Introduction

Established in 1998 as part of the Tata Group, Trent Ltd. operates Westside, one of
India's largest and fastest growing chains of retail stores. The Westside stores have
numerous departments to meet the varied shopping needs of customers. These include
Menswear, Womens wear, Kids wear, Footwear, Cosmetics, Perfumes and Handbags,
Household Accessories, lingerie, and Gifts. The company has already established 36
Westside departmental stores (measuring 15,000-30,000 square feet each) in
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad & Noida (to be
considered as 1 city), Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Lucknow,
Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Jammu. The company
hopes to expand rapidly with similar format stores that offer a fine balance between
style and price retailing.

Trent ventured into the hypermarket business in 2004 with Star Bazaar, providing an
ample assortment of products made available at the lowest prices, aptly exemplifying
its Chota Budget, Lambi Shopping motto. At present Star Bazaar has 4 stores in 3
cities located in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore. This store offers customers an
eclectic array of products that include staple foods, beverages, health and beauty
products, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, consumer electronics and household items
at the most affordable prices. Star Bazaar also includes a large range of fashionable inhouse garments for men, women and children, exclusively available at the store.
In addition, Trent recently acquired a 76% stake in Landmark, one of the largest books
& music retail chains in the country. Landmark began operations in 1987 with its first
store in Chennai with a floor space of 5500 sq. ft. At present Landmark have 10 stores,
varying in size from 12,000 sq. ft. to 45,000 sq. ft, 3 in Chennai and 1 each in
Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Vadodara, Gurgaon, Pune, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.
Until 1996, Landmarks product portfolio comprised books, stationery, and greeting
cards. It was later that music was added to it. Landmark also sparked the trend of

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stocking curios, toys and other gift items. What separates Landmark from other stores
of its kind is the range and depth of its stock.
This story began circa 1998 when The Tatas acquired Littlewoods a London based
retail chain. This acquisition was followed by the establishment of Trent Ltd (a Tata
enterprise that presently operates Westside). Littlewoods was subsequently renamed
Westside.

In a rapidly evolving retail scenario, Westside has carved a niche for its brand of
merchandise creating a loyal following. Currently, the company has 36 Westside stores
measuring 15,000-30,000 square feet each across 20 cities. With a variety of designs
and styles, everything at Westside is exclusively designed and the merchandise ranges
from stylized clothes, footwear and accessories for men, women and children to wellco-coordinated table linens, artifacts, home accessories and furnishings. Well-designed
interiors, sprawling space, prime locations and coffee shops enhance the customers
shopping experience.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Objective of the study
1. To develop the satisfaction level for their customers.
2. To understand the marketing strategies of west side
3. To know the strategy to face the rival competition

1. Primary data:
The primary data is been collected by the onsite store of west
side and through articles and employees of west side
2. Secondary data:
The secondary data is collected through the internet on various
sites and west side site and retail information

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Literature Review

The concept of store loyalty is derived from the concept of brand loyalty
which refers to the tendency to make repeat purchases of products of the same
brand. Store loyalty refers to the tendency to repeatedly shop at the same store
for similar or other products. A loyal customer would give preference to a
specific store and would tend to be far more forgiving of errors of the store.

There are three main set of variables that have been found to have an impact
on loyalty of customers:
1. Store Related Variables
2 .Shopper Related Variables
3. Situation Related Variables

Loyalty has been found to be greatly influenced by Store Related Variables.

Some of the important store related variables are Shop location, Products
Range and Store Image. In consumer priorities, assortment and variety come
after convenience and price. (Arnold, Stephen J., Tae H. Ourn, Tigert, and
Douglas 1983, Determining Attributes in Retail Patronage) Shop location is
an influencing variable on loyalty as convenience of shopping is among the
main criteria of the customers. Location related variables are given importance
in analyzing both trade areas and retail patronage behavior (Hubbard,
Raymond 1978, A review of Selected Factors Conditioning Consumer Travel
Behavior, journal of Consumer Research) .The consumers are favorably
inclined to revisit a store where they have positive shopping experiences like a
great range of assortments , good environment etc. The image of the store has
also great effect on the loyalty of the customers. Store image reflects shoppers
perception of a store in terms of functional and psychological attributes.

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Loyalty is also influenced by shopper related variables. Several factors such as

age, income and social class of the shopper have found to influence on
customers decisions.(Moore, Charles Thomas , and Joseph Barry Mason
1969, A research Note on major Retail Centre Patronage)

Customers

belonging to different age groups prefer different stores. There have been
researches done which suggests that the greater the congruence between selfimage and store image, the greater is the probability that the customer is loyal.
(Pathak, D.S., W.J.E .Crissy, and R.W Sweitzer 1974, Customer Image Versus
the Retailers Anticipated Image, Journal of Retailing, Vol.50).There is a
direct linkage between personal values and desired consumer benefits. This
means different customers have different levels of desired consumer benefits
which vary according to their own perceived values.
Loyalty is also influenced by the situation related variables. These factors
include task definition, level of involvement, shopping orientation and usage
of information. These indicate the intensity of need and the comfort of the
shopper in taking a purchase decision. The store choice has been found to
depend on buying situations that differ with the level of involvement (Moschis,
G.P .1976, Shopping Orientations and Consumer Uses of Information)

Thus we can say that the existence of the customer is integral to the existence
of the retailer. The ability to understand consumers is the key to developing a
successful retail strategy. A key factor in understanding customers is
identifying the customers for product or service, which means the target
segment, and the demographics of this segment, their needs and buying
behavior.

