consumer, at a margin of p
rofit. As such, retailing is the last link that connects the individual consumer with the manufa
cturing and distribution chain. The retail industry in India is of late often being hailed as one
of the sunrise sectors in the economy. AT Kearney, the well-known international managemen
t consultancy, recently identified India as the ‘first most attractive retail destination’ globally
from among thirty emergent markets. It has made India the cause of a good deal of excitemen
t and the cynosure of many foreign and domestic eyes. The entry of foreign and Indian retail
giants like Wal-Mart, Metro, Reliance, Birla, Tata etc. made Indian market more competitive
which is at cut throat level. So how retailers can reach to their end customers, to win the mind
share and increase the basket size of each shopping trip.

India retail industry is the largest industry in India, with an employment of around 8% and co
ntributing to over 10% of the country's GDP. Retail industry in India is expected to rise 25%

7
yearly being driven by strong income growth, changing lifestyles, and favorable demographic
patterns.

It is expected that by 2016 modern retail industry in India will be worth US$ 175- 200 billion.
India retail industry is one of the fastest growing industries with revenue expected in 2007 to
amount US$ 320 billion and is increasing at a rate of 5% yearly. A further increase of 7-8% i
s expected in the industry of retail in India by growth in consumerism in urban areas, rising in
comes, and a steep rise in rural consumption. It has further been predicted that the retailing in
dustry in India will amount to US$ 21.5 billion by 2010 from the current size of US$ 7.5 billi
on.

The growth of scope in the Indian retail market is mainly due to the change in the consumer’s
behaviour. For the new generation have preference towards luxury commodities which have
been due to the strong increase in income, changing lifestyle, and demographic patterns whic
h are favourable.

AS The twentieth century has come to and we have moved in to third millennium , we can se
e many development and changes taking place around us with all the industries and firms wit
hin each industry trying to keep pace with all the industries and firm within each industries tr
ying to keep pace with the changes and diverse need of people . Marketer have regarded “cu
stomer” as the king and evolved all activities to satisfy him or her, this concept gaining mor
e momentum and importance today.

More than a century ago, the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had made visionary and
deep meaningful statement at Johannesburg, South Africa in 1980.A customer is the most i
mportant visitor of our premises. He is not dependent on us .We are dependent on him
He is not interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it and not an outsider on our pr
emises. He is a part of it. We are not doing him favour by serving him.

Today the entire firm engaged in a process of creating a life time value and relationship with
customers. This report start with discussion on the diversity of consumer behaviour and the n
eed for studying consumer buying behaviour and consumer as a related field of marketing .thi
s can be largely be attributed to the prevailing market situation .Today the company image is
built and made known by its customers. Thus success of the firm determined how effective it
has been in meeting the diverse consumer need and wants by treating each customer as uniqu
e and offering products and services to suit has or her need.

Consumer buying behaviour will be a primary force in determining how this transition will e
volve. Getting closer to the customer in today’s highly competitive landscape is essential for t
he entire industry and is no longer just a retail issue. It requires all organisations across the su
pply chain to work as a single enterprise, sensing and responding rapidly to consumer deman
d in a co-ordinated manner. Detailed analysis of the changing patterns of consumer demand, s
hopping trends.

Understanding The Buying Behaviour Of Consumers

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Definition :

Consumer Behaviour is a branch which deals with the various stages a consumer goes throug
h before purchasing products or services for his end use.

Consumer Behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes th
ey use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy
needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society.

Why do you think an individual buys a product?

 Need
 Social Status
 Gifting Purpose

Why do you think an individual does not buy a product?

 No requirement
 Income/Budget/Financial constraints
 Taste

When do you think consumers purchase products?

 Festive season
 Birthday
 Anniversary
 Marriage or other special occasions

There are infect several factors which influence buying decision of a consumer ranging from
psychological, social, economic and so on.

The study of consumer behaviour explains as to:

 Why and why not a consumer buys a product?

 When a consumer buys a product?
 How a consumer buys a product?

During Christmas, the buying tendencies of consumers increase as compared to other months.
In the same way during Valentines week, individuals are often seen purchasing gifts for their
partners. Fluctuations in the financial markets and recession decrease the buying capacity of
individuals.

In a layman’s language consumer behaviour deals with the buying behaviour of individuals.

Nature of Consumer Behaviour:

1. Influenced by various factors:

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The various factors that influence the consumer behaviour are as follows:

a) Marketing factors such as product design, price, promotion, packaging, positioning

and distribution.
b) Personal factors such as age, gender, education and income level.
c) Psychological factors such as buying motives, perception of the product and attitudes
towards the product.
d) Situational factors such as physical surroundings at the time of purchase, social
surroundings and time factor.
e) Social factors such as social status, reference groups and family.
f) Cultural factors, such as religion, social class—caste and sub-castes.

