“A STUDY ON CONSUMER AND RETAILER’S

BUYING BEHAVIOUR FOR PULSE CANDY”

SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT

SUBMITTED TOWARDS PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
(Affiliated to Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut)
Academic Session
(2016-2019)
Submitted by:

Auttam Kumar
169359045
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:

External Supervisor Internal Supervisor

Naman Surana Ms. Shenki Tyagi

Ds Group (Mentor) Assistant Professor
IMS Ghaziabad

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

(UNIVERSITY COURSES CAMPUS)

1
 NH- 24, ADHYATMIK NAGAR, GHAZIABAD-201 009

PREFACE

No professional curriculum is considered complete without work experience. Every

individual who is doing management studies has to go this phase of practical study before

he/she consider himself/herself fully qualified as problem managers.

Theory studies provide information about the managerial aspects, but practical

observations provide information about the activities taking place in an organization.

Practical and direct observation is a dynamic approach in learning the functions of an

organization, which provides first hand information through various means such as

discussion with managers, executive, etc Apart from such discussions, I gathered

information through journals magazines, handbook, website, newspaper etc. Practical

observation is an important part of Personnel Development. In order to apply my skills on

the practical observations I carried a research study.

2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

One of the most pleasant aspects of writing an acknowledgement is the opportunity

to thank all those who have contributed to it. A successful project is a result of

team work and co-ordination that includes not only the group of developers who

put forth the ideas, logic and efforts but also those who guide them First of all, I

wish to express my sincere gratitude to under super vision of ​Ms. Shenki Tyagi

(Assistant Professor) ​for giving me opportunity to do research under her profound

guidance. Because of her inspiring guidance, motivation, positive criticism,

continuous encouragement and untiring supervision this work could be brought to

its present shape. At end just as significantly I would like to express my gratitude to

Mr. NAMAN SURANA ​forgive me opportunity to work ds group (mentor)

I would like to thank all of them who in one way or the other have helped me.

AUTTAM KUMAR

3
4
 ​DECLARATION

This is to certify that the piece of Project Report entitled “ ​TO STUDY CONSUMER

AND RETAILERS BUYING BEHAVIOUR FOR PULSE CANDY​”

PULSE CANDY is my original work and this has not been submitted in part or full to

this or any other university/institution for the award of any degree or diploma.

AUTTAM KUMAR

169359045

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TABLE OF CONTENT

6
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page no.

1. Executive Summary 7-8

2. Introduction 9-11

3. Company Profile 12-25

4. Literature Reviews 26-36

5. Research objective 37-38

6. Research Methodology 39-40

7. Data analysis and interpretation 41-64

8. Findings 65-67

9. Limitations 68-69

10. Recommendations 70-71

11. Conclusion 72-73

Appendices

Bibliography

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EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

8
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Pulse candy is a hard boiled candy, with a tangy twist this was launched in the year 2015.

The research to understand consumer buying behavior and retailer buying behavior for

pulse candy the survey is to be completed by taking sample size of about 230 which

further divided into-Consumers 200, Retailers 30

The survey is in the process of completion by far few areas have been covered as such as

Noida, Central Delhi Faridabad and some part of south Delhi to understand the retailer’s

behavior interaction to get the sufficient data. So this study is about identifying the

consumer behavior what they are looking for when buying the particular product. Who

are the consumers we are catering too? What age groups? When are they consuming our

product? Who told them about this product? And other various parameters similarly in

the context of retailers as well what are the competitive brands available? How many jars

are consumed in one week? From where you get the supply of the products All this

related to this study for understanding the consumer as well as the retailers so that the

product is reached out to the maximum consumers and the demand .

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INTRODUCTION

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 ​INTRODUCTION

CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR:

Consumer buyer behaviour is considered to be an inseparable part of marketing state that

consumer buying behaviour is the study of the ways of buying and disposing of goods,

services, ideas or experiences by the individuals, groups and organizations in order to

satisfy their needs and wants. Consumer buying behaviour has been defined as “a

process, which through inputs and their use though process and actions leads to

satisfaction of needs and wants. Consumer buying behaviour has numerous factors as a

part of it which are believed to have some level of effect on the purchasing decisions of

the customers.

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 Consumer Buying Behavior

The buying behavior of consumers will be elaborated before studying the effects of the sales

promotion on the buying behavior of consumer.

RETAILER’S BUYING BEHAVIOUR:

Retailer’s buying behavior is also known as organizational buying behavior. Those who

supply goods and services to consumer markets are themselves in need of goods and service to

Unit their business. Some retailers sell exclusively to other organizations and never come into

contact with consumer buyers. Despite the importance of markets far less retailer research has

been conducted on factors that influence their behavior than on factors that influence consumers.

However, we can identify characteristics that distinguish retailers buying from consumer buying

and typical steps in the retail buying process.

