bata project

HOW TO INCREASE NON-FOOTWEAR SALE

Submitted By:

Mohd. Irfan Usmani

HOW TO INCREASE NON-FOOTWEAR SALE2

Content:

INTRODUCTION:

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Introduction

Objective of the project

Accessories Business

Product Line

Findings

Analysis

Brief study of customers

Recommendations and suggestions

More products can be added

http://www.bata.in/webbata/faces/jsp/index.jsp


Bata India Limited the Company was incorporated at Calcutta. The Company Manufacture and market of all types of footwear, Footwear components, leather and products allied to footwear trade. Bata was originally promoted as Bata Shoe Co Pvt Ltd by Leader AG, Switzerland, a member of the Toronto-based multinational, Bata Shoe Organization (BSO). It became a public limitedCompany in 1973 and the name were changed to Bata India Ltd.

Tanning was introduced at the new factory at Batanagar, along with the introduction of leather products towards the end of the year. In addition to the footwear manufacturing plant, a machinery department was set up which produced the first Indian-made major shoe machine. A leather footwear factory was established at Patna, Bihar, which is known today as Bataganj.

Bata needs to launch new products on a regular basis by expanding its women's range, and moving into the premium segments it had vacated. The company will launch the `Sundrops' line at New Delhi on August 16. Bata India is aiming to achieve a 15 per cent growth in turnover and profits in 1999, to reach the target set out in the Vision 2001 plan drawn up by Compass, the international board ofThe Bata Shoe Organization (BSO). Shoe major Bata India, which is set to unleash a new advertisement campaign for its new ladies range `Sundrops', has signed up film actress Rani Mukherjee to endorse the line.

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Objective of the project:

The project aims at finding out the causes of less sale of non-footwear products and then providing various measures to tackle with those problems and increasing the sale by adopting various techniques and methods.

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Fashion Accessories Business:

Fashion accessories are items that make style statement and add to the overall appearance of a person. Fashion accessories like belts, bags, bandana, hats, sport articles etc. are the inn things these days amongst people of all age groups. Fashion accessories are in huge demand these days and the demand is going to increase in future as well; so many companies have entered into the business of fashion accessories which has increases the competition level in the market so in order to maintain the share in the market or to increase it companies have to make a strategies which keeps them in the market or increases their market share as well.

Products line:

Ladies Bag Laptop and Kids Bag Belts Doctor recommended products

Rough skin removerGel heel cupsAir pillo plus insolesFoot beauty stone

Shoe cleaner productsB care sport white cleanerBata shoe polishSuede & Nubuck brushShoe shinerBrush

Findings:

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Shortage of trendy merchandise Colors was missing Not having the sports merchandise Visual merchandising Customers are not aware about the accessories Lack of customer interaction Dull environment Misplaced merchandise Bata is more famous for its footwear than its accessory which hindering the sales of other

products. The point of purchase display at the Bata stores does not make an impact on the mind of

the customer because displays are very ordinary. Bata has a very limited range of products when we talk in terms of accessories.

Shortage of trendy accessories:

Trendy products attract the customer attention but at the store there was a shortage of trendy merchandise like casual belts were not there only formal belts were there and in kids bag only one design was available. If the customer is coming for to buy casual shoe in order to match with shoe he/she will need casual belt not formal so store must have the trendy products which meet the requirement of the different customers.

Colors were missing:

Colors was not their only one color of belt and one color of kids bag were there which leave no choice no to the consumer or decrease the chances of sale because if customer doesn’t like the available color store doesn’t have others colors from which he/she can choose. Kids like colorful things that attract them once kids like the thing than parent doesn’t have any other option but to buy the product similarly in the case of girls as well they want so many colors so that they can use the accessories with different dresses.

Not having the sports merchandise:

Sports merchandise is in fashion now a days but it was completely missing from the store. Companies like Adidas, Reebok, Puma etc. give special emphasize on the sports merchandise which help them to increase their sales, but in Bata store it is a complete different scenario as sports articles were not there therefore people have this perception about Bata that it only deals in formals and that’s what Bata needs to change.

For instance: when I asked the store manager he said we sell more casual shoes than formals. so by this we can conclude that customers are more interested in Casual and sports products rather than formal products and therefore store keep the right quantities of sports and Casual products.

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Visual Merchandising:

It gives the chance to convey our customer what our store is about and how our products can satisfy their needs without being too intrusive. Accessories visual merchandising was not proper at the store things were lying here & there and in spite of having large area proper utilization of space was not there. Wallets and laptop bags were not visible they were hiding from the products. Visual merchandising attracts the customer attention towards products and influences them to buy so it should be attractive.

