WEST BENGAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

SUMMER PROJECT REPORT CONSUMER PERCEPTION ABOUT RETAIL MEDICINE PROVIDED BY APOL
LO PHARMACY AT
BY SANTU DEY WBUT REGI NO: 092320710082 OF 2009-2010 WBUT ROLL NO: 09232009049 I
NDUSTRIAL GUIDE: Mr. MANAS SINHA
FUTURE BUSINESS SCHOOL
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project work would not have been great experience to explore my potential a
nd knowledge without encouragement of the persons who teach and guide me through
the project duration. Thats why I am acknowledging towards these respected perso
ns with my inner feeling of heart. With immense pleasure I pay my gratitude to t
he faculties of our college FUTURE BUSINESS SCHOOL for their co-operation and gu
idance. I pay my immense gratitude to Mr. Anirban Majumdar, Faculty of FUTURE BU
SINESS SCHOOL for giving me his valuable time for guidance. I would like to spec
ial thank Mr. R. S. Senthil Kumar, Manager of Apollo Pharmacy, A unit of Apollo
Hospitals Enterprise Limited, for his continuous guide through out the project w
ork. I also want to thank Mr. Koushik Kumar Maity, Sr. Executive of Apollo Pharm
acy, A unit of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, for giving me a healthy work
environment to complete my project.
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I pay my gratitude to the all Marketing staff & Colleagues of Apollo Pharmacy, A
unit of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, for their co-operation and guidanc
e. And thanks to them who inspired me at Apollo Pharmacy & FUTURE BUSINESS SCHOO
L.
INDEX
Project Overview No.
Page
Introduction .. 2 Aims and Objectives.. 6
Overview of the Organization

Introduction 8 History of the Organization..... 9 Special features

Detailed study of department Related to my specialization...... 15

Competitors details..... Methodology.... Analysis.

3
16
19 36

Conclusions .. 51 Recommendations....... 53 Appendix..

INTRODUCTION
The retail revolution has brought in changes to the way average urban Indians sh
op for a host of products and services from routine groceries to attractive appa
rels, & from petrol & lubricants to books & magazines. But a majority of Indians
still visit the crowded neighborhood pharmaceutical store to buy a vitamin pill
or a painkiller, and in some of the smaller cities have to double-check to ensu
re that the medicines are according to the doctor s prescription, cosmetics like
shampoos and creams are genuine, and the chocolates are not past the best befo
re date. The $5-billion pharmaceutical retail market in India is, however, prim
ing itself for major changes. Nine out of 10 blockbuster drugs in the future wil
l be biotech based, requiring special storage facilities and transportation. Mos
t of the existing pharmacies in India would be unable to meet the stringent requ
irements. Apollo Pharmacy believes that over the next five years, "there will be
a very strong boom in organized pharmacy retailing, where the pharmacy models w
ill start following the western world." Apollo Hospitals has established a formi
dable network of 900+ stores under the Apollo Pharmacy brand, India. Consumers t
oday are far more discerning. Along with quality products they are also looking
for ambience and convenience in shopping. Our outlets have been designed keeping
this in mind.
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Consumers today are far more discerning. Along with quality products they are al
so looking for ambience and convenience in shopping. Our outlets have been desig
ned keeping this in mind. Apollo Pharmacy, a unit of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise
Limited acquire specialized products from the manufacturer, transport them to i
ts warehouse in temperature-controlled conditions, and store them at the pharmac
ies in refrigerators. Importantly, they also ensure free home deliveries to regi
stered patients anywhere in Kolkata and suburban areas. Indian economy is the th
ird largest economy in the world, in terms of purchasing power, is going to touc
h new heights in coming years. As predict by Goldman Sachs, the Global Investmen
t Bank, by 2035 India would be the third largest economy of the world just after
US & China. The India Industry Sector and agricultural sector now comprises of
more than half of India s GDP which amounted to 51.16 per cent in 1998-99. The n
umber of Industries in India has multiplied by a large amount in the last few ye
ars. The various Sectors in Indian Industry are gaining more and more importance
. As India is a developing country the Retail sector in India, IT Industry in In
dia, Pharmaceutical sector in India, Food and Beverage Industry in India and var
ious other types of industries are coming to the forefront and taking the center
stage. The Indian economy had grown by 5.4 per cent in 200102, which included a
growth rate of 3.3 percent in the India Industry Sector. While the Indian Indus
try Sector grew by 3.3 per cent, the various segments in the industry like const
ruction showed a lower growth in 2000-01, whereas, there was a marked improvemen
t in the growth rates of manufacturing (from 4.2 per cent in 1999-2000 to 6.7 pe
r cent in 2000-01) and mining and quarrying (from 2 per cent to 3.3 per cent dur
ing the same period). The growth rate of electricity, gas and water supply remai
ned almost unchanged at around 6.2 per cent for both 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
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In the India Industry Sector the most striking force has been the IT Industry se
ctor. The Indian software industry has grown at a massive rate from a mere US $
150 million in 1991-92 to a staggering US $ 5.7 billion (including over $4 billi
on worth of software exports) in 1999-2000. No other Industry in India has perfo
rmed this well against the global competition. The IT sector has helped the Indi
a Industry Sector to move ahead in leaps and bounds. The BPO industry has also b
een a pillar of success for the India Industry Sector. As more and more industri
es come up the future holds good prospects for the India Industry Sector. Indian
Economy grew by 5.4 per cent in 2001-02, which is considered to be one of the h
ighest growth rates in the world for the year. This growth is supported by a gro
wth rate of 5.7 per cent in agriculture and allied sectors, 3.3 percent in indus
try and 6.5 per cent in services. Overall agricultural output is estimated to in
crease by nearly 7 per cent in 2001- 02. Food grains production is expected to r
ise to 209 million tons compared with 196 million tons in 2000-01. Prospects of
agricultural production in 2001-02 are considered to be bright as a result of no
rmal monsoon and relatively favorable distribution of rainfall over time and reg
ions.
While the Indian industry sector grew by 3.3 per cent, with in industry sector s
egments like construction showed a lower growth in 2000-01, there was marked imp
rovement in the growth rates of manufacturing (from 4.2 per cent in 1999-00 to 6
.7 per cent in 2000-01) and mining and quarrying (from 2 per cent to 3.3 per cen
t during the same period). The growth rate of electricity, gas and water supply
remained almost invariant at around 6.2 per cent for both 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
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During 1993-94 to 1999-2000 the service sector had achieved consistently high gr
owth rates in the range of 7.1 per cent to 10.5 per cent. But for the first time
in 2000-01, the growth rate of the service sector declined to 4.8 per cent due
to poor performance by financial sector, trade hotels and restaurants, and commu
nity and social services.
In India there are so many pharmaceutical company those who are providing better
service but APOLLO PHARMACY provides the best.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
This project is based on Consumers Perception about Retail Medicine Services provi
ded by Apollo Pharmacy. In every retail field so many consumers or customers are
procuring their needs every day and every moment. Their needs are different and
the processes by which they fulfill their needs are also different. So every ret
ail body is trying to update themselves by which they can fulfill their customer
s needs and wants. For updating themselves these companies are recruiting some su
rveyors for continuous process of market survey. By this survey they easily come
to know the exact position of their buyers, competitors position, consumers deman
ds and as well as the drawback of the concern company. These information help th
e company for re- organized their schemes and policies for executing the consume
rs desires.
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Apollo Pharmacy, a unit of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, is one of larges