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 Retailers buying behavior

COMPANY
13
PROFILE

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The early 20th century, when trade and commerce had not witnessed the advent of brands

and marketing warfare in India, Shri Dharampal ji – the founder of DS Group, set up a

Small perfumery shop in Chandni Chowk, Delhi in the year 1929. The urge to create a

business around consumer tastes and preferences led Dharampal ji to innovate quality

products. His sagacity revolutionized the market of chewing tobacco and the shop in

Chandni Chowk became renowned not only in Delhi but even amongst the connoisseurs

of tobacco in other parts of India and the world. Blending modernity, technology and

tradition, Dharampal ji’s son Satyapal ji brought the dawn of a new era - an era that saw

a revolution. Satyapal ji inherited qualities of high virtues, innovation and aspiration for

being the best in the business. His in-depth knowledge of perfumes honoured him the title

of “Sugandhi” (Perfumer). He is credited with blending tobacco with various exquisite

fragrances. He is also known for bringing the element of quality and research hitherto

unknown in this category. Under the able stewardship of Satyapal ji, the nation’s first

ever-branded chewing tobacco BABA was launched in 1964 which became an instant

success and widely popular in its category. And what followed later were an array of

premium brands like Tulsi and a host of others which have established their leadership in

their own category and created new markets in its wake. Continuing the fervor of

innovation and quality, the Group set new benchmarks in Foods & Beverages.

Innovative tabletop sprinklers changed the way Indian households had been enjoying salt

15
and spices. Be it Catch Spices or Catch Beverages; today catch stands for international

quality and convenience. Mouth fresheners like Rajnigandha and Pass Pass created new

offerings and established new categories. The Group has also ventured into a rapidly

growing hospitality sector with extensive five star properties in the larger cities and

boutique & heritage properties at tourist destinations. The Group has also successfully

ventured into Packaging, Rubber Thread, Steel in the last few years. Since the launch of

BABA, the Group has never looked back, reaching for milestones year after year. Thus,

evolving from a single product to multiple brands, DS has successfully woven over eight

decades legend of innovation and enterprise. And the quest for innovation continues.

​INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE COMPANY

Dharampal Satyapal Group, a rapidly growing multi-diversified conglomerate with a

turnover of approximately Rs. 7,700 Cr. has a strong presence in high growth sectors

such as F&B, Hospitality, Mouth Fresheners, Tobacco, Packaging, Agro forestry, Rubber

Thread and infrastructure. The Group has further strengthened its presence in the F&B

category by entering into Dairy and Confectionary segments. Founded in the year 1929,

DS Group has remained committed towards creating premium quality products and has

been credited with several breakthrough innovations over the last eight decades. The

product range of DS Group has evolved magnificently over the years and its undeterred

pursuit for 'Quality & Innovation' has given impetus to consumer loyalty and satisfaction.

DS Group has more than 24 manufacturing units spread across Delhi, NOIDA, Himachal

Pradesh, Assam and Tripura to generate its wide range of products. From an assorted

range of F&B products to idyllic hospitality ventures; from splendid manufacturing units

16
of Flexi Packaging to sprawling plants for Rubber Thread production; the legacy of DS

Group has indeed come full circle with the success of all its diverse endeavors.

DS Group has established and maintained its market leadership in the chewing tobacco

segment, with brands like 'Baba' and 'Tulsi'. The Group got into the mouth freshener

category with Rajnigandha - world's largest selling premium Pan Masala and expanded

the category with Tansen and Meetha Maaza, which have become the preferred choice of

connoisseurs around the world. Tansen and Rajnigandha recently extended their product

offering by adding Tansen Blues, the non-saffron variant and Rajnigandha Clove, the

clove flavoured pan masala respectively. 'Rajnigandha Silver Pearls,' the saffron blended,

silver coated cardamom seeds is also a recent addition to the mouth freshener category.

Pass-Pass & Chingles marked the Group's entry into confectionary business. The brand

Pass Pass has been repositioned to encompass a broader portfolio of pioneering products

in Confectionary business. From traditional natural mouth fresheners to the fun-filled

mini chewing gums 'Chingles', DS confections offer the choicest innovative flavors for

all age groups. 'Pulse', the Kachcha Aam flavoured candy with a tangy twist, marks the

Group's foray into the candy segment.

'Catch' is recognized as the topmost premium F&B brands of the country today. 'Catch'

pepper and salt marked its debut in the rotatory table top dispenser category in 1987 and

remains leader in this segment even now. Today, 'Catch' offers a wide range of spices and

seasonings that lend exquisite flavors and tantalizing aromas to cuisines across the

country. Recently launched, 'Catch Miniz' has been developed keeping in mind the

17
changing lifestyles of consumers today, who demands, personalization, contemporary

flavours and ease of use, with excellent the quality and taste.

'Catch' water is the nation's first ever 'Natural Spring Water' bottled at the source in

Himalayas the wide beverage range made from the 'Catch Natural Spring Water' is

available under the Catch umbrella. 'Catch Clear Flavored Spring Water', made by

blending natural fruit flavors with sparkling spring water is caffeine free and calorie free,

thus favorites of health-conscious consumers. 'Catch Club Soda' is another successful

product from the 'Catch' family and 'Catch' Tonic Water is India's first zero calorie Tonic

Water available in a PET bottle and many more.