2. Undergoes a constant change:

Consumer behaviour is not static. It undergoes a change over a period of time depending on t
he nature of products. For example, kids prefer colourful and fancy footwear, but as they gro
w up as teenagers and young adults, they prefer trendy footwear, and as middle-aged and seni
or citizens they prefer more sober footwear. The change in buying behaviour may take place
due to several other factors such as increase in income level, education level and marketing fa
ctors.

3. Varies from consumer to consumer:

All consumers do not behave in the same manner. Different consumers behave differently. Th
e differences in consumer behaviour are due to individual factors such as the nature of the co
nsumers, lifestyle and culture. For example, some consumers are technoholics. They go on a s
hopping and spend beyond their means.

They borrow money from friends, relatives, banks, and at times even adopt unethical means t
o spend on shopping of advance technologies. But there are other consumers who, despite ha
ving surplus money, do not go even for the regular purchases and avoid use and purchase of a
dvance technologies.

4. Varies from region to region and country to county:

The consumer behaviour varies across states, regions and countries. For example, the behavio
ur of the urban consumers is different from that of the rural consumers. A good number of rur
al consumers are conservative in their buying behaviours.

The rich rural consumers may think twice to spend on luxuries despite having sufficient funds
, whereas the urban consumers may even take bank loans to buy luxury items such as cars an
d household appliances. The consumer behaviour may also varies across the states, regions an
d countries. It may differ depending on the upbringing, lifestyles and level of development.

5. Information on consumer behaviour is important to the marketers:

Marketers need to have a good knowledge of the consumer behaviour. They need to study the
various factors that influence the consumer behaviour of their target customers.

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The knowledge of consumer behaviour enables them to take appropriate marketing deci
sions in respect of the following factors:

a. Product design/model

b. Pricing of the product

c. Promotion of the product

d. Packaging

e. Positioning

f. Place of distribution

6. Leads to purchase decision:

A positive consumer behaviour leads to a purchase decision. A consumer may take the decisi
on of buying a product on the basis of different buying motives. The purchase decision leads t
o higher demand, and the sales of the marketers increase. Therefore, marketers need to influe
nce consumer behaviour to increase their purchases.

7. Varies from product to product:

Consumer behaviour is different for different products. There are some consumers who may
buy more quantity of certain items and very low or no quantity of other items. For example, t
eenagers may spend heavily on products such as cell phones and branded wears for snob appe
al, but may not spend on general and academic reading. A middle- aged person may spend les
s on clothing, but may invest money in savings, insurance schemes, pension schemes, and so
on.

8. Improves standard of living:

The buying behaviour of the consumers may lead to higher standard of living. The more a per
son buys the goods and services, the higher is the standard of living. But if a person spends le
ss on goods and services, despite having a good income, they deprives themselves of higher s
tandard of living.

9. Reflects status:

The consumer behaviour is not only influenced by the status of a consumer, but it also reflect
s it. The consumers who own luxury cars, watches and other items are considered belonging t
o a higher status. The luxury items also give a sense of pride to the owners.

Importance of Consumer Behaviour:

i. The study of consumer behaviour enables us to become a better consumer. It will help
consumer to take more precise consumption relateddecisions.

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ii. It helps marketers to understand consumer buying behaviour and make better
marketing decisions.
iii. The size of the consumer market is constantly expanding and their preferences were
also changing and becoming highly diversified. So without studying it, marketers
cannot predict the future of their business.

Marketing managers regarded consumer behaviour discipline as an applied marketing scie

nce, if they could predict consumer behaviour, they could influence it. This approach has
come to be known as positivism and the consumer researcher who are primarily concerne
d with predicting consumer behaviour are known as positivists.

As the marketing research began to study the buying behaviour of consumers, they soon r
ealized that many consumers rebelled at using the identical products everyone else used, f
or example in case of purchase of house, interiors, car, and dress material etc. people pref
ers unique products. Consumer preferred differential products that they felt reflected their
own special needs, personalities and lifestyles.

To meet the need of consumers, marketers adopt market segmentation policy. They use pr
omotional techniques to vary the image of their products so that they would be perceived
as better fulfilling the specific needs of certain target segments.

Other reasons for the development of consumer behaviour includes the rate of new produ
ct development, growth of consumer movement, public policy concerns, environmental c
oncerns and the growth of both nonprofit marketing and international marketing.

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Consumer Buying Decisions
The main catalyst which triggers the buying decision of an individual is need for a particular
product/service. Consumers purchase products and services as and when need arises.

Buying decisions of consumers also depend on the following factors:

 Messages, advertisements, promotional materials, a consumer goes through also

called selective exposure.
 Not all promotional materials and advertisements excite a consumer. A consumer does
not pay attention to everything he sees. He is interested in only what he wants to see.
Such behaviour is called selective attention.
 Consumer interpretation refers to how an individual perceives a particular message.
 A consumer would certainly buy something which appeals him the most. He would
remember the most relevant and meaningful message also called as selective
retention. He would obviously not remember something which has nothing to do
with his need.
Buying Behaviour

Buying Behavior is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using pr
oducts.

Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Actual purcha
sing is only one stage of the process. Not all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consu
mer decisions do not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of complexity...dis
cussed next.

The 6 stages are:

1. Problem Recognition(awareness of need)--difference between the desired state and

the actual condition. Deficit in assortment of products. Hunger--Food. Hunger
stimulates your need to eat.

Can be stimulated by the marketer through product information--did not know you we
re deficient? I.E., see a commercial for a new pair of shoes, stimulates your recognitio
n that you need a new pair of shoes.

2. Information search--

o Internal search, memory.

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 o External search if you need more information. Friends and relatives (word of
mouth). Marketer dominated sources; comparison shopping; public sources etc.

A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set.

Hungry, want to go out and eat, evoked set is

o Chinese food

o Indian food

o burgerkingetc.

3. Evaluation of Alternatives--need to establish criteria for evaluation, features the

buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide
that you want to eat something spicy, Indian gets highest rank etc.

If not satisfied with your choice then returns to the search phase. Can you think of ano
ther restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may
be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by "framing" alternatives.

4. Purchase decision--Choose buying alternative, includes product, package, store,

method of purchase etc.

5. Purchase--May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5, product availability.

6. Post-PurchaseEvaluation--outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction.

Cognitive Dissonance, have you made the right decision. This can be reduced by war
ranties, after sales communication etc.

After eating an Indian meal, may think that really you wanted a Chinese meal instead.

Model of Buying Behaviour

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15
 COMPANY PROFILE

BIG BAZAR

At Big Bazaar we have always tried understanding our customer’s better keeping in mind thei
r love for better bargains and getting maximum value out of each rupee they spend. This has a
lways pushed us to think innovatively and striving to continuously giving our customers addit
ional reasons to shop.

Times are tough and we understand that this is the time when we need to stand by our custom
ers. Hence, to share the burden of running our customer’s household the idea of Big Bazaar P
ROFIT CLUB was born.

Big Bazaar PROFIT CLUB is the most innovative product that the Indian Retail Market has e
ver witnessed. It offers an unmatched value proposition to its customers. A unique membersh
ip program where one can pay Rs. 10,000 and can shop for Rs. 1000 per month for the next 1
2 months i.e Rs. 12,000 over a period of 12 months. After the huge success of ‘Profit Club R
s 10000’, Big Bazaar launches its new program “Profit Club Rs 5000 card”. On paying Rs 50
00, customers will get a membership card topped up with Rs 6000, with which they can shop
for Rs 400 every month for 15 months This card can be used across 240 + Big Bazaars, Food
Bazaars and fbb- Fashion at Big Bazaar stores across the country.

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In case you miss shopping in a particular month, the amount can be carried forward to the nex
t month.

Members of the Big Bazaar PROFIT CLUB will also receive the benefit of existing offers on
their Payback cards and T24 mobile services.

The Big Bazaar PROFIT CLUB Card can be used as a Gift Card for your friends and family,
like children living away from home or parents residing in other cities etc.

The Big Bazaar PROFIT CLUB Card can also serves as an excellent Employee Incentive pro
gram for your employees. It can also be extended to your business partners as a gift.

History of big bazar

2001
 Three stores launched within a span of 22 days in Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad
2002
 ICICI Bank Card is launched.
 Food Bazaar becomes part of Big Bazaar with the launch of the first store in Mumbai at
High Street Phoenix
2003
 Enters Tier II cities with the launch of the store in Nagpur
 Welcomes its 10 millionth customer at its new store in Gurgaon
2004
 Wins its first award and national recognition. Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar awarded
the country’s most admired retailer award in value retailing and food retailing
segment at the India Retail Forum
 A day before Diwali, the store at Lower Parel becomes the first to touch Rs 10 million
turnover on a single day
2005
 Implementation of SAP and pilots a RFID project at its central warehouse in Tarapur
 Launch of a shopping program: the Big Bazaar Exchange Offer, inviting customers to
exchange household junk at Big Bazaar

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  Electronic Bazaar and Furniture Bazaar are launched
 Big Bazaar and ICICI Bank launched ICICI Bank-Big Bazaar Gold credit card program to
reward its loyal customers.
2011
 Enters the rural wholesale and distribution business through 'Aadhaar Wholesale'
store at Kalol, Gujarat.
 Big Bazaar has come up a new logo with a new tag line: 'Naye India Ka Bazaar'.
 200th store opened in India

Schemes and innovations

Wednesday Bazaar

The concept of Wednesday Bazaar was promoted as 'Hafte Ka Sabse Sasta Din' (Cheapest Da
y of the Week). Initiated in January 2007, the idea behind this scheme was to draw customers
to stores on Wednesdays, the day when consumer presence is usually less. According to the c
hain, the aim of the concept was 'to give homemakers the power to save the most'.
maha bachat

The concept of 'Maha Bachat' (Mega Saving) was introduced in the year 2006 as a single day
campaign with promotional offers across the company outlets. Over the years, the concept ha
s grown to become a six-day biannual campaign. During the campaign, offers are given in all
the value formats including Big Bazraar, Food Bazaar, Electronic Bazaar, and Furniture Baza
ar
The Great Exchange Offer

Introduced on 12 February 2009, 'The Great Exchange Offer' allows customers to exchange t
heir old goods for Big Bazaar coupons. The coupons can be redeemed later for buying brand
new goods from Big Bazaar outlets across the nation.

