branded jeans

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PROJECT REPORT

on

Consumer awareness and preference regarding Various

Brands of Jeans: A Case Study in Ludhiana City.

Submitted to

Punjab Technical University, JalandharIn the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of two years

Management of Business Administration(2012-13)

SUBMITTED BY:

PARUL DHANDAM.B.A- 2nd year

Uni. Roll no.1174338

KHALSA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND

TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMEN

CIVIL LINES, LUDHIANA


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The project report concept in M.B.A curriculum is of immense utility to the students.

Project helps to access the students ability to individually conceive, conceptualize, executive

and present a life like project by making use of the skills acquired during the course of study.

My project could not have been fruitful without the able guidance . I extend my deepest

gratitude to all the persons who gave me full support during the project.

Despite serious constraints of time and resources, the study was executed with sincerity

and commitment. The report is characterized by its straight forward, to the point approach, with

bare minimal reproduction of the theory of Marketing Research. A deliberate effort has been

made to introduce novelty in the report.

PARUL DHANDA

M.B.A- 2nd year

1174338


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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the A Project Report on Consumer Awareness and Preference

Regarding Various brands of Jeans: A Case Study in Ludhiana City has been undertaken

by me for the award of M.B.A. I have completed this work under the guidance, Khalsa Institute

of Management and Technology for Women, Ludhiana.

I also declare that the dissertation has not been previously formed the basis for the award

of any degree, diploma, Associateship, fellowship or similar title in this university or in any other

university.


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ABSTRACT

Consumer is the focus of all marketing activities. It is now widely recognized that the study of

the consumer is a useful testing ground for theories and methods of various types. Understanding

of purchase process of consumers triggering of favourable buying decisions are implied in

effective selling, this is one of the basic goals of marketing. Comparing the items on cost and on

the utility a consumer expects to derive from them, preference of different household members,

are certain factors influencing a purchase decision. These have been grouped as cultural, social,

personal and psychological factors.

When everybody is providing that much what is expected to its customers succeeds in long run.

In today market it is no longer enough to satisfy the customers, the manufacture needs to delight

them as well. The results of the study would an insight about the preferences of the consumers

towards branded jeans and their shopping behaviour. This would help the branded jeans

companies and different malls to target their potential customers in the right perspective.

_________________Parul Dhanda


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CONTENTS

Chapter Title Page no.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview and Conceptual Frame Work 1

1.1.1 Brand 2

1.1.2 Quality 3

1.1.3 Price 4

1.2 Denim and Jeans - Where do the names come from? 4

1.3 How jeans became popular? 6

1.4 Famous brands of Jeans 8

1.5 Consumerism 14

1.6 Pricing Strategies 14

1.7 Nicosia Model 16

1.8 Need of the Research 17

1.9 Objectives of the Study 18

2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 19

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design 26

3.2 Universe and Population 26

3.3 Sample Size, Sampling Technique and Sampling Unit 27

3.4 Data Collection 27

3.5 Data Analysis 27

3.6 Limitations of the Study 28

4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 28

4.1 Profile of the Respondents 29


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4.2 Consumer Awareness of Branded Jeans 32

4.2.1 Spontaneous Recall 33

4.2.2 Time of Purchase 34

4.2.3 Best Brands 35

4.2.4 Maximum no. of Shirts owned 36

4.2.5 Insignia Placement 37

4.3 Applications of Components of Nicosia Model 39

4.3.1 Variables influencing the Purchase 40

4.3.2 Awareness about the brand 42

4.3.3 Influence for a particular brand 43

4.3.4 Perception about price 45

4.3.5 Choice of Retailer 46

4.3.6 Factors for the choice of retailer 47

4.3.7 Satisfaction for the brand 49

4.4 Loyalty among consumers 50

4.4.a For Brand

4.4.a.(i) Maximum owned brand 51

4.4.a.(ii) Repurchase Decision 52

4.4.a.(iii) Suggestion of Brand to Others 53

4.4.a.(iv) Brand Switching due to price 55

4.4.a.(v) Pre determination of brand 56

4.4.b For Product

4.4.b Standard Purchase Decision 57

5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

5.1 Conclusions

5.1.1 Consumer Awareness 60


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5.1.2 Application of Components of Nicosia Model 62

5.1.3 Loyalty among consumers for brand & product 62

5.2 Implications of the Study 62

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX


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CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

Consumer is the focus of all marketing activities. It is now widely recognized that the study ofthe consumer is a useful testing ground for theories and methods of various types. Consumer

Behaviour is defined as the act of individuals directly involved in obtaining and using consumer

goods and services, including the decision process that precedes and determine these acts. So it is

the behaviour that consumers displays in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating and in

disposing of products, services and ideas which they expect will satisfy their needs.

Purchase behaviour refers to the act of the consumers in obtaining and using goods and services

and the decision process that determines these acts. Purchase decision is a set of many decisionswhich may involve a product, brand, style, quality, dealer, time, prices and way consumer pay.

l. Overview and Conceptual Framework

Understanding of purchase process of consumers triggering of favourable buying decisions are

implied in effective selling, this is one of the basic goals of marketing. Comparing the items on

cost and on the utility a consumer expects to derive from them, preference of different household

members, are certain factors influencing a purchase decision. These have been grouped as

cultural, social, personal and psychological factors.

The starting point for understanding the buyer is the stimulus response model according to which

the marketing and environmental stimuli enter the buyers consciousness. The characteristics and

decision process of the buyer lead to certain purchase decisions. The marketers task is to

understand what happens in the buyers consciousness, between the arrival of outside stimuli and

the buyers purchase decision. This requires a study of various influences on the buyer and

developing an understanding as to how consumers actually make their buying decisions.

According to a stage model of buying process the consumer passes through five stages:

problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-

purchase behaviour. Clearly the buying process starts long before the actual purchase and has

consequence long after the purchase. Consumers may skip or reverse some stages.


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From managerial view point, the importance lies in understanding how consumer behaviour

changes with the effect of price, brand and quality of product. The present study will take into

account the behaviour of consumers towards branded jeans.

Majority of the consumers are unaware of technical details that define a perfect jean. A thorough

knowledge about the product is a consumers right and privilege. In short, a perfect jean expects

a perfect consumer.

The concept of perfect jeans came with international brands educating the consumer on what an

ideal jean should look, feel or wear like. Until then even though many established brands

followed strength rules that define the perfect jeans, awareness was not created about its

existence. As trends and styles are cyclic, so also the definition of perfect jeans is flexible,

changing with time. Notwithstanding, certain fundamental rules have been defined to maintain

standardization.

1.1.1 Brand

According to the American Marketing Association a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or

design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group

of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.

It is essentially a sellers promise to consistently deliver a specific set of features, benefits and

services to the buyers.

Brands are perceived by the consumer in the form of brand images. This is the sum total of

impressions that the consumer receives from many sources - actual experience and hear say

about the brand, its packaging, its name, the company making it, the types of people the

individual has seen using the brand, what was said in its advertising as well as from the tone,

format, type of advertising vehicle in which the product story was told.

These entire impressions amount to a sort of brand personality which is similar for the

consuming public at large, although different consumer groups may have different attitudes

towards it.


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The brand image contains objective product qualities, particularly if these are observable product

characteristics such as difference in strength or shape or texture. These qualities themselves have

rational as well as symbolic meanings which merge with the meanings created by all the other

sources through which the public meets a brand.

Brands with high market share tend to exhibit greater levels of repeat purchasing behaviour than

the brands with small market share.

1.1.2 Quality

According to the American Society for Quality Control, quality is the totality of features and

characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.

This is a customer centered definition of quality. Customers have a set of needs, requirements

and expectations. We can say that the seller has delivered quality whenever the sellers product

and services meets or exceeds the customers expects.

Now-a-days consumers have become quality conscious. Consumers use a variety of factors to

infer product quality. These include external factors and internal factors. External factors are

those which are not related to the product performance. Internal factors are derived directly from

the physical nature of the product and if changed, would change the product itself. For instance,

while assessing the quality breakfast cereal, price, brand name and store name would as external

factors and nutrition contents of the cereal as internal factor.