'Catch' launched the powdered drinks Piyoz and Yomil in 2012 which offer traditional

beverages with the added convenience of just mixing and enjoying the drink. Piyoz is

enriched with Calcium, Iron and Vitamin C. A healthy option to fizzy drinks, it has a

wide range of flavors like cool Aam Panna, Chatpata Jaljeera, Saada Bahaar Nimbu Pani

and Tingling Orange.

DS Group successfully ventured into the rapidly growing hospitality sector with 'The

Manu Maharani' which is a super deluxe property in Nainital epitomizing impeccable

service and premium facilities. The resort at Jim Corbett, "Namah" opened its doors a

couple of years back and is already one of the favorites of the discerning traveler. The

Group launched the first five star Hotel 'Radisson Blu', in the North East region at

Guwahati last year and another business hotel, Crowne Plaza at Jaipur was recently

launched this year. Going forward with its extensive plans, the Group has acquired the

18
Kolkata Airport Hotel property where a budget hotel is under construction. In addition to

the above ventures, land has also been acquired in other cities with plans to set up hotels

and resorts in future.

Packaging is another area of diversification for the Group. An eco friendly revolutionary

packaging plant to make rigid biodegradable cans was set up in India in 2001, in

association with Canpact – a leading Switzerland based packaging major. This

eco-friendly packaging material is light weight and corrosion free, and is used for

packaging in the food industry.

Another ultra modern Flexible Packaging Unit in Assam manufactures laminates and

pouches used for packaging consumer products like snacks, soaps, shampoos, etc. The

plant was set up in 2007 and has an installed capacity of 3600MT annually.

A heat resistant Rubber Thread plant in Agartala was added to the Group's portfolio in

August 2006. It uses state-of-the-art Italian technology to manufacture one of the best

rubber thread products in Asia under the name of Unitex, which is the largest selling

rubber thread brand in the country today.

Under Agro-Forestry division, the Company grows Medicinal & Aromatic plants on

wastelands/semi-arid/fallow lands using modern technology. The Company has

regenerated one of the endangered forest species 'Sandalwood' in Central India and has

established the largest Sandalwood plantation as Agro-forestry model in India.DS Group

is also the first in India to successfully cultivate horticultural crops in the

19
non-conventional regions of Madhya Pradesh. The company is focusing on water

harvesting and conservation to raise the water-table in the area.

fictionally, the Group has successfully diversified into the lucrative and profitable Dairy

business. This is a significant milestone added to the legacy of DS Group. The Dairy

Plant spread over an area of 10.2 acres has a capacity to handle approximately 6 lakh

liters of milk per day. The Plant conforms to the highest sanitary and hygiene standards.

The DS Dairy Plant has highest quality and process certifications such as FSSC:

22000:2013, EIA approved by Ministry for Milk and Milk products, Agmark, BIS

Certification, FSSAI License, etc.

Ksheer, the premium dairy brand for retail market is the latest addition to the DS

portfolio. The current product basket of Ksheer contains UHT Milk, Cow & Desi Ghee,

pure Fresh Milk, Chaach, Dahi, Paneer, Flavored milk, Dairy Whitener & Creamer.

Moving beyond business, DS Group constantly nurtures its responsibility as a committed

corporate citizen by regarding Corporate Social Responsibility as an integral part of its

Business Objectives. DS Group believes in building sustainable communities that are

economically, environmentally, and socially healthy and resilient. We offer integrated

solutions to achieve this and focus on critical areas such as Livelihood Enhancement,

Skill Development and Water Management for long term and sustainable impact all over

the country. The Group works strongly on the principles of integrity, dedication,

resourcefulness and commitment.

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The Company leverages its strength through dealer network expansion and up gradation

of production facilities, while reviewing its commitments to quality, innovation and

consumer satisfaction. For DS Group, a 'winning strategy at work' is the one that follows

a well-defined procedure for product development and quality assurance, constantly

innovating and improvising its manufacturing components, leading to the making of a

perfect product.

VISION​:

To be a leading quality & innovation driven global conglomerate.

INNOVATION: Creative, out of box thinking, doing things in a newer, better,

cost effective & efficient way. It’s basically plays on humor. Main objective of

company is “INDIANESS”

MISSION: ​We are constantly striving to achieve excellence in all our endeavors’

to create sustainable value for our stakeholders and the community at large.

EXCELLENCE: State of Superiority in virtue with respect to product or service quality

and touch point management.

VALUE: ​Creating tangible benefit, both financial & non-financial

STAKEHOLDERS: ​Investors bankers & financial institution, consumers, channel

partners: supplier and business partners. Employees regulatory and government.