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 Chapter - 2

REVIEW OF LITERATUR
E

A review of previous studies has supported the researcher to conduct the present study. The p
revious study was examined and certain area which requires more attention has been consider
ed in the present study.

Kotler and Keller(2012) suggested that the topic of consumer behaviour is one of the massiv
ely studied topics by the researchers and marketers in the past and still being studied. Researc
hers show different reasons as to why consumer behaviour has been the topic of many acade
mics and researchers. One of the common views is that understanding consumer behaviour ha
s become a factor that has a direct impact on the overall performance of the businesses.

Kotler and Keller, (2012)suggested that it is worth noting that consumer buying behaviour is
studied as a part of the marketing and its main objective it to learn the way how the individua

19
ls, groups or organizations choose, buy use and dispose the goods and the factors such as thei
r previous experience, taste, price and branding on which the consumers base their purchasin
g decisions.

Variawa (2010)suggested the study conducted by analyzed the influence of packaging on co

nsumer decision making process for Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The aim of the research
was to analyze the impact of packaging for decision making processes of low-income consum
ers in retail shopping. A survey method has been used in order to reach the research objective
s. In a survey conducted in Star Hyper in the town of Canterville 250 respondents participated
. The findings of the research indicate that low-income consumers have more preferences tow
ards premium packaging as this can also be re-used after the product has been consumed. Alt
hough the findings indicate that there is a weak relationship between the product packaging a
nd brand experience. However, it has been proven by the findings of the research that low-inc
ome consumers have greater brand experience from the purchase of ‘premium’ products whe
n compared to their experience from purchasing ‘cheap’ brand products.

Backhaus et al (2007) suggested that purchase decision is one of the important stages as this
stage refers to occurrence of transaction. In other words, once the consumer recognized the ne
ed, searched for relevant information and considered the alternatives he/she makes decision w
hether or not to make the decision.

Schiffman and Kanuk, (2007) suggested thatin the next stage, consumer searches informatio
n related to desired product or service. Information search process can be internal and externa
l. While internal search refers to the process where consumers rely on their personal experien
ces and believes, external search involves wide search of information which includes addressi
ng the media and advertising or feedbacks from other people (Rose and Samouel, 2009).

Neal and Questel (2006)suggested that this view is also supported by stating that need recog
nition occurs due to several factors and circumstances such as personal, professional and lifes
tyle which in turn lead to formation of idea of purchasing.

Blackwell et al (2006) suggested thatone of the common models of consumer decision makin
g process has been offered by Blackwell. According to him, the five stages of consumer decis
ion making process are followings: problem/need recognition, information search, evaluation
of alternatives, purchase decision made and post-purchase evaluation.

Kotler and Keller (2005) suggested that once the relevant information about the product or s
ervice is obtained the next stage involves analyzing the alternatives. Consider this stage as on
e of the important stages as the consumer considers all the types and alternatives taking into a
ccount the factors such as size, quality and also price.

Lee (2005)suggested the carried out study to learn the five stages of consumer decision maki
ng process in the example of China. The researcher focuses on the facts that affect the consu
mer decision making process on purchasing imported health food products, in particular dem
ographic effects such as gender, education, income and marital status. The author employed q
uestionnaire method in order to reach the objectives of the research. Analysis of five stages of
consumer decision making process indicate that impact of family members on the consumer
decision making process of purchasing imported health food products was significant.

20
Five Stages Model of consumer decision making process has also been studied by a number o
f other researchers. Although different researchers offer various tendencies towards the defini
tions of five stages, all of them have common views as they describe the stages in similar way
s.

Neal et al (2004)suggested that finally, post-purchase decision involves experience of the con
sumer about their purchase. Although the importance of this stage is not highlighted by many
authors argues that this is perhaps one of the most important stages in the consumer decision
making process as it directly affects the consumers’ purchases of the same product or service
from the same supplier in the future.

Kacen (2002)suggested that purchasing decision can further be divided into planned purchas
e, partially purchase or impulse purchase as stated by Kacen.

Lancaster et al, (2002) suggests that understanding consumer behaviour has become crucial
especially due to fierce competition in retail industry in the UK and worldwide. This chapter
will introduce some other areas of research background of consumer behaviour addressing th
e works of researchers and marketers. Moreover, consumer decision making process, in partic
ular, five stages of consumer decision making process will be discussed in detail.