In buyer markets customers can choose from a large array of goods and services. Here sellers

must deliver acceptable product quality or rapidly lose customers to competitors. Even todays

acceptable quality and service may not be acceptable tomorrow. Todays customers are much

more educated and demanding. Their quality expectations have been elevated by the practices of

superior manufactures (Toyota, Sony) and retailers (Marks and Spencer). The shrinkage of many

industries in US-autos, cameras, machine tools, consumer electronics offers dramatic evidence

that firms offering average quality lose their customer franchise when attacked by superior

manufacturers.

Companies wanting to win, let alone survive need a new philosophy. Only customer centered

companies will win those that can deliver superior value or quality to their target customers.


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Todays top executives view the task of improving product and service quality to be their top

priority. Many global successes of Japanese companies are due to the exceptional quality into

their products. Most customers will no longer accept or tolerate average quality performance.

1.1.3 Price

Price which is one of the most important factors of marketing mix, price, product, place,

promotion is resent in all purchase situations. For a consumer, price is the money that he must

give, in order to engage self in a purchase transaction.

Through most of history, price has operated as the major determinant of buyer choice. However,

non price factors have become relatively more important in buyer choice behaviour in recent

decades.

Price is the only element in the marketing mix that produces revenue; the other elements produce

costs. It is also one of the most flexible elements of the mix, in that it can be changed quickly.

By no means is price the core of every mans definition of the shopping situation. A study of

advertising revealed that while most shoppers do read price listings, or at least feel they should

and that 10 per cent of them do so religiously. Most men follow prices for other psychological

reasons than to act on them.

A consumers decision to modify, postpone or avoid a purchase decision is heavily influenced by

perceived risk. Expensive purchases involve some risk taking. Consumers are not certain about

the purchase outcome. This produces anxiety. The amount of perceived risk varied with the

amount of money at stake.

Every consumer aims at negotiating the price to get the maximum utility for the goods being

purchased. Therefore the price plays very important role in buying decision making.

1.2 Denim and Jeans - Where do the names come from?

The word jeans come from a kind of material that was made in Europe. The material, called jean

was named after sailors from Genoa in Italy, because they wore clothes made from it. The word


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'denim' probably came from the name of a French material, serge de Nimes: serge (a kind of

material) from Nimes (a town in France).

The 18th Century

At first, jean cloth was made from a mixture of things. However, in the eighteenth century as

trade, slave labor, and cotton plantations increased, jean cloth was made completely from cotton.

Workers wore it because the material was very strong and it did not tear out easily. It was usually

dyed with indigo, a dye taken from plants in the America and India, which made jean cloth a

dark blue color.

The 19th century the California Gold Rush

In 1848, gold was found in California (not too far from San Francisco) and the famous Gold

Rush began. The gold miners wanted clothes that were strong and did not tear easily. In 1853, a

man called Leob Strauss left his home in New York and moved to San Francisco, where he

started a wholesale business, supplying clothes. Strauss later changed his name from Leob to

Levi Strauss

Rivets

A big problem with the miners clothes was the pockets, which easily tore away from the jeans.

A man called Jacob Davis had the idea of using metal rivets (fasteners) to hold the pockets and

the jeans together so that they wouldn't tear. Davis wanted to patent his idea, but he didn't have

enough money, so in 1872, he wrote to Levi Strauss and offered Strauss a deal if Strauss would

pay for the patent. Strauss accepted, and he started making copper-riveted 'waist overalls' (as

jeans were called then).In 1886, Levi sewed a leather label on their jeans. The label showed a

picture of a pair of jeans that were being pulled between two horses. This was to advertise how

strong Levi jeans were even two horses could not tear them apart.


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1.3 How jeans became popular?

The 1930's: Westerns

In the 1930's, Hollywood made lots of western movies. Cowboys - who often wore jeans in themovies-became very popular. Many Americans who lived in the eastern states went for vacations

on 'dude ranches' and took pairs of denim 'waist overalls' back east with them when they went

home.

The 1940's: War

Fewer jeans were made during the time of World War 2, but 'waist overalls' were introduced to

the world by American soldiers, who sometimes wore them when they were off duty. After thewar, Levis began to sell their clothes outside the American West. Rival companies, like

Wrangler and Lee, began to compete with Levi for a share of this new market

The 1950's: Rebels

In the 1950's, denim became popular with young people. It was the symbol of the teenage rebel

in TV programs and movies (like James Dean in the 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause). Some

schools in the USA banned students from wearing denim. Teenagers called the waist overalls'jean pants' - and the name stayed

The 1960's: Hippies & the Cold War

In the 1960's many, many university and college students wore jeans. Different styles of jeans

were made, to match the 60's fashions: embroidered jeans, painted jeans, psychedelic jeans. In

many non-western countries, jeans became a symbol of 'Western decadence' and were very hard

to get. US companies said that they often received letters from people all around the worldasking them to send the writer a pair of jeans.

The jeans were gaining the popularity all over the world because of different styles and pattern.

The jeans were becoming a style and status symbol.


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The 1970's: Sweatshops

As regulations on world trade became more relaxed in the late 1970's, jeans started to be made

more and more in sweatshops in countries in the South. Because the workers were paid very

little, jeans became cheaper. More people in the countries of the South started wearing jeans.

The 1980's: Designer Jeans

In the 1980's jeans finally became high fashion clothing, when famous designers started making

their own styles of jeans, with their own labels on them. Sales of jeans went up and up

The 1990's: Recession

Although denim is never out of style, it certainly goes out of fashion from time to time. In these

years the youth market wasnt particularly interested in 501s or other traditional jeans styles,

mainly because their parents. The generation born in blue was still busy squeezing their aging

bodies into them. Since no teenager would be caught dead in anything their parents are wearing,

the latest generation of rebellious youth turned to other fabrics and other styles of casual pants

such as khakis, chinos, combat and carpenters and branded sportswear pants. They still wore

denim, but it had to be in different finishes, new cuts, shapes, styles, or in the form of aged,

authentic, vintage jeans, discovered in markets, secondhand and thrift shops, not conventional

jeans stores. Levi Strauss & co., the number-one producer of jeans and the "single most potent

symbol of American style on planet earth"(as the Los Angeles times succinctly put it), is in

trouble. Eleven North American factories close, a nation grieves.

2000: Reinventing Denim

Something decidedly weird is happening in the world of denim. The products need to be

reinvented from time to time and jeans have been back on designers catwalks, at Chanel, Dior,

Chloe and Versace. The single most potent symbol of fashion, summer '99 - Tom ford's

feathered, beaded, beat-up, torn-knee Gucci blue jeans, seen globally, sell out instantaneously at

$3715 a pop. And then, on the internet, was the shining image of Helmut Langs silver-sprayed

pants, striding out beyond our conception of basic utility. Freed of all social and creative


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restrictions, denim is assuming much number of disguises and contexts to be worn in and has

broken through almost any limitation on price. It can also be found in home collections,

appearing in cushions, bed spreads and furniture-coverings. And now the industry is flooded

with lot of branded jeans. Every company has built its own brand in the mind of consumers.

One notable point in the history of denim jeans is that even though various variants were

introduced over the years, blue jeans remained the undying love of the all segments of the

population. Ripped and destroyed jeans also looks set to be around of years to come.

All indications show that jeans will continue to flourish. Today, it is a billion dollar and

fragmented industry with a proliferation of brands like True Religion, Blue Cult, Rock N

Republic and Citizen of Humanity. Limited edition jeans like the Red Monkey Jeans drives

enthusiasts wild it is difficult to get hold of a pair of authentic jeans. Jeans made of natural fibers

such as wool, hemp, silk; cashmere and linen are also available. The apparel is available via

internet purchase. Enterprising manufacturers have also used it to make a wide variety of

products like handbags, skirts, caps, shoes, cushions and furniture-coverings.

