central project ,bhadri

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TOPIC: A study on visual merchandising and its

role in customer buying behavior.At Hyderabad central

BY: B.VEERA BHADRA RAO

PGDM (2009-2011) Batch, DHRUVA COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT

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Table of contents

1) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.3

2) ABOUT INDIAN RETAIL MARKET.................4

3) ABOUT INDIAN RETAIL INDUSTRY.................5

4) COMPANY PROFILE8

ABOUT PANTALOON RETAIL INDIA LTD..8ABOUT FUTUREGROUP.9VISION..10MISSION...10

CORE VALUES10ABOUT HYDERABAD CENTRAL11SWOT ANALYSIS OF HYDERABAD CENTRAL16 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS FOR HYDERABADCENTRAL...18

5) PROJECT INTRODUCTION...21

6) METHODOLOGY22

7) DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION..24

8) FINDINGS40

9) RECOMMENDATIONS..43

10) CONCLUSION...43

11) BIBLIOGRAPHY...44

12) QUESTIONNAIRE.45

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The study was aimed at finding out the Impact of Visual merchandising (VM)on customer buying behavior at Hyderabad Central. Visual Merchandising,

which deals with elements of display of products, is fast gaining momentumin India with the growth of retail industry. While double conversion theory ofconverting visitors to shoppers and shoppers to buyers is making marketersaround the world pour efforts towards the area of shoppers marketing, it isimportant to notice that Visual merchandising is involved in getting morevisitors to stores and also in converting them into shoppers. As this accountsfor 2/3rd of the process, it is of immense importance. Due to increasing competitionand the similarity of merchandise, retailers Hyderabad Central, Shopper stop, Lifestyle etc utilizevisual merchandising to differentiate their offerings from others as well as to improve thedesirability of products.

The research methodology consisted of survey, observations and interaction with concernedpeople. A structured questionnaire was used in the survey to collect the required data. The totalsample size amount up to 120 and the sampling process used in the survey was simple randomsampling and the sample elements are the customers who visited Hyderabad Central.

The main findings of the study include that most of the respondents are attracted by the displayof merchandise and being influenced by it. Moreover 48.3% of the respondents rely on storedisplays to make decision to purchase clothing and 69.2% of the respondents buy more than thatthey intended to buy when they see a good deal. This shows the role of visual merchandising incustomer buying behavior.

The study suggests few recommendations to Hyderabad Central in the area of visualmerchandising like implementing attractive window display which attracts more customers tothe store from outside, Central can go for digital signage which is a sure fire way of grabbing itstarget audiences attention, Central can go for implementing child mannequins in kids sectionsthat really help the parents to picture the clothing as it appears when worn, and increases thelikelihood of a purchase and the ambience to be improved and variations are brought down inlighting, colors, music and scent in Central at regular Intervals to create a new atmosphere everytime and moreover to stimulate customers perceptual and emotional responses which ultimatelyaffect their purchasing behavior.

Although this study gave some useful insights about the role of visual merchandising in retail

Store like Hyderabad Central on consumer behavior, this study had a few limitations. The studywas conducted in a sample of customers who visited Hyderabad Central within its premises. As

the VM manger and Asst. VM manger are busy in their Schedules, it is not possible for me to

spend more time in interaction and discussion with them and lastly when the respondents are

busy they wont give accurate data.

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About Indian retail Market:

The Indian retail market is the fifth largest retail destination all across the globe. It has been

ranked as the most attractive emerging market for investment in the retail sector in 2009. In theentire Gross Domestic Product of India, the share of retail trade was between 8-10% in 2007,where presently it has touched around 12%, and in all probability will touch 22% by the end of2010. Consumerism is on the rise with the rising trend of middle class segment in the country.The Indian consumer (retail) market, in all probability, will grow four times by 2025. The valueof India's retail market has touched US$ 511 billion in 2008. India has escalated up to the 39thmost preferred retail destination globally in 2009 (in 2008, they ranked 44th).

Components of the Indian retail Market

Banks, capital goods, engineering, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), software services, oil

marketing, power, two-wheelers and telecom companies - they are the main driving force in theretail growth of India. Global retailers still now find India to be among the most attractivedestination. On July 2009, the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, in single-brand retailtrading, touched approximately US$ 46.60 million.

Size of Indian retail market

India's retail sector is estimated to touch US$ 833 billion by 2013 and US$ 1.3 trillion by 2018,

with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% - which is quite lucrative. Al these

estimations are due to the fact that the consumer spending has seen a rise of around 75%, in the

past four years. The organized Indian retail market is slated to grow at a CAGR of 40%,

touching US$ 107 billion by 2013. .

5% of the Indian retail market is occupied by the organized retail sector, which is all slated to

witness the majority number of large format malls and branded retail stores. The increase in the

number of such malls would be first seen in South India, followed by North, West and the East

over the coming two years. Another latest research shows that more than 100 malls spanning a

space of over 30 million sq feet is estimated to open in India between 2009 and 2010 end.

Investment in the organized retail market would be around US$ 503.2 million in 2009. This

could go further up to US$ 1.26 billion in the next four to five years, at a CAGR of 40%.

India has emerged as the third most attractive market destination for apparel retailers over the

years. In India, apparel is the second largest retail category and will have a 12-15% growth rate

every year. Apparel, food and grocery is expected to lead the organized retail sector in India.

The Indian retail market has been witnessing exponential growth with developments taking place

not only in major cities and metros but tier-II and tier-III cities in India are also on the focus.

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About Retail industry:

The Indian retail industry comprises of organized and unorganized sectors, India retail industry

is one of the fastest growing industries in India, especially over the last few years. Thoughinitially, the retail industry in India was mostly unorganized, however with the change of tastes

and preferences of the consumers, the industry is getting more popular these days and getting

organized as well. With growing market demand, the industry is expected to grow at a pace of

25-30% annually. The India retail industry is expected to grow from Rs. 35,000 crore in 2004-05

to Rs. 109,000 crore by the year 2010.