Recognition of the need for a product or a service is the first stage that may
lead to a consumer buying. The need may be psychological or functional.

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CHAPTER 1
Retail Industry: An Overview
Retailing is the interface between the producer and the individual consumer
buying for personal consumption. This excludes direct interface between the
manufacturer and institutional buyers such as the government and other bulk
customers. A retailer is one who stocks the producers goods and is involved in
the act of selling it to the individual consumer, at a margin of profit. As such,
retailing is the last link that connects the individual consumer with the
manufacturing and distribution chain.
Retail has played a major role world over in increasing productivity across a
wide range of consumer goods and services .The impact can be best seen in
countries like U.S.A., U.K., Mexico, Thailand and more recently China.
Economies of countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and
Dubai are also heavily assisted by the retail sector.
Top Retailers Worldwide: Rank Retailer Home Country
1. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. U.S.A.
2. Carrefour Group

France

3. The Kroger Co.

U.S.A.

4. The Home Depot, Inc.

U.S.A.

5. Metro

Germany

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The retail industry in India is of late often being hailed as one of the sunrise
sectors in the economy. AT Kearney, the well-known international
management consultancy, recently identified India as the second most
attractive retail destination globally from among thirty emergent markets. It
has made India the cause of a good deal of excitement and the cynosure of
many foreign eyes. With a contribution of 14% to the national GDP and
employing 7% of the total workforce (only agriculture employs more) in the
country, the retail industry is definitely one of the pillars of the Indian
economy.
Retail sales in India amounted to about Rs.7400 billion in 2002, expanded at
an average annual rate of 7% during 1999-2002. With the upturn in economic
growth during 2003, retail sales are also expected to expand at a higher pace of
nearly 10%. Across the country, retail sales in real terms are predicted to rise
more rapidly than consumer expenditure during 2003-08. The forecast growth
in real retail sales during 2003- 2008 is 8.3% per year, compared with 7.1% for
consumer expenditure. Modernization of the Indian retail sector will be
reflected in rapid growth in sales of supermarkets, departmental stores and
hyper marts. Sales from these large-format stores are to expand at growth rates
ranging from 24% to 49% per year during 2003-2008, according to a latest
report by Euro monitor International, a leading provider of global consumermarket intelligence.

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A. T. Kearney Inc. places India 6th on a global retail development index. The
country has the highest per capita outlets in the world - 5.5 outlets per 1000
population. Around 7% of the population in India is engaged in retailing, as
compared to 20% in the USA.
In a developing country like India, a large chunk of consumer expenditure is
on basic necessities, especially food-related items. Hence, it is not surprising
that food, beverages and tobacco accounted for as much as 71% of retail sales
in 2002. The share of food related items had, however, declined over the
review period, down from 73% in 1999. This is not unexpected, because with
income growth, Indians, like consumers elsewhere, have started spending
more on non-food items compared with food products. Sales through
supermarkets and department stores are small compared with overall retail
sales. Nevertheless, their sales have grown much more rapidly, at almost a
triple rate (about 30% per year during the review period). This high
acceleration in sales through modern retail formats is expected to continue
during the next few years, with the rapid growth in numbers of such outlets
due to consumer demand and business potential. The factors responsible for
the development of the retail sector in India can be broadly summarized as
follows:
Rising incomes and improvements in infrastructure are enlarging consumer
markets and accelerating the convergence of consumer tastes. Looking at
income classification, the National Council of Applied Economic Research
(NCAER) classified approximately 50% of the Indian population as low
income in 1994-95; this is expected to decline to 17.8% by 2006-07.
Liberalization of the Indian economy which has led to the opening up of the
market for consumer goods has helped the MNC brands like Kelloggs,
Unilever, Nestle, etc. to make significant inroads into the vast consumer
market by offering a wide range of choices to the Indian consumers.
Shift in consumer demand to foreign brands like McDonalds, Sony,
Panasonic, etc.
The internet revolution is making the Indian consumer more accessible to the
growing influences of domestic and foreign retail chains. Reach of satellite
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T.V. channels is helping in creating awareness about global products for local
markets. About 47% of Indias population is under the age of 20; and this will
increase to 55% by 2015. This young population, which is technology-savvy,
watch more than 50 TV satellite channels, and display the highest propensity
to spend, will immensely contribute to the growth of the retail sector in the
country. As India continues to get strongly integrated with the world economy
riding the waves of globalization, the retail sector is bound to take big leaps in
the years to come.
The Indian retail sector is estimated to have a market size of about $ 180
billion; but the organized sector represents only 2% share of this market. Most
of the organized retailing in the country has just started recently, and has been
concentrated mainly in the metro cities. India is the last large Asian economy
to liberalize its retail sector. In Thailand, more than 40% of all consumer goods
are sold through the super markets and departmental stores. A similar
phenomenon has swept through all other Asian countries. Organized retailing
in India has a huge scope because of the vast market and the growing
consciousness of the consumer about product quality and services. A study
conducted by Fitch, expects the organized retail industry to continue to grow
rapidly, especially through increased levels of penetration in larger towns and
metros and also as it begins to spread to smaller cities and B class towns.
Fueling this growth is the growth in development of the retail-specific
properties and malls. According to the estimates available with Fitch, close to
25mn sq. ft. of retail space is being developed and will be available for
occupation over the next 36-48 months. Fitch expects organized retail to
capture 15%-20% market share by 2010. A McKinsey report on India says
organized retailing would increase the efficiency and productivity of entire
gamut of economic activities, and would help in achieving higher GDP
growth. At 6%, the share of employment of retail in India is low, even when
compared to Brazil (14%), and Poland (12%).