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 ​ ​BCG MATRIX OF DS GROUP

​High MARKET SHARE Low

High

MARKET

GROWTH

RATE

Low

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 SWOT ANALYSIS (PULSE CANDY)

WEAKNES STRENGTH

Brand name of “pass pass”. Limited Flavors

Strong WOM publicity Limited presence in market

Distribution network of DS Group High price (Re.1)as compared

850000 retails to other candies in the same

Surprise element

Unique Taste and Packaging

​OPPURTUNITY THREATS

Increase Market Penetration Other candies offering similar

products

Tie Ups with Restaurants Consumers wanting new taste &

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Add more flavors experience

Cheaper Candies are available

PRODUCTS

TABACCO AND RELATED PRODUCTS

● Baba

● Baba 600

● Baba Chewing Tabacco

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a) MOUTHFRESHNER

● Rajnigandha

● Rajnigandha Clove

● Rajnigandha pearls

● MeethaMaaza

● Tulsi Saada

● Tansen Supreme

● Tansen blues

● Baba Elaichi

● Babasupari

b) CONFECTIONARY

● Pass Pass

● Pass Pass Chingles

● Pass Pass Pulse

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c) FOOD AND BEVERAGES

● Catch Spices

● Catch Beverages

● Catch foils

● Catch Powdered Beverages

Piyoz

Zomil

d) DAIRY

● Dairymax

● Ksheer

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e) ​HEAT RESISTANT LATEX RUBBER THREAD

● Unitex

f) ​HOSPITALITY

● The Manu Maharani

● Namah, Jim Corbett National Park

● Radisson Blu Hotel, Guwahati

● Crowne Plaza Hotel, Jaipur

● Swasthyagram

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g) AGRO FORESTRY

h) PACKAGING

● CANPAC

● Flexible Packaging

i) INFRASTRUCTURE

● Cement

● Steel

● powder

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LITERATURE
REVIEW

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 LITERATURE REVIEW

Research work done in the past regarding awareness, factors influencing the

consumption, brand loyalty, brand composition and demand estimation of food products

has been reviewed and presented as under.

2.1 Awareness of consumers

2.2 Factors influencing consumption

2.3 Brand loyalty

2.4 Brand composition

2.5 Demand estimation

2.1 AWARENESS OF CONSUMERS

Brown et al. (2000) reported that the need for effective nutritional education for

young consumers has become increasingly apparent, given their general food

habits and behavior, particularly during adolescence and analyzed that the

interaction between young consumers' food preferences and their nutritional

awareness behavior, within three environments (home, school and social). The

results indicated that the perceived dominance of home, school and social

interaction appears to be somewhat overshadowed by the young consumers,

while developing an 'independence' trait, particularly during the adolescent

years. The authors suggested that food preferences are often of a 'fast food'

30
 type and consequently the food habits of many young consumers may fuel

the consumption of poorly nutritionally balanced meals. While young

consumers were aware of healthy eating, their food preference behavior did not

always appear to reflect such knowledge, particularly within the school and

social environments.

Nanda Gopal and Chinnaiyan (2003) concluded that the level of awareness

among the rural consumers about the brand of soft drinks was high which was

indicated by the mode of purchase of the soft drinks by “Brand Name”. The major

source of brand awareness was word of mouth followed by advertisements, family

members, relatives and friends.

2.2 ​FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMPTION

Balaji (1985​) studied fish consumption behavior of 526 consumers in

Vishakhapatnam city. The study revealed that 77 per cent of respondents

consumed fish for dinner and 22 per cent for lunch. About 30 percent of the

respondents did not consume fish on festival days, as those days were considered

auspicious, while the rest had no notations and consumed fish, irrespective of

festivals.

Gluck man (1986) ​studied the factors influencing consumption and preference

for wine. The explicit factors identified were, the familiarity with brand

name, the price of wine, quality or the mouth feel of the liquid, taste with

regards to its sweetness or dryness and the suitability for all tastes. Some of

the implicit factors identified through extensive questioning were, color and

31
appearance. Most consumers seemed to prefer white wine to red. Packaging,

appearance, color, cognateness, use of foreign language and graphics were taken

as important clues for quality and price.

Jorin (1987) examined changes in spending power and buying habits of

Swiss consumers since the beginning of the 20th century and in the more

recent past. Current trends include greater emphasis on health and safety of

foodstuffs and less attention to price, increased demand for low calorie light

products and increased demand for organically grown foods. For young people,

more concern with enjoyment and less for health, with more meals eaten away

from home, and generally an increased demand for convenience foods. The

prospects for high quality branded products are seen to be good.

Rees (1992), in his study revealed that factors influencing the consumer’s

choice of food are flavor, texture appearance, advertising a reduction in

traditional cooking, fragmentation of family means and an increase in

‘snacking’etc. Demographic and household role changes and the introduction of

microwave ovens have produced changes in eating habits. Vigorous sale of

chilled and other prepared foods is related to the large numbers of working

wives and single people, who require and value convenience.

Development in retailing with concentration of 80% of food sales in

supermarkets is also considered to be important. Consumers are responding to

messages about safety and health eating. They are concerned about the way in

which food is produced and want safe, ‘natural’, high quality food at an

32
appropriate price.

Ragavan (1994) reported that, quality, regular availability, price, accuracy in

weighing and billing, range of vegetables and accessibility as the factors in

the order of importance which had influenced purchase of vegetables by

respondents from modern retail outlet.

Amitha (1998) : studied the factors influencing the consumption of selected

dairy products in Bangalore city. The results of the study revealed that,

income and price significantly influenced the consumption of table butter.

Price had a negative impact and income a positive impact on consumption.