Growth of Indian Retail:

According to the 8th Annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) of AT Kearney, India

retail industry is the most promising emerging market for investment. In 2007, the retail trade inIndia had a share of 8-10% in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the country. In 2009, it rose

to 12%. It is also expected to reach 22% by 2010.

According to a report by North bride Capita, the India retail industry is expected to grow to US$

700 billion by 2010. By the same time, the organized sector will be 20% of the total market

share. It can be mentioned here that, the share of organized sector in 2007 was 7.5% of the total

retail market.

Major Retailers in India:

Pantaloon:

Pantaloon is one of the biggest retailers in India with more than 450 stores across the country.

Headquartered in Mumbai, it has more than 5 million sq. ft retail space located across the

country. It's growing at an enviable pace and is expected to reach 30 million sq. ft by the year

2010. In 2001, Pantaloon launched country's first hypermarket Big Bazaar. It has the following

retail segments:

Food & Grocery: Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar Home Solutions: Hometown, Furniture Bazaar, Collection-i Consumer Electronics: e-zone Shoes: Shoe Factory Books, Music & Gifts: Depot Health & Beauty Care: Star, Sitara E-tailing: Futurebazaar.com Entertainment: Bowling Co.

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Tata Group

Tata group is another major player in Indian retail industry with its subsidiary Trent, which

operates Westside and Star India Bazaar. Established in 1998, it also acquired the largest book

and music retailer in India Landmark in 2005. Trent owns over 4 lakh sq. ft retail space across

the country.

RPG Group

RPG Group is one of the earlier entrants in the Indian retail market, when it came into food &

grocery retailing in 1996 with its retail Food world stores. Later it also opened the pharmacy and

beauty care outlets Health & Glow.

Reliance

Reliance is one of the biggest players in Indian retail industry. More than 300 Reliance Fresh

stores and Reliance Mart are quite popular in the Indian retail market. It's expecting its sales to

reach Rs. 90,000 crores by 2010.

AV Birla Group

AV Birla Group has a strong presence in Indian apparel retailing. The brands like Louis

Philippe, Allen Solly, Van Heusen and Peter England are quite popular. It's also investing in

other segments of retail. It will invest Rs. 8000-9000 crores by 2010.

Retail formats in India

Hyper marts/supermarkets: large self-servicing outlets offering products from a variety

of categories.

Mom-and-pop stores: they are family owned business catering to small sections; theyare individually handled retail outlets and have a personal touch.

Departmental stores: are general retail merchandisers offering quality products andservices.

Convenience stores: are located in residential areas with slightly higher prices goods dueto the convenience offered.

Shopping malls: the biggest form of retail in India, malls offers customers a mix of alltypes of products and services including entertainment and food under a single roof.

E-trailers: are retailers providing online buying and selling of products and services. Discount stores: these are factory outlets that give discount on the MRP. Vending: it is a relatively new entry, in the retail sector. Here beverages, snacks and

other small items can be bought via vending machine.

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Category killers: small specialty stores that offer a variety of categories. They areknown as category killers as they focus on specific categories, such as electronics andsporting goods. This is also known as Multi Brand Outlets or MBO's.

Specialty stores: are retail chains dealing in specific categories and provide deepassortment. Mumbai's Crossword Book Store and RPG's Music World are a couple of

examples.

Challenges facing Indian retail industry

The tax structure in India favors small retail business Lack of adequate infrastructure facilities High cost of real estate Dissimilarity in consumer groups Restrictions in Foreign Direct Investment Shortage of retail study options Shortage of trained manpower

Low retail management skill

The Future

The retail industry in India is currently growing at a great pace and is expected to go up to US$

833 billion by the year 2013. It is further expected to reach US$ 1.3 trillion by the year 2018 at a

CAGR of 10%. As the country has got a high growth rates, the consumer spending has also gone

up and is also expected to go up further in the future. In the last four year, the consumer

spending in India climbed up to 75%. As a result, the India retail industry is expected to grow

further in the future days. By the year 2013, the organized sector is also expected to grow at a

CAGR of 40%.

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COMPANY PROFILE

Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited:

Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, is Indias leading retailer that operates multiple retail formatsin both the value and lifestyle segment of the Indian consumer market. Headquartered inMumbai (Bombay), the company operates over 16 million square feet of retail space, has over1000 stores across 73 cities in India and employs over 30,000 people.

The companys leading formats include Pantaloons, a chain of fashion outlets, Big Bazaar, auniquely Indian hypermarket chain, Food Bazaar, a supermarket chain, blends the look, touchand feel of Indian bazaars with aspects of modern retail like choice, convenience and quality andCentral, a chain of seamless destination malls. Some of its other formats include Brand Factory,Blue Sky, aLL, Top 10 and Star and Sitara. The company also operates an online portal,futurebazaar.com.

Future Value Retail Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary ofPantaloon Retail (India)Limited. This entity has been created keeping in mind the growth and the current size of thecompanys value retail business, led by its format divisions, Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar.

The company operates 120 Big Bazaar stores, 170 Food Bazaar stores, among other formats,in over70 cities across the country, covering an operational retail space of over6 millionsquare feet. As a focussed entity driving the growth of the group's value retail business, FutureValue Retail Limited will continue to deliver more value to its customers, supply partners,stakeholders and communities across the country and shape the growth of modern retail in India.

A subsidiary company, Home Solutions Retail (India) Limited, operates Home Town, a large-format home solutions store, Collection i , selling home furniture products and eZone focused oncatering to the consumer electronics segment.

Pantaloon Retail is the flagship company of Future Group, a business group catering to the entireIndian consumption space.

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Future Group:

Future Group, led by its founder and Group CEO, Mr. Kishore Biyani, is one of Indias leadingbusiness houses with multiple businesses spanning across the consumption space. While retailforms the core business activity of Future Group, group subsidiaries are present in consumer

finance, capital, insurance, leisure and entertainment, brand development, retail real estatedevelopment, retail media and logistics.