1.4 Famous brands of Jeans

Lee

Lee is a brand ofdenimjeans founded in 1889 in Salina, Kansas, headquartered in Kansas City,

KS,U.S.A. and owned by the VF Corporation. The history of the H.D. Lee Co. is woven into

America's western expansion and the world events of the 20th Century.

Lee opened his first garment factory in Salina, Kansas, producing dungarees and jackets. In

1913, the Union-All work jumpsuit was created, followed by the first-ever "Overall" in 1920 -

laying the foundation for Lee's early growth. Also in 1920, the Buddy Lee doll was launched for

promotional use, but quickly became a popular play doll. Through the '20s, Lee introduced many

new innovations to manufactured denim, most notably the zipper fly. Throughout the '30s and

'40s Lee continued to build on their brand, becoming the nation's 1 manufacturer of work clothes.

The decade of the '50s was a time of intense expansion for Lee as the company ventured into

casual wear. Lee expanded its presence throughout the '60s, spreading to 51 countries and
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=true%20religion%20jeans&tag=lushforest1-20&index=apparel-index&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=blue%20cult%20jeans&tag=lushforest-20&index=blended&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=citizens%20of%20humanity%20jeans&tag=lushforest1-20&index=apparel-index&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=red%20monkey%20jeans&tag=lushforest-20&index=apparel-index&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1889http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salina%2C_Kansashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City%2C_KShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City%2C_KShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.A.http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=true%20religion%20jeans&tag=lushforest1-20&index=apparel-index&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=blue%20cult%20jeans&tag=lushforest-20&index=blended&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=citizens%20of%20humanity%20jeans&tag=lushforest1-20&index=apparel-index&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=red%20monkey%20jeans&tag=lushforest-20&index=apparel-index&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1889http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salina%2C_Kansashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City%2C_KShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City%2C_KShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.A.


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consolidating with VF Corporation in 1969. The company continued to expand its fashion lines

throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s, launching Lee National Denim Day in 1996. Today's Lee is

all about bringing more fits, styles, finishes, features and choices than ever before to market. Lee

Jeans are also sold in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,

Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Scandinavia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the

United Kingdom.

Whether outfitting cowboys in the twilight of the Wild West, supplying an American military

entrenched in war, or producing the fashion and durability contemporary culture demands, the

H.D. Lee Co. has led the way in innovation and style. Here, categorized by decades and featuring

elements of business, leadership and style, is a history of the H.D. Lee Company.

Levis Strauss & Co.

Jacob Davis was a tailor who frequently purchased bolts of cloth from Levi Strauss & Co.'s

wholesale house. After one of Davis' customers kept purchasing cloth to reinforce torn pants, he

had an idea to use copper rivets to reinforce the points of strain, such as on the pocket corners

and at the base of thebutton fly. Davis did not have the required money to purchase a patent, so

he wrote to Levi suggesting that they both go into business together. After Levi accepted Jacobs'

offer, on May 20, 1873, the two men received patent 139,121 from the United States Patent andTrademark Office. The patented rivet was later incorporated into the company's jean design and

advertisements. Contrary to an advertising campaign suggesting that Levi Strauss sold his first

jeans to gold miners during the California Gold Rush (which peaked in 1849); the manufacturing

of denim overalls only began in the 1870s.

Modern jeans began to appear in the 1920s. In the 1950s and 1960s, Levi's jeans became popular

among a wide range of youth subcultures, including greasers, mods, rockers, hippies and

skinheads. Levi's popular shrink-to-fit 501s were sold in a unique sizing arrangement; the

indicated size was related to the size of the jeans prior to shrinking, and the shrinkage was

substantial. The company still produces these unshrunk, uniquely sized jeans, but they don't sell

very well. There is no other company with a comparable global presence in the jeans and casual

pants markets. The companys market-leading apparel products are sold under the Levi's,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Davishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_up_flieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1873http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greaser_(subculture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod_(lifestyle)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocker_(subculture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinheadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Davishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_up_flieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1873http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greaser_(subculture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mod_(lifestyle)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocker_(subculture)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippiehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead


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Dockers and Levi Strauss Signature brands. By 2007, Levi Strauss was again said to be

profitable after declining sales in nine of the previous ten years. Its total annual sales, of just over

$4 billion, were $3 billion less than during its peak performance in the mid 1990s.

Wrangler

Only 20-years old C.C. Hudson from Spring Hill Farm in Tennessee leaves his home in 1897 to

find work in the growing town of Greensboro, North Carolina. He got his first job in a textile

factory that produces overalls. For 25 cents a day he was sewing on buttons. In 1904 this factory

was closing its doors and C.C. Hudson saw his chance to open his own business. He and some

colleagues bought a couple of sewing machines from their old employer, rented a small business

space and opened their own company: the Hudson Overall Company.

In 1936 the company introduced a sheer revolutionary new fabric that limited the shrinking after

washing to under 1%. It is called 100% Sanforized Fabric. This invention catalyzed the sales

again and the company grew. In 1943 they acquired a company named "Casey Jones Work-

Clothes" and with it a brand name that shall make them famous in the future. The brand was

called Wrangler. It was not until 1947 that they knew what to do with the name Wrangler but

eventually the used it for their newly designed Western Wear product line. To push into the

Rodeo and Western wear market they hired a star designer and tailor of this particular scene,Rodeo Ben. To build the brand and connect the name with durability and quality the company

convinced celebrity rodeo stars like Jim Shoulders, Bill Linderman and Freckles Brown to wear

and test the fabric - named 13MWZ -. After the Rodeo Championships in 1949 the success of

"Wrangler" was programmed.

The Wrangler jeans became clearly the number 1 among all outfitters of the Western Wear

Scene. In 1996 every fifth sold jeans in the world is a Wrangler. In 1997 the Brand 'Wrangler"

had its 50th anniversary - 100 years after C.C.Wrangler FR apparel is constructed from flame

resistant fabrics and components to protect against burn injuries in the workplace, designed to

meet the rigorous requirements specified by major protection agencies, against burn injuries in

the workplace.


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Pepe Jeans

Pepe Jeans London was established in the chic Portobello Road area of London in 1973

established as weekend road side stall by three brothers Nitin Shah, Arun Shah and Milan Shah.

Their shop was located at Portabello Road Market, West London. Before the brand began Nitin

Shah worked for a petrol station and was spotted by a man named Shantilal Parmar who ran a

Jeanswear business. Shantilal Parmar took Nitin Shah on from the petrol station to work for him

as a commissioned agent selling jeans. From these beginnings and learning all about the

Jeanswear industry, fabrics, stitching, washes, packaging and marketing from Shantilal, Nitin

and his three brothers started their own company Sholemay Ltd trading as Pepe Jeans. Ultimately

Shantilal Parmar Company manufactured jeans for the three brothers whom they sold on the

stalls and to other retailers whom they knew.

From its origins as a tiny market stall to more than half a US $billion dollar denim and casual

wear brand, Pepe has transformed itself to one of the fastest growing jeans wear labels in Europe.

The brand today has presence in more than 80 countries across the world. Pepe Jeans was

launched in India in 1989. The brand is currently the leading player in the premium jeans and

casual wear segment, enjoying a market share of more than 25 percent. The manufacturing of

jeans is done from start to finish by Pepe Jeans Company. The process includes blending of

cotton and turning it into web of fibers in the process called Carding. The yarn is then made

stronger by spinning it. The dyes used are mostly sulphur and indigos; finally beaming, weaving

and last finishing are done and jeans are available to be sold and exported. The unique solutions

for apparel and footwear manufacturing, called Style man are used by Pepe Jeans. Pepe Jeans are

known for their diverse apparel collections. They have the Utilitarian collection which comprises

of fashion apparel with military attire elements imbibed in it. They vary in colors from green,

khakis, grays, tans and olives and have other features like multiple pockets and loose fashion

silhouettes. Pepe Jeans contribute to both man and womens wardrobe by their wide collection of

trendy T- jeans, shorts, pants, Jerseys and skirts. The jeans have colored checks and highlighted

stripes. The Pepe clothing sports tones of red, yellow, pink, lime and green and some have hand

embroidered details. Pepe Jeans host many fashion shows and advertising campaigns and sign

many famous models and sports personalities. Pepe Jeans introduced art exhibitions in their birth


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lace- Portobello Road, London. They exhibit the work of local artists as well as international

ones.