Srinivasan (2000) ​reported that, consumer with higher educational level was

found to consume more processed products. The quantities of processed fruit and

vegetable products were consumed more in high-income group. The tolerate limit

of price increase identified was less than 5%, any price change above this

limit, would result in discontinuance of the use processed product.

Consumers preferred processed products because of convenience of ready to

eat form.

Kamalaveni and Nirmala (2000) ​reported that, there is complete agreement

between ranking given by the housewives and working women regarding the

reasons promoting them to buy Instant food products. Age, occupation,

education, family size and annual income had much influence on the per capita

expenditure of the Instant food products.

Nandagopal and Chinnaiyan (2003) conducted a study on brand preference

33
 of soft drinks in rural Tamil Nadu, using Garrets ranking technique, to rank

factors influencing the soft drinks preferred by rural consumer. They found

that, the product quality was ranked as first, followed by retail price. Good quality

and availability were the main factors, which influenced the rural Consumers of

a particular brand of a product.

2.3 BRAND LOYALTY

Singh and Singh (1981) found that consumers had single or multi-brand loyalty

based on the nature of product, like necessities or luxuries. Brand choice and store

loyalty were found to affect the brand loyalty of the consumer. The factors that

influence and strengthen loyalty to brand were quality of product, habit of use and

ready and regular availability.

Ali (1992) studied the brand loyalty and switching pattern of processed fruit

and vegetable products in Bangalore city by using Markov Chain analysis. The

result of study revealed that Kissan brand of jam and Maggie brand of ketchup had a

maximum brand loyalty among consumers, and less amount of brand switching

occurred for these brands.

Frederick Reich held (1994) pointed out in his book, “The Loyalty Effect”,

that, ‘customers equity effectively explains success and failure in business’. The

companies with the highest retention rates also earn the benefit profits. Relative

retention explains profits better than market share, scale, cost position or any

other variable associated with competitive advantage.

Ranganatham and Shanthi (1995) conducted a study on brand image among

34
refrigerators in Tamil Nadu. The study revealed that Kelvinator scored higher for

working of its power saving compressor, cooling power and its price was considered,

except for defrost and new features. Voltas brand clearly outperformed others

with respect to working of defrost system and always caused satisfaction with the

models available under its brand name. The potential buyers felt that Godrej and

Voltas had got a well known corporate identity. Hansetal. (1996) revealed that, the

brand switching of consumer was based on variety seeking behavior, motivations,

curiosity and price motive.

Ashalatha (1998) studied the factors influencing the performance of BAMUL milk

for a sample of 100 respondents. The study revealed that the factors such as door

delivery, clean packing, quality, hygienic preparation, time saving and reliability,

good value for money, freshness and desired flavor were important in the order in

influencing the decision of buyers for BAMUL milk.

Padmanabhan (1999) conducted study on brand loyalty, which revealed that the

price of the preferred brand, efficiency of the preferred brand and influence of

advertisement significantly influenced the brand loyalty. Only when the price of

a particular brand is comparatively low, the farmers would naturally prefer to low

priced brand. Otherwise farmers would naturally continue to purchase the same

brand.

Kamenidou (2002) ​presented the findings on the purchasing and consumption

behavior of Greek households towards three processed peach products: canned

peaches in syrup, juice and peach jam. The results revealed that 47.5% of the

35
 households purchased canned peaches in syrup, 67.4% purchased peach juice

and 42.6% purchased peach jam. Reasons for such purchase were satisfactory taste

and qualities and households' perception that they are healthy products. The

results also indicated that the consumption quantities were considered low, while

households usually purchased the same brand name, meaning that there is a

tendency for brand loyalty.

Al-Weqaiyan (2005), using the attitude behavior model, conducted a

cross-national study of purchase intentions of fast-food meals in Kuwait, where

creating and maintaining a strong brand loyalty is essential to long-term marketing

success. He reported that, repurchase intent is a function of four sets of independent

factors such as (1) Attitude that results mainly from earlier experiences with the

brand;(2) Perceived barriers to switching from the present brand; (3) tendency to

seek variety to break the boredom resulting from engaging in consistent brand

choices; and (4) cultural differences represented in some traits of the national

character. The results revealed that factors affecting repurchase intents vary across the

two cultures.

2.4 ​BRAND COMPOSITION

Sabeson (1992), in his study stated that high quality, price and taste of the

product were the major criteria based on which the consumers selected a brand

of processed fruits and vegetable products.

Low and Lamb Jr. (2000) came out with an interesting conclusion that well-

36
known brands tend to exhibit multi-dimensional brand associations, consistent with

the idea that consumers have more developed memory structures for more familiar

brands. Consumers might be willing to expend more energy in processing

information regarding familiar brands compared to unfamiliar brands.

Bristow et al. (2002​) mentioned brand name as a node to which the linkages

or the brand associations might be linked. A node was activated initially by

an external cue, would also activate associated nodes through a set of

linkages in place and the final set of information recalled would be based on

the particular path of nodes and linkages activated in the given situation. Thus

brand name might be part of several different sequences, depending upon the

activated path.