Acebron et al (2000) suggested that the aim of the study was to analyze the impact of previo
us experience on buying behaviour of fresh foods, particularly mussels. In their studies the au
thors used structural equation model in order to identify the relationship between the habits a
nd previous experience on the consumer buying decision. Their findings show that personal h
abits and previous experience on of the consumers have a direct impact on the consumers’ pu
rchase decision in the example of purchasing fresh mussels. They also found that the image o
f the product has a crucial impact on the purchasing decision of the consumer and further reco
mmended that the product image should continuously be improved in order to encourage the
consumers towards purchasing.

Bruner (1993) suggested thateach stage is then defined by a number of researchers varying sl
ightly but leading to a common view about what each stage involves. For example, according
to Bruner, first stage, need recognition occurs when an individual recognizes the difference b
etween what they have and what they want/need to have.

Chapter - 3
21
 RESEARCH METHODOL
OGY

NEED OF THE STUDY

The Indian Retail industry has grown into a billion dollar industry. In this highly competitive
industry it is not just enough doing something right that matters but it is also important that it
is doing nothing wrong. Making profit does not only mean a large customer base but also, on
usage level of the services provided to the customers.

The Retail Stores come out with many schemes and offers, to attract customers and to make t
hem use the various services provided by these stores. The aim of this study would suppleme
nt this effort of the Reliance Fresh Store in a small way.

The results of survey will reveal the main motivating factors which encourage customers to b
uy products or services from Retail Stores.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 To study consumer buying behaviour towards BIG BAZAR customers of Mohali.

 To know about the consumer awareness towardsbig bazar.

 To identify the features that encourage consumer to prefers service out of a particular
retail store.

22
  To study the consumer’s satisfaction level towards various services offered bybig bazar.

 To study major factors influencing consumer buying behaviour.

 To understand the performance of g bazaar in the market on various parameters like

service quality, promotion and CSA.

Research Problem
To make a comprehensive study of big bazar &know the Buying behavior of Reliance Fresh
customers.

Type of research
Descriptive type research has used to complete the project. This research is base on fact findi
ng enquires and the variables are totally independent and uncontrollable.

Sources of Data collection:

Primary Data
Primary data of research are collected from direct resources (customer ofbig bazar) through q
uestionnaire.

Secondary Data
Secondary Data which are used for research to know the history scope of Retail industry are c
ollected from already available resources like net and other sources

Universe
Universe of this research is big bazaar customers of Patiala.

Sampling technique
Random sampling is used for research project. I have given equal weight age to my all respon
dent and chose them randomly without any biased like gender, age, income culture.

Sample size
200 respondents has selected as sample size for research.

23
Data representation technique and tools
Tables, Columns chart & Pie chart has used for representation.

LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
It is not possible to remove the limitation of any investigators. Moreover People may be carel
ess and may not give correct answer to the questions, because of so many reasons.
So this project also has certain limitations that are as –

 It is totally based on personal efforts of individuals.

 Some of the consumers are unable to understand the questionnaire.
 Language is one of the worst problem, some of the consumers are unable to
understand English.
 Some consumers are not interested in filling questionnaire.
 The sample was collected using connivance-sampling techniques. As such result may
not give an exact representation of the population.
 Shortage of time is also reason for incomprehensiveness.
 The views of the people are biased therefore it doesn’t reflect true picture.

Chapter - 4

DATA ANALYSIS AND INT

ERPRETATION

1) How often do you shop?

Table: 1 showing the shopping behavior of customers of Big bazar

24
 Parameter No. of respondents Percentage
Daily 145 72%
Week 40 20%
Fortnightly 10 5%
Once in month 05 3%

Fig: 1

3%
5%

20%
Daily

Week

Fortnightly

72% Once in month

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that about 72% of the customers shops on daily basis, 20% weekly, 5% fortni
ghtly and 3% once in a month in Reliance Fresh which is good for a retail store to have such
number for daily and weekly customers.

2) What do you mostly shop for at mentioned store?

Table: 2 showing the purpose of visit by the customers in Big bazar

25
 Parameter No. of respondents Percentage
Vegetables Fruits 166 83%
Grocery 28 14%
Cosmetic Products 04 2%
Kitchenware 02 1%

Fig: 2

1%
2%

14%

Vegetables Fruits

Grocery

Cosmetic Products

Kitchenware

83%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that about 83% of customers mostly shop for Vegetables and fruits, 14% for
Grocery, 2% for Cosmetic products and 1% for Kitchenware.

3)Preference of shopping

Table: 3 showing the preference of shopping in Big bazar

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

26
 Quality 15 7%
Brand 35 17%
Price 05 3%
One stop shop 145 73%

Fig: 3

7%

17%

Quality

Brand
3%

Price

One stop shop

73%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 73% of customers shops due to One stop shop feature of the Relia
nce fresh store while 17% for Brand,7% for Quality and 3% for Price.

4) When do you prefer to visit most at Big bazar store?