Led by its flagship enterprise, Pantaloon Retail, the group operates over 16 million square feet ofretail space in 73 cities and towns and 65 rural locations across India. Headquartered in Mumbai(Bombay), Pantaloon Retail employs around 30,000 people and is listed on the Indian stockexchanges. The company follows a multi-format retail strategy that captures almost the entireconsumption basket of Indian customers. In the lifestyle segment, the group operates Pantaloons,a fashion retail chain and Central, a chain of seamless malls. In the value segment, its marqueebrand, Big Bazaar is a hypermarket format that combines the look, touch and feel of Indianbazaars with the choice and convenience of modern retail.

The groups specialist retail formats include supermarket chain - Food Bazaar, sportswearretailer - Planet Sports, electronics retailer - eZone, home improvement chain -Home Town andrural retail chain - Aadhaar, among others. It also operates popular shopping portal -www.futurebazaar.com.

Future Group believes in developing strong insights on Indian consumers and buildingbusinesses based on Indian ideas, as espoused in the groups core value of Indianness. Thegroups corporate credo is, Rewrite rules, Retain values.

Corporate statements:

Future Group Manifesto

Future the word which signifies optimism, growth, achievement, strength, beauty, rewardsand perfection. Future encourages us to explore areas yet unexplored, write rules yet unwritten;create new opportunities and new successes. To strive for a glorious future brings to us ourstrength, our ability to learn, unlearn and re-learn our ability to evolve.

We, in Future Group, will not wait for the Future to unfold itself but create future scenarios inthe consumer space and facilitate consumption because consumption is development. Thereby,

we will effect socio-economic development for our customers, employees, shareholders,

associates and partners.

Our customers will not just get what they need, but also get them where, how and when theyneed.

We will not just post satisfactory results, we will write success stories.

We will not just operate efficiently in the Indian economy, we will evolve it.

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We will not just spot trends; we will set trends by marrying our understanding of the Indianconsumer to their needs of tomorrow.

It is this understanding that has helped us succeed. And it is this that will help us succeed in theFuture. We shall keep relearning. And in this process, do just one thing.

Rewrite Rules. Retain Values.

Group Vision

Future Group shall deliver Everything, Everywhere, Every time for Every Indian Consumer inthe most profitable manner.

Group Mission

We share the vision and belief that our customers and stakeholders shall be served only by

creating and executing future scenarios in the consumption space leading to economicdevelopment.

We will be the trendsetters in evolving delivery formats, creating retail realty, makingconsumption affordable for all customer segments for classes and for masses.

We shall infuse Indian brands with confidence and renewed ambition.

We shall be efficient, cost- conscious and committed to quality in whatever we do.

We shall ensure that our positive attitude, sincerity, humility and united determination shall be

the driving force to make us successful.

Core Values

Indianness: confidence in ourselves. Leadership : to be a leader, both in thought and business. Respect & Humility : to respect every individual and be humble in our conduct. Introspection : leading to purposeful thinking. Openness : to be open and receptive to new ideas, knowledge and information. Valuing and Nurturing Relationships : to build long term relationships. Simplicity & Positivity : Simplicity and positivity in our thought, business and action.

Adaptability : to be flexible and adaptable, to meet challenges. Flow : to respect and understand the universal laws of nature.

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HYDERABAD CENTRAL:

Hyderabad Central is a shopping mall in Hyderabad, India located on the Punjagutta road.

Central is a showcase, seamless mall and the first of its kind in India. The thought behind this

pioneering concept was to give customers an unobstructed and a pure shopping experience and

to ensure the best brands in the Indian market are made available to the discerning Indian

customer.

Central offers everything for the urban aspirational shopper to shop, eat and celebrate.

Located in the heart of the city, Central believes its customers should not have to travel long

distances to reach us; instead we must be present where customers frequently visit

The massive seamless mall on the busy Punjagutta road was launched in November2004 with an investment of Rs 70 crores by Pantaloon retail India limited. This is the second

such mall in the country; the first being in Bangalore, launched in may 2004. The Hyderabad

Central has been conceptualized with a theme and tagline that says `shop, eat and celebrate.

Central spread over 261000 square feet has everything a family needs. Central housesover 300 brands

across categories, such as apparel, foot wear and accessories for women, men, children and

infants, apart from a whole range of music, books, food court (Ohris), super market (FoodBazaar), fine dining restaurants and

Pub (fire fly).The mall has five restaurants and a Pizza Hut outlet, Bombay Blue, Noodles Bar, Ohris, and

Java Green. The shopping space is spread over four levels, with PVR Cinemas located on thefifth floor.

Shop-in-shop (SIS) units:Central provides space in the store for certain shops based on agreement. These shops have theirown management and billing system.

In central, there are total of 20 SIS units they are Sugar cane, Frankiecounter, PaniPuri counter, popcorn counter, GUESS, Pizza hut, Bombay blue, Noodle bar, Bodyshop, Java green, Ohris, Planet m , Archies Gallery, Coma stationery, AP Marketing, PVR, FireFly pub.

The idea behind SIS is to add walk-ins of the central and also to give customers the pleasure ofgetting everything under one roof.

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Retail segments available at Central:

1) Fashion and apparels

2) Food and Grocery

3) Consumer Electronics

4) Fun and entertainment

5) Household appliances

6) Consumer durables

7) Books, music & gifts

8) Jewellery

9) Health and Beauty care

10) Foot wear

11) Food court

12) Sports

13) Nursery furniture

Arrangement of segments across the Central:

Ground floor:

The Floor is categorized into:

Planet sports

Food bazaar

Pizza hut

Bombay blue

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Noodles bar

Alteration and delivery

Gift central

The Planet sports include all types of sports equipments and sports apparels, accessories.

Food bazaar is equipped with food, Non food, staples, live kitchen, Farm fresh.