t medicine chain of Asia as well as the World. Every day and every moment 1000 o
f consumers or patients are enjoying the services provided by the Apollo Pharmac
y only. But among them a few percentage of consumers are also here who are not s
o satisfy due to unavailability of medicines, misbehavior by the staffs or some
other reasons. This very project is trying to find out the exact frame of mind o
f the regular or irregular consumers of the Apollo Pharmacy. Consumers perception i
s the key word of the recent trend of Retail World and this project makes a clea
r storyline of the perception of Apollos consumers.
An overview of the organization
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Introduction
Chairmans Voice In 1979, An Indian who could not go to US for a heart surgery, de
void of required medical attention here, died on the Deepavali day. This was the
turning point in the life of an entrepreneur, who carved the corporate healthca
re niche in India - Dr. Prathap C Reddy Dr. Pratap C. Reddy is a doctor and busi
nessman who founded the first corporate chain of hospitals in India, the Apollo
Hospitals Group. He is the Executive Chairman of the company. Dr. Reddy graduate
d from the prestigious Madras Christian College. He is a trained cardiologist wi
th international experience; Dr. Reddy worked at the Missouri State Chest Hospit
al, where he headed several research programs. The absence of world-class medica
l facilities in India spurred him to set up the first Apollo Hospital in Chennai
in 1983, at a time when private healthcare institutions were virtually unknown
in India. Over the years, Dr. Reddy has been able to attract the best medical ta
lent to India including doctors from hospitals in the US and UK. For his contrib
utions, Dr. Reddy was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1991. Vision To develop a com
munity of care and concern that caters to our customers with the most innovative
retail management programs, services and technology. Mission
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To be a responsive round-the-clock pharmacy retailer to our prospective customer

s
Quality Policy Apollo Pharmacy with the largest retail pharmacy network, is commit
ted to servicing its customers, ensuring:Reliability : High quality drugs, Cold
Chain Informed Customer Care : Trained Manpower Convenience : Home Delivery, ATM
, Call Center
History of the Organization
Recent Credentials Apollo Pharmacy is awarded Star Retailer for the year 2007 in
the Health & Beauty instituted by Franchise & Retail Holding India. Ms. Shobana K
amineni is awarded Women Entrepreneur of the year 2007 Awarded the Modern Medicare
Excellence Award 2006-07, by ICICI Group.
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Awarded Sir Neel Ratan Sarkar award for Medical Excellence in 1998 Awarded Padma
Bhushan in 1991
First to introduce corporate chain of hospitals in India Awarded Padma Vibhusan
to Dr. Prathap C Reddy in 2010
Pharmacy Evolution.. Started operations in 1983 as a Hospital Based Pharmacy prov
iding pharmacy services to the patients coming to the corporate Apollo Hospital,
Chennai
An Integrated Healthcare Apollo Group
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Spectra Clinical Telemedicine Apollo Health AHERF Research Education & Street Lt
d Centre (SCRC) Research
Nation wide Apollo Pharmacy presence
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Special
features
13