Sanjaya et al. (2002​) reported that, the decision for purchasing branded fine rice

was mostly made by the wives of the family. The retailers were ranked as the

prime source of information about branded fine rice. The monthly purchase is

the most preferred frequency of purchase, which might be due to the fact that

most of the respondents were of monthly salaried class and they would

have planned their purchase accordingly along with other provision items.

The quality and the image of the brand were ranked as the major factors for brand

preference in the purchase of branded fine rice. .

Sampath Kumar (2003) studied about brand preference in soft drinks in

Telangana region of Andra Pradesh. He found that in rural market about

37.5 per cent of consumers prefered Thumbs-up (urban 30%), followed by

37
 Coco cola (28.5%) (Urban 37.5%), Pepsi 12.5 present (urban 9%), Limca (4 per

cent) (urban8.5%). Most of the urban consumers (67per cent) purchased soft

drinks in nearest Kirani stores (rural 73%), followed by super bazaar (27 per cent)

(rural 26%) and others (6 per cent0 (rural 1%). The method of physical

distribution played very vital role in company’s success and failure in the market.

Transportation is among the major functions of physical distribution. Transport

adds time and place utility for the product.

Ramaswamy et al. (2005) ​studied consumer behavior towards instant food

products in Madurai, the second largest city in Tamil Nadu and observed

that consumers do build opinion about a brand on the basis of which various

product features play an important role in decision making process. A large

number of respondents (78%) laid emphasis on quality and 76% on price which

is an important factor, while 64% of respondents attached importance to the

image of the manufacturer and 50% considered packaging as an important factor

and an equal percentage (50%) felt longer shelf life influenced them. .

2​.​5 DEMAND POTENTIAL

Alderman (1987) attempted to estimate the demand for milk supplied by

the co-operative sector, taking into consideration the socio-economic status

of the producers and consumers. It was estimated that the average expenditure

on milk by the sample consumers was 9 per cent and the elasticity was 0.0113. It

was also observed that the demand for milk products, especially ghee, yogurt and

butter, were rapidly increasing compared to that of milk. Mergos and Donatos

38
 (1989) applied the “Almost Ideal Demand System” model for annual food

expenditure in Greece for the period from 1950-1986. The empirical results

showed that milk had an income elasticity of 0.76, which was the highest.

The demand for milk, dairy products and eggs was high and had a rather stable

food budget share. Price elasticity.

Sharma and Vashisi (1991) ​used secondary data from various sources to project

the demand and supply of milk in Himachal Pradesh. The income elasticity of

milk was derived using double exponential function. Income elasticity was used

as proxy for expenditure elasticity. The results showed that demand for milk

would depend upon growth of human population, urbanization and growth

in real income of people.

Durga and Murthy (1995) attempted to estimate demand for food in urban

and rural areas using NSS data. The popular “Almost Ideal Demand System”

was used for this purpose. Demand projections were made fewer than two

alternative income growth scenarios for the period from 1988-89 to 1992-93. The

two-model variant was found to forecast the demand differently. It was

concluded that the cereal consumption declined over the years in urban

India, signaling shift in consumers taste and preference away from cereals.

Paroda et al. (2000) projected household and domestic demand for food products

between the years 2000 and 2030 in different south Asian countries. It was observed

that the consumption of cereals would decline with the increasing share of

fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, eggs and fish in the diet. The household and

39
domestic demand for food grains was projected to grow by 1.2 percent, by 2030.

Hajarika and Sarma (2001) projected demand for and supply of rice in

Assam for 2010-11, by using secondary data from various sources for the period of

1980-81 to 1994-95 for the six agro-climatic regions or zone

40
 RESARCH
OBJECTIVES

41
 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Every organisation has to achieve its organisation goals. For this it is very essential for an

organisation to know about the view of consumers and the competitive products. This

research also aimed as to estimate potential buyers of the product.

The purpose of the study is as under:

CONSUMER:

● To know about the position of the pulse candy as it is been newly launched and

for the first time DS group has diversified in the candy segment.

● To analyse its taste, quality and demand.

● To know the customer loyalty and their taste and preferences regarding the

product.

RETAILER:

● To check the retailer buying demand of the product.

● To know whether another brand is providing schemes or extra benefit to retailers.

● To know if the retailers are helping the company in increasing the sale and

making the brand aware amongst consumers.

● To check the availability and visibility of the pulse candy with the retailers

42
 RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

43
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research design is the basic framework which provides guidelines for the rest of research

process. It specifies the methods for data collection and data analysis. In this research

project researcher has used the survey method of data collection, to be more specific

questionnaire method. Out of the universe our sample size is 230. Respondents in the

sample size were asked to fill the questionnaire.

1: RESEARCH DESIGN USED:

Research is an art of scientific, investigation and systematic research for pertinent

information on a specific .Researcher has used descriptive type of research. Descriptive

research designing can be used to study: consumer profiles, market potential studies,

product usage, attitude surveys, sales analysis, media research and price surveys etc.

2:DATA COLLECTION METHOD:

Researcher has used survey method for data collection. Survey is the most commonly

used method.