1ST floor LADIES FLOOR:


Apparel-Ethnic wear

Apparel- Formal and casual wear

Fashion Accessories

lingerie

Jewellery

Cosmetics

Perfumes

Watches & sunglasses

Mobiles

Hand bags

In apparels, total 42 brands are there, out of which 12 are Pantaloon brands and 30

are Central brands. Pantaloon brands include Annabelle, Honey, Rig ladies, All,

Lee cooper, Ajile, Bare ladies, Mohena, Akkriti, SKS (Trisha), MNM, UMM

Ladies.

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2ND FLOOR - MENS FLOOR:

The Floor is categorized into

Formals

Casuals

Ethnic

wear

Mens

accessories

There are total of 38 brands in this floor. Out of them 4 are pantaloon brands and 34

are central brands. Pantaloon brands include Lombard, Akkriti, Rig, and Bare

Leisure.

3RD FLOOR YOUTH FLOOR & e-ZONE:


Apparel

Java green (SIS)

Electronics zone

Customer service Desk

There are total of 39 brands in this floor. Out of them 8 are pantaloon brands and 31

are central brands. Pantaloon brands include UMM, All, Lee cooper, Blue diamond,

F, Ajile, Bare denim, & JM Sports.

4TH FLOOR KIDS FLOOR:


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kids wear

Foot ware

Crockery items

Home decorative items

Nursery Furniture

Soft Toys

Luggage

Gaming Zone

Music and stationary

Ohris restaurant

This floor consists of six Pantaloon brands along with Central brands like Zapp,

Lilliput etc. The Pantaloon brands include Bare kids, Chalk, Pink N Blue, Lc

Junior, Rig, Kids party (Akkriti),

LEVEL 5&6:

PVR cinemas

LEVEL 7:

Fire Fly pub

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Visual merchandising at Central:

Visual merchandising is done at Central according to the SOP (Standard operating procedure)

which is designed at the Head office in Mumbai. The most visually merchandised section of

Central is the apparel. The following tools are used in visual merchandising in Central:

1) Shelf talkers: These strips of paper which are attached to the shelves for conveying theiroffers (in food bazaar etc).2) Signage: Signage is posted at each section which communicates the offers or new arrivals.3) Drop downs: A4 sized card boards hang from the ceiling of each floor. Drop downs are usedjust to make customers feel something is happening.4) Floor stickers5) Mannequin display, which varies according to the seasonal promotions.6) Printed banners.7) Presentation of merchandise: Hanging, folding, shelving, sectional display, nesting table.8) Hanging is done with the help of four way browsers or two way browsers or with rod fixed tothe wall.9) Standardized layout, lighting, visuals, music collectively create a great ambience which inturn contribute for great shopping experience.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF HYDERABAD CENTRAL:

STRENGTHS:

1) Location.

2) Wide range of products available for a family needs.

3) Parking area.

4) Most of the leading brands in India are available under one roof.

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5) shop-in-shop units add walk-ins to Central like PVR Cinemas, Ohris restaurant etc add Walk-

ins.

6) Seasonal Promotions coupled with good interior visual merchandising.

WEAKNESSES:

1) Poor customer reception.

2) Lack of product width in some brands.

3) Poor customer loyalty base.

4) Lack of window display, which plays a major role in attracting the customers into the store.

5) Less conversion level.

OPPORTUNITIES:

1) Central can look for window display to increase the no. of Walk-ins.

2) Working on customer feedback.

3) Central can adopt digital signage which is a sure fire way of grabbing your target audienceattention.

4) Central can go for implementing child mannequins in kids sections that really help the parents

to picture the clothing as it appears when worn, and increases the likelihood of a purchase.

THREATS:

1) More price war from unorganized retail and existing players like Shopper stop, Lifestyle (for

life style Segment) and Spar, Ratna Deep for food bazaar in Central.

2) Competition from new entrants who may go for higher promotion and mark down to capture

the Customers.

3) Consumer lifestyle changes could lead to less of a demand for pantaloon retail India products.

4) Innovation in the area of visual merchandising by the competitors.

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COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

In Hyderabad there are many retail stores and shopping malls, which have different

retail formats. Among the retail stores in Hyderabad, Central is one of the leading retail store,which is following the life style retail format. Central major competitors are SHOPPERS STOP

and LIFESTYLE, who follow the lifestyle format as that of Central.

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SHOPPERS STOP:

Shoppers Stop is an Indian department stores promoted by the K Raheja Corp Group

(Chandru L Raheja Group), started in the year 1991 with its first store

in Andheri,Mumbai Shoppers Stop Ltd has been awarded "the Hall of Fame" and won "theEmerging Market Retailer of the Year Award", by World Retail Congressat Barcelona, on April

10, 2008.Shoppers Stop is listed on the BSE. With the launch of the Navi Mumbai departmental

store, Shoppers Stop has 30 stores in 12 cities in India

Shoppers Stop is one of the leading retail stores in India. Shoppers Stop began by

operating a chain of department stores under the name Shoppers Stop in India. Currently

Shoppers Stop has twenty seven (27) stores across the country and three stores under the name

Home Stop. Shoppers Stop has also begun operating a number of specialty stores, namely

Crossword, Mother Care, Brio, Desi Caf, and Arcelia.

Shoppers Stop retails a range of branded apparel and private label under the following

categories of apparel, footwear, fashion jewellery, leather products, accessories and home

products. These are complemented by cafe, food, entertainment, personal care and various

beauty related services.

Shoppers Stop launched its e-store with delivery across major cities in India in 2008. The

website retails all the products available at Shoppers Stop stores, including apparel, cosmeticsand accessories. Shoppers Stop retails products of domestic and international brands such as

Louis Philippe, Pepe, Arrow, BIBA, Gini & Jony, Carbon, Corelle, Magpie,Nike, Reebok,

LEGO, and Mattel. Shoppers Stop retails merchandise under its own labels, such as STOP,

Kashish, LIFE and Vettorio Fratini, Elliza Donatein, Acropolis etc. The company also licensees

for Austin Reed (London), an international brand, whos men's and women's outerwear are

retailed in India exclusively through the chain. In October 2009, Shoppers Stop has bought the

license for merchandising Zoo zoo the brand mascot for Vodafone India

Marketing:

Eans, Tommy Hilfiger, FCUK, Mustang, Dior across the stores. The focus of the reposition was

on the service, ambience up gradation and customer connect.