Customers are not aware about the accessories:

Bata should advertise that we deals in accessories as well which will give the information to the customers that Bata is in accessories as well. For example if a girl wants to purchase the bag she has the information that she can find stylish bags from the Bata store. Usually people come to Bata for shoes but should inform the customer that we are in accessories as well so they come for accessories as well not only for the shoe.

Lack of customer interaction:

Customer interaction is very important because it engage the customer in the products and he/she feel that they are important for the company and feel well treated. Customer of high class always wants that someone assist them in their shopping. Customer interaction in several ways like:

Every interaction creates a personal reaction Customer familiarity increases Personal relation with the customer increases Give feeling of importance to the customer.

At the store customer interaction was not proper because some of the customer return without having a single word with the salesmen and salesmen also didn’t took interest in order to entertain them. It should be proper because customer perceive what he see and feel so it is the responsibility of salesmen make good relationship with the customers so that come again & again to the organization.

Dull environment:

Environment at the store was very dim and bore and salespersons were looking tired. In order to make an energetic environment in the store, music should be played which will help employees to be attentive and cheerful. Customers will also feel livelier when they’ll hear music from the background.

Misplaced merchandise:

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Misplaced merchandise was common as ladies socks were not in the ladies department they were lying in men’s department.

For instance: If a girl wants to buy socks as well, she wouldn’t search it in men’s department, and instead she would search in female’s department which is very obvious.

So, such type of things should not happen because it creates chaos and reduces the sales of products. Products should be kept in respective places and within the customer’s reach which thereby further help customer to know what kind of product line is available in the store.

Analysis:

Color wise:

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Rework on colors- colors allow customers to be in different in the real sense! Go for unconventional color combinations. Teaming up purple with fluorescent yellow, turquoise and electric pink or black are funky, wacky colors we can experiment with which will give uniqueness to the products so that costumer buy the product.

Variety wise:

Variety offers the choice to the customer which I does not find in the store only formals belts were in the store not even the single casual belt were there and only one kind of kids bag were there. There should be sufficient variety in the store so that customer can choose among the available different variety.

Quality Wise:

There is an old saying if you are providing a quality you don’t have to sell your product it will sell automatically. In store I found out some of the bags stitching was not proper and their packaging was also not good. Proper care should be given to the quality department so that the customer gets a standard product once customer gets satisfied from the product he/she recommend the product to friends which is like free publicity.

Sales wise:

If we look at the sale of the accessories sale of ladies bag is greater than other accessories so special emphasize should be given to ladies bag. New trends, colors and change the designs according to the seasons. So that in each season customer find new range of product and they will feel that company updated in terms of fashion which will help in increasing the market value and in brand name as well.

Specialist product:

Products which are doctor recommended or extra comfort product information should be rendered to the customers so that they can know that such extra comfort products are also available at the store. Product like rough skin remover, gel heel cups, air pillo plus insoles these products renders comfort to the feet. So their information should be given to the customers so that they can buy according to their requirement.

A brief study of customers:

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Some measures suggested by customers:

Increase the range of collection: Many customers said Bata has a very limited variety of collection which needs to be increased because customer’s demands wide range in collection.

Make the display more attractive: Different accessory of Bata can be made more attractive by displaying the available range and uniqueness of range, it should be so displayed that the customer is tempted to buy it.

More trendy and flashy designs should be launched which would sweep the customers of all ages.

More provisions should be made by Bata for its middle class customers by launching more products to cater to their needs and demands.

Recommendations and Suggestions:

Customer awareness:

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Chart showing who influences them to buy other products:



Since BATA is popularly known for its footwear, very few people know about the other products Bata is offering. Customers are not aware about its different products, thereby sales of other products is low as compare to its core business, which is footwear.So, to increase the sales of non –footwear products, the very first thing which needs to work upon is to make customer aware about the other products that is to generate customer awareness. Here are some techniques by which we can inform the customers about the different products:

Internet marketing (facebook advertising and online advertising): This is the most prevailing and faster way of creating awareness and acquiring new customers because over 250 million people uses facebook.

Print the products you sell or services offered on the back of your business cards

and try to distribute those cards to existing customers and to new customers.

Arrange some fashion shows in which the new products are being carried by some models so that the people come to know about the new product and their uses. It will publicize and advertise the new products.

Develop a brochure of services and products Bata offers.

Place ads in publications your market reads. Be sure to reach the non-English speaking market as well.

Create an opt-in email or print newsletter for your customers. Fill each edition

with specials, tips and other timely information.

. Provide unique and innovative designs:

We can sell our product only if the customer likes it. Thus in the business of fashion accessories it is necessary to offer exclusive and pioneering to the customers. People will definitely buy the products if they find that that designs and material offered by the company are not easily available with other stores. This will help the company in retaining the existing customers and will also generate positive word of mouth to enhance referrals.

