A STUDY ON CUSTOMER SERVICE IN RETAIL

AT
NEW DISCOVERY FURNITURE MALL

Prepared and submitted by:

Name: Mrinaal Vashisht
Class: BVOC-Retail Management
Roll No.: 11407
 CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION
I, Mrinaal Vashisht student of BVOC (Retail Management), Roll No. 11407 of MCM
DAV College, Chandigarh hereby declare that I own full responsibility for the information,
results, conclusions, etc. provided in this report/project work titled “TRAINING REPORT”
submitted to Panjab University, India for the award of BVOC (Retail Management) Degree. I
have completely taken care in acknowledging the contribution of others in the academic
work. I further declare that in case of any violation of intellectual property rights or copy
rights found at any stage, I, as the candidate will be solely responsible for the same.

Date

Place
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The successful completion of any Research Project requires guidance and help
from a number of people. I take my immense pleasure in expressing a whole hearted thanks
to all the officials who guided me all the way through my training in the organization. I
therefore, take this opportunity to express my profound sense of gratitude to “New Discovery
Furniture Mall” who extended their whole hearted help and support to me in carrying out
the project work.

I even express my sincere acknowledgement to all the personnel of different

departments whose informative guidance motivated me to understand various dynamic of the
company.

I would like to thank the entire respondent for entertaining and satisfying all
the inquiries with great seriousness. Finally, I express my gratitude to all those who have
directly and indirectly rendered assistance, guidance and support in completing my task and
for motivating me to accomplish the task in best possible way. I would like to thank my peer
group for their helping hand.

Errors and deficiencies are likely to be there; therefore, I apologize for the
same in advance.
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Name of the Organization: New Discovery Furniture Mall

Duration: Four Weeks

Project Topic: Customer Service

Objectives of the study:

• To know about Customer demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, income status, etc.)

• Opinions about products purchased or service received

• Overall satisfaction with a location, product or service

• Recognition of the brand and its marketing efforts

 How well the customer is attended by the Customer Relation Executives?

 Which department is the best/worst in the store in this parameter?
 How many customers get the exact product by the CRE’S?
 Are they satisfied shopping at New Discovery?
 What is the best part of their shopping at New Discovery?
 What needs to be improved in the store according to the customers?
 CONTENTS
Sr. No. Title Page No.
1. 1. Introduction
1.1 Problem Statement
1.2 Methodology used for the task objectives
2. 2. Company Profile
2.1 Product/Services and Processes/Facilities
2.2 HR Practices
2.3 Industry Analysis
2.4 The Store Layout
2.5 SWOT Analysis of Company
2.6 Pestel Framework Analysis of Company
3. 3. Problem on Hand
3.1 Problem Area Identification
3.2 Description of the Task/Job
3.3 Detailed Analysis of the Task
3.4 Criticality of the Task
4. 4. Learning Outcomes
4.1 Comprehension of the Task
4.2 Methods adopted to solve the problems
4.3 Monitoring of performance on daily basis
4.4 Overall learning from the task
5. 5. Recommendation
5.1 Brief Description of Recommendation
5.2 Details of each recommendation
5.3 Suggested scheme of implementation,
precautions and monitoring systems
6. Conclusion
7. References
 1

1. INTRODUCTION

The Indian retail industry has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast-paced
industries due to the entry of several new players. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the
country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and around 8 per cent of the employment. India is
the world’s fifth-largest global destination in the retail space. The Indian retail industry is
one of the fastest growing in the world. Retail industry in India is expected to grow to
US$ 1.3 trillion by 2020, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.7
per cent over 2015-20.India is the fifth largest preferred retail destination globally. The
country is among the highest in the world in terms of per capita retail store availability.
India‘s retail sector is experiencing exponential growth, with retail development taking
place not just in major cities and metros, but also in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
Healthy economic growth, changing demographic profile, increasing disposable incomes,
urbanization, changing consumer tastes and preferences are the other factors driving
growth in the organized retail market in India. India’s population is taking to online retail in
a big way. The online retail market is expected to grow from US$ 6 billion to US$ 70 billion
during FY15-FY20.Increasing participation from foreign and private players has given a
boost to Indian retail industry. India‘s price competitiveness attracts large retail players to use
it as a sourcing base. Global retailers such as Walmart, GAP, Tesco and JC Penney are
increasing their sourcing from India and are moving from third-party buying offices to
establishing their own wholly-owned/wholly-managed sourcing and buying offices. The
Government of India has introduced reforms to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
in retail industry. The government has approved 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail
and increased FDI limit to 100 per cent (from 51 per cent) in single brand retail.