Unique Selling Proposition

Genuine Medicine Refilling of Prescription 24 Hours Customers Services Well Stoc
ked Pharmacy Manned by Competent Staff Computerized System Cold Chain Maintenanc
e Protocols Internal Quality Certification
Merchandising @ Apollo Moving from Curative to Wellness Customer Engagement Enha
nced Product Mix In-store Experience
Pharmacy assistance through Any Time Medicine (ATM) Apollo Pharmacy provides rou
nd the clock pharmacy assistance to doctors, who are keen to enhance medicine de
livery to their patients.
Benefits of ATM Our ATM service benefits both doctors and patients enabling them
improve doctor-patient relationships and foster feelings of trust and dependenc
e. There are no extra charges for this service to either doctor or patient.
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Marketing Activities Free Health Check Camps Door to Door campaigns in the Neigh
borhood of all the Pharmacies TV scrolling in the Local channels News paper adve
rtisements, Pharmacy / ATM Fliers inserts Screening the slides in City Theaters
ATM banners at Prominent city locations Flute boards display within 1 KM radius
of next pharmacy.
Call Centre
Call center manned by qualified Pharmacist Running at Chennai, New D
elhi, Bangalore, Kolkat and Hyderabad. Service Regular and ATM customers for pre
scription reminders.
Corporate Tie Ups Private Ltd Co. Banks Defence IT Govt. Org. Hospitals TI Group
, TVS Group RBI, ICICI, SBI, NABARD Military, Air force, Navy, ICF - Infosys, Sa
tyam, HCL Indian Airlines, NMDC, Railways SRM, St. Anthony Hospitals
Godrej Aadhaar tie-up in Maharashtra & Punjab IRDA-(Indian Rural Development Aut
hority) tie-up in AP IOCL-(Indian Oil Corporation) for petrol pumps countrywide
ITC E- choupal tie- up in MP Tie-ups with Birla Super mart, Spencers Daily, Kend
riya Bhandar and Bharat Petroleum are in progress.
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Departmental study
Classification of Pharmacies l Hospital Based Pharmacy (HBP)
2 Clinic Based Pharmacy (CBP) 3 Stand Alone Pharmacy (SAP) Pharmacy Evolution Co
ntd... 1983 1988 1990 First HBP in Apollo Hospital, Chennai First SAP started in
Mandaveli, Chennai, April 04 Computerized Networking in all Retail pharmacies
1991 First CBP inaugurated in T-nagar, Chennai, December 05 Pharmacy evolution Ti
ll Date 1992
1998
First SAP in Hyderabad in RTC X roads, April 03 First Expansion phase Introduced
Doctors ATM
2005 2007
1. Introduced ATM (Customer Loyalty Program), Hyderabad 2. New format store intr
oduced in Hyderabad, Banjara Hills, January 24
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3. Second Expansion phase

Detailed study of department related to my specialization
Types of SAP There are three types of Stand Alone Pharmacy
High street pharmacy (in commercial and business places
with av. Area of 300 - 400 sq. ft)
Convenience pharmacy (in residential places with av. Area
of 300 sq. ft)
Flagship pharmacy (one stop shop for pharmacy &
wellness with av. Area of 1000 sq. ft)
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COMPETITORS
Apollo hospital is the largest healthcare group in Asia. It has 41 hospitals in
& around India. Today Apollo Hospital Enterprise Ltd. Is the leading private sec
tor healthcare provider in India and owns and manages a network of speciality ho
spitals and clinics.
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Group Companies of Apollo Hospitals Apollo Health Street Limited: It is a global

healthcare services company that offers business process outsourcing and IT sol
utions and services to a global clientele. Apollo Pharmacies: It is the largest
retail pharmacy chain in India with over 70 round-the-clock retail outlets in In
dia. Apollo Pharmacies is moving towards offering e-prescription based services
to the end user and the doctor. Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited: Apollo Health
& Lifestyle Limited (AHLL) is engaged in establishing a network of clinics in I
ndia and neighbouring countries. It intends to address the day-today health need
s of common people by providing a range of superior quality healthcare services
at affordable prices. MedVarsity Online Limited (MOL): MedVarsity Online Limited
is promoted by Apollo Hospitals and NIIT Ltd. MedVarsity has developed over 150
0 hours of medical content that is accessible to the medical community anytime a
nd anywhere. Apollo Telemedicine Enterprises Limited (ATEL): Apollo Telemedicine
Enterprises Limited has developed the Apollo Telemedicine Network that allows
the participant sites to collaborate with institutions in the country and abroa
d and provides their clientele access to better healthcare in areas not adequate
ly served by the medical community. Family Health Plan Limited (FHP): The compan
y deals in the healthcare insurance sector and is the largest Third Party Admini
strator (TPA) in Asia. Equipment World: Equipment World sources and selects high
end medical equipment, catalogues and provides expert advice
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and services on technology, techno-commercial issues. Keimed.com Limited: Keimed

.com Limited is a unified national pharmaceutical procurement and supply chain m
anagement company for a wide range of medical goods, consumables, drugs, surgica
l, health and personal care products. Major Achievements of Apollo Hospitals Apo
llo Hospital, Chennai is the first Indian hospital to be awarded the 1S0 9002 an
d ISO 14001 Certifications. Apollo Hospital, Chennai is the first Indian hospita
l to introduce newer techniques in coronary angioplasty, stereotactic radiothera
py and radio-surgery (for CNS tumors). Apollo Hospital, Chennai is the first to
perform liver, multiorgan and cord blood transplants in India. Apollo Hospital,
Delhi is first Indian hospital to receive the Joint Commission International (JC
I) USA accreditation-the gold-standard in hospital certifications worldwide. Apo
llo Hospital, Delhi performed the first successful liverkidney transplant in the
Indian sub-continent.
METHODOLOGY
Basically there are two types of project. These are:
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1. 2.
Door to door Project. Market research and Survey Based Project.
Door to door Project:
Door to door project is that kind of project where it is basically based on Sale
s Promotion. Sales promotion considers some important factors before launching t
he promotional scheme. Before introducing a sales promotion scheme, markets must
have to consider the following points
Size of the sales promotion: Survey says either 10% decrease in price of medicin
e and other p/L product only can attract the customers. So this point should be
considered carefully.