Lee Cooper

Lee Cooper is a British denim company. The company was founded in 1908 by Morris Cooper

as an overalls manufacturer. The company then manufactured fatigues during both World Wars.

AfterWorld War II, the company began manufacturing jeans as leisure wear.

Lee Cooper traces its roots to the production of overalls and work wear. Jeans were strictly for

workman in the first three decades of the century. In 1908, Morris Cooper created a work wear

production company in his own name. By the 1910s, 600 people were employed in the Morris

Cooper factory in London, producing work wear clothing from durable and versatile fabrics for

various trades. Popular at the time were the Bib-and-Brace overalls.

With the arrival of the First World War, the company converted its production to military

uniforms. In 1931, the company was renamed "M Cooper Overalls Limited", and in 1937 opened

up a new factory in Stratford East London.

Spykar Jeans

The Spykar story started way back in 1992, when Mr. Prasad Pabrekar led by ambition ventured

into fashion apparels and accessories to make use of his vast repertoire of technical knowledge in

processing of denim garments.

He started the company with the firm belief that the best investment for the Co. was Human

Capital, starting with a just a handful, and slowly built up a company with over 300 associates.

He gave them the best possible infrastructure to work within, resulting in a strong & dedicated

team.

The company is based on strict code of ethics which is evident in its dealing with all its partners;

namely employees, trade associates, vendors and the like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II


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Its accent on the quality of its products has been unwavering right from its inception. It has

always strived to produce a product, having a global appeal. Denims are the core of the

company's business. This has been facilitated by the company's in-house processing unit and

gives the company the competitive edge in consistently producing denims of international

quality.

To continuously innovate and to bring new styles, cuts and fabric to the market, the company has

a team of young and dedicated designers and merchandisers, who are extremely aware of the

latest trends in the international market. The company experiments a great deal on new styles and

accessories, making them trendy and accessible to the Indian consumer. Since Spykar designs

specifically for Indian audiences, it has the best fits and designs in its repertoire.

In 1994, Spykar moved beyond denims and introduced Helium's, a collection of cotton casual

wear. This was followed by Forays in 1996; a brand with an attitude positioning that caters to the

after-office leisurewear segment.

SPYKAR products are available at over 700 MBOs across the country, apart from the large

format stores. Spykar Jeans currently has 148 Exclusive Brand Outlet and plans to increase that

number to 200 by the end of 2008. To mark its foray in the international arena, Spykar has also

opened its first exclusive outlet Australia.

The brand has always focused on the u: th and their aspirations and built up the product portfolio

accordingly. All its marketing efforts are targeted at making the brand relevant at all times to this

discerning audience.

They revolutionized Cargo's in the country with the very non-conformist look and its innovative

presentation. They broke all norms of how a pair of pants should be sold.

Rolled and tied by a canvas strip and stocked in this form on the shelves - it defied conventional

norms and challenged tradition. Target audience who identified with this rebellious approach

lapped-up the product and yet again Spykar scored in turning the table upside down. We sold

nearly 70,000 pants and cargos with not even 60% of the demand fed. To cut the monotonous

complacency of basic 5 pockets we stylized denims as flamboyant blues. This fashioned persona


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of denims was introduced as Actifs (Spykar's Fashion Denim Collection) with 5 fits - Stern,

Rebel, Maverick, and Recruit & Renegade.

1.5 Consumerism

In the era of consumerism, when the Indian consumer is seeking and being provided a legal

shelter for all his genuine claims and complaints, a question that assumes great importance; is

whether he is really getting what he deserves? Or is he simply being consoled and left with no

results in his favour? In India, where 70% to 80% population still comes off rural background

and a considerable majority of them are below literacy level, they need to be enlightened about

their rights and legal privileges as consumer.

The Consumer is the King is an often repeated phrase. This phrase implies the decision

making authority of the customer. It is in his hands to ultimately decide what and he wants to

buy and patronize. In the normal buying process, the customer having the need for a specific

want decides to satisfy his needs. The buyer subsequently, visits the market and searches for his

needs at various showrooms. However, focusing on the market scene, one may find a customer

lost in his, need jungle. Most of the time a consumer has to compromise on his needs. Any one,

two and three need constituents may have been satisfied by his purchase but rarely all.

1.6 Pricing strategies

Pricing strategies are a constant theme of discussion at all retailers, and one of the most common

issues is: Which sells more at the best margins: end-of-season sales or regular markdowns?

1.6.1 Everyday Low Price

The everyday low price concept turns markdown into an obsession, based on the theory that

people return to the place where they get the best price. It demands a minute-by-minute attention

to the most aggressive price competitiveness, and focuses on in-store execution, which is all

about labeling and re-labeling. Grocers and general merchandisers have invested heavily in the

technology to manage such a business model, from space allocation, to price optimization, to

perpetual inventory solutions.


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Therefore to be successful in this cut throat competition companies have to provide the low

prices to customers to penetrate in the market.

1.6.2 End-of-Season and Special Event Sales

End-of-season sales and sales for special events continue to be a crucial part of specialty

retailing. Back-to-School, Thanksgiving, and Anniversary sales represent a very significant

proportion of annual sales. The ability to reduce or increase the price in the store is a powerful

tool but fraught with danger:

What happens if the label price is lower than the system price? Customer dissatisfaction?

Litigation? Ruined reputation?

What if the label price is higher than the system price? Missed promotional opportunity?

Unnecessarily reduced margin?

Yet all stores do make price actions, even with a label gun or a red pen, which give no assurance

of accuracy or timeliness. Specialty retailers need to put to use the same technology in which the

grocers and the general merchandisers began to invest some years ago. Fashion and other

specialty stores need to present the high quality/best value model they purport to have adopted.

And they need to develop a buzz about the store at the end of every week, not just at the end of

the season. Its price optimization and execution technology that they need.

1.6.3 Regional Pricing

Variable pricing is another strategy. Store chains typically implement variable pricing by region

or demographic zone. They analyze buyer behavior by product and product line and find that

certain products do not achieve margin or sales volume expectations at the regular price. By

increasing the price in certain regions or zones, margins are increased and sales volumes are

unaffected. By decreasing the price in other regions or zones, volume targets are achieved,

though at a lower margin. All of this sounds marvelous in theory. At headquarters, variable

pricing models achieve the perfect balance of margin and sales volume. At the store level, its

another story. Products in higher-margin regions dont get labeled with the higher price and the

mismatch between label and system can be costly. Products in lower margin regions that dont


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get labeled just dont sell. The end result is often conflicts between store operations and pricing

teams. This is because ultimately, variable pricing can only be introduced if there is an efficient

labeling technique at the stores. Some retailers have set up re-labeling lines in the distribution

center for consumer electronics products, but for most product lines it is an expensive and time-

consuming operation. Its just not feasible. Re-labeling is a task that is best done at the store as

goods arrive.

1.7 Nicosia Model

The Nicosia model focuses on the relationship between the firm and its potential consumers. In

the broadest terms, the firm communicates with consumers through its marketing messages

(advertising), and consumers communicate with the firm by their purchase responses. Thus

Nicosia model is interactivein design: The firm tries to influence consumers, and the consumers

- by their actions (or inaction) - influence the firm.

In its full-blown form, the Nicosia model is an elaborate computer flow chart of the consumer

decision-making process. The Nicosia model is divided into four major fields: (1) the consumer's

attitude based on message exposure, (2) the consumer's product search and evaluation, (3) the act

of purchase, and (4) feedback in the form of consumer experience to both the firm and consumer:


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Field 1: The Consumer's Attitude based On the Firms Messages.

The field of the Nicosia model is divided into two subfields. Subfield 1 includes aspects of the

firm's marketing environment and communication efforts that affect consumer attitudes, such as

product attributes, the competitive environment, characteristics of relevant mass media, the

choice of copy appeal, and characteristics of the target market. Subfield 2 specifies various

consumer characteristics (e.g., personality, experience) that mediate reception of the firm's

promotional messaged.