Market Size

India ‘s retail market is expected to nearly double to US$ 1 trillion by 2020 from US$ 600
billion in 2015, driven by income growth, urbanization and attitudinal shifts. While the
overall retail market is expected to grow at 12 per cent per annum, modern trade would
expand twice as fast at 20 per cent per annum and traditional trade at 10 per cent. India‘s
Business to Business (B2B) e-commerce market is expected to reach US$ 700 billion by
2020 whereas the Business to Consumer (B2C) e-commerce market is expected to reach US$
102 billion by 2020. Online retail is expected to be at par with the physical stores in the next
five years. India is expected to become the world‘s fastest growing e-commerce market,
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driven by robust investment in the sector and rapid increase in the number of internet
users. Various agencies have high expectations about growth of Indian e-commerce
markets. Indian e-commerce sales are expected to reach US$ 120 billion! By2020 from
US$ 30 billion in FY2016.Further, India's e-commerce market is expected to reach
US$ 220 billion in terms of gross merchandise value (GMV) and 530 million shoppers by
2025, led by faster speeds on reliable telecom networks, faster adoption of online services
and better variety as well as convenience. India’s direct selling industry is expected to reach a
size of Rs 23,654 crore (US$ 3.51 billion) by FY2019-20, as per a joint report by India
Direct Selling Association (IDSA) and PHD

Investment Scenario

The Indian retail trading has received Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows totaling
US$ 537.61 million during April 2000–March 2016, according to the Department of
Industrial Policies and Promotion (DIPP).With the rising need for consumer goods in
different sectors including consumer electronics and home appliances, many companies have
invested in the Indian retail space in the past few months.

 International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of The World Bank,
plans to invest up to Rs 134 crore (US$ 19.86 million) in Kishore Biyani's Future
Consumer Enterprises Ltd, which is expected to aid the company in driving its growth
plans.
 Amazon India has opened six new fulfillment centers across Chennai, Coimbatore,
Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai, which will open up 5.5 million square feet of storage
space for sellers on the marketplace who use the ’Fulfilled by Amazon’ service.
 IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, plans to invest Rs 10,500 crore (US$ 1.56
billion) to set up 25 stores across India and hire over 15,000 permanent employees
and 37,500 temporary employees to assist in running its stores.
 Amazon Inc. has announced that the company would invest an additional US$ 3
billion in India operations, thereby taking its committed investment in the country to
over US$ 5 billion.
 Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) has announced that it will acquire
exclusive online and offline rights of Forever 21, an American fast fashion brand, in
the Indian market.
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 Massimo Dutti, a premium fashion brand from Spain offering sophisticated women’s
wear, menswear, footwear and accessories, has entered India by opening its first store
at the Select Citywalk Mall in New Delhi.
 Lenskart, India's largest online eyewear retailer, has raised Rs 400 crore (US$ 59.3
million) in series D round of funding led by World Bank's investment arm
International Finance Corporation (IFC), which will be used to enhance its
technology, supply chain, lens manufacturing, and expand the reach of its high-quality
eyewear products across Tier-3 and Tier-4 cities of India.
 Neil Barrett, one of the leading Italian fashion brands, has forayed into the Indian
market by establishing its retail presence through an exclusive partnership with
Fervour, a multi-brand boutique that stocks international designer brands.
 New York-based designer brand Kate Spade will be launched in India later this year
and will set up a network of stand-alone stores across major cities, thus becoming one
more global brand entering the Indian retail space after the Government of India
relaxed single brand retail norms recently.
 Kart Rocket, a Delhi based e-commerce enabler has completed its US$ 8 million
funding round by raising US$ 2 million from a Japanese investor, which will be used
to enhance Kraftly, a mobile-first online-to-offline marketplace targeting small
sellers, individuals and home-based entrepreneurs in India in product categories such
as apparel and accessories.
 PurpleTalkInc, a US based mobile solutions company, has invested US$ 1 million in
Nukkad Shops, a Hyderabad based uber-local commerce platform that helps
neighborhood retail stores take their businesses online through a mobile app.
 Mumbai-based baby care and kids products e-tailer, Hopscotch.in, has raised US$ 13
million in a Series C round of funding from Facebook co-founder Mr. Eduardo
Saverin, which will help the firm in growth and expansion of its technology platform.
 Gurgaon-based e-commerce firm Shopclues has raised US$ 150 million from
Singapore government's GIC and its existing investors Tiger Global and Nexus
Venture Partners, at a valuation of US$ 1.1 billion, thereby becoming the latest among
several e-commerce companies from India reaching a billion dollar valuation.
 Amazon India expanded its logistics footprint three times to more than 2,100 cities
and towns in 2015, as Amazon.com invested more than US$ 700 million in its India
operations since July 2014.
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 Adidas AG, renowned for its Adidas and Reebok sports brands, has become the first
foreign sports company to get government approval to open 100 per cent foreign-
owned stores in India.
 Walmart India plans to add 50 more cash-and-carry stores in India over the next four
to five years.
 Aeropostale, an American teen fashion retailer, has chosen to enter India over China,
and expects India to be among its top three markets over the next four years with
revenue target of Rs 500 crore (US$ 74.12 million).
 Opinio, a hyperlocal delivery start-up, has raised US$ 7 million in a Series-A funding
from Gurgaon-based e-commerce fulfillment service firm Delhi very along with
investment from Sands Capital and Accel Partners.
 Textile major Arvind Limited has announced a partnership with Sephora, owned by
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, a French luxury conglomerate, in order to
enter into the beauty and cosmetics segment.
 Mobile wallet company MobiKwik has partnered with Jabong.com to provide mobile
payment services to Jabong‘s customers.
 DataWind partnered with HomeShop18 to expand its retail footprint in the country.
Under the partnership, HomeShop18 and DataWind would jointly launch special sales
programmes across broadcast, mobile and internet media to provide greater access to
the latter‘s tablet range.
 FashionAndYou has opened three distribution hubs in Surat, Mumbai and Bengaluru
to accelerate deliveries.
 Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group plans to invest Rs 2,500 crore (US$ 370.6 million) in a
fruit and vegetable processing unit, an integrated meat processing unit, and a modern
shopping mall in Hyderabad, Telangana.
 Aditya Birla Retail, a part of the US$ 40 billion Aditya Birla Group and the fourth-
largest supermarket retailer in the country, acquired Total hypermarkets owned by
Jubilant Retail.
 With an aim to strengthen its advertising segment, Flipkart acquired mobile ad
network AdiQuity, which has a history of mobile innovations and valuable experience
in the ad space.
 US-based Pizza chain Sbarro plans an almost threefold increase in its store count from
the current 17 to 50 over the next two years through multiple business models.
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Government Initiatives