Duration: Sales promotions are to be introduced for a short period only so that
it can not dilute the brand image of the product.

Choose the proper distribution vehicle: Decide how many channel members and who
are they involved in the promotion.

Timing: when the promotion will be offered, such as a promotional offer of medic
ine and other product during the diabetic camp or any special day.
Sales promotion process: There are different stages of
sales promotion, these are Identify the target customer
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Determine the communication objectives

Design the message
Select the communication channel
Deciding on the marketing communications mix Stage 1: Identify target customer:
The process must start with a clear target customer. In case of medicine it is n
ow become a daily usage of household. But there are some audience those who are
the potential buyers of the companys product. Basically they are maintaining the
brand name APOLLO PHARMACY. We have to target those audiences. On the other hand
we have to target the current users, individuals, groups, general public. In my
project work I have targeted the above mentioned customers and the feedback was
excellent. Stage 2: Determine the communication objectives: The representative
of the company can be seeking a cognitive, affective and behavioral response. Th
at is the person might
22

want to put something in to the customers mind to change the mind. Example: Durin
g my project work of sales promotion when I communicate with a customer who is t
he user of other pharmacy. But when I am talking about the 10 % discount on medi
cine price and other product provided by APOLLO PHARMACY then the customer have
shown some extra interest on it. Stage 3: Design the message: Having defined the
desired response, the communicator moves to developing an effective message.
Stage
4:
Select
the
communication
channels:
The
communicator must select efficient channels to carry the message. In the case of
pharmaceutical company sales person can rarely wrest more than 5 minutes time fr
om a customer or a busy physician. The presentation must be crisp, quick, and co
nvincing. These include placing medical journal or pamphlets about the medicine
or the specialty provided by Apollo pharmacy. Stage 5: Deciding on the marketing
communications mix: Company must allocate the promotion budget over the give pr
omotional tools advertising, sales promotion, public relation, and publicity.
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Market research and Survey based project:

This type of project is totally based on marketing
research. It can be defined as is the systematic gathering, recording, analyzing
of information about organizations. Here this project is a Research Project fro
m Apollo Pharmacy, A unit of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. This project is
trying to find out consumers perception on Retail Medicine Chain. For that reason
a proper market research require.
Values of market research: A wide variety of information used to support the mar
keting decisions can be obtained from market research. The values are Informatio
n about the market Information about product Information about pricing Informati
on about promotion in the market Information about distribution in the market Ty
pes of marketing research: Ad Tracking: This is periodic market research to moni
tor the brand image. Brand Equity research: It unveils how favorably do consumer
view the brand?
24

Brand name testing: What do consumers feel about the names of product? Concept t
esting: To test the acceptance of a concept by a target consumer. Buyer decision
processes research: To determine what motivate buyers to buy the product. Price
elasticity testing: To determine how sensitive customers are to price changes.
Marketing research process: Marketing research briefly refers to all type of mar
keting activities conducted in the field of marketing. It is a function which li
nks the consumer customer and public to the marketer through information.
Marketer
Consumer Customer Public
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Some point regarding the marketing research design process still need some more
explanation and they are provided below1. Exploratory Research. 2. Qualitative R
esearch 3. Descriptive Research.
4.
Causal Research.
Exploratory Research:
Exploratory research is used when one is seeking insights into the general natur
e of a problem, the possible decision alternatives, and relevant variables that
need to be considered. Typically there is little prior knowledge on which to bui
ld the research methods which are highly flexible, unstructured and qualitative.
Exploratory research is also useful for establishing priorities among research
questions and for learning about practical problems carrying out the research. S
tudies may involve reviewing published data, interviewing people, conducting foc
us groups, investigating literature. The output of an exploratory research will
not be answered but more specific questions or statement of tentative relationsh
ip will be addressed.

Qualitative Research:
It is usually exploratory and diagnostic, and then the research designed primari
ly for exploratory purposes, such as getting oriented to the range and complexit
y of consumer activity, clarifying the problem and identifying likely methodolog
ical problems. Group Interviews Case Studies Projective Techniques
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Descriptive Research:
Descriptive research refers to a set of methods and procedures that describe mar
keting variables. Descriptive studies portray these variables by answering who,
what, why, and how questions. This type of research studies may describe such th
ings as consumers attitudes, intentions, behaviors or the number of competitors a
nd their strategies. The great majority of descriptive studies are cross section
al, although some use longitudinal information. These types of studies generally
employ a structured questionnaire and the emphasis is on generating an accurate
picture of relationship between and among variables. Consumers attitude Intentio
ns Behaviors