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Malls in India

Over the last 2-3 years, the Indian consumer market has seen a significant
growth in the number of modern-day shopping centers, popularly known as
malls. There is an increased demand for quality retail space from a varied
segment of large-format retailers and brands, which include food and apparel
chains, consumer durables and multiplex operators. Shopping-center
development has attracted real-estate developers and corporate houses across
cities in India. As a result, from just 3 malls in 2000, India is all set to have
over 220 malls by 2005. Today, the expected demand for quality retail space in
2006 is estimated to be around 40 million square feet. While previously it was
the large, organized retailers with their modern, up-market outlets, and direct
consumer interface- who had been a key factor driving the growth of organized
retail in the country, now it is the malls which are playing the role.
Factors such as availability of physical space, population densities, city
planning, and socio-economic parameters have driven the Indian market to
evolve, to a certain extent, its own definition of a mall. For example, while a
mall in USA is 400,000 to 1 million sq. ft. in size, an Indian version can be
anywhere between 80,000 sq. ft. And 500,000 sq. ft. By 2005, total mall space
in the 6 cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and

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National Capital Region (Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon) is expected to increase to

over 21.1 million sq. ft. Compared to other big cities, Kolkata and Hyderabad
are relatively new entrants in the mall segment, but are witnessing quick
growth. Smaller cities like Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Jaipur,
Chandigarh and Indore, are also expected to see a formidable growth in the
growth of malls in the near future. But malls in India need to have a clear
positioning through the development of differential product assortment and
differential pricing, in order to compete effectively in a growing mall market.
Segmentation in malls, like up-market malls, mid-market malls, etc., proper
planning, correct identification of needs, quality products at lower prices, the
right store mix, and the right timing, would Ensure the success of the mall
revolution in India.

Challenges of Retailing in India

Retailing as an industry in India has still a long way to go. To become a truly
flourishing industry, retailing needs to cross the following hurdles:
Automatic approval is not allowed for foreign investment in retail.
Regulations restricting real estate purchases, and cumbersome local laws.
Taxation, which favors small retail businesses.
Absence of developed supply chain and integrated IT management.
Lack of trained work force.
Low skill level for retailing management.
Intrinsic complexity of retailing rapid price changes, constant threat of
product obsolescence and low margins.
The retailers in India have to learn both the art and science of retailing by
closely following:
How retailers in other parts of the world are organizing, managing, and coping
up with new challenges in an ever-changing marketplace. Indian retailers must
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use innovative retail formats to enhance shopping experience, and try to

understand the regional variations in consumer attitudes to retailing.
Retail marketing efforts have to improve in the country - advertising,
promotions, and campaigns to attract customers; building loyalty by
identifying regular shoppers and offering benefits to them; efficiently
managing high-value customers; and monitoring customer needs constantly,
are some of the aspects which Indian retailers need to focus upon on a more
pro-active basis.
Despite the presence of the basic ingredients required for growth of the retail
industry in India, it still faces substantial hurdles that will retard and inhibit its
growth in the future. One of the key impediments is the lack of FDI status.
This has largely limited capital investments in supply chain infrastructure,
which is a key for development and growth of food retailing and has also
constrained access to world-class retail practices.
Multiplicity and complexity of taxes, lack of proper infrastructure and
relatively high cost of real estate are the other impediments to the growth of
retailing. While the industry and the government are trying to remove many of
these hurdles, some of the roadblocks will remain and will continue to affect
the smooth growth of this industry.
However, as a result of the roadblocks, the industry remained in a rudimentary
stage. While these retailers gave the necessary ambience to customers, little
effort was made to introduce world-class customer care practices and improve
operating efficiencies. Moreover, most of these modern developments were
restricted to south India, which is still regarded as a Mecca of Indian Retail.

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CHAPTER 2
Westside- season of promotion and sale

1. Seasons of Retailing -WESTSIDE

(A) Summer Season

Its usually from May to July.

Low sales are recorded during this period.

This season is good for promotions and launching new

advertisement campaigns.

(B) Fall Season

August and September are important months.

Retailers are provided a good opportunity to increase their share.

(C) Holiday Season

It begins usually at the end of October and carries through the fourth quarter
ending in January.

Festivals like Dusherra, Diwali, Halloween, Christmas and New Year Eve bring
more customers.

Usually its the best time for retailers.

(D) Spring Season

It lasts from February to May

Fewer footfalls are recorded in malls.

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2. Customers- At Westside
1. Men

While guys tend to prioritize fashion to a lesser degree than girls, rightlook and the dude image is still important to them.

Boys tend to spend more money on electronic gadgets, food, sports goods
and music.

2. Women
Tween girls represent a lucrative opportunity for retailers. They are going to
become the future buyers.
Teen girls are more trend savvy. Its not just the clothes and accessories, but
the whole look that the teen girls aspire to define.
Post teen girls spend more on jewelry and household items and thus they
contribute a lot more in terms of revenue.

3. Geographical Location

The location of the retail store had, for a long time, been considered the most
important P in retailing. If a retail store was located in the right place, it was
considered to be adequate assurance for success. Over the years, with advent
of non-store retailing and the rise in web-based retail, merely choosing the
right location cant be considered adequate. However, the retail location is an
important part of the retail strategy, as the location of the store conveys a fair
amount of its image. It also influences the merchandise mix and the interior
layout of the store.