The Government of India has taken various initiatives to improve the retail industry in India.

 Government of India has allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in
online retail of goods and services through the automatic route, thereby providing
clarity on the existing businesses of e-commerce companies operating in India.

 The Government of Andhra Pradesh signed pacts worth Rs 1,500 crore (US$ 222.36
million) in a wide range of sectors including retail and steel and gas with Walmart
India, Future Group, Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd and Spencer‘s Retail, during the
Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, while also unveiling a retail policy aimed to
attract retail businesses to invest in the state.

 The Ministry of Urban Development has come out with a Smart National Common
Mobility Card (NCMC) model to enable seamless travel by metros and other transport
systems across the country, as well as retail purchases.

 IKEA, the world‘s largest furniture retailer, bought its first piece of land in India in
Hyderabad, the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, for building a retail
store. IKEA‘s retail outlets have a standard design and each location entails an
investment of around Rs 500–600 crore (US$ 74–89 million).

 The Government of India has accepted the changes proposed by Rajya Sabha select
committee to the bill introducing Goods and Services Tax (GST). Implementation of
GST is expected to enable easier movement of goods across the country, thereby
improving retail operations for pan-India retailers.

 The Government has approved a proposal to scrap the distinctions among different
types of overseas investments by shifting to a single composite limit, which means
portfolio investment up to 49 per cent will not require government approval nor will it
have to comply with sectoral conditions as long as it does not result in a transfer of
ownership and/or control of Indian entities to foreigners. As a result, foreign
investments are expected to be increase, especially in the attractive retail sector.
 6

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The study is being conducted for the New Discovery retail store in Zirakpur
city, to find out the customer preferences in choosing Max. It is required to find out
the preferences based on certain aspects (price, Income, levels selection of
products, satisfaction level of customers, product quality).The basic purpose of the
report is to interact with different people to find their awareness toward the New
Discovery retail products and services.

1.2 METHODOLOGY USED FOR THE TASK OBJECTIVES:

 To know about the Indian retail Furniture industry.