The output of field 1 is an attitude toward the product based on the consumer's interpretation of

the message.

Field 2: Search and Evaluation

The second field of the Nicosia model deals with the search for relevant information and

evaluation of the firm's brand in comparison with alternative brands. The output of this stage is

motivation to purchase the firm's brand. (Of course, evaluation could also lead to rejection of the

firm's brand; however, the model illustrates positive response.

Field 3: The Act of Purchase

In the third field, the consumer's motivation toward the firms brand results in purchase of the

brand from a specific retailer.

Field 4: Feedback

The final field consists of two important types of feedback from the purchase experience: one to

the firm in the form of sales data, and the other to the consumer in the form of experience

(satisfaction or dissatisfaction). The consumer's experience with the product affects the

individual's attitudes and predispositions concerning future messages from the firm.

1.8 Need of the Research

As Ludhiana is symbolic of the changes that are taking place in the socio - economic scenario of

the country due to urbanization and opening up of the Indian economy, people here are becoming

more conscious of what they wear and how they look. Therefore it provides a scope to


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understand the consumers buying behavior towards branded jeans and what factors influence

their choice and also to have knowledge about the loyalty for different brands. The results of the

study would an insight about the preferences of the consumers towards branded jeans and their

shopping behaviour. This would help the branded jeans companies and different malls to target

their potential customers in the right perspective.

1.9 Objectives of the Study

The major objective of this study was to find out the extent of consumer awareness about various

brands of jeans. The specific objectives of the study were:

1. To know the consumer awareness of various brands of branded jeans.

2. To study the application of components of Nicosia model on branded jeans purchase.

3. To study the loyalty among the consumers regarding brand and product.


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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter deals with the empirical work done at national and international level by variousmanagement scholars in the area of marketing. The study undertaken in this chapter mainly

relates with the consumers behavior and preferences with regards to branded jeans and related

attributes.

Chavadi and Ropatnur (2008) concluded that with retailing picking up and consumers

becoming choosy, it become vital for the retailers to look out for new avenues and opportunities

to make their customer happy. Intense competition in the market has forced retailers to rethink

on their strategies. The retail market being price sensitive calls for in-depth deliberation anddelivery of retail mix. Constant efforts are being made to deliver high value added products and

services to the customer. Popular brands having national presence are able to create entry

barriers through their strong distribution channel and heavy promotion. Barriers such as heavy

promotion in turn increases the marketing cost of national brands and customer look towards the

industry to unburden the same. This throws an opportunity for retailers to offer products in the

form of private labels, thereby redefining the promotional expenses. The objective of developing

and delivering private label is to close the value gaps not delivered by so called national brands.

Gaurav (2008) stated that marketing has made a paradigm shift from transactional approach to

relational approach. We are living in globalize world where competition has become an

unavoidable element of business and customers have become scarce. This has led to a situation

where all the firms in the same industry are trying to attract the same customer in various ways

even while offering similar product and services. They are using relationship marketing approach

to ensure that the customer remain loyal and come back to them for the same products and

services. This study aims to understand the impact of relationship market on customer loyalty.

Sarkar (2008) explained that lifestyle centers are commercial urban villages or open air

shopping centers, where consumers can do a lot more than just shopping. These lifestyle centers

are replacing the conventional shopping malls because of many reasons. The nature of


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consumption in these lifestyle centers is largely hedonic in nature, rather than being only

utilitarian.

Wachenheimer (2008) stated that if brands and logos are mere symbols, empty of meaning, then

choosing among clothing lines or anything becomes a largely rational affair. There are probably

four, or maybe four and a half, factors to consider. One, of course, is price, another is

convenience, third is quality, the fourth rational factor, I think it's fair to say, is pleasure. The

half factor is ethics, which I'll leave aside for now but return to later, in this book's final section.

If a product is successfully tied to an idea, branding persuades people whether they admit it to

pollsters or even fully understand it themselves to consume the idea by consuming the product.

Even companies like Apple and Nike, while celebrated for the tangible attributes of their

products, work hard to associate themselves with abstract notions of nonconformity or

achievement. A potent brand becomes a form of identity in shorthand. It solves the Pretty Good

Problem.

Weiss (2008) founded that different nations have different cultural social norms like French were

the ones to show style differentiations (highly in favor of jeans in the office, while finding it

inappropriate to wear in parties). Another was Americans report not to follow street fashion or

celebrities. (Im sure American might get tired of following celebrities. Still, I think they cant

help it). He also mentioned about Russians who were found highest in money spending on

jeans while Americans were the lowest spenders. The Brazilians are the ones to own the most

pairs of jeans and the Canadian and American women faced the greatest difficulties with

purchasing the right fit.

Chaudhri and Saxena (2007) explained that in an environment as dynamic as a marketplace,

survival depends on the ability to change marketing strategy, inconsonance with the change in

the markets themselves. In this context, it is not wrong to assist that women as consumers as

financial power. This article endeavors to pit a few commonly held opinions against equallycommonly held beliefs and ignite thinking on the theme of the inevitability of women consumers

centric branding on TV as the drinking force of strategy.

Koshy and N. (2007) in their study suggested that increase in turnover can be increased by

reducing the margin in this competitive era to survive in the long run. This is in tune with what


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Peter Drucker (1995) considers the worship of high profit margins and of premium pricing as

one of the five deadly business sins. The vendor selection should be done after careful

evaluation. It is important for textile retailing to be always in a receptive mood to know the

preference and taste of consumers. And to bring in changes in the shop as well as in the product

line according to the changing times.

Kunal (2007) in his article explained that branding is rapidly evolving into a consumers

comprehensive experience involving all the brand touch points he/she come into contact with.

This means that design, more than advertising, is emerging as the distinctive creative kill set in

creating successful branding. This article discussed the various elements of design and illustrates

how these actually contributed to some of the most vibrant and appealing contemporary Indian

brands. The article also attempts is to raise certain question about the limitations of design driven

branding and encourages a greater critical discloses of this fast growing field in India.

Ray (2007) stated that brand never come cheap and is a luxury for many. Some people brands

are image enhancer and only the rich and upper class can afford these brands as it has become a

part of their lifestyle. Young corporate professionals believe that to climb the social ladder they

need to go in for quality brands. Brands like the Bentley or BMW are now within reach of many

Indian CEOs. Hence, they want to flaunt these lifestyle accessories to achieve corporate goals.

Thus, these image enhancers are becoming synonymous with success.

Narang (2006) in her study suggested that as buyers do not stick to one brand in case of garment

purchasing therefore they should be able to recall the different brand names when they go for

purchase; repetitive advertising can be used to promote brand recall. Brand preference should be

created through feel good advertisements. There should be tone of freshness, style and energy

conveyed through the advertisement. As the majority of the buyers are young, so product should

be associated with style and trends so that it appeals to the youth and the brand name should be

developed as fashion statement among the youth.

Parker (2005) stated in his study that the fashion industry at this time; a time of increasing

disposable incomes and incidence of recreational shopping, is intensely competitive. Creating the

right brand image is largely dependent upon being in tune with the mindsets, beliefs, values and

aspirations of the modern, well-informed consumer. Moreover ensuring that the consumer


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perceives the firm to be in tune with their way of thinking and holding similar values centrally to

the Levis brand identity will be the key to ensuring marketing success. Creating the right brand

image is largely dependent upon being in tune with the mindsets, beliefs, values and aspirations

of the modern, well-informed consumer. Moreover ensuring that the consumer perceives the firm

to be in tune with their way of thinking and holding similar values centrally to the Levis brand

identity will be the key to ensuring marketing success. This shows that customers' perceptions of

products can derive from marketing effort alone; brand images and brand differentiation can be

the consumers' only guide to want satisfaction. This is particularly evident in a highly branded

stylized market such as the jeans market. When shopping for designer jeans consumers are more

likely to consider purchasing a brand product from his or her awareness set than from a company

whose brand image he or she has not been exposed to. Brand awareness is an obvious

precondition to purchase.