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While a retailer can change his merchandise mix, adjust prices, improve
communication with consumers and offer better services, once a store comes
into existence, it is fairly difficult to change the location. Moving from one
location to another may result in the loss of customers and employees.
Moreover, the new location may not always have the benefits of the earlier
one.

Types of Locations
Various options are available to the retailer, for choosing the location of this
store. The choice of the location of the store again, depends on the target
audience and the kind of merchandise to be sold. For ex, the location of a
convenience store would not be suitable for that of an expensive jewelry
boutique. Typically, a store maybe,
1. Freestanding/ Isolated Store,
2. Part of a business district, or
3. Part of a Shopping Center- A shopping center has been defined by the
International Council of Shopping Centers as a group of retail and other
commercial establishments that is planned, developed, owned and manager
as a single property. The availability of parking is an important feature of
every shopping center. Westside Mall in Rajouri is a part of the shopping
center.

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CHAPTER 3
ACHIEVEMENT OF WESTSIDE IN RETAILING

Westside has garnered numerous accolades 1. Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame

2. India Brand Summit Brand Leadership Retail
3. IFA Visionary of the Year Award, 2002 Mrs.
Simone N. Tata
4. Most Admired Large Format Retail Chain of the
Year - Lycra Images Fashion Awards 2005
5. NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2006 Retail Category

Mission Statement
To be regarded by our customers as the most relevant retailer in the country.
In order to achieve this goal, we shall develop a comprehensive understanding
of their needs, strive to win their confidence, and offer them best-in-class
products and services at affordable prices. We shall always be in the forefront
of fashion and services by anticipating and exceeding the expectations of our
customers.

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It is their policy to satisfy our customers with the range, quality and value of
the products we offer. However, if they are dissatisfied with any item that they
might have purchased they would take the necessary measures to assist them.
The customers are expected to return unused merchandise along with its
receipt within 30 days. We would exchange the returned items or give our
customers a complete refund. In the event that they do not have the receipt we
would offer them an exchange or provide them a gift voucher to the current or
last known selling price. We have complete confidence in the quality of our
merchandise however should our customers have any grievances, we would be
happy to address them once they are brought to our attention said an
employee.
Style, affordable prices, quality: these are the factors that have shaped
Westsides success story in the retail fashion stores business. Launched in 1998
in Bangalore, the Westside chain has, ever since, been setting the standards for
other fashion retailers to follow. Westside stands out from the competition for a
variety of reasons. One is that a majority of the brands the chain stocks and
sells are its own, unlike retailers who store multiple labels. About 90 per cent
of Westsides offerings are home-grown, and they cater to different customer
segments. The other 10 per cent includes toys, cosmetics and lingerie.
Westside has recently expanded its range of merchandise by offering outfits
from some of Indias best-known fashion designers, among them Wendell
Rodericks, Anita Dongre, Krishna Mehta and Mona Pali. This is an interesting
marketing shift, since it means moving away from the chains only-our-ownbrands concept. Westside is a departmental store having several product
line & according to ET 500 list out of top four retail companies Trent
ranked 3rd as

Pantaloons retail

Shoppers shop

Trent

Page | 17

Store Positioning in Westside.

1. Ground Floor

Cosmetics

Children Section

Household items

Jewelry

Watches

Bags

Women Section

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2. 1st Floor

Mens Section

Casual Clothing

Formal Wear

Ethnic Wear

Shoes

Private Brands in Westside

2F4U

SRC

Gia

Urban angel

Intima

David Jones

Ascot

Blackberry

Lee

Page | 19

Spykar

Nuon

To irrigate the space better Westside have the entrance on the ground floor and
exit on the first floor (Andheri infinity mall). In case of visual merchandising
all the category of clothes of all sizes and varieties are displayed and hence the
consumption of space for shelves is reduced. And it is convenient for
customers to choose and for the attendants to support buying. Profitability of
Westside Delhi is more than that in Pune and Bangalore because youth here
have much spending power. It is also driven from strong demand backed by
quality products and latest fashion.

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CHAPTER 4
Services & Store Atmosphere in Westside

Pre-purchase services include accepting telephone & mail orders, advertising,

window & interior display, fitting rooms, fashion shows

It provides post purchase service including shipping & delivery, gift wrapping,
adjustments & returns, alteration & tailoring

It also provides ancillary services including general information, check cashing,

parking, restaurants, repairs, interior decorating, credit etc.
The Westside stores wear a bright, festive look and, in keep with the mood
of the season, hosting a festival bright.

With the sole objective of rewarding its loyal customers for their patronage,
Westside has lined up a bonanza of surprise gifts. Every shopper gets a

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scratch-and-win card which entitles them entry into a contest. Those making
purchases above Rs 1,500 are also entitled to receive other pleasant surprises
The trendy household section has a complete new range of bed linen in
elephant motifs, floral motifs and paisley design. The color palette for the
festive collection includes flaming orange, royal blue and other vibrant colors
to depict festivity.
The gift section has a plethora of gifts terracotta pots, urns, knick-knacks
and Diyas in beautiful colors, shapes and sizes. The store has also introduced
a new range of furniture and other household goods, including cabinets, butler
trays and mirrors in wood with an antique finish. An innovative range in
wrought iron and rope has been introduced in utility items which include
magazine racks, folding stools, jam pots on trays and Ganesha in brass and
terracotta.