 To know about the store operation and store management at New Discovery.
 To know about the New Discovery.
 To know the customer response at New Discovery.
 To find the different competitors of New Discovery in Zirakpur.

2. COMPANY PROFILE

New Discovery Furniture Mall in Baltana, Chandigarh.

It’s a partners firm. The following two are the partners:

1. Sh. Naresh Kumar

2. Sh. Ashok Goyal

Since 2013, New Discovery Furniture Mall in Baltana, Chandigarh has been in the business
of retailing and distributing furniture. This dealer primarily stocks and retails furniture and
interior décor for homes and households. It also deals in office furnishings for commercial
spaces and business establishments. In the business for years, this enterprise is one of the
prominent points-of-sale in the city for buying fancy and stylish furniture pieces. It features a
product range that is sync with the accepted trends and styles in interior décor and design.
Being of high quality, trendy designs and available at affordable price points, the products
have helped them gain a staggering base of customers over the course of time. For the local
citizens of Baltana, this furniture retailer is a recognized name. It occupies a prominent
location at SCF NUMBER 1A-2A, KALGIDHAR ENCLAVE, BALTANA, surrounded by
innumerous shopping destinations and commercial complexes. KALGIDHAR ENCLAVE,
BALTANA acts as a landmark in locating this showroom.
 7

OUR MISSION

 Carefully LISTEN
 Constantly ADAPT
 Always Deliver

OUR VALUES

 Passion for Excellence

 Adapting to change market and customer needs

2.1 PRODUCTS / SERVICES AND PROCESSES/FACILITIES

New Discovery Furniture Mall in Baltana has a vast catalogue of furniture pieces to cater to
residences as well as office spaces. For decorating your home, you can select from a variety
of elegantly crafted wooden almirahs, center tables, cottz beds, dining tables, diwan-cum-
beds, foam diwans, sofa sets and dining tables. You can shop for a wide range of office
furniture such as executive chairs. This establishment is also into designing, installing and
support services for modular kitchens through kitchen-by-design service. On the premises is a
team of sales staff that help you in short listing from their furniture range according to your
needs and requirements.

2.2 HR PRACTICES

Leading with respect, we create an environment where people feel free to offer
suggestions and contribute ideas to be part of the organization‘s success. Leading with
respect creates an environment where people genuinely care about each other and work
well together to reach their full potential.

Our Principles are:

Communicate

Express ideas clearly and simply; listen to others; create an environment where people
are comfortable expressing their thoughts; promote timely and ongoing flow of
information to and from others
 8

Give and seek feedback

Develop people at Landmark Group by giving and seeking constructive, specific

feedback, by providing direction and helping people stay on track and motivating positive
changes and inspiring exceptional work.

Value unique contributions

Value and recognize the contributions and good work of others; respect individuality;
involve others when making decisions and establishing priorities. Valuing people for
their individual differences is the key to building and sustaining success in business now and
in the future.

Promote teamwork

Create a commitment to common goals; resolve conflicts in a positive way and build
a culture of camaraderie.

Set an example

Set a positive example for conducting business in an ethical manner, for managing your
personal behavior and for creating a pleasant and balanced work environment

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:

 To know about the retail industry.

 To know the awareness of the customers towards New Discovery Furniture Mall.
 To know whether the customers are satisfied with present service given by the New
Discovery Furniture Mall.
 Factors considering while purchasing retail products.
 To know the effectiveness of the promotional activities done by New Discovery
Furniture Mall
 To know the strategy to make a customer retention.
 9

2.3 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

The Indian Retail Sector can be broadly classified into:

A. FOOD RETAILERS There are large number and variety of retailers in the food-
retailing sector Traditional types of retailers, who operate small single-outlet businesses
mainly using family labor, dominate this sector In comparison, super markets account for a
small proportion of food sales in India However the growth rate of super market sales
has being significant in recent years because greater numbers of higher income Indians
prefer to shop at super markets due to higher standards of hygiene and attractive ambience.

B. HEALTH & BEAUTY PRODUCTS With growth in income levels, Indians have started
spending more on health and beauty products .Here also small, single-outlet retailers
dominate the market .However in recent years, a few retail chains specializing in these
products have come into the market. Although these retail chains account for only a
small share of the total market their business is expected to grow significantly in the
future due to the growing quality consciousness of buyers for these products

C. CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR Numerous clothing and footwear shops in shopping

centers and markets operate all over India Traditional outlets stock a limited range of
cheap and popular items; in contrast, modern clothing and footwear stores have modern
products and attractive displays to lure customers. However, with rapid urbanization, and
changing patterns of consumer tastes and preferences, it is unlikely that the traditional
outlets will survive the test of time.