1. Connect with Youth

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Shoppers Stop connects with the youth audience through adopting the communication

routes relevant to youth, up the fashion quotient through merchandising, and create ambience

that connects with the mindset. The brand campaign addresses environment-related issues in a

youthful, tongue-in-cheek manner. Shoppers Stop as a brand active on social media marketing

platforms with Face book and Twitter to connect with this audience.

2. Merchandising

Merchandising opportunities like the launched Zoo zoo merchandise and film merchandise

with Om Shanti Om and Love Aaj Kal.

3. Sensorial experience

Creating an environment conducive to relax in-between shopping introduced Shoppers Stop

Radio that plays youthful music and Cafe Coffee Day was given the management of the Desi

Cafe and Brio cafes

4. Loyalty program

Shoppers Stops has a loyalty program called First Citizen. They also offer a co-branded credit

card with Citibank for their members.

LIFESTYLE:

The store has just won the Country's most prestigious IMAGES Fashion Award for

'India's Most Admired Large Format Retail Store of the Year' and the coveted Business World

Award for 'The Most Respected Company in the Retail Sector'

The shop-within-a-shop concept is what Lifestyle is aiming at. People look for

everything under one roof in a retail store or mall environment, hence Lifestyle has divided its

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outlet between five lifestyle concepts .Splash, an in-house brand, that the chain controls,

provides garments for all in a family and has found acceptance among customers who expect

quality as well as a well-known brand. Shoe-Mart, for instance, offers footwear and has among

the best brands available along with in-house brands.

The store, spread over 50,000 sq ft, in Hyderabad, aims to provide the complete shopping

experience to its customers. Such a wide choice and range definitely calls for planning and

logistics, something that Lifestyle has mastered during the consolidation of its global operations.

The Indian consumer, being quality- and price-conscious, has responded encouragingly to the

concept store that Lifestyle is. In Hyderabad the Lifestyle store is located in the up market area

of Begumpet. Ever since the shop has come up in that area, the entire area of Begumput has

transformed overnight. Life style store has indeed been a trendsetter store. To believe this one

has to just enter the store anytime of the day and the crowd at the store would say it all. During

peak hours and during holidays the store is jam packed. May a young ones do come here to just

hang around.

Lifestyle was amongst the first retail outlets in India to offer a cafe to its customers. The

idea came from overseas, where stores normally tend to have restaurants as well as a theatre and

play areas for children. With plans to expand the network across India and consolidate in the

south, Lifestyle is well on its way to change the lifestyle of many down south. There is also

plenty of parking space in the underground. So just drive in for some cool shopping.

INTRODUCTION:

Problem statement: Due to increasing competition and the similarity of merchandise, retailerslike Hyderabad Central, shopper Stop, Life style etc. utilize Visual merchandising to

differentiate their offerings from others as well as to improve the desirability of the products.

Visual merchandising practices of a store plays a major role in creating interest in the customers

mind and encourage them to buy the product and finally add value to sales. Hence, the problem

centered in this study is to measure the extent to which visual merchandising at Hyderabad

Central affect the Customers buying behavior.

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Objective: 1) The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between customersbuying behavior and visual merchandising.

2) To find out the influence made by different kind of product displays to encourage customersbuying decisions.

3) To examine the impact of layout design in Hyderabad Central on customer buying behavior.

4) To evaluate the relative importance of ambience of Central premises on customers buying

behavior.

Need for the Study: 1) This study provides insights to Hyderabad Central management about

types of visual merchandising that can influence consumers buying behavior.

2) This study also provides information as to why visual merchandising should be considered an

important component of a strategic marketing plan in support of sales increase and positive store

image.

3) This study also provides detailed insight for improvement in visual merchandising practices

and to have competitive advantage over its competitors.

Limitations: 1) The study was limited tothe premises of Hyderabad Central and also limited tothe customers visiting Hyderabad Central.

2) As the VM manger and Asst. VM manger are busy in their Schedules, it is not possible for

me to spend more time in interaction and discussion with them.

3) When the respondents are busy they wont give accurate data.

METHODOLOGY:

The study was done in Hyderabad Central which has its own skills in the area of visual

merchandising. The objective of the study was to understand the impact of visual merchandising

on the buying behavior and buying decisions of the customers. The objective of the research can

be accomplished by conducting the market research. Market research consists of research design,

sample design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, summary of findings which are

relevant for the survey.

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Descriptive research was followed to attain the objective of the study

Sample design:

Sampling is a process of obtaining the information about the entire population by examining apart of it. The effectiveness of the research depends on the sample size selected for the surveypurpose. Sample design is represented as below and the sampling process was done within thepremises of Hyderabad Central.

Figure: Sampling plan

Research Instrument: For this study and for collection of various data requirement, structured

questionnaire was used. The questionnaire contains quantitative information of the respondents.

The questionnaire composed of closed ended questions which would help to attain the objectives

of the study. Some questions based on simple category scale i.e. yes, no questions and some

were based on multiple response scale and some were based on three point and five point Likert

scale. It has been designed in a simple way so that customers would be able to answer easily

without facing any problem with question format and question content. A rough draft of the

questionnaire was prepared first and minute corrections were made to it to make it a final one.

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Data collection: The study was relied on primary as well as secondary data.

1) Primary data: Primary data was used for the core purpose of the project. And this primary

data has been gathered by survey method using structured questionnaire and also fromobservation & interacting with concerned people.

2) Secondary data: The secondary data was collected from books, articles, Internet.