Facing the challenge

The greatest challenge for Westside in its quest for a place in the retail sun is
not the competition from similar organized players, but from the unorganized
sector (98 per cent of Indias retail garment industry operates in the
unorganized sector).

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The other challenge for Westside is that the retail fashion business in the
country is becoming increasingly crowded with new players, Indian and
foreign. Among the new entrants have been Wills Sport, Lifestyle, Raymonds
(Be), Primus Globus, Nike, Crocodile, Mango and the latest, and Marks &
Spencer.

CHAPTER 5
Marketing and Promotional Strategies By West Side
1. Club west card program
An assured return-and-exchange policy reinforces customer confidence in
the chain. Another winning Westside idea is Club West, a customer loyalty
programme launched in May 2001. The 30,000-plus members of this club get
rebates at restaurants and on holiday packages from the Taj Group of Hotels,
home delivery of alterations, and best of all, special shopping hours on the first
day of any discount sales event organized by the chain.

Important benefits of club west card

Page | 23

Most attractive rewards shopping

Instant use of the card

Easy to operate

Extra convenience

Validity at all stores

Westside does its regular brand building through advertisements in the media
with brand ambassador Yuvraj Singh and other young models; more
important are its in-house promotions, which peak during the three main
festive seasons: summer, Diwali and Christmas. The promotions are mostly
theme based, with decorations to match, live bands and other attractions.

2. Fashion Logy
Westside has launched a new ad campaign titled 'Fashion Logy'. The campaign
is designed to provide the buyer with not just clothing, but also guides and aid
on dressing smart, styling and accessorizing. The campaign sees on-ground
activities and promotions designed to interact with the consumer about their
style. It includes womens corporate wear, girls wear, and glam denim.

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3. The Three Cs
Corporate clothing is a major component of Westside merchandise. The
emphasis here is on the three Cs: Comfort, Crispness and Coordination, and
the goal is to provide the complete corporate look, where color, clothes and
accessories are mixed and matched in a manner that creates harmony between
the person and the clothes he or she wears.
Westside employees are given regular training for better interaction. Some
things may take longer. The wish list, a tool for customers to let Westside
know their preferences, cannot be realized immediately. Only if there is an
optimum demand can the store look at fulfilling it. Gia, Westsides brand for
larger-sized requirements, was the outcome of one such need.
The company identifies star employees in each store and designates them as
coaches responsible for the training of their own store staff. Today, each store
has three kinds of coaches a customer service coach, an IT skills coach and
a product knowledge coach. The success of this programme has made it a
benchmark for all Tata Group companies.

Westside provides four levels of service

Self-service- Self-service is the corner stone of all discount operations.

Many customers are willing to carry out their own locate compare select
process to save money.

Page | 25

Self-selection- Customer find own goods, although they can ask for
assistance

Limited Service- Westside also offers services like credit, merchandizing

etc.

Full Service- Sales people are ready to assist to any phase of the locate
compare select process. Customers who like to be waited own prefer these
types of stores.

The Relationship between Image, Satisfaction and Loyalty

In our view, manifest satisfaction is directly and unequivocally related to store
loyalty. Manifest store satisfaction means that an explicit evaluation of the
store is made, which in case of a positive evaluation leads to store
commitment. So, manifest satisfaction will be positively related to store
loyalty. Latent satisfaction is the result of an implicit evaluation of the store
choice, which is not elaborated on and of which the consumer is not fully
aware. Latent satisfaction means mere acceptance of the store, which will not
necessarily lead to commitment. Nevertheless, latent satisfaction may also be
positively related to store loyalty, but less strongly than manifest satisfaction.
Therefore, hypothesis 61 can be formulated as follows:
The fact that the amount of consumer satisfaction and store loyalty in general
are positively related, as we expect, is hardly supported by the literature.
Although a number of studies address the relationship between satisfaction and
Page | 26

loyalty as related to products and services (Bloemer and Lemmink, 1992;

Bloemer and Kasper, 1995; Garfein, 1987; Kasper, 1988; Kraft et al., 1973),
there is little empirical evidence to support the explicit relationship between
store satisfaction and store loyalty (Hummel and Savitt, 1988).
Customers patronage behavior towards a particular store is dependent on their
image of that particular store (Osman, 1993). The more favorable the store
image, the higher the valence of the store to the customer. However, the exact
relationship between store image and store loyalty has remained inconclusive.
There is both evidence for a direct relationship and an indirect relationship
whereby store satisfaction acts as a mediator (Doyle and Fenwick, 1974;
Houston and Nevin, 1981; Lindquist, 1974; Stanley and Sewall, 1976).

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CHAPTER 6
Pantaloons A Takeover By Aditya Birla

PANTALOONS

Pantaloons Fashion & Retail, one of the top clothing brands in the world, is India's
fastest growing premium lifestyle company. With innovative designs, concepts
and products, the company brings the latest trends in fashion and clothing styles to
the apparel market. Pantaloons, previously controlled by the Future Group, has
been recently taken over by Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited, a US $4 billion premium
diversified conglomerate and India's largest manufacturer of linen fabric.

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Pantaloons offer multiple accessories and clothing brands across a spectrum of

categories for men, women and kids. The company provides an incredible and
complete one-stop shopping experience to its buyers through its vast collection of
more than 200 prestigious brands for the discerning fashionista. Pantaloons, with
a presence across 49 cities through 106 aesthetically designed large format stores
and 26 factory outlets, displays a range of classy and trendy merchandise that
truly lives up to Pantaloons maxim of fresh fashion.