D. HOME FURNITURE & HOUSEHOLD GOODS Small retailers again dominate this
sector. Despite the large size of this market, very few large and modern retailers have
established specialized stores for these products. However there is considerable
potential for the entry or expansion of specialized retail chains in the country.

E. DURABLE GOODS The Indian durable goods sector has seen the entry of a large
number of foreign companies during the post liberalization period. A greater variety of
consumer electronic items and household appliances became available to the Indian
customer. Intense competition among companies to sell their brands provided a strong
impetus to the growth for retailers doing business in this sector

F. LEISURE & PERSONAL GOODS Increasing household incomes due to better

economic opportunities have encouraged consumer expenditure on leisure and personal
 10

goods in the country. There are specialized retailers for each category of products (books,
music products, etc.) in this sector. Another prominent feature of this sector is popularity
of franchising agreements between established manufacturers and retailers.

BENEFITS TO CUSTOMER THROUGH RETAILER SECTOR

There has been a significant change in retail trading over the years, from small kiranawalas in
the vicinity to big super markets; a transition is happening from the traditional retail
sector to organized retailing. The unorganized sector still holds a dominant position in this
industry. The organized segment holds just about 1.2% of the current US$ 245 billion retail
market, which is expected to reach about US $ 385 billion by the middle of this decade. With
consumers looking at convenience with multiplicity of choice under one roof and
expectations evolving over time, consumer demand is truly the driving force for organized
retailing in the country. Food and beverages form the main chunk of the retail market. They
are followed by apparel and footwear. The Indian textile industry,the backbone of the
apparel segment, has a large share of the Indian economy, accounting for over 20%
of industrial production as well as providing direct and indirect employment to around
65 million people.

Despite the retail store density in India with regard to population being the largest, it
is estimated that over 90% of the stores are less than 500 sq. ft in size. Industry estimates put
the number of retail outlets at 12 million. This is clearly indicative of small-shop ownership
crowding the unorganized segment of retailing. While this fragmented market structure
does pose significant challenges for organized retailing, potential does exist if modern
information and supply chain management systems are to support the development of
convenience shops that match customer expectations. Today trend is the development of
integrated retail cum Entertainment centers or shopping malls. An increasing number of
retailers are focusing on malls now as opposed to stand-alone developments. While the
number of shopping malls has seen a massive surge in the recent past in the metros and
their suburbs, the latest trend in this sector is the increasing focus on providing
leisure activities such as multiplexes, facilities for kids' entertainment, eateries etc.
within the mall premises. Customer less the time consumes and more entertainment
with his family in malls because they within shopping mall number of retail shop and
variety of products and selected the product they want. Good environment in mall.
Less crowed and These are enclosed, air-conditioned, multi-level malls of at least
 11

100,00 sq ft. Critical to these malls is the concept of the anchor, the key outlet or
store around which other outlets cluster. The most popular Indian anchors include
Shoppers' Stop, Globus, Pantaloon, Lifestyle and hypermarkets like Big Bazaar and
Giant. Cinemas also often anchor malls. Driven by the lucrative tax breaks, the old
single screen theatres are being divided into three-five smaller screens, as was done in the
US, years ago.

2.4 THE STORE LAYOUT

The store design and layout tells a customer what the store is all about. It is a very strong tool
in the hands of the retailer for communicating and creating the image of the store in the
minds of the customers.

For a retailer store layout is:

The primary considerations that the retailer takes into account while choosing the look
for his store are his target audience, their needs, and buying habits and the
merchandise that he is going to sell. Creating a store image is like giving a personality to the
store.

For the consumer:

A store needs to be simple to navigate; it must appeal to his sensory perceptions and must
create a sense of belonging, a sense of relationship, a sense of security or assurance and a
sense of pleasure in the shopping experience

Finally it is the physical attribute of the store which affects the customer‘s sensory
perceptions, and makes him relate to the store in a particular manner.

The store layout can be classified into

 Grid
 Race track
 Free form

New Discovery Furniture Mall uses Free Flow Store Layout

A free flow layout rejects typical design patterns and styles commonly used to influence
customer behavior. In a free flow layout, the intent is not to lead the customer using
predictable design patterns, displays, or signage. There are no specific design rules followed
 12

for this retail store design, and customers have more liberty to interact with merchandise and
navigate on their own. For this reason, the free flow layout is sophisticated in its simplicity.