3: DATA SOURCE:

Primary data: The objectives of primary data are formulated on the basis of research

objectives. Primary data has been collected personally from various consumers as well

as retailers.

44
Secondary data: Researcher has collected data from magazines, newspaper and

different websites.

4: RESEARCH INSTRUMENT:

A. Questionnaire for consumers: Questionnaires consist of 14 questions presented to

respondents for their answers. Because of its flexibility, the questionnaire is the most

common instrument used to collect primary data.

B. Questionnaire for retailers: Questionnaires consist of 16 questions presented to

respondents for their responses.

5: TYPE OF QUESTIONNAIRE:

Structured, Non-disguised- In this types of questioning the researcher setup a formal

list of questions Answers are frequently limited to a list of alternatives which is stated

or implied.

6: TYPE OF QUESTIONS:

● Close-ended

● Open ended

7:​ ATTITUDE MESSUERMENT TECHNIQUES:

Direct Personal Interaction - A direct personal interaction is face-to-face

communication with the respondents. The interviewer gets in touch with the respondents

ask the questions, and records the answers obtained.

45
(A) Sample Size-​ Retailers -30

Consumers -200

(B) Place of the Study-

Delhi

NOIDA

Faridabad

46
DATA ANALYSIS

INTERPRETATION

47
 ​CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

CUSTOMER’S OCCUPATION

OCCUPATION FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

● Student 91 45.5%

● Employed 46 23%

● Self-Employed 55 27.5%

● Home-Maker 8 4%

Table No. 1: Customer’s Occupation

48
 Chart No. 1: Customer’s Occupation

Interpretation: By this chart it is concluded that maximum consumption of pulse

candy is done by student i.e. 45.5% and following that by people who are self
–employed i.e. 27.5%.

CUSTOMER’S GENDER

GENDER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

● Female 128 64%

● Male 72 36%

Table No. 2: Customer’s Gender

49
 Chart No. 2: Customer’s Gender

Interpretation: ​By this chart it is concluded that the maximum consumption of

pulse candy is done by females i.e. 63.7% as compared to males’ i.e. 36.3%.

​CUSTOMER’S MONTHLY INCOME:

MONTHLY INCOME FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

● Less Than 10,000 20 10%

● 10,000-25,000 8 4%

50
● 25,000-50,000 57 28.5%

● 50,000 and above 65 32.5%

● Not Applicable 50 25%

Table No. 4: Customer’s Monthly Income

Chart No. 4: Customer’s Monthly Income

Interpretation: ​By this chart it is concluded that people with 50,000 and above
consume this product the most and followed by people with income 25,000-50,000
and so on

CUSTOMER’S SOURCE OF AWARENESS ABOUT PULSE CANDY

51
MODE OF AWARENESS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

● Newspaper 41 20.5%

● Magazine 1 .5%

● Television 2 1%

● Social Media 11 5.5%

● Friends/Family 96 48%

● Word of mouth 49 24.5%

Table No. 6: Customer’s source of awareness about pulse candy

Chart No. 6: Customer’s source of awareness about pulse candy

52
Interpretation: ​Almost 48.5% people came to knew about this product through
friends and family 20.5% 0f people came to know through word of mouth and
so on.

CUSTOMER’S PREVIOUS CONSUMPTION

VIOUS CONSUMPTION QUENCY CENTAGE

● Alpenliebe

● Mango Bite

● Hajmola %

● Others %

Table No. 7: Customer’s previous consumption

Chart No. 7: Customer’s previous consumption

53
Interpretation: ​By this chart it is concluded that people consumed other product
such as Melody, center fresh, Orbit etc . The percentage of other product is 38.5%
which is highest among all followed by hajmola at 29.5% and so on​.

FIRST THING TRIGGERED IN CUSTOMER’S MIND BUY THIS PRODUCT

FIRST TRIGGER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

ABOUT PRODUCT

● Taste 152 76%

● Popularity 37 18.5%

● Price 7 3.5%

● Packaging 4 2%

Table No. 8 First thing triggered in Customer’s mind buy this product

54
 Chart No. 8 First thing triggered in customer’s mind buy this product

Interpretation: ​By this chart it is concluded that consumer are mainly triggered
by the taste i.e. 76% and 18.5% of people are triggered by popularity and so on.

PLACES CUSTOMER’S USUALLY PREFER TO BUY PULSE CANDY

PLACE YOU USUALLY FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

BUY

● Grocery store 89 44.5%

● Paan shop 34 17%

● Wholesale market 47 23.5%

55
● Hypermarket 30 15%

Table No. 9: Places customer’s usually prefer to buy pulse candy

Table No. 9: Places customer’s usually prefer to buy pulse candy

Interpretation: ​By this chart it is concluded that 44.5% of people buy this
product from grocery store followed by 23.5% of people buy it from wholesale
market and so on.

FREQUENCY OF CONSUMPTION OF PULSE CANDY BY CUSTOMER’S

FREQUENCY OF FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

CONSUMPTION

● Daily 98 49%

56
● Alternatively 34 17%

● Once a week 16 8%

● Once a month 52 26%

Table No. 10: Frequency of consumption of pulse candy by customer’s

Table No. 10: Frequency of consumption of pulse candy by customer’s

Interpretation: ​By this chart we can figure out that 49% of people consume this
product daily where as 26% of people consume the product once a month.