A typical Pantaloons store comprises a brand portfolio that runs across a gamut of
styles that spell class. The collection includes ready-to-wear western and ethnic
apparel for men, women and kids, complemented by an exhaustive range of
accessories. The variety of products and brands has helped propel Pantaloons to
become one of the best clothing brands in India.

Apparel, brands and accessories

Pantaloons offer its customers a collection of apparels and accessories from the
stables of globally renowned brands. The private labels for men in western wear
include Lombard, Rig, Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, SF Jeans, Byford, F Factor and
JM Sport apart from trendy brands like Urbana, Scullers, John Miller and Indigo
Nation. Akkriti provides a wide selection of ethnic wear.

Page | 29

The womens section houses the private labels Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, Rig,
Annabelle, Honey, and Ajile in western wear, as well as the choicest ethnic
wear from RangManch, Trishaa and Akkriti. Popular brands like Lee Cooper, Biba
and W are also available. The formal wear section offers a range of crisp and welltailored collection by popular international brands such as Van Heusen, Allen
Solly, Peter England and Louis Philippe.

Kids can choose from private labels like Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, Rig, or
indulge in exclusive brands like Lee Cooper Juniors, Chalk, Poppers, Pink &
Blue, and Sach in addition to international brands like Barbie and Disney. For the
ethnic look, they can opt for traditional wear from Akkriti. The portfolio of brands
also includes infant wear by Chirpie Pie.

Pantaloons offer much more than just apparel. Customers can shop from an
assortment of watches from renowned international brands, including Tommy
Hilfiger, Esprit, Kenneth Cole, Citizen, Timex, Titan and others.

Trendy sunglasses from Polaroid, Guess, Police, Scott, I Dee and Allen Solly are
also available. The accessories and beauty segments display an attractive
collection of ladies handbags from Lavie, Caprese, Fiorelli and FastTrack. Also
available are products from colour cosmetic brands such as Bourjois, Chambor,
Deborah, Faces, Revlon, Maybelline, and Lakm, as well as a wide collection of
exotic fragrances. In its endeavour to meet the consumers ever-changing fashion
needs, Pantaloons has introduced new brands that include Candies, Alto Moda,
Turtle, Spykar, 109F, AND, Chemistry, Global Desi and Giny&Jony.

Page | 30

Pantaloons is an integral part of the prestigious Aditya Birla Group, a USD 41

billion Indian multinational company, operating in 36 countries across the globe
with over 120,000 employees. Voted as Indias Most Trusted Apparel Retail
Brand in the prestigious Brand Equity Survey 2014, Pantaloons continues to
nurture consumer trust and confidence. With its overwhelming repertoire of
lifestyle apparel brands, the company is focused on growth while continuing to
create fresh fashion. Among some of the top clothing brands in India, Pantaloons

Loyalty programme

The Pantaloons Payback Green card which is a unique loyalty programme has
been designed exclusively for Pantaloons' customers to enhance customer
experience. Presently offered to over 4 million members, the programme
entitles members to discounts, points and special privileges at all Pantaloons
stores.

The card has four tiers depending on the year's shopping. As a customer shops,
the card upgrades with increasing privileges and discounts. The benefits
covered under Green card include discounts, Payback points, complimentary
parking, complimentary home drop of altered garments, relaxed exchange
policy, complimentary shipping across India, exclusive sale preview, exclusive
billing counters and assisted shopping among others

Page | 31

Pantaloons to Invest Rs 125 Crore This Fiscal; Add Up to 35

Stores- Press Article.
Press Trust of India | Last Updated: August 16, 2015 17:28

Retail chain Pantaloons plans to invest Rs 125 crore this fiscal as it plans to
add

up

to

35

stores

across

the

country.

In an investor update, Pantaloons Fashion & Retail's parent company Aditya

Birla Nuvo said: "Financial year 2015-16 capex guidance (for Pantaloons)
stands at about Rs 125 crore mainly towards launch of new stores."
"The company is targeting to launch 30-35 stores during 2015-16 and focus
will be on expanding customer reach and portfolio enrichment," it said.
Pantaloons, which have over 100 stores across the country, reported net sales
of

Rs

433.70

crore

for

the

quarter,

ended

June

30,

2015.

In May, in a major restructuring exercise, Aditya Birla Group announced

merger of all its branded apparel businesses into one entity, Aditya Birla
Fashion

and

Retail

Ltd.

Under the scheme of arrangement, the apparel businesses of group holding

company Aditya Birla Nuvo and of another group firm Madura Garments
Lifestyle Retail would be demerged into listed firm Pantaloons Fashion &
Retail Ltd (PFRL). Madura owns and retails brands such as Louis Philippe,
Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and People and operates 1,759 stores
across

the

country.
Page | 32

In 2012, Aditya Birla Nuvo had entered into an agreement with the Future
Group to infuse Rs 1,600 crore into Pantaloons and acquire a majority stake in
the store chain.
Story

first

published

on:

August

16,

2015

17:26

(IST)

reference:http://profit.ndtv.com/news/corporates/article-pantaloons-to-investrs-125-crore-this-fiscal-add-up-to-35-stores-1207863

CHAPTER 07
CASE STUDY
1. 2004-Westside case
Abstract:
In 2004, the Indian retail market was at INR.8, 000 billion, with the organised
sector accounting for a measly 2%. The case examines the foray of Tatas, one
of the largest business houses in India, into organised retailing with Westside
a chain of department stores.
The case highlights the key decision variables and the winning elements in
Westsides business model from private labelling strategy to its merchandise
management, to its customer centric approach. It also details out Westsides
style of functioning in terms of operations, marketing, customer relationship
management, customer services and human resource management the
chains emphasis on pricing, merchandise mix, store interiors and training their
employees. It reflects on how Westside identified and implemented a retail
model: the success that followed.
Objectives:
1. To discuss the growth strategies followed by Westside for its growth in
Indian retail market
2. To understand the Indian retail industry
3. To discuss the retail model adopted by Westside and its success in the
competitive environment.