Verma and Gupta (2004) examined the relationship between the price of the product and the

buyers perception of quality in respect of durable, semi durable and non-durable products in the

Indian context. They found that for a durable product like television, setting the price too low

will negatively affect the quality image of the product and the consumer would be reluctant to

buy a low-priced brand as it might lower his image in the society. Pricing it reasonably high will

give the product a high-quality image. For toothpaste, brand reputation is a critical factor and the

marketer should price the product according to the reputation enjoyed by the brand.

Bureau (2002) quantified the following major findings were that around 74 per cent of female

students own more than three pairs and 31 per cent of them wear their jeans daily. He also found

out that around 30 per cent of home makers in age group 21-40 in SEC A own more than three

pairs. While 80 per cent of home makers in Sec A wear jeans more than thrice a week due to the

comfort factor, SEC B category women seldom wear jeans (once in two weeks). As for working

women, despite their higher financial freedom, a majority of them view jeans a wear-at-home

outfit, while a substantial number keep jeans for occasions (parties). The brand that women

perceive best is international label as 46 per cent opted for an international label, 24 per cent for

national label and the remaining 30 per cent not caring for any lineage. Display of jeans and

labelling is critical. About 11 per cent always need the help of a salesperson to locate the racks


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which house their size. According to 60 per cent of the home makers, they get most efficient

treatment at branded stores.

Banerjee and Divakar (2001) examined the behavior of the consumer in a promotion intensive

retail environment. They suggested it is important for retail managers to be sensitive to the issue

that consumers can no longer be assumed to make purchase decisions in a myopic framework.

Managers cannot assume a simple demand curve where price and quantity purchased are

assumed to be inversely-related, but a more complex discontinuous function with threshold price

points that trigger different planning decisions for consumers. These thresholds are related to the

frequency and depth of price discounting decided by retailers.

Feltham (1998) revealed that a widely held assumption is that brands purchased by the family

will continue to be purchased by the children when they become adults. However, little

consumer research actually exists on continued parental influence on young adults purchasing

decisions. Two studies examined parental influence (the degree to which brands purchased by

students corresponded to brands purchased by parents), roommate influence, and additional

factors such as price perceptions, brand differences, and brand comparisons.

Burke (1996) is of the view that managers know that in todays increasing complex and

competitive environment, they need to develop ideas that break through the clutter of messagesin the mass media and the confusing array of products at the point of purchase. Unfortunately,

the more innovative the concept - whether it is a new product, package, price, promotion, or

distribution plan the greater the risk.

Quelch and Harding (1996) stated those ten years ago, there was a distinct gap in the level of

quality between private label and brand name products. Today that gap has narrowed; private

label quality levels are much higher than ever before, and they are more consistent especially in

categories historically characterized by little produce innovations.

Evans (1989) explored that Complementary approaches are proposed for understanding and

targeting fashion consumers concentrating especially on innovation theory and self-concept

theory. These are seen as being two potentially relevant approaches because fashion is concerned

with newness, therefore innovation theory (also concerned with introducing new products and


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ideas) is logically important, and because fashion buying could have much to do with projecting

images of how buyers see themselves (or would like to be seen, etc) and because there is

evidence to suggest that buying in younger markets is related strongly to the expression of self,

more than might have been the case in the past. The synthesis of these approaches, it is argued,

could lead to an increase in fashion branding, based on a greater segmentation of fashion

markets. Fashion promotion, in turn, could be more targeted and use concepts from both

innovation and self-concept theory.

Salmon and Cmar (1987) revealed that the combat between manufacturers and private brands

in the same product categories is as much a feature of modern marketing as combat among

manufacturer brands. Moreover the battles between manufacturer and private brands have taken

a new turn. Strong brand names and, private labels, originally confirmed mainly to packaged-goods businesses, have become immensely - in the fashion industry. The reactions of the retailers

and manufacturers have implications that transcend the boundaries of the soft goods trade.

Quelch and Bonventre (1983) reported that retail stores have become the newest battle ground

in the war of consumer goods manufacturers to win customers. As advertising costs soar, retail

sales efforts deteriorate and consumers become more discriminating, manufacturers are

discovering the need to reach potential buyers directly at the time and place at which the buying

decision is made - the point of purchase. Manufacturers are finding that such tools as well -designed displays, distinctive packaging, price and sample promotions and in-store advertising

can provide them with competitive edge.

Shapiro and Wyman (1981) revealed in their report that important methods that help marketers

communicate more efficiently with potential and existing customers have come into wider use

over the past decade. These techniques can assist marketer in two ways, one is they allow

increased flexibility for devising marketing programs. And another is that in an age of escalating

selling and media costs, they enable marketers to hold down expenses.

Shapiro (1968) experimenting on 600 women found that the price was generally on indicator of

quality, price could not overcome product preferences. She found out that the use of price to

judge quality was a generalized attitude; and Price reliance varied over products, but was more

significant in situations of high risk, low self confidence and absence of other cues.


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CHAPTER-3

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To know the awareness level of consumers regarding various available brands of Jeans.

To know the factors influencing consumer to buy their particular brand.

To analyze the most preferred brand of jeans.

Understanding the concepts of branding and consumer behavior.

To study the effect of brands on consumer buying behavior in relation to Readymade

garments.

To analyze the branding strategies adopted by some of the companies in the readymade

garments to woo the consumers into buying their products.

To do a comparative study of the branding strategies adopted by the companies in the

readymade garments.


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CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the methodology adopted for conducting the study on the purchasebehaviour of the consumer towards branded jeans. It relates to the influence of price, quality and

brand on the consumer and also to the level of brand loyalty among the consumers.

With the emergence of the foreign collaboration and various MNCs entering the Indian jeans

market the competition among the marketers has grown stiffer. Due to this fierce competition

many brands, of branded jeans are available in the market. The previous studies of the market

reveal that the consumer is deftly moving towards brand identification and standardisation. And

only big players can bring in standardisation and build brand image.

3.1. Research Design

The research design is an arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in manner

that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure. The research

problem in clear cut terms helps the researches to prepare a research design. It constitutes the

blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. It is the strategy for a study and

the plan by which the strategy is to be carried out. The research carried down is Descriptive in

nature. It is descriptive in nature because the research describes the influence of price, quality

and brand on the consumer and also describes the level of satisfaction and brand loyalty among

the consumers.

3.2 Universe and Population

Universe is the infinite number of elements which the researcher is targeting in his study.

Universe in this study includes all the people wearing branded jeans in the whole world.

Population is finite number of elements which the researcher is going to target in particular area.

Ludhiana is one of the most important industrial towns and growing urban complex which

represents the crossection of urban population of the country, the scope of the study was thus

restricted to Ludhiana city only.


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The population taken for the purpose of the present study was all those people who wear branded

jeans in Ludhiana City.

3.3 Sample Size, Sampling Technique and Sampling Unit

In order to select a relevant sample size for the study and to have proper distribution of the

respondents into various categories of age, income and occupation, a sample size of 125

respondents was fixed for the purpose of the study and Simple Random and snowball sampling

technique was used.

Sampling Unit is the single unit of the population. The sampling unit of the study is: any

individual (respondent) who wears branded jeans in Ludhiana city.

3.4 Data Collection

The data for the present study was collected by interviewing selected respondents with the help

of a structured questionnaire.

The questions regarding the brand awareness level of the respondents were having multiple

choices along with some open ended questions. Multiple, choices were given in the questions

related to purchase time, choice of outlet, brand awareness, factor influencing for a particular

brand, repurchase.

The question regarding the factors which influence the most in buying of a particular brand were

analyzed by calculating the number of responses as it was a checklist question.

3.5. Data Analysis

Analysis of the collected data has been done by constructing suitable tables and using

percentage.

For the responses in which the respondents were asked to rank the factors influencing the

purchase of a branded jeans and to rank the best brand in branded jeans (three for the maximum,

one for minimum), the column total was taken for all the respondents. The highest scored factor

was ranked the first and lowest scored factor was ranked the last.