Table: 4 showing the preference of customer to visit the store

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

During Sale 27 13%

27
 When required 178 87%

Fig: 4

13%

During Sale

When required

87%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 87% of customers prefer to shop when required by them and 13%
of them prefer during sale.

5) Do advertisement and promotion influence your shopping decision?

Table: 5 showing the influence of promotion on shopping decision

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Yes 190 95%
No 10 5%

28
Fig: 5

5%

Yes

No

95%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 95% of the shopping decision are influenced by advertisement an
d promotion activities and 5% are not. Therefore, more advertisement and promotional efforts
should be done on continuous basis.

6) Which form of advertisement do you think is most effective?

Table: 6 showing the effectiveness of the form of advertisement

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Print 119 59%
T.V. 42 21%
Radio 24 12%

29
 Internet 15 8%

Fig: 6

8%

12%

Print

T.V.

Radio
21% 59%
Internet

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 59% of respondents thinks Print media, 21% T.V., 12% Radio an
d 8% Internet as most effective form of advertisement.

7) Are Promotional schemes easy to understand?

Table: 7 showing the understanding of promotional schemes

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Always 189 94%
Sometimes 11 6%
Confusing 0 --
Never 0 --

30
 Fig: 7

6%

Always

Some time

94%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that 94% of customers believes the promotional schemes are Alwaysundersta
nding, 6% said Sometimes while none said Confusingand Never which indicates about the id
eal advertisement effectiveness.

8) Rate the Store Layout of Big bazar?

Table: 8 showing the rating of store layout

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Excellent 40 20%
Good 135 67%
Fair 23 12%
Poor 02 1%

31
Fig: 8

1%

12%
20%

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

67%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around20% rates it as excellent, 67% of respondents rates the store layout
as good, 12% as fair and 1% as poor which shows the layout is appealing to the customers.

9) Does the Price Marked clearly on the Shelves?

Table: 9 showing the clarity of price marks displayed on shelves

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Yes 195 97%
No 05 3%

Fig: 9

32
 3%

Yes

No

97%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 97% of the respondents mentioned that the Price tags or marks ar
e properly displayed while 3% said no.

10) Does the desired Products are available and the shelves are full with sto
ck?

Table: 10 showing the availability of the stock

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Always 06 3%
Mostly 184 92%
Sometimes 10 5%
Never 00 --

Fig: 10
33
 5% 3%

Always

Mostly

Sometimes

92%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 92% of respondents ensures that there is mostly availability of the
stock, 3% said Always, and 5% said Sometimeswhile none said Never in Reliance fresh.

11) Does the Trolleys and Baskets are clean?

Table: 11 showing the cleanliness of trolleys and baskets

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Yes 193 96%
No 07 4%

Fig: 11

34
 4%

Yes

No

96%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that 96% of customers said that the trolleys and basket are clean and only 4%
said that they are not clean.

12) How is the store space in Big Bazar for moving around for products?

Table: 12 showing the store space

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

It’s free space 177 88%
Not free space 11 6%
Small space 08 48%
Congested 04 24%

Fig: 12

35
 2%
4%
6%

It’s free space

Not free space

Small space

Congested

88%

INTERPRETATION:It is interpreted that around 88% respondents believes the store sp

ace to be a free space, only 6% believes to be a small space, 48% consider it as Small space w
hile 24% thinks its Congested.

13) Are the Prices of BIG BAZAR is lower than the other
competitors?

Table: 13 showing the price policy of Big Bazar

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Yes 95 47%
No 37 19%
Equal 60 30%
No Idea 08 4%

Fig: 13

36
 4%

30%
Yes
47%
No

Equal

No Idea

19%

INTERPRETATION:It is interpreted that 47% of customers thinks that the pricing polic
y of the Reliance fresh is lower than other competitors while 30% thinks it’s equal, 19% think
s it’s high and 4% have no idea.

14) Do you have to wait for a long time at the billing section at Big Bazar?

Table: 14 showing the duration of waiting time at billing counter

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Always 03 1%
Mostly 11 6%
Sometimes 24 12%
Never 162 81%

Fig: 14

37
 1%

6%

12%

Always

Mostly

Some time

Never

81%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that 81% of the customers says that they Never had to wait at billing counter,
12%says sometimes, 6% says Mostly while only 1% says that that had to wait Always.

15) Do the staff of Big Bazar assist you while shopping?

Table: 15 showing the assistance of the staff in Big Bazar

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Yes 191 95%
No 03 2%
Sometimes 06 3%

Fig: 15

38
 2%
3%

Yes

No

Sometimes

95%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that around 95% respondents said that the staff shows assistance, 3% s
aid Sometimes while 2% said No assistance in Reliance fresh.

16) Did you get help from CSA (Customer Support Associate) when asked?

Table: 16 showing the help which customers get from CSA

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Always 10 5%
Mostly 185 92%
Sometimes 05 3%
Never 00 --

Fig: 16

39
 3% 5%

Always

Mostly

Sometimes

92%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that 5% said they always get help from CSA, 92% said they mostly get help,
3% said Sometimes when required while none of the respondent said never.