Page | 33

Keywords : Retail strategy; Private Label strategy; Vendor management;

Merchandise Management; Growth Strategies; Supply chain management;
Store layout and interiors; Retail marketing mix Positioning, Pricing;
Branding; Visual Merchandising; In-store sales promotion; Customer
relationship management

Contents:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Tapping the retail opportunity.

Striving for Excellence.
Major players in Indias organized retailing sector.
Tata business Excellence Model.
A typical Westside store organization Structure.
Sample of Boutique layout.
Nesting Table & Gondola Display Units.
Reference:http://www.ibscdc.org/Case_Studies/Strategy/Growth
%20Strategies/GRS0112A.htm

2. Westside in endorsement
In 2002, Westside signed on a leading Indian cricket player, Yuvraj Singh, as
its celebrity endorser for a period of 3 years. Westside sources announced that
Yuvraj Singh would promote Westside stores in Bangalore, Chennai,
Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.
Commenting on signing on Yuvraj Singh, Himanshu Chakrawarti,
general manager, marketing, Trent, said, "Yuvraj epitomizes the Westside
name in every aspect, he is stylish and trendy, Yuvraj personifies all the
qualities that a modern successful India needs - indomitable spirit, abundance
of talent, great energy and uncontrollable enthusiasm." This move surprised
industry analysts, as it was the first time an Indian retailer was going in for a
celebrity endorsement.

Objectives:
Page | 34

1. To understand the impact of celebrity endorsement in marketing brand.

2. To understand the sales force through marketing the products by
celebrity.
3. Competitive advantages over other retailers.
4. To know the brand image and impact of such indorsements in retail.

Content:
1. Signing a celebrity who is in and out pitch in fashion trend
2. Getting the sales and marketing through celebrity and most loved by
3.
4.
5.
6.

fans
Taping the sale force through celebrity endorsements
Getting an edge over other retailers
Making an impact through the aggressive marketing on core states
Improving the footfalls in the store of the westside

3. Business Strategy | Case Study in Management, Operations, Strategies,

Business Strategy, Case Studies. In addition to this, Westside launched
marketing campaigns on television and in the print media, with an allocated
budget of Rs 200 million. According to company sources, the new media
initiatives were aimed at increasing brand awareness among consumers, and
enhancing the image of Westside as a retailer offering fashionable products
at affordable prices. Analysts attributed Westside's success to its focus on
styling, affordability and quality, and its retail model. Unlike its competitors
-Shoppers' Stop and Globus - who targeted the upper class, Westside focused
on middle and upper middle class consumers, who constituted a large portion
of India's population.

Objective:
1. To know how the Westside brand are catered to high and middle class
2. To understand how to maintain a brand even sold to middle level
consumers
3. To know how to position the brand even of aggressive marketing strategy
4. To update the product life cycle and maintaining the pricing strategy.

Page | 35

Content:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Positioning the brand and its image

Maintaining the pricing stratey
Catering of upper and middle class level customer
Marketing via ads, brochures, posters, hoardings
Sale of 50% in mid half year
Creating a USP over retail giants like shoppers stop, Globus etc.

Reference:

http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business

%20Strategy1/Westside%20Indian%20Retailing%20Success%20Story
%20Business%20Strategy.htm

4. Westside- club west

Westsides Club West Club West is an exclusive loyalty program of Tata
groups department store chain. This is a two-tier program - Club west Classic
and Club west Gold. A purchase of Rs 2000 and Rs 5000 on the same day
entitles a customer to a complimentary membership into Club west Classic and
Club West Gold respectively. Alternately, one can enrol into Club west Classic
by paying a nominal one-time fee of Rs 150. Members can earn reward points
on every purchase - Classic members can earn one point for every Rs 100
spent and Gold members can earn one point for every Rs 80 spent at any of the
stores. Apart from this, all members are entitled to a range of benefits like
dedicated customer help desk for a member's assistance at each of the stores,
Exclusive shopping hours only for members during sales, Advance intimation
of all in-store promotions and special offers through direct mailers, and a
special discount on dining at select restaurants round the year
Objectives:
1. To know how loyalty programmes help in customer satisfaction.
Page | 36

2. To provide a value to customers every visit to the store by

complementary gifts
3. To understand how membership programme gives in effect to brand
loyalty
4. Giving corporates offer of dine in or gift card vouchers

Content:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Club membership programme

Customer loyalty benefits
Creating a value towards every purchase
Trent- Westside promotion offers
Marketing and promotional strategy
Exclusive shopping hours
Corporate tie-up

Reference: http://apeejay.edu/aitsm/journal/docs/ajmst-010104oct13.pdf

FINDINGS

A critical factor in Westsides success has been its strategy to attract

shoppers & keep them in stores- the amount of time shoppers spend in a
store is perhaps the single most important factor in determining how
much they will buy. . In having understood the pulse of the customers in
India, Westside has clearly established itself as a brand with an Indian
heart.