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3.6. Limitation of the Study

Any study based on consumer through a predesigned questionnaire suffers from the basic

limitations of the possibility of difference between what is recorded and what is the truth no

matter how carefully the questionnaire has been designed and field investigation has been

conducted. This is because the consumers may not deliberately report their true preferences and

even if they want to do so, there are bound to be differences owing to problems in filters of

communication process. The error has been minimized by conducting interviews personally, yet

there is no fool proof way of obviating the possibility of error creeping in.

In addition there are limitations regarding scope of validity of conclusion:

1. It would have been better to include some major cities of the country but it could not be

made possible within the limited resources of single researchers time and money.

2. It was considered to be a fair assumption that the selected respondents would be aware of

various brands of branded jeans, although it could not be ruled out that in some cases, the

respondents might not have been able to render correct information for one reason or the

other.

3. The study relates to Ludhiana. Although there is a possibility of applicability of the

conclusion about consumer behaviour for other areas, no such general applicability

beyond Ludhiana is claimed.

4. Only branded jeans have been taken for the study so the scope of study is limited to jeans

only.


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CHAPTER 4

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Profile of the Respondents

The demographic characteristics of the consumer i.e. gender and age has been discussed below.

Table 4.1.1: Demographic Profile of the Respondents (N=125)

Demographic Characteristic

Gender No. of Respondents Percentage

Male 76 61

Female 49 39

Total 125 100

Graph 4.1.1: Demographic Profile of the Respondents (N=125)

Table 4.1.2: Showing Age of Respondents

Demographic CharacteristicAge (Yr.) No. of Respondents Percentage

40 7 6

Total 125 100


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Graph: 4.1.2: Showing Age of Respondents

Table: 4.1.3: Showing age of male respondents


Age

(Yr.)

Males Respondents Percentage

40 6 8

Total 76 100

Graph: 4.1.3: Showing age of male respondents


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Table: 4.1.4: Showing age of female respondents


Age(Yr.)

Female Respondents Percentage

40 2 4

Total 47 100

Graph: 4.1.4: Showing age of female respondents

Analysis:

Table 4.1 shows the gender and age of the respondents. Out of 125 numbers of respondents, 76

(61%) are male respondents and 49(39%) are female respondents. The questionnaire age column

was divided in four ranges i.e.


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middle age group i.e. between 20 to 30 yrs of age. And the preference for jeans decreases as they

progress further in age.

4.2 Consumer Awareness of Various Brands of Branded Jeans

A study of the market reveals that the consumer is deftly moving towards brand identification

and standardization. Only big players can bring in standardization and build brand image. An

in-depth analysis of the jeans industry reveals the position of brands and various loopholes that

are still to be tackled to accelerate growth. Following aspects were considered:

1. Spontaneous recall of branded jeans.

2. Time of purchase.

3. Best brand in branded jeans.

4. Maximum number of branded jeans owned by the respondents.

5. Insignia placement.


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4.2.1 Spontaneous Recall of Branded Jeans

Spontaneous response largely is a representative of consumers preference over the other existing

brands. The consumer when asked to name the brand of branded jeans which came to their mind

at first instance responded as under.

Table 4.2: Spontaneous Recall of Branded Jeans (N=118)

S. No. Brand No. of respondents Percentage

1 LEE 9 8

2 LEE COOPER 4 3

3 LEVIS 39 33

4 PEPE JEANS 24 20

5 SPYKAR JEANS 16 14

6 WRANGLER 13 11

7 OTHERS 13 11Total 118 100

Graph 4.2: Spontaneous Recall of Jeans Brand

Analysis:

Table 4.2 shows that while Levis emerged as the winner with 33% response; Lee cooper was last

in the spontaneous recall with 3% response each. Also 11% people mentioned other brands

which include a lot many, for e.g. UCB, Vibes, etc.

Interpretation:

Levis is the commonly known brand among people as compared to others when asked for the

spontaneous recall of any brand of jeans. Thus it was concluded that Levis was the popular brand


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among the Ludhiana population as for as the first instance response was concerned.


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4 2.2 Time of purchase

When asked as to what is the time of purchase of branded jeans, the respondents gave the

following response.

Table 4.3 Time of purchase (N=125)

S. No. Time No. of respondents Percentage

1 Special occasion 14 11.2

2 Sales / discount 28 22.4

3 Any time 83 66.4

Total 125 100

Graph 4.3 Time of purchase

Analysis:

Table 4.3 shows that most 66.4 of the respondents will purchase branded jeans at any moment of

time as of their liking. Only 22.4% prefer to purchase during sales and discount and 11.2%

prefer to purchase on a special occasion.

Interpretation:

Mostly people purchase branded jeans as and when they require rather than waiting for any

discounts or special occasions.

4.2.3. Best brand in branded jeans


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When asked to rank the brands of jeans, the respondents gave the following response. For

calculating the rank score the first rank was given 3 points while the second rank was given 2

points and thus the total rank score was calculated.

Table 4.4: Best brand in Jeans (N=125)

No. Brand No. of Respondents Rank Scores

Rank-I Rank-II

1 LEE 15 22 37

2 LEE COOPER 8 10 18

3 LEVIS 43 21 64

4 PEPE JEANS 33 23 56

5 SPYKAR JEANS 12 20 32

6 WRANGLER 14 29 43

Total 125 125

Graph 4.4: Best brand in Jeans

Analysis:

As seen in the table 4.4, the highest rank scores (171) was Levis, thus we can say that Levis

emerged as no.1 brand in the branded jeans. While Lee Cooper with the rank score of (44) was

last in the list.

Interpretation:

From the above analysis we can say that people feel that Levis is the best brand available in the

market as compared to other brands like Wrangler, Spykar jeans etc.


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4.2.4 Maximum number of Branded Jeans owned by the respondents

The respondents were asked as to which brand of jeans they own in maximum number.

Following was the response given by the respondents.

Table 4.5: Maximum number of Branded Jeans owned by the respondents (N=116)

S. No. Brand No. of respondents Percentage

1 LEE 9 8

2 LEE COOPER 2 2

3 LEVIS 32 27

4 PEPE JEANS 29 24

5 SPYKAR JEANS 20 17

6 WRANGLER 13 11

7 OTHERS 13 11

Total 116 100

Graph 4.5: Maximum number of branded jeans owned by the respondents

Analysis:

It could be concluded from the table 4.5 that maximum number of branded jeans which the

respondents own was from the brand Levis (27%). While the other brand liked Pepe jeans and

Spykar were almost the same. The strange thing came to the notice that only 2 out 125 of the

respondents own the brand Lee Cooper of branded jeans.

Interpretation:

Levis is the brand which is owned in maximum number as we can relate this from the fact that

majority of the people are aware of the brand - Levis in branded jeans segment.


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4.2.5 Insignia Placement

Brands insignia is an important feature of the branded jeans and its placement is different in

different brands. Few existing and few exemplary placements of brand insignia were listed and

the respondents were asked to state as to where the insignia should be placed in branded jeans.

Table 4.6: Placement of Brand Insignia (N=125)

S. No. Brand Insignia No. of respondents Percentage

1 On the front pocket 56 44.8

2 On the back pocket 22 17.6

3 On the button 15 12

4 On the sides of jeans 14 11.2

5 Along the loops of jeans 5 46 Not visible at all 13 10.4

Total 125 100

Graph 4.6: Placement of Brand Insignia

Analysis:

Out of the 125 respondents 10.4% were such who did not want the brand insignia to be visible at

all. While maximum 44.8% number of respondents wanted the insignia to be placed on the front

pocket, 17.6% of the respondents wanted the insignia to be placed on the back pocket and the


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least response 4% was for the placement of brand insignia along he loops of the jeans.

Interpretation:

The insignia on the front pocket was the most preferred place for brand insignia on branded jeans

as people feel that the brand insignia over here is visible to everybody.


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4.3 Application of Components of Nicosia Model

To study the application of components of Nicosia model (consumer buying behaviour model)

on branded jeans purchase following aspects were considered:

1. Variables influencing the purchase.

2. Awareness about the brand.

The above two aspects cater to the first attribute of Nicosia model.