Ebster points out that customers feel less rushed in this creative environment. Retail stores
look less sterile in the free flow design, and merchandise may seem more intriguing. The only
limitation for retailers using this layout is the overall space available, but that doesn’t mean
that the research on customer navigation behavior and tendencies shouldn’t be accounted for
as well. The main disadvantage to this experimental design layout is the risk of confusing
customers past the point of their preferred behavior and disrupting customer flow.
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KEY RESPONSIBILTY AREAS OF DEPARTMENT MANAGER AT

NEW DISCOVERY

FINANCIAL  Sale target

 Stock Cover
 Shrinkage Control

CUSTOMER  Basic Customer Service Standard

 Planogram

INTERNAL PROCESSES  Productivity Tracker

 Standard Operating Procedures

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT  Engagement

 Training

2.5 SWOT ANALYSIS OF COMPANY:

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SWOT analysis(alternatively SWOT matrix) is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats—and is a structured planning method that evaluates those four
elements of a project or business venture. ASWOT analysis can be carried out for a
company, product, place, industry, or person.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESS
Value for Money Customer Services
Amazing variety under a single roof Store Operations
Easy return policy Advertising and lack of promotional offers

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
E-commerce mergers Quality Parameters
Better loyalty programs can be introduced
 15

2.6 PESTEL FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS OF COMPANY:

A PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis is a major part of

the environmental scanning section of strategic management and it is used by
companies during market research and strategic analysis.

Using a PEST analysis helps a business to understand various macro environmental

factors that they need to take into consideration when determining the decline or growth
of a particular market.

 Political (Legal) Aspects:

An Industry will not be able to gain success, good reputation and trust if it will not
consider legal and political sector as part of their strategy. Political and legal sectors
include the needs of the company to follow the given policies and regulations of the
government in order to be considered as legal and authorized business company. In
this manner, industry should be able to consider political and legal aspects so as to show that
they value the policies and regulations of the government in any of the business
operations.

 Tax policy
 Employment laws
 Political stability
 Environmental regulations
 Trade and tariff restrictions

 Economic Aspects:

It is important that apparel must also give enough attention to its economic stability.
The economic goal of a certain industry is like an axis in which other objectives or goals are
revolving. The economic factor involves the context in which an industry belongs, i.e.
the configuration of the competition in which a company operates the active demand of the
products, general economic condition of the nation or region, conditions in relation with other
industries, and the situation of the resource markets.

 Economic stability
 16

 Economic growth
 Interest rates
 Inflation rates
 Exchange rates

 Socio-cultural Aspects:

Society and culture is an important factor that must be given emphasis by any
business, specifically those who are operating in the global arena. It is important that the
company must operate in compliance with the social systems in order to gain good
reputation and effective public image. On the other hand, cultural aspects is equally
essential, in order to understand the various needs of different individuals that belongs to
different cultures.

-Population growth rate

-Age distribution

-Career attitudes

-Consumer behaviour

-Religion and culture itself

 Technological Aspects:

The complexities of achieving business success through increased efficiency,

effectiveness and competitiveness, combined with innovative applications of modern
technology, has heightened the awareness of both technology and business managers
towards more strategically oriented approaches for planning and management of any
industry. Hence, it is important that industry must be able to give consideration to
the technological aspects.

 Distribution and communication channels

 Technology incentives
 Automation
 Rate of technological change
 Environmental and ecological aspect
 17

 Barriers to entry
 Production level decisions
 Outsourcing

3. PROBLEM ON HAND

During my working experience at different departments of New Discovery, I came

across a major and consistent problem of manpower gaps or shortage in every section
due to which there is an excess burden of workload on the remaining Customer
Relation Executives (CRE‘s).This is also increasing the employee turnover as the
salespersons are leaving the organization at a very high rate. The outcome of which is
leading to lack of customer service because there are lesser number of staff present on
the floor to attend the customers.

3.1 PROBLEM AREA IDENTIFICATION

The major areas of concern for Max Retail are as follows:

 How to increase the customer satisfaction level by assisting each and every customer?
 How to effectively manage the daily store operation?
 How to make the display of the store attractive and appealing to the customers?
 What strategies should be implemented to fulfill the manpower gaps?
 What criteria should be taken to distribute the workload equally among the
salespersons?
 What should be done in order to reduce the attrition rate i.e., employee turnover?