Causal Research:
Causal research design is conducted by controlling various factors to determine
which factor is causing the problem. It allows you to isolate causes and effects
. By changing one factor, say price you can monitor its effects on a key consequ
ence such as sales. Although casual research can give you a high level of unders
tanding of variable you are studying, the design often require experiments that
are complex and expensive.
Data Collection:
There are two ways to do market research. 1. Primary Research.
27

2. Secondary Research.
DATA COLLECTIO
Primary Research

Primary Research involves collecting new information to meet your specific needs
.
Primary research can be:

Qualitative:
Gathering descriptive information, usually represent verbal or narrative data th
rough open-ended interviews or focus groups. Open-ended interviews are composed
of questions that can not be answered with a simple yes or no. This type of inte
rview gives you a lot of information, but is time consuming for both you and the
person you are interviewing. The greatest benefit to you is that you will learn
a lot about the group you are studying including common trends, emotional motiv
ators, and general likes and dislikes of your primary market.
28

 Focus groups should be lead by professionals skilled in leading small groups of

6 to 12 people through a series of questions ranging from specific to general in
nature. Usually, focus group sessions last for at least an hour. Since focus gr
oups must be lead by trained professionals to be most effective, they are the mo
st expensive form of market research.

Quantitative: these can be analyzed

Gathering numerical information statistically through surveys.
Surveys take longer to develop, but are generally
easier to administer than other types of market research. Since they take less t
ime to complete, people are usually more willing to answer them. Also, surveys p
rovide excellent information if they are wellconstructed with thoughtful questio
ns. The easiest and most cost effective way to conduct surveys is either by tele
phone or where the product is sold.
Primary data sources:
Individual. Target Customer.
Actual Customer.
es. Competitors.
Distributors.
Suppliers.
29

Potential Customer.

Users.

Employe

Method of Primary Data collections:

1. Interviews 2. Product Tests 3. Projective Techniques 4. Focus Groups

Secondary Research:
In secondary market research you analyze information that has been gathered for
some other purpose. This saves you the cost of gathering the data so it is more
economical, given that you can find data in the form that you need it. The data
used may be a study, a group of articles on a topic, or demographic or statistic
al data gathered by someone else. For example, the demographic data about car ow
ners in your county available from your Chamber of Commerce may be just the info
rmation you need - and it is already available.
Secondary Research Activities:
1.Review and analyze the existing data on your target markets available from mag
azines, books, published research studies, and government publications 2.Evaluat
e the competition. 3. Assess social, economic, and political environmental facto
rs.
30

There are two types of secondary data, one is Internal Secondary Data and anothe
r is External Secondary Data.
Internal Secondary Data: Internal Secondary Data are generated within the organi
zation itself such as sales persons call report, sales invoice and accounting. E
xternal Secondary Data: On the other, External

Secondary Data are generated from out side of the organization. Such as Govt. re
port, trade union journal etc. Sources of Secondary Data
Newspaper. Internet. TV
advertisement. Journal (In house). Printed books and brochures. Certificate iss
ued by various Universities and Health Institute
Telephone Interview and Persona
l Interview. In house CDs.
There are four types of basic measurement technique used in market research:
stionnaire Method. Attitude Scale.
Observation.
31

Que

Depth Interview and Projective technique. By the help of Questionnaire Method th

e project is prepared. Questionnaire Method: A Questionnaire Method consist of a
set of question presented to the responded for the answers because of its flexi
bility the answer is by far the most common instrument used to collect the prima
ry data. Its need to carefully develop tested and debugged before they are admin
istered on a large scale.
Characteristics of good questionnaire:
1.
It should be designed in such a manner that helps to collect data without effect
ing the quality of information.
2. Does not insist any body to provide biased information. 3. Enable interviewer
to understand the question. 4. Ensure that respondents can also understand the
question.
There are various steps involved in process of questionnaire design. These are
D
etermine specific data to be sought. Determine the interview process.
Collection
of information. Evaluate the question content. Determine the response format.
D
etermine the wording of the question. Determine the question structure.
Pretest.
Interview. Analysis. These steps are discussed below: ----32

Determine specific data to be sought: This is the very first step in the questio
nnaire method. It is the method of study that involves finding out the specific
data from the secondary data. In this method it is also determine the respondent
. After completion of the above steps now analyze the data. Now Retail Medicine
Chain is one of the booming sectors in Indian economy so, the subject Consumers Pe
rception on Retail Medicine Chain provided by Apollo Pharmacy, A unit of Apollo
Hospitals Enterprise Limited is very suggestive.
Determine the interview process: After a proper sought of the data the main thin
g is the determine the interview process. This is very vital steps to take the i
nterview. Researcher has to decide the communication media.
Collection of inform
ation: The next step of the processing is Collection of information. A lot of ha
rd work has been done in this step. The information about the history of the com
pany, departmental study, competitors details are collected from the senior empl
oyee of the HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Ltd. and from--Business journa
ls. Website. Newspaper. Brochures.
33

Evaluate the question content: The next step of the processing is evaluating the
question content. Questionnaire should consist of relevant question which will
provide meaningful data considering1. Respondent must understand the question. 2
. Respondent must have information to provide.
Determine the response format: The next step is determining the response format.
Researcher has to decide the type of question he or she should use. There are t
wo types of questions1. Open ended question Free response Probing Projective tec
hniques 1. Closed ended question Ranking Check list Multiple choice Scales
Determine the wording of question: Define the issue and each question should be
checked against six points, i.e. who, what, where, when, why and how.
34

Researcher has questionnaire.