1. Influence for a particular brand.

2. Perception about the price

The above two aspects cater to the second attribute of Nicosia model

1. Choice of retailer

2. Factors for the choice of retailer.

The above two aspects cater to the third attribute of Nicosia model

1. Satisfaction for the brand

The above aspect caters to the fourth attribute of Nicosia model.


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First Attribute of NICOSIA MODEL:

4.3.1 Variable Influencing the Purchase

The respondents were asked to rank the top three features which influenced them while

purchasing branded jeans. The 6 feature influencing namely are brand, price, friends / family,

quality and design, advertisement and others. For calculating the rank score the first rank was

given 3 points while the second rank was given 2 points and the third rank was given 1 point,

thus the total rank score was calculated, the consumer ranked these in the following order.

Table 4.7 Variables Influencing the Purchase (N=125)

S. No. Features No. of respondents Rank

ScoresRank-I Rank-II Rank-III

1 Brand 62 31 24 235

2 Price 25 55 32 224

3 Friends/ Family 10 8 13 69

4 Quality & Design 4 7 6 203

5 Advertisement 2 24 43 13

6 Others 2 0 7 6

Total 125 125 125


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Graph 4.7 Variables Influencing the Purchase

Analysis:

As the study was targeted on the branded jeans where brand plays an important role as a factor

influencing the purchase of jeans (Table 4.6), brand received the highest scores of 272. Thus

brand was ranked the first followed by price with the score of 217 while quality and design was

next in the list with the scores of 157. Also a couple of respondents mentioned that the factor

which influenced them to purchase a particular brand of branded jeans was after their trial.

Interpretation:

Consumers are more brand conscious while they purchase jeans i.e. brands is the most

influencing variable for the purchase. After considering the brand they consider the price of the

jeans along with quality and design.


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4.3.2. Awareness about the Brand

As the study was targeted on the premium segment of jeans where brand plays an important role,

the respondents were asked about the factor by which they came to know about a particular

brand. Following were the responses of the respondents.

Table 4.8: Awareness about the Brand (N=125)

S. No. Variables No. of Respondents Percentage1 Advertisement 56 52.8

2 Hoarding 18 14.4

3 Point of purchase 26 20.8

4 Word of mouth 23 18.4

5 Others 2 1.6

Total 125 100


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Graph 4.8: Awareness about the Brand

Analysis:

From the above table we can say that majority of the respondents (52.8%) came to know about

the particular brand through the advertisement of the brand. Other factor like point of purchase

and word of mouth were next in the list. Couple of respondents came to know about the brand

by trying it.

Interpretation:

The major source of awareness for a particular brand which affects the mind of the consumers is

advertisement, while point of purchase and word of mouth are next in the list.

Second Attribute of NICOSIA MODEL:

4.3.3 Factors Influencing To Buy a Particular Brand

To study the second attribute of Nicosia model, various factors which influenced the respondent

to buy a particular brand were analyzed. The factors which were analyzed for a particular brand

were price, brand reputation, product design, product quality, product promotion. Following

were the responses:-

Table 4.9: Factors Influencing to buy a Particular Brand (N=125)

S. No. Factors No. of Responses


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1 Price 42

2 Reputation 36

3 Product design 40

4 Product quality 86

5 Product promotion 4

Graph 4.9: Factors Influencing to Buy a Particular Brand

Analysis:

The most important factor which influenced the respondent to buy a particular brand was product

quality (74). While the next important factor which influence the respondent to buy a particular

brand was price (42) followed by product design (40). Also brand reputation was given the next

level for importance which influenced the respondent to buy a particular brand.

Interpretation:

Product quality is considered the most important factor which influences the consumer to buy a

particular brand. Quality of the product is generally considered as the reason for which people

stick to one brand or they buy that particular brand.


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4.3.4 Consumers Perception of Price

With regards to the jeans of various brands available in the market the respondents were asked to

give their idea about the price which they feel is appropriate for branded jeans. The price was

classified by dividing in 3 intervals as follows:

Table 4.10: Consumers Perception of Price (N=125)

S. No. Price Range (Rs.) No. of Respondents Percentage

1 2000 28 22.4

Total 125 100

Graph 4.10: Consumers Perception of Price

Analysis:

Maximum response (55.2%) was seen in the price range of Rs.1500-2000. Further the price

range of 1000-1500 and >2000 and equal percentage of respondents (22.4%). Thus from here we

can say that majority of the respondents have a idea that branded jeans are in the range of 1500-

2000, thus 1500-2000 was the appropriate price range for a good branded jeans.

Interpretation:

For good branded jeans consumers are willing to pay an appropriate price as they feels that

branded jeans belong to that range only.


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Third Attribute of NICOSIA MODEL:

4.3.5 Outlet Choice

Preference of the consumer in regard to the choice of the branded jeans outlet was seen by asking

the respondents about their choice of the store from where they would prefer to visit to purchase

branded jeans.

Table 4.11: Outlet Choice (N=125)

S. No. Outlet Type No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Exclusive brand outlet 38 30

2 Multi Retail Outlet (Retail Chains) 63 50

3 Factory Outlets 24 20

Total 125 100

Graph 4.11: Outlet Choice

Analysis:

Maximum response (50%) was seen for multi-brand outlets by the respondents. Further not

much of difference was seen between the response for exclusive brand outlet (30%) and factory

outlets (20%). We can conclude that people prefer to go to multi brand outlets.

Interpretation:

The most preferred choice of consumers to buy branded jeans is from multi branded outlet rather

than going to exclusive brand outlet and factory outlets.


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4.3.6 Preference for Outlet

In this the respondents were asked to give the reasons for which they go to a particular outlet for

the purchase of branded jeans. Following were the responses of the respondents.

Table 4.12: Preference for Outlet (N=125)

S. No. Factors No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Variety 65 52

2 Convenience 28 22.4

3 Discount 22 17.6

4 Special schemes 8 6.4

5 Gifts 2 1.6

Total 125 100

Graph 4.12: Preference for Outlet

Analysis:

From the above table we can say that majority of the respondents (52%) prefer to go to a

particular outlet for the purchase of branded jeans because of the variety available in that outlet.

The next factor which came in the mind of the respondents for going to a particular outlet was

convenience (22.4%) and discounts (17.6%).

On a whole we can conclude that variety is the major factor (52%) which the respondents take

into consideration while going to a particular outlet for the purchase of branded jeans.


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Interpretation:

The only reason for which consumers of branded jeans go to multi branded outlets is the large

variety available over there irrespective of the fact that how convenient it is for them for going to

that particular place.

Fourth Attribute of NICOSIA MODEL:


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4.3.7 Satisfaction for a Brand

The respondents were asked to give their satisfaction about the brand they have purchased,

whether they were satisfied or not. Following were the responses of the respondents.

Table 4.13: Satisfaction for A Brand (N=125)

S. No. Satisfied No. of Respondents Percentage

1 Yes 118 94.4

2 No 7 5.6

Total 225 100

Graph 4.13: Satisfaction for a Brand

Analysis:

From the above table we can conclude that majority of the respondents (94.4%) are satisfied with

the brand they have purchased.

Interpretation:

Consumers are generally satisfied with brand of jeans they have purchased.

4.4. Loyalty among Consumers


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An attempt was made in the present study to test the brand loyalty of the consumers.

4.4. a Brand Loyalty

Following aspect were studied for judging the level of brand loyalty of the respondents:

1. Maximum owned brands

2. Repurchase

3. Respondents suggestion of brand to others

4. Brand switching due to price increase

5. Pre determination of brand

4.4. b Product Loyalty

Standard purchase decision involvement test (SPDI) was done to check for the product loyalty

among consumers.


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4.4. a. (i) Maximum Owned Brand

Respondents were asked as to which brand of jeans they owned in maximum number.

Table 4.14: Maximum Owned Brand (N=125)

S. No. Brand No. of respondents Percentage1 LEE 9 8

2 LEE COOPER 2

branded jeans

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