Over the years Westside has also developed and successfully introduced
a range of new brands especially suited to the Indian palate. These
brands like 2F 4U have been a tremendous success amongst the new
generation. What has also given Westside a competitive edge is that in
Page | 37

addition to an extensive range of internationally renowned brands like

Spykar, Lee and Fast Track they also offer the option of a less known
brands for low budget customers.

All the floors are carefully structured. Ground floor and 1 st floor caters
exclusively to Women and Men respectively. Thus giving them privacy
and more freedom to look into their products.

Womens need more space and look for comfort. They are less likely to
buy if the place is congested and makes them feel uncomfortable. At
Westside sofas have been placed in the women section so as to make the
females more comfortable.

Westside has been able to create a brand image and is consistently

maintaining its brand identity by new additions in products and catering
to the market need.

They are catering to different age groups less than one roof. For ex. On
the 1st floor which is mens section both formal and college wear is
available. This way they are able to build a huge customer loyal base.

Westside caters to not only the clothing needs and desires of its
customers. They have bed sheets, kitchenware, jewelry, perfumes, baby
products, household items, etc. This way a customer who enters
Westside just to buy one or two items usually ends up buying a lot more.

The in-store experience in Westside is very delightful. Their fully skilled

and trained staff caters to the needs of the public in the right way. They
dont pounce upon the customer as soon as he enters the store. They wait
till the time a customer starts selecting and then they come and help.
This way the customer gets acclimatize with the store and the
environment.

Price of brands available at Westside is not too high as compared to its

competitors brands. This is due to their cost effective supply chain
management. They directly pick up the goods from the manufacturer
thus ensuring low price tag at their store.

Page | 38

RECOMMENDATION

To increase more footfalls more promotional activities must be carried out.

For this Westside can either offer more discounts or increase their
advertisements. Increase in the number of footfalls will lead to increase in
sales.

Page | 39

 Since Westside is not only catering to apparel need of the society a few
additions like Books, Music items, Electronic gadgets etc. can also be
added to the products available inside their store. The demand for the above
products is always in the market.
Allowing more space between the entrance of a store and a product gives it
more time in the shoppers eye as he or she approaches it. It builds a little
visual anticipation.
The number of trial rooms available at Westside is very less as compared to
the number of people coming. This usually results in long queues and
waiting by customers.
Install more full length mirrors inside the store so as to assist the customers
to make better purchase decisions.
Play light music inside the store to make the shopping a pleasurable
experience.
They can also exhibit their new line of clothing through events like fashion
shows.
Baskets should be scattered throughout the store, wherever shoppers might
need them. Many customers dont begin seriously considering merchandise
until they have browsed a bit.

CONCLUSION
Page | 40

There are studies which have contributed for extending the consumer
benefit/loyalty framework to the retail branding context. Customer satisfaction
is an antecedent of word of mouth communication, but customer loyalty must
be present to mediate the relationship. This finding is important for theory
building in this and other marketing and consumer contexts.
In the increasingly competitive environment faced by today's retailers, the
pursuit of consumer loyalty is paramount. In order to be competitive, retailers
must identify the key ingredients of consumer loyalty and the relationships
between the benefits delivered to the consumer and important outcomes (i.e.
satisfaction, loyalty, word of mouth communication).
This study doesnt identify two types of benefits mostly desired by the
consumer. Retailers should understand this if they expect to provide utilitarian
benefits to consumers by way of having the right product on hand at the right
place and time. In addition, they must recognize that the consumer also desires
a hedonic benefit in terms of the shopping experience. The results of this study
doesnt

indicate that consumers expect the purchase experience to offer

hedonic qualities such as excitement, entertainment, escapism, fantasy, and

fun. Retailers that utilize the store-as-the-brand strategy should recognize this
and work to deliver hedonic value throughout the purchase experience.
Another important finding not undertaken in this study indicates that consumer
satisfaction is linked to attitudinal loyalty. Although one could argue that other
variables not examined in this study contribute equally to attitudinal loyalty,
satisfaction appears to be an important antecedent. Therefore, retailers should
recognize that in order to create a loyal customer base, they must satisfy the
desires and needs of the consumer. One way that retailers can provide
satisfaction to the consumer is through the delivery of value in the form of
utilitarian and hedonic benefits associated with the purchase experience.
Retailers should recognize that they must meet or exceed the consumer's
expectations in terms of the benefits the consumer is seeking.

Page | 41

The extant body of literature on the consumer benefits/loyalty framework is in

an early stage of development. The primary goal for future research should be
to identify and examine the various types of consumer benefits that influence
consumers' satisfaction, loyalty, and word of mouth communication. In-depth
qualitative research in the form of personal interviews and focus groups would
provide a better understanding of the benefits desired by consumers. This
qualitative research would, in turn, contribute to the development of better
measures to capture each type of benefit. In turn, it is important to continue to
examine the relationships between consumer benefits and outcome variables
that are crucial to the success of the retail firm (e.g. customer satisfaction,
customer loyalty, and word of mouth communication). A particularly important
area of investigation is the role of attitudinal loyalty as a mediator between
customer satisfaction and word of mouth communication.
Future research should also focus on replicating this study with a different
target respondent. A large survey of consumers of various backgrounds in
various geographic areas could help to make the findings of this study more
generalizable to the overall population.

References

Page | 42

CII Report on Retail 2008,

Journals from www.emeraldinsight.com

www.esnips.com

Search engine used www.google.com

www.mywestside.com
Suggestions from Why We Buy? By Paco Underhill
www.retailinsights.com

Page | 43