Avoid Avoid Avoid Avoid

to
concentrate
on
specific
rules
of
lengthy question ambiguous question double meaning question biased question
Determine the structure of the question: The general principle of setting a ques
tionnaire is as follows 1. Lead questions: Start the flow of responses and gain
rapport. 2. Qualifying questions: To find out whether the person is right or wro
ng. 3. Warm up questions: To direct thinking and memory. 4. Specific questions:
About the feeling of respondent. 5. Demographic questions: About age, sex, name
of the respondent
Pretest: In this stage researcher tests the questionnaire to determine whether t
he questionnaire is full proof or not. He should look after different aspect of
the questionnaire i.e. sequence, understandability, of word and phrases, size of
the questionnaire.
35

Analyze: The final step of the processing is analysis portion. In this step, all
the results of the market survey are graphically and theoretically plotted. I h
ave been done my analysis in Naihati where a diabetic camp was held and it was p
rovided by APOLLO PHARMACY, A UNIT OF APOLLO HOSPITALS ENTERPRISE LTD.
ANALYSIS
This is the main part of the project. After doing all the market research and su
rvey activities the result will be out. The all technical part has been done her
e. This is the backbone of the project. In this stage I am going to plot all the
data in graphically which I have been collected from survey. The survey basical
ly made in urban and semi-urban area. The conclusion and the result will be come
out after this analysis. The analysis is based on CONSUMER PERCEPTION ABOUT REA
TAIL MEDICINE PROVIDED BY APOLLO PHARMACY, A UNIT OF APOLLO HASPITAL ENTERPRISE
LTD. The analysis is based on questionnaire method. The data are collected from
this method. The questions are as follows:
36

1. 2. 3. 4.
Awareness about Retail Medicine Chain. Acceptance of Apollo Pharmacy. Competitors
position. Acceptance of 24 Hours Services Provided by Apollo Pharmacy. 5. Accep
tance of Free Home Delivery Provided by Apollo Pharmacy. 6. After marketing cust
omers feedback. 7. Consumer inflow through. 8. Age group of respondents. 9. How o
ften do they visit the Apollo Pharmacy Outlet? 10.Why they do visit Apollo Pharm
acy? 11.Satisfaction level of consumer based on post purchase behavior.
AWARENESS ABOUT RETAIL MEDICINE
After conduct my survey of 50 samples I have been found that the Awareness about
Retail Medicine of the consumer is poor. 52% consumer said that they have no id
ea about it.
EXCELLENT 6%
VERY GOOD 10%
GOOD 18%
POOR 52%
AVERAGE 14%
37

ACCEPTANCE OF APOLLO PHARMACY

The acceptance of APOLLO PHARMACY on the consumer is very good. The survey shows
that 66% consumer accepts APOLLO PHARMACY as very good.
EXCELLENT 28%
VERY GOOD 66%
GOOD 6%
COMPETITORS POSITION
38

There are so many competitors of APOLLO PHARMACY. But during the survey I have b
een found that consumer mostly like APOLLO PHARMACY than our competitors. The co
mpetitors are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. MEDICA SYNERGYE MEDPLUS FRANKROSE DHANANTA
RI
EPTANCE OF 24 HOURS SERVICES PROVIDED BY APOLLO PHA
Apollo pharmacy has provided 24 HOURS SERVICES to the customer. The consumers ar
e very much satisfied for this facility. 75% consumer said it is excellent.
EXCELLENT 75%
VERY GOOD 20%
GOOD 5%
39

ACCEPTANCE OF FREE HOME DELIVERY PROVIDED BY APOLLO PHA

APOLLO PHARMACY has provided FREE HOME DELIVERY to the customer. Survey shows th
at 70% consumer said it is excellent. EXCELLENT 70% VERY GOOD 30%
AFTER MARKETING CUSTOMERS FEEDBACK
40

The main thing is customers feedback about APOLLO PHARMACY. After doing the surve
y the 95% feedback are positive.
CONSUMER INFLOW THROUGH
There are various steps regarding consumer inflow. The steps are as follows: 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Marketing team. Door to door campaigning. Advertisement through b
anner & poster. Pamphlets paper inside. Medical camp. Others various sources.
The survey shows that the Door To Door Campaigning is the main process of consum
er inflow.
41

AGE GROUP OF THE RESPONDENTS

There are several people I have been met during my survey. They are from differe
nt age group also. I have been divided the age group in following manner 1. 2. 3
. 4. 18 26 41 60 to 25 years to 40 years to 59 years years & above
The survey shows that 44% people belongs to 41 to 59 years.
SCHEDULE OF VISIT TO APOLLO PHARMACY
42

The schedule of visit to APOLLO PHARMACY is different for different customers. T

he survey shows that 60% customer visit Apollo Pharmacy as per requirement.
MONTHLY 30%
FORTNIGHTLY 4%
WEEKLY 6%
AS PER REQUIREMEN T 60%
REASONS BEHIND VISIT APOLLO PHARMACY

There are several reasons behind why do they visited Apollo Pharmacy. The reason
s are as follows:
Quality Variety All under one roof Brand name Service Out
mbience Friendly behavior Privilege scheme Easy access
The survey shows that the service is the main reason behind it.
43

SATISFACTION LEVEL BASED ON POST PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR

After doing all the hard work I have been found the satisfaction level of custom
er after post purchase behavior is satisfied. The survey shows that the 48% cust
omers are satisfied and 34% are highly satisfied. SATISFIED 48% HIGHLY SATISFIED
34% UNSATISFIED 6% AVERAGE 12%
SWOT ANALYSIS
44

During my survey I have been found some STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITY and THRE
AT. I am now going to analysis this. This is called SWOT ANALYSIS.
STRENGTH
Brand name
WEAKNESS
Lack of stock in newly open outlets Not creative in respective fields Lack of kn
owledge about doctors Monotonous approach After sales service
OPPORTUNIT Y
Potential market availability Widening the business Brands for ads
THREAT
Continuous monotonous approach Low pricing strategy Toughest competition
Service to the customer Quality of product
Systematic approach Provide general awareness
Tie up with other medicine company Adapt different strategy
FINDINGS
45

The market research has been done in the Urban and SemiUrban area of Kolkata and
other district. The survey reveals some points during my project days. Though m
y project based on Consumer Perception about Retail Medicine Chain Provided by A
pollo Pharmacy, but I have been found some solution for betterment of the Pharma
cy. These are as follows: 1. The customers are relatively new in the pharmacy. 2
. The stock of the medicine should be increased. 3. The awareness has to be grow
ing in the consumer. 4. Use the brand name as for promotion. 5. 24 hours service
is the great idea. 6. Discount on medicine as well as other product it is anoth
er USP of pharmacy. 7. The survey reveals that the customers are satisfied and h
ighly satisfied to the pharmacy, it needs to carry. When everybody is in sleep,
Apollo Pharmacy works for the society 24hrs and 365 days. They work for the cons
umer & work for the society. So the only motto of the company is to evaluate con
sumers wants and needs everyday and night by which they can remain a deep impress
ion on our society.
LIMITATIONS
46

The survey has been gave me some extra opportunity to gather information about r
eal market scenario which will give an extra mileage in future. But there are so
me limitations also during the project which I cant overlook. The limitations are
as follows:
1. Duration of the project by which I have been gathered some data but it is not
sufficient. 2. The project has been done in the urban and semi-urban area for t
hat the whole scenario of the consumer perception may not effective. 3. The surv
ey reveals that the consumer has no idea about retail medicine chain so the answ
er of the questions may be biased. 4. The respondents were in hurry to give the
answer of the questionnaire. 5. The customers were reluctant to give the answer.
6. Some respondents did not co-operate at all.
47

CONCLUSION
After doing all the hard work I have been reached to the conclusion part on cons
umer perception about retail medicine chain provided by Apollo Pharmacy. After d
oing the market survey I want to cite some point on thinking which helps the com
pany. This project cant change the entire scenario of the company but definitely
it helps to some extent of the companys future policies. The areas of this projec
t are as follows: Awareness about retail medicine chain Acceptance of A
rmacy. Competitors position. Acceptance of 24 Hours Services Provided by Apollo P
harmacy. Acceptance of Free Home Delivery Provided by Apollo Pharmacy. After mar
keting customers feedback. Consumer inflow through. Age group of respondents. How
often do they visit the Apollo Pharmacy Outlet? Why they do visit Apollo Pharma
cy? Satisfaction level of consumer based on post purchase behavior.
48

After doing all the hardcore market survey I have been found that the customer a
ccept the Apollo Pharmacy very good way in some areas like 24 hour service, free
home delivery, outlet ambience, service from pharmacy, easy access of medical a
s well as p/L product, honesty from the staff. But except these the survey shows
that there is no awareness about the retail medicine chain among the customer.
The survey was conducted in the urban and semi-urban area. They dont have any ide
a about what is retail medicine chain. They dont have any idea about brand name.
The survey shows that the customer those who are visit Apollo Pharmacy because i
t is nearest to their residency, 24 hour service, discount on the medical as wel
l as p/L, and another FMCG product. The survey also shows that the Free Health C
heck Up Camp provided by Apollo Pharmacy which is the great USP for the Pharmacy
. The idea of this kind of camp will give the great mileage to the pharmacy in f
uture also. Another USP of the company is the p/L product. The consumers are not
able to get this kind of product from local medical shop or any other medicine
shop. To some extent it gives the company some extra mileage. Consumer Awareness
, Availability and variety of the products are two key working area of the compa
ny (Apollo Pharmacy). In future these two fields required more and more concentr
ation for enhancing the business as well as the goodwill of the company. Electro
nic Media and Print Media can help the awareness of the consumers and regular mo
nitoring required for the enhancement of the stocks. In the other hand the gener
al awareness or the mass awareness need to be increase among the public. They sh
ould know what retail medicine chain is.
49