17) How is Big Bazar maintaining product QUALITY, QUANTITY compa

re to other retail stores?

Table: 17 showing the maintenance of product quality by Big Bazar

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Excellent 84 42%
Good 98 49%
Fair 18 9%
Poor 00 --

40
Fig: 17

9%

42%
Excellent

Good

Fair
49%

INTERPRETATION:
About 42% of respondents feels the maintenance of product quality as excellent, 49% as goo
d, 9% Fair while none feels it poor.

18) How do you feel after shopping at Big Bazar?

Table: 18 showing the shopping experience after shopping

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Feel very satisfied 05 2%
Satisfied 195 98%
Not satisfied 00 --

Fig: 18

41
 2%

Feel very satisfied

Satisfied

98%

INTERPRETATION:
About 98% felt satisfied, 2% felt very satisfied and none said Not Satisfied after shopping out
from the Reliance store.

19) What are your intentions to re-enter the store?

Table: 19 showing the intentions of customers to re-enter the store

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Low Prices 16 8%
Ambience 30 15%
Customer Service 08 4%
Seasonal Offers & Discounts 31 15%
Product Quality & Availability 115 58%

Fig: 19

42
 8%

Low Prices

15%
Ambience

4% Customer Service

58%
Seasonal Offers
& Discounts
15%
Product Quality
& Availability

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that the intentions to re-enter the store by the customers is due to the 58% of t
he Product quality and availability, 15% of both ambience and Seasonal offers and discounts,
8% favors the lower price while only 4% favors the customers.

20) How likely are you to recommend Big Bazar to a friend or relative? Wo
uld you say the chances are?

Table: 20 showing recommendation by customer to a friend or relative

Parameter No. of respondents Percentage

Excellent 165 82%
Good 34 17%
Fair 01 1%
Poor 00 --

Fig: 20

43
 1%

17%

Excellent

Good

Fair

82%

INTERPRETATION:
It is interpreted that about 82% of the respondents will give recommendation to a frien
d or a relative by saying it Excellent, 17% as good while 1% as fair while none said Poor
.

44
 Chapter - 5

FINDINGS

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

 About 72% of the customers shops on daily basis in Big bazaar which is good for a retail
store to have such number for daily and weekly customers.
 About 83% of customers mostly shop for Vegetables and fruits for their quality, freshness,
variety and availability.
 Around 73% of customers shops due to One stop shop feature of the Big bazar store
 It is interpreted that around 87% of customers prefer to shop when required by them and
13% of them prefer during sale.
 Around 95% of the shopping decisions are influenced by advertisement and promotion
activities. Therefore, more advertisement and promotional efforts should be done on
continuous basis.
 It is interpreted that 94% of customers believes the promotional schemes to be
understanding which indicates about the ideal advertisement effectiveness.
 It is interpreted that around 67% of respondents rates the store layout as good while 20%
rates it as excellent which shows the layout is appealing to the customers.
 Around 92% of respondents ensures that there is mostly availability of the stock in
Reliance fresh.
 It is interpreted that around 88% respondents believes the store space to be a free space
and only 6% believes to be a small space.

45
 It is interpreted that 47% of customers thinks that the pricing policy of the Reliance fresh
is lower than other competitors.
 It is interpreted that around 95% respondents said that the staff shows assistance while
shopping in Reliance fresh.
 About 42% of respondents felt the maintenance of product quality as excellent.
 About 98% felt satisfied, 2% felt very satisfied after shopping out from the Reliance store.
 It is interpreted that the intentions to re-enter the store by the customers is due to the 58%
of the Product quality and availability.
 It is interpreted that about 82% of the respondents will give recommendation to a friend or
a relative by saying it Excellent for shopping.

Chapter - 6

CONCLUSION

46
 CONCLUSION
The study has basically helped to know the Customer behavior towards BIG BAZAR Hand w
hat influence people to shop at BIG BAZAR. Most of the consumers are influenced by the off
ers and price discounts. The majority of consumers’ perception is almost all the products are
available at one roof with one stop shopping experience. Customers shop more in the Food se
ction.

BIG BAZAR is a major shopping complex for today’s customers as customers find variety of
products at a reasonable price. The majority of customers belong to middle class family. Vol
ume sales always take place in BIG BAZAR. Impulse buying behavior of customers comes in
to play most of the times in Grocery section in BIG BAZAR.

It holds a large customer base and it seemed from the study that the customers are quite satisf
ied with BIG BAZAR. It seems that there is a vast growth of BIG BAZAR lying as customers
demand is increasing for big bazaar..

People not only visit BIG BAZAR ,PATIALA to do shopping but also visit for outing purpos
e as it provides a very nice ambience to its customers.