Provide a good quality at reasonable price:

Price and quality of a product affect the sales a lot because when customer feels he/she is getting value of his/her money than only the customer would purchase the product. Quality creates a

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positive image in the eyes of the customer and influences him to come to the store again & again. Price of the product directly influences the sale of products so price should be marked accurately.

Increase the product-line of accessories:

Having the large product-line always benefit the sale because customers have too many things to choose which is very good or we can say customer feels that he will definitely get the product for what he is searching for. So, basically a wide variety is a must when we talk about fashion and sales.

Maintain healthy relationship with existing customers:

Customer satisfaction shall be the foremost motto of your business. To get repeat customers and referrals, it is essential to maintain healthy relationship with your customers. You can maintain a database of them and send them messages or mails about the latest schemes and discounts or the latest variety added to the store.

Make the store environment healthy:

The environment at the store was dull, salesmen were looking energy less and this is what needs to be looked upon. Make a healthy environment by playing music, keep salesmen motivated and activated so that they don’t feel sleepy if music is playing in the background customer will also feel good and active.

Optimize the website according to the search engine:

Take things further by boosting your presence in search engines with sponsored links and search engine optimization. Many people search the internet before making a buying decision. If our website is attractive enough to hold the customer, he/she will definitely browse through our products. As we know major share of sale in Europe countries comes from the online sector so we must focus on this area as well so that customer feels that we are everywhere.

Advertise in fashion magazines:

To sell fashion accessories we can advertise in fashion magazines. Fashion enthusiastic who reads these magazines are potential customers and thus this method can prove to be very helpful in selling fashion accessories.

Offer discounts and schemes:

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Offering attractive discounts and schemes can also prove to be very beneficial in enhancing the sale. When we offer discounts and schemes, the profits are increased not because of the margins but because of the quantity of sales made.

Make Bata web-site as application:

If we make the Bata application it will increases the popularity mani fold than it will come in phone and then just by using their mobile customers will find out what kind products are available in the Bata and they can get the daily offers and discount on their mobile. Many companies are doing it gaining the popularity in the youth and this is the right way to communicate with the youth.

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Some more suggestions which can also help in increasing the sales:

Make the window of your retail store attractive and visible! Your shop window is the display of your store so look after it! It needs to be tidy at all times, express your values and create an understanding of the products and services you offer.

Give your potential and existing customers the opportunity to come and return to your store!

Encourage local journalists to write about your retail store and purchase advertising space to present your shop window.

Provide extra customer service training to your staff and especially to the sales person because these are the people who handle the customers, and can more closely watch them buying and deciding. Sales person should be given the complete information about the product so that he/she can convince the customer about the particular product and can resolve the related queries.

Develop a tracking system for those products that are your best-sellers.

Use a store questionnaire to aid you in determining customers' wants and needs.

Buy closer to the selling season to minimize the risk of making a bad buy.

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More products can be added like:

Hair Accessories:

Hair accessories are used for styling, tying and even protecting hairs. Hair accessories come for all such purposes. Hair bands, ribbons have transformed over time. Scarves and bandanas are also accommodated in hair accessories. Headbands are the most popular amongst all hair accessories and it is no more remains a girl’s thing. Celebrities like David Beckham prove the point that men too are very much into hair accessories. In fact many fashion accessories including those for hairs see a rise in shopping due to celebrities.

Hand accessories:

This category will include gloves, watches, hand jewellery, etc. Hand accessories are very popular these days amongst young people.

Sun glasses:

It as a known fact the look of a person changes as soon as they wear a pair of sunglasses. So whatever may be the motive behind the shopping, you should be able to provide a wide range of options to choose from. So, as per the shape and the size of the head as well facial features and of course individual choice people will select what suits them the best . The more the variety the more will be the customers and ultimately more sale for your retail business.

Sports T-shirt and Trouser:

We can also keep sports t-shirt like sweat absorbing t-shirt something like that which are in demand now-a-days. T-shirts which can use for exercises and other sport stuff. Because it is a very big market if we cater it with the right strategy and with the right merchandise we can make our handsome share in the market.

Women belts:

Waist belts are amongst many other fashion accessories that women are fond of. We should have a very wide range of belts that are specially designed for women and have quite good sale in the market. You can trust this item for retail business and will find a regular shopping clientele for this product. It is true that many of the women’s apparel do not need belts but it is also true that there are many that do need a waist belt and women do not like to wear the same dresses again and again and so they have quite a good collection of dresses and other accessories matching with that dress in their wardrobe.

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bata project

Documents

maintain healthy relationship

bata shoe organization

ladies bag

bata india

misplaced merchandise

mens department

retail business

fashion accessories