3.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE TASK/ JOB

In the training process the main objective of the task were as follows:

 To enhance the customer service by taking care of each and every customer.
 To get familiar with the products and the schemes offered by the organization.
 To know about the visual merchandising of the store and how to perform it.
 How to get the work done from the Customer Relation Executives and keep a track of
their daily records.
 18

 How to lower down the employee turnover in the organization by reducing their work
pressure.

3.3 DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE TASK

Task 1: Visual Merchandising of the Home Décor Department

Visual merchandising is one the most important aspect of retail operations as the
display of the store most important in maximizing daily sales.

The activity and profession of developing the floor plans and three-dimensional displays in
order to maximize sales. Both goods and services can be displayed to highlight their
features and benefits. The purpose of such visual merchandising is to attract, engage, and
motivate the customer towards making a purchase.

Use of visual merchandising:

Visual merchandise is the presentation of a store and its merchandise in such a

manner that will attract the attention of potential customers. Definition: Visual merchandise
is the presentation of a store and its merchandise in such a manner that will attract the
attention of potential customers.

Visual merchandising consists of mainly two techniques; interior and exterior displays,
also known as in-store design and window displays.

Interior displays:

In-store visual merchandising can be used to capture the attention of consumers whilst
they are in the store, which essential in the buying decision-making process. To
capture the attention of the customer the retailer must consider the customer‘s needs during
this process.

Store layout:

The layout of a store is a significant factor for the maintenance of a thriving

business, which can help advance sales and profitability.

Task 2: Daily Checklist Work:

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The first task which was carried out to learn about retail operations was to carry out the Daily
Checklist work of the store. It has list of points covering all the aspects of the store. It has to
be filled by the Senior CRE‘s and the Department Managers daily under the supervision of
the Store Manager. These were the points mentioned in the daily checklist of New
Discovery:-

 Is the floor set-up as per the department approved layout plane

 Are all the fixtures correctly aligned, evenly spaced and in perfect working order.
 Is the Fitting room cleaned and cleared as per ROTA for the day assigned.
 Are all the staff present as per the roster and on time for shift.
 Has the team briefing been held-Morning and Noon.
 Any staffs absent without information/Sick leaves.
 Are all stock displayed as per planogram.
 Have all stock gaps been identified and stocks been replenished.
 Have all stocks been security tagged.
 Have all consolidation been done and properly kept for dispatch.
 Are damages been kept separately?
 Stock in the back store is kept by groups and departments.

Some of the problems and their necessary actions taken in the store were:

Problem 1: Customer Service is not good.

Action taken: Briefing the Customer Relation Executives to greet each and every staff and
look to attend each of them properly.

Problem 2: Congested Sofa set area.

Action taken: Changed layout of the area as it was difficult for the customers to walk around
and see the sets.

3.4 CRITICALITY OF THE TASK:

The most important part of the task was to study consumer behavior in order to make them
satisfied to a great extent. The task included the following major concerns:

 To attend each and every customer properly.

 To perform daily report operations.
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 To manage inventory and minimize the shrinkage.

 To display the products according to the planogram and getting it checked by the
Department Manager.

In the entire training process each day I tried my level best to understand the complex buying
behavior of the customers so that I can help the organization by different ways.

The most important things about the entire task was to gain insights about the various
techniques and tools used by the organization to retain and attract new customers so that they
can build large number of loyal customers and make develop a brand image in the market by
serving their customers to the best of their efforts. The customer service of max is average
according to the feedback given by various customers and requires a lot to be improved in
order to gain customer delight.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
4.1 COMPREHENSION OF THE TASK

Being a learner, my task was not easy at all. I had a responsibility to increase inventory
volume and also had to help them in some technical issues. During the training tenure, I
skilled myself as a part of retail management team who can support team and organization to
increase the sales.

4.2 METHODS ADOPTED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS

I started training with a plan and structured the design of my training. I started
training with help of secondary data as initially I visited company website and also went
through journals to get knowledge about the complete product range. Afterwards I
started interacting with the customers at retail store and interacted to different
customer. I attended some customers and helped in product selection.

4.3 MONITORING OF PERFORMANCE ON DAILY BASIS

I prepared a MS excel sheet for my daily updates. I started task with a plan and at end of
daily basis I tried to mark did i completed the task or something left. Such planned study
helped me a lot as days were allotted according to task. Every day I started with ―do‘s &
don‘ts‖ and at end of the I checked the status of my report card. Starting days were little
puzzled as atmosphere was new for me but support from company executives and my
help of my training mentor made everything easy for me.
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4.4 OVERALL LEARNING FROM THE TASK

Product management:

Product management is very important strategy in New Discovery. In New Discovery each
and every product is useful and run able in the market. Product is customizable and can easily
be changed.