47
 Chapter - 7
SUGGESTIONS

SUGGESTION

1. More promotion scheme should be used to penetrate the market.

2. Skilled employees should be higher because mostly customers are educated.

48
3. Promotion scheme should in such way that customer can understand easily.

4. Service of store should be providing in such way which fulfill the need of the
customer.

5. The store staff should be trained adequately so as to convince the potential buyers.

6. The company has to concentrate more on the customers of age group 25-35 years to
enhance the sales.

7. Big bazaar should provide more offers and discounts to attract new customers.

8. The company should go with TV-ads and newspaper in order to reach customers.

9. The displays are needed to be changed daily and a bit during weekends as heavy
crowd comes in to big bazaar during those days.

10. Cash counter and credit card payment counter should be placed differently in order to
reduce the rush and save the customer’s time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

49
BOOKS :
Kothari, C.R., “Research Methodology Methods and Techniques“, Kalyani Publishers, 2 nd Re
vised Edition: 2004

Malhotra, Naresh.K, Dash,Satyabhushan “Marketing Research An Applied Orientation”,6th R

evised Edition:2011

JOURNALS :

Acebron, L. B., Mangin, J.-P.L., &Dopico, D. C. (2000). A proposal of the buying model for
fresh food products: The case of fresh mussels. Journal of International Food and Agribusines
s Marketing,11(3),75–9

Backhaus, K. Hillig, T. and Wilken, R. (2007) “Predicting purchase decision with different c
onjoint analysis methods”, International Journal of Market Research.49(3). Pp. 341-364.

Blackwell, R., Miniard, P. and Engel, J. (2006) “Consumer behavior”, Mason: Thompson

Bruner, J. S. (1993), “Explaining and Interpreting: Two ways of using mind.

Kacen. J. J. and Lee. J. A., (2002) “The influence of culture on consumer impulsive buying b
ehaviour”, Journal of consumer psychology. 12(2), pp. 163-174.

Kotler and Keller,(2005), Marketing Management Twelfthedition,New Jersey: Pearson Prenti

ce Hall

Kotler and Keller,(2012), Marketing Management Fourteenthedition,New Jersey: Pearson Pre

ntice Hall

Lancaster, (2002) “Retail Competition and Consumer Choice, 2002-2004”

50
Lee (2005), An Application of a Five-Stage Consumer Behaviour Decision Making Model: A
n Exploratory Study of Chinese Purchasing of Imported Health Food

Neal, C., Questel, P. and Pettigrew, S. (2006) “Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Market
ing Strategy” (5th edition) Berkshire: McGraw-Hill

Schiffman, L., Hansen H. and Kanuk L. (2007) “Consumer Behaviour: A European Outlook”
, London: Pearson Education

Variawa (2010), Buying behaviour and decision-making criteria of Base of the Pyramid cons
umers: the influence of packaging on fast moving consumer goods customers brand experienc
e.

ANNEXURE

51
 Appendix

BIG BAZAR

Questionnaire

NAME _____________________________________________
GENDER _____________________________________________
AGE _____________________________________________
MONTHLY INCOME _____________________________________________

1) How often do you shop?

Daily Week

Fortnightly Once in month

2) What do you mostly shop for at BIG BAZAR store?

Vegetables Fruits Grocery

Cosmetic Products Kitchenware

3) Preference of shopping

Quality Brand

Price One stop shop

4) When do you prefer to visit most at Big bazaar store?

During Sale When required

5) Do advertisement and promotion influence your shopping decision?

Yes No

52
6) Which form of advertisement do you think is most effective?

Print T.V.

Radio Internet

7) Are Promotional schemes easy to understand?

Always Some time

Confusing Never

8) Rate the Store Layout of BIG BAZAR?

Excellent Good

Fair Poor

9) Does the Price Marked clearly on the Shelves?

Yes No

10) Does the desired Products are available and the shelves are full with stock?

Always Mostly

Some time Never

11) Does the Trolleys and Baskets are clean?

Yes No

12) How is the store space in BIG BAZAR for moving around for products?

It’s free space Not free space

Small space Congested

13) Are the Prices of Big bazaar is lower than the other competitors?

Yes No

Equal No idea

53
14) Do you have to wait for a long time at the billing section at Big bazar?

Always Mostly

Some time Never

15) Do the staff of Big bazaar assist you while shopping?

Yes No Sometimes

16) Did you get help from CSA (Customer Support Associate) when asked?

Always Mostly

Some time Never

17) How is big bazaar maintaining product QUALITY, QUANTITY compare to other retail s
tores?

Excellent Good

Fair Poor

18) How do you feel after shopping at Big bazar?

Feel very satisfied Satisfied Not satisfied

19) What are your intentions to re-enter the store?

Low Prices Ambience Customer Service

Seasonal Offers & Discounts Product Quality & Availability

20) How likely are you to recommend big bazaar to a friend or relative?

Would you say the chances are?

Excellent Good

Fair Poor

54
21) Would you like to give suggestions to the Big bazaar to serve you best?

If any, mention.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

55