Analysis plan: Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) software is used for theanalysis of the data collected through survey. The data was coded to give as input to the SPSS.First, descriptive statistics and frequency tables will be generated by SPSS for a data entry errorcheck and demographic analysis. And then bar graphs were generated from the frequency table

with SPSS and finally the graphs were interpreted to arrive at a meaningful conclusion of theresearch. A code book was prepared for the entire questionnaire.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION:

1. How often do you visit Central?

Option Frequency Percentage

Once in a week 10 8.3%Once in a month 44 36.7%

I come when I feel like 49 40.8%

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Other 17 14.2%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 1: Frequency and percentage of the respondents who visit Central for shopping

Figure 1: Graphical representation of percentage of respondents who visit central for

Shopping

ANALYSIS: 8.3% of the respondents visit Central once in a week, 36.7% of the respondents

visit once in a month, 40.8% of the respondents visit Central when the like to visit Central and

among 14.2% of the respondents 8 people visited the Central for the first time and rest 9 people

visit Central at different times.

INTERPRETATION: 36.7% of the respondents shop at Central once in a month, which means

they are the regular customers of Central.

2. What do you feel about shopping?


To change my mood 14 11.7%

To look for new products 26 21.6%

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To check for new offers 14 11.7%

To buy what I need 66 55.0%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 2: Frequency and percentage of the respondents who disclosed their feeling about

shopping

Figure 2: Graphical representation of percentage of respondents who disclosed their

feeling about shopping

ANALYSIS: 11.7% of the respondentsprefer shopping to change their mood, 21.6% of the

respondents prefer shopping to check for new products, 11.7% of respondents prefer shopping to

check for new offers and 55% of the respondents shopping to buy what they need.

INTERPRETATION: 55% of the respondents do shopping to fulfill their needs and 21.6% of

the respondents prefer shopping to look for new products where VM plays a vital role in

showcasing the new products.

3. How do you rate the ambience at Central?


Average 82 68.3%

Excellent 38 31.7%

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Total 120 100.0%

Table 3: Frequency and percentage of the respondents who gave ratings to the ambience

at Central

Figure 3: Graphical representation of percentage of respondents who gave ratings to the

ambience at Central

ANALYSIS: 68.3% of the respondents felt that ambience of Central was average and 31.7% of

the respondents felt that ambience of Central was excellent.

INTERPRETATION: 68.3% of the respondents felt that ambience of Central was averagewhich means ambience at Central unable to meet the expectations of the customers and failing to

give a sense of happy satisfaction or enjoyment.

4. How often do you follow the signage board & layout to find product at Central?


Always 36 30.0%

Sometimes 71 59.2%

Never 13 10.8%

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Total 120 100.0%

Table 4: Frequency and percentage of the respondents who gave their response about

following the signage board & layout to find product at Central

Figure 4: Graphical representation of percentage of respondents who gave their response

about following the signage board & layout to find product at Central

ANALYSIS: 30% of the respondents always follow signage board and layout to find product at

Central while 59.2% of the respondents follow sometimes and 10.8% of the respondents never

follow signage board and layout to find product at Central.

INTERPRETATION: 30% of the respondents always follow signage board and layout to find

product at Central while 59.2% of the respondents follow sometimes which clearly indicates VM

inside the store traps customers to follow layout plan. This clearly gives an indicator of VM as a

leading indicator for product sales.

5. Do you feel that there is sufficient communication in Central?


Yes 92 76.7%

No 28 23.3%

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Total 120 100.0%

Table 5: Frequency and percentage of the respondents who gave their response regarding

sufficient communication in Central


regarding sufficient communication in Central

ANALYSIS: 76.7% of the respondents felt that there was sufficient communication in Central

while 23.3% the respondents felt that there was no sufficient communication in Central.

INTERPRETATION: 76.7% of the respondents felt that there was sufficient communication in

Central which means in store written communication in the form of signage and directories ofthe store making easier for the customers to find the product of their need.

6. Does the way merchandise are arranged or displayed in Central attract you?


Always 18 15.0%Mostly 57 47.5%

Sometimes 37 30.8%

Rarely 6 5.0%

Never 2 1.7%

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Total 120 100.0%

Table 6: Frequency and percentage of the respondents who gave their response regarding

attraction of merchandise display at Central


regarding attraction of merchandise display at Central

ANALYSIS:15% of the respondents were always attracted by the merchandise display at

Central, 47.5% of the respondents were mostly attracted by the merchandise display, 30.8% of

the repondents were sometimes attracted by the display, 5% of the respondents were rarelyattracted by the merchandise display and 1.7% of the respondents were never attracted by the

merchandise display.

INTERPRETATION: 47.5% 0f respondents were mostly attracted by the merchandise display

at Central which indicates visual merchandising is directly involved in 2/3 rd of the entire process

of converting a mere visitor into buyer.

7. What you like in the display at Central?


Sectional display 37 30.8%

Mannequin display 19 15.8%

Merchandise folding 3 2.5%

Shelving 9 7.5%

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Hanging 48 40.0%

Stacking 4 3.3%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 7: Frequency and percentage of the response on various displays atCentral

Figure 7: Graphical representation of percentage of the response on various displays at

Central

ANALYSIS: At Central 30.8% of the respondents like sectional display, 15.8% of the

respondents like mannequin display, 2.5% of the respondents like merchandise folding, 7.5% ofthe respondents like shelving pattern, 40% of the respondents like hanging and 3.3% of therespondents like stacking.

INTERPRETATION: 30.8% of the respondents like sectional display, 40% of the respondentslike hanging and15.8% of the respondents like mannequin display which means these three kindsof display play a prominent role in customer buying behavior at Central. Thus good productcoupled with a good VM will enable the customers not only to buy the product but alsointernalize the brand image of it.