Brand Management:

Brand management is also important strategy in the way of which brand should be for sale in
the store, because it gives impact on the customer. Every brand has its market value and it
also gives impact on the store image.

Sales and sales promotion:

Sales and sales promotion gives a positive result. Showing the higher sales report makes
brand value in customer. And customers are also giving attention on those types of retailers.

Services marketing:

Providing service for customer is also a marketing function which makes customer
satisfaction and attracts the customer for next time coming in the store.

It helped me to gain knowledge about the following areas:

 Customer’s problems and their possible solutions.

 Customer’s preference of Shopping at New Discovery
 Improvement in customer service department
 Managing staff so that every customer is attended properly.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS

 Retail stores should use an area that is easily approachable.

 Invest in supply chain infrastructure
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 Ease distribution –infrastructure creation

 It should take steps to convert the footfall in the Retail Stores into sales by
offering, “Catchy & Intelligent schemes”.
 The attitude of sales force must be helping & communication in formal way
 Exchange Policies of retail store should be properly communicated to
customers during Sale.

5.2 DETAILSOF EACH RECOMMENDATION, DISCUSSION OF ITS

TECHNICAL SUITABILITY, ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION AND
FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTATION.

The recommendations provided by myself are some of the major issues that are faced by an
organization and it will help the organization in one way or the other if they consider the
following suggestions given.

In Retail suggestions and feedbacks matters a lot as it is totally depended upon the customers
through its outlet sales so the implementation of such practices and can be taken into
consideration by the top level management to improve its overall customer service and
increasing the level of customer satisfaction.

5.3 SUGGESTED SCHEME OF IMPLEMENTATION, PRECAUTIONS

AND MONITORING SYSTEMS

These suggestions can be very well implemented by taking care of the following measures:

 Company policies and procedures

 Product specific
 Customers likings and preferences
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6. CONCLUSION

The past 4-5 years have seen increasing activity in retailing. And, various business
houses have already planned for few investments in the coming 2-3 years. And
though the retailers will have to face increasingly demanding customers, and
intensely competitive rivals, more investments will keep flow in. And the share of organized
sector will grow rapidly. Retailing in India is surely poised for a takeoff and will provide
many opportunities both to existing players as well as new entrants. The country is
witnessing a period of boom in retail trade, mainly on account of a gradual increase in the
disposable incomes of the middle and upper-middle class households. More and more
corporate houses including large real estate companies are coming into the retail business,
directly or indirectly, in the form of mall and shopping centre builders and managers.
New formats like super markets and large discount and department stores have started
influencing the traditional looks of bookstores, furnishing stores and chemist shops. The retail
revolution, apart from bringing in sweeping, positive changes in the quality of life in the
metros and bigger towns, is also bringing in slow changes in lifestyle in the smaller towns of
India. Increase in literacy, exposure to media, greater availability and penetration of
a variety of consumer goods into the interiors of the country, have all resulted in
narrowing down the spending differences between the consumers of larger metros and
those of smaller towns.

Lastly I want to conclude my project in some points-

 The customers are attracting towards shopping malls & retail outlets.
 The shopping malls & retail outlets are targeting to middle class customers
because the purchasing power of this class is rapidly growing as well as the class is
also growing.
 The young generation is fashion & show-off conscious so retail outlets are mainly
focused on them.
 Most of the family wants to purchase from big showrooms and malls because
there are no bargaining system so they have a trust that there is no cheating.
 The main strength of most of the retail outlets are providing attractive offers to
attract customers.
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 Big retail stores are running customer loyalty programs which has increased
profits and number of customers.

In my training program I learned what are the various customer demands and needs so
that they can be satisfied in the best possible ways. This internship helped me to get
practical experience of the retail sector and increase my knowledge. It also helped me to deal
with various problems faced by the organization as well as an employee. I went through
difficult challenges of retail operations to check whether I am right fit for the sector.

7. REFERENCES

BOOKS:

 C.R.KOTHARI, “Research Methodology”

 PHILIP KOTLER, “The Principles of marketing”
 A.SIVAKUMAR “Retail Marketing”

WEBSITES:

 https://www.justdial.com