RECOMMENDATIONS
The project is based on Consumer Perception about Retail Medicine Chain Provided
by Apollo Pharmacy. It has been done in the urban and semi-urban area. Though t
he reputation of the pharmacy in urban area is good but in the semi urban area i
t is very poor. The survey reveals that the customers visit Apollo pharmacy as p
er their requirements only other wise they used to go in the local medicine shop
. So first of all some serious steps have to be take for the growth of the compa
ny. The steps are as follows: The general awareness and the mass awareness have
to be increased.
The company should use print media and electronic media to info
rm the customer about the pharmacy.
The monotonous approach by the company shoul
d be rectifying.
The
company must have adopted some creative and innovative process for avoiding mono
tonous activity.
During the survey I have been found that the customer want the doctor should be
there in the pharmacy. The company should think on this issue.
As per survey it reveals that our competitors have been take
some great idea on Free Health Check Up issue. They
50

have been done it on their pharmacy in very regular basis. Those who are coming
to buy medicine they made the check up on there. This is the spot check up which
is may give them some extra mileage. The company should adopt this kind of proc
ess to increase their position in the market. The list of doctor those who are v
isited in the Apollo hospital, it should be available in the pharmacy. The surve
y reveals that the customers want to get the information about doctors and their
visiting hours and other issues also. So the whole information should be availa
ble in the pharmacy.
The customers dont know about what is p/L product. They dont
have any idea about these products. So attractive advertisements of these kinds
of products and general awareness about these products should be increased. The
company should think on it.
Awareness among the sub-urban areas people should be
increased. The company should use their brand image. Increase the motivational
factors among the customers about the brand of Apollo Pharmacy, as well as Apoll
o Hospital.
Last but not the least Apollo Pharmacy has been served here for so long time in
here, so they have some reputation among customers. If anybody said that I am fr
om Apollo Hospital so the customer cant neglect them for sure.
51

APPENDIX
Questionnaire
Name: Phone Number: Address:
Excellent 2.
Very Good
Good
Poor
Average
Acceptance of Apollo Pharmacy
Excellent 3.
Very Good
Good
Poor
Average
Awareness about the Brand Name of Retail Medicine Chain Yes No
a. b. c. d. e. 4.
Apollo Pharmacy Medica Synergye MedPlus Frankrose Dhanantari
f. Others Acceptance of 24 Hours Services provided by Apollo Pharmacy
5.
Excellent Very Good Good Poor Acceptance of Free Home Delivery provided by Apoll
o Pharmacy
Average
Excellent
Very Good
Good positive
Poor
Average negative
6.
7.
After Marketing Customers Feedback Consumer inflow through
52

a. b. c. d.
Marketing Team Door to Door Campaigning Advertisement through Banner & Poster Pa
mphlets Paper insert Medical Camp Others Various Sources
e.
f.
8. Age Group of the Respondents
18 to 25 Years
26 to 40 Years
41 to 59 Years
60 Years & above
9. Variety of the Product Movement
Medicine Surgical General Item (Misc.) others
10.Variety of the Medicine Movement
11.How often do you visited the Apollo Pharmacy Outlet
Diabetic
Cardiac
General (OTC Product)
Neuro
Monthly
Fortnightly
Weekly
As per requirement
12.Which Medicine Retail Outlet do you visited frequently
a. b. c. d. e. f. Apollo Pharmacy Medica Synergye MedPlus Frankrose Dhanantari O
thers Local Shop
13.Why do you visited Apollo Pharmacy
a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. Quality Variety All under one Roof Brand Name Service
Outlet Ambience Friendly Behavior Privilege Scheme Easy Access
14.Indicate Your Satisfaction Level Based on Post Purchase Behavior
53

Satisfied
Highly Satisfied
Unsatisfied
Average
17.
Reamrks
....
...
Date : Place :
Survey made by
INTERVIEW DETAILS
SL NO. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
NAME MR.SOMNATH PODDAR MR.SANKAR SARKAR MR.M.M.TUDO MR.ARINDAM SAHA MR.SUBHAS CH
. BISWAS MRS.ANU ROY MR.SANTANU DASGUPTA MRS.BAKUL SAHA MR.T.K. NATH MR.PRASANTA
PAUL MR.GOUTAM DEBNATH MR.SANJOY DUTTA MRS.LALTI DAS MR.RATAN SAHA MR.TAPAN SAH
A MR.SWAPAN DAS MRS.RANU BALA GHOSH MR.KAJAL BANDHOPADHAYAY
54
INTERVIEW DATE 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25
/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 2
5/07/10 25/07/10

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.
39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.
MR.NARAYAN CHANDRA MR.ARINDAM NEOGI MRS.RANU SAHA MR.SOMNATH SAHA MR.S.NAG MR.J.
NEOGI MR.GOPINATH SAHA MR.ANIL DAS MRS.LAXMI GHOSH MRS.ANU SAHA MR.ASHOK SIKDAR
MR.BINOD RAJAK MRS.KALPANA ROY MR.SANTANU DAS MRS.SHAMASHREE MAJUMDAR MRS.MALAT
I KARMAKAR MR.SANJOY MUKHERJEE MR.S.K. MANI MR.BISWAJIT CHAKRABORTY MR.S. CHANDA
MRS.MADHABI BHOWMICK MRS.JOTCHNA SARKAR MR.BHUPEN BHOWMICK MR.ASHIS BHOWMICK MR
.PANCHANAN CHAKRABORTY MRS.SHILA BHOWMICK MR.ASHIM GHOSH MR.NARESH.CH.CHAKRABORT
Y MRS.PURNIMA GHOSH MRS.RITA SIKDAR
55
25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10
25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/1
0 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/
10 25/07/10 25/07/10 25/07/10

49. 50.
MR.TAPAN KR. DAS MRS.SADHANA BHOWMICK
25/07/10 25/07/10
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. http://www.apollopharmacy.in 2. http://www.apollohospitals.com
3. http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com 4. http://www.allbusiness.com
5. Kotler P., MARKETING MANAGEMENT, 13TH EDISION
6. ROBBINS S.P., ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
56