8. What do you think is important in the display of merchandise?

Option Frequency Percentage Proper alignment 41 34.2% Colour 21 17.5% Style of merchandise 42 35.0%

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Lighting 14 11.7% Other 2 1.7% Total 120 100.0%

Table 8: Frequency and percentage of response regarding important parameter in the

display of merchandise

Figure 8: Graphical representation of percentage of the response regarding important

parameter in the display of merchandise

ANALYSIS: 34.2% of the respondents felt that proper alignment was important in the display

of merchandise, 17.5% of the respondents felt that colour is the important parameter in the

display, 35% of the respondents felt style of merchandise display was more important, 11.7% of

the respondents felt lighting was important in the display and other factors constitute 1.7%.

INTERPRETATION: proper alignment, colour blocking, style of merchandise were considered

as the most important parameters in a visual display coupled with good lighting.

9. Does the display compel you to make a purchase?


Always 13 10.8%Mostly 38 31.7%

Sometimes 53 44.2%

Rarely 10 8.3%

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Never 6 5.0%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 9: Frequency and percentage of response on display compulsion to make purchase

Figure 9: Graphical representation of percentage of response on display compulsion to

make purchase

ANALYSIS: 10.8% 0f the respondents were always compelled by the display to make a

purchase, 31.7% 0f the respondents were mostly compelled by the display to make a purchase,

44.2% 0f the respondents were sometimes compelled by the display to make a purchase, 8.3% of

the respondents were rarely compelled by the display to make a purchase and 5% of the

respondents were never compelled by the display.

INTERPRETATION: 31.7% 0f the respondents were mostly compelled by the display to make

a purchase, 44.2% 0f the respondents were sometimes compelled by the display to make a

purchase which indicates the impact of Visual merchandising and role of its components in

customer buying behavior.

10. Do you tend to rely on store display when you make a decision to purchase

clothing?


Yes 58 48.3%

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No62 51.7%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 10: Frequency and percentage of response on tendency to rely on store display for

making decision to purchase clothing

Figure 10: Graphical representation of percentage of response on tendency to rely on store

display for making decision to purchase clothing

ANALYSIS: 48.3% of the respondents tend to rely on store displays when they make decision

to purchase clothing while 51.7% of the respondents didnt rely on store display for making

decision to purchase clothing.

INTERPRETATION: 51.7% of the respondents didnt rely on store display for making

decision to purchase clothing which means they had their own choices and they were not

influenced by the store displays and may be influenced by situational factors or cultural factors.

11. When I see a good deal, I tend to buy more than that I intended to buy.


Strongly agree 10 8.3%

Agree 83 69.2%

Neutral 15 12.5%

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Disagree 12 10.0%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 11: Frequency and percentage of response for the statement, when I see a good

deal, I tend to buy more than that I intended to buy.

Figure 11: Graphical representation of percentage of for the statement, when I see a good

deal, I tend to buy more than that I intended to buy.

ANALYSIS: 8.3% of the respondents were strongly agreed, 69.2% of the respondents were

agreed, 12.5% of the respondents were neutral, 10% of the respondents were disagreed to the

statement that when I see a good deal, I tend to buy more than that I intended to buy.

INTERPRETATION: 69.2% of the respondents were agreed to the statement that when I see agood deal, I tend to buy more than that I intended to buy which indicates the significance of in

store written communication like signage, dropdowns, danglers, shelf talkers etc which

communicate offers or new arrivals to the customers visiting the store.

12. Gender

Option Frequency Percentage Male 77 64.2%Female 43 35.8%

Total 120 100.0%

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Table 12: Frequency and percentage of response by people

Figure 12: Graphical representation of percentage of response by people

ANALYSIS: 64.2% of the respondents weremale and 34.8% of the respondents were female.

INTERPRETATION: 64.2% of the respondents weremale and 34.8% of the respondents were

female who come for shopping at Central.

13. Age



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40 and above yrs 3 2.5%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 13: Frequency and percentage of response by people of different age groups

Figure 13: Graphical representation of percentage of response by people of different age

groups

ANALYSIS: 0.8% of the respondents fall into the age group of < 20 years, 65.8% of the

respondents fall into the age group of 20-29years, 30.8% of the respondents fall into the agegroup 30-39 years, 2.5% of respondents fall into the age group of 40 and above years.

INTERPRETATION: 65.8% of the respondents fall into the age group of 20-29years, 30.8% of

the respondents fall into the age group 30-39 years that means 96.6% of the respondents fall in

the range of 20-40 years of age, who come for shopping at central.

14. Occupation


Salaried 88 73.3%

Home maker 14 11.7%

Student 14 11.7%

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Business person 4 3.3%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 14: Frequency and percentage of response by the people of different occupation

Figure 14: Graphical representation of percentage of response by people of different

occupation

ANALYSIS: 73.3% of the respondents were salaried, 11.7% of the respondents were

homemakers, 11.7% of the respondents were students and 3.3% of the respondents were

business persons.

INTERPRETATION: 73.3% of the respondents were salaried that means most of the shopping

is done by professionals at Central.

15. Education


Under graduate 5 4.2%

Graduate 49 40.8%

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Post graduate 66 55.0%

Total 120 100.0%

Table 15: Frequency and percentage of response by the people of different educational

background


educational background

ANALYSIS: 4.2% of the respondents were undergraduates, 40.8% of the respondents were

Graduates and 55% of the respondents were post graduates.

INTERPRETATION: 55% of the respondents were post graduates who come for shopping at

Central.

16. Income per month


< Rs 20000 40 33.3%

Rs 20001-30000 25 20.8%

Rs 30001-40000 25 20.8%

> Rs 40000 30 25.0%

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Total 120 100.0%

Table 16: Frequency and percentage of response by the people of different income groups


income groups

ANALYSIS :33.3% of the respondents fall into the income range per month < Rs 20000,

20.8% of the respondents fall into the income range per month Rs 20001-30000, 20.8% of the

respondents fall into the income range per month Rs 30001-40000, 25% of the respondents fall

into the income range per month Rs > 40000.

INTERPRETATION: 20.8% of the respondents fall into the income range per month Rs

20001-30000, 20.8% of the respondents fall into the income range per month Rs 30001-40000,

25% of the respondents fall into the income range per month Rs > 40000 that means 66.7 % of

the respondents who come for shopping having monthly income above Rs 20000.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

Following findings are based on the analysis of data collected for research study.

1) 36.7% of the respondents shop at Central once in a month, which means they are the regularcustomers of Central.

(Ref. to fig 1)

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2) 55% of the respondents do shopping to fulfill their needs and 21.6% of the respondents prefershopping to look for new products where VM plays a vital role in showcasing the new products.

(Ref. to fig 2)

3) 68.3% of the respondents felt that ambience of Central was average which means ambience atCentral unable to meet the expectations of the customers and failing to give a sense of happysatisfaction or enjoyment.

(Ref. to fig 3)

4) 30% of the respondents always follow signage board and layout to find product at Centralwhile 59.2% of the respondents follow sometimes which clearly indicates VM inside the storetraps customers to follow layout plan. This clearly gives an indicator of VM as a leadingindicator for product sales.

(Ref. to fig 4)

5) 76.7% of the respondents felt that there was sufficient communication in Central which meansin store written communication in the form of signage and directories of the store making easierfor the customers to find the product of their need.

(Ref. to fig 5)

6) 47.5% 0f respondents were mostly attracted by the merchandise display at Central whichindicates visual merchandising is directly involved in 2/3 rd of the entire process of converting a

mere visitor into buyer.

(Ref. to fig 6)

7) 30.8% of the respondents like sectional display, 40% of the respondents like hangingand15.8% of the respondents like mannequin display which means these three kinds of displayplay a prominent role in customer buying behavior at Central. Thus good product coupled with agood VM will enable the customers not only to buy the product but also internalize the brandimage of it.

(Ref. to fig 7)

8) Proper alignment, colour blocking, style of merchandise were considered as the mostimportant parameters in a visual display coupled with good lighting.

(Ref. to fig 8)

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9) 31.7% 0f the respondents were mostly compelled by the display to make a purchase, 44.2%0f the respondents were sometimes compelled by the display to make a purchase which indicatesthe impact of Visual merchandising and role of its components in customer buying behavior.

(Ref. to fig 9)

10) 51.7% of the respondents didnt rely on store display for making decision to purchase

clothing which means they had their own choices and they were not influenced by the store

displays and may be influenced by situational factors or cultural factors.

(Ref. to fig10)

11) 69.2% of the respondents were agreed to the statement that when I see a good deal, I tend tobuy more than that I intended to buy which indicates the significance of in store writtencommunication like signage, dropdowns, danglers, shelf talkers etc which communicate offers or

new arrivals to the customers visiting the store.

(Ref. to fig 11)

12) 64.2% of the respondents weremale and 34.8% of the respondents were female who come

for shopping at Central.

(Ref. to fig 12)

13) 65.8% of the respondents fall into the age group of 20-29years, 30.8% of the respondentsfall into the age group 30-39 years that means 96.6% of the respondents fall in the range of 20-

40 years of age, who come for shopping at central.

(Ref. to fig 13)

14) 73.3% of the respondents were salaried that means most of the shopping is done byprofessionals at Central.

(Ref. to fig 14)

15) 55% of the respondents were post graduates who come for shopping at Central.

(Ref. to fig 15)

16) 20.8% of the respondents fall into the income range per month Rs 20001-30000, 20.8% ofthe respondents fall into the income range per month Rs 30001-40000, 25% of the respondentsfall into the income range per month Rs > 40000 that means 66.7 % of the respondents whocome for shopping having monthly income above Rs 20000.

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(Ref. to fig 16)

OBSERVATIONAL FINDINGS: Following findings were based on the observations atCentral.

1) Mannequin display significantly influence customer buying behavior.

2) Promotional signage attracts the customers to look through the clothing.

3) No window display at Central.

4) Behind the visual displays at Central, there are some stories which portray the USP of the

particular brand in that display.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Though the VM at Hyderabad Central is strong, I would like to give few suggestions which are

the outcome of my study.

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1) Implementing attractive window display which attracts more customers to the store fromoutside.

2) Central can go for digital signage which is a sure fire way of grabbing its target audiencesattention.

3)Central can go for implementing child mannequins in kids sections that really help the parents

to picture the clothing as it appears when worn, and increases the likelihood of a purchase.

4) The ambience to be improved and variations are brought down in lighting, colors, music andscent in Central at regular Intervals to create a new atmosphere every time and moreover tostimulate customers perceptual and emotional responses which ultimately affect theirpurchasing behavior.

5) More creativity should be there in the mannequin display to attract the customers.

CONCLUSION: This study indicates that respondents like the display of merchandise and

being influenced by it. And moreover 48.3% of the respondents rely on store display to make

decision to purchase clothing and 69.2% of the respondents buy more than that they intended to

buy when they see a good deal. This shows the relation between visual merchandising and

customer buying behavior. Thus the upcoming fashion trends and customer needs raises the

importance of visual merchandising globally and particularly in nations like India, where the

market is developing widely with global participation and interest. So Hyderabad Central has to

come up with innovative ideas in the area of visual merchandising to create an impact on

customer buying behavior and also to have a competitive advantage over existing and the

upcoming players in the market.

BIBILOGRAPHY:

The book referred for this study is

1) Retailing management- Swapna Pradhan (2nd edition), The Mc Graw.Hill companies

publication

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The websites referred for this study are

1. www.future group. in

2. www.Google.com

3. www.pantaloons.com

4. www.fabric2fashion.com

5. www.rai.com

6. www.business.mapsofindia.com

7. www.wikipedia.com

ANNEXURES:

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http://www.google.com/http://www.pantaloons.com/http://www.fabric2fashion.com/http://www.rai.com/http://www.business.mapsofindia.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/http://www.google.com/http://www.pantaloons.com/http://www.fabric2fashion.com/http://www.rai.com/http://www.business.mapsofindia.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/


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central project ,bhadri

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