CSTOMER’S OVERALL SATISFACTION

57
SATISFACTION FROM FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

THE PRODUCT

● Yes 176 88%

● No 24 12%

Table No. 13: Customer’s overall satisfaction

Chart No. 13: Customer’s overall satisfaction

Interpretation: ​By this chart it is concluded that 88% of people are satisfied with
the product while 12% of people are not​.

58
 FLAVOURS RECOMMENED BY VARIOUS CUSTOMER

● Orange

● Pineapple

● Lime

● Litchi

● Kala khatta

● Mango

● Strawberry

● Mint

● Green Apple

● Red grapes

● Black current

● Imli

AND 40% of the people recommended that kaccha aam is best in itself.

59
 ​ RETAILERS KEEPING PULSE CANDY

AILERS KEEPING PULSEQUENCY CENTAGE

CANDY

● YES

● NO

Table No. 14: Retailers keeping pulse candy

Chart No. 14: Retailers keeping pulse candy

60
Interpretation: ​Almost 90% of retailer in the NCR region keep the pulse candy
.while other 10% of people keep other spurious brand.

RETAILERS KEEPING SIMILAR PRODUCT LIKE PULSE

LAR PRODUCT LIKE PULSE QUENCY CENTAGE

● NO %

● YES

Table No.15 : Retailers keeping similar product like pulse

61
 Chart No. 15: Retailers keeping similar product like pulse

​Interpretation: ​93.33% retailer keep pulse at their shop while 6.67% of retailer do keep
duplicate of pulse such as plus, blast, whereas now a day parle has also launched a
product similar to pulse.

OTHER COMPETITIVE BRANDS AVAILABLE WITH RETAILERS

ERCOMPETITIVE BRAND UENCY CENTAGE

AVAILABLE

● Mango bite %

62
 ● Alpenliebe

● Hajmola %

● Other %

● Lookalike

Table No. 16: Other competitive brands available with retailers

Chart No. 16: Other competitive brands available with retailers

Interpretation: ​33.33% of people consume other candy while 26.67% of people

consume HAJMOLA following 23.33% of people prefer MANGO BITE followed by
10% of people consume Alpenliebe and 6.67% consumer candy with spurious brand or
local brand.

RETAILERS WEEKLY CONSUMPTION OF JARS

WEEKLY FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

CONSUMPTION OF JAR

63
1 7 23.33%

2 3 10%

3 3 10%

4 4 13.33%

5 2 6.67%

6 1 3.33%

7 6 20%

MORE THAN 4 13.33%

Table No. 17: Retailers weekly consumption of jars

Chart No. 17: Retailers weekly consumption of jars

Interpretation: ​33.33% of retailer consume 1 jar a week followed by 20% of retailers

consume 2 jars a week than 13.33% retailers consumer more than 7 jars a week and so
on.

MODE OF PURCHASE OF PULSE CANDY BY RETAILERS

64
IUM OF SUPPLY OFQUENCY CENTAGE

CANDY

esaler

Company sale person

Private hawker

Table No. 18: Mode of purchase of pulse candy by retailers

Chart No. 18: Mode of purchase of pulse candy by retailers

Interpretation: ​40% of retailers buy it from wholesale market and private hawker

65
 PREVIOUS PURCHASES BEEN MADE BY THE CUSTOMERS FROM

SAME RETAILERS

DUCT WHICH THEY WEREQUENCY CENTAGE

CONSUMING BEFORE

PULSE

fresh

dent

man

goli

ly

bite

ebe

Table No. 19: Previous purchases been made by the customers from same

retailers

66
 Chart No. 19: previous purchases been made by the customers from same retailers

Interpretation: ​30% of people were consuming swaad before pulse as been told by the
retailer.

WEEKLY SALES OF PULSE BY THE RETAILERS

KLY SALE OF CANDY QUENCY CENTAGE

00 %

00 %

200 %

1800

2100 %

2400 %

and above %

67
 Table No. 20: Weekly sales of pulse by the retailers

Chart No. 20: Weekly sales of pulse by the retailers

Interpretation: ​Maximum sale of pulse lie between 2400 and above followed by13.33%
retailers’ weekly sales is 1200-1800 and all other lie between 300-2400.

​RETAILERS SUGGESTION OF PULSE CANDY TO THE CUSTOMERS

WILLYOU SUGGEST FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

TO BUY PULSE TO

OTHER

YES 24 80%

NO 2 6.67%

Sometimes 4 13.33%

Table No. 21: Retailers suggestion of pulse candy to the customers

68
Chart No. 21: Retailers suggestion of pulse candy to the customers

Interpretation: ​80% of retailers suggest this particular brand to the customers whereas

13.33% retailers do not suggest and 6.67% sometimes suggests to the customers.

NECESSITY OF KEEPING PULSE CANDY BY THE RETAILERS

WHY ARE YOU FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

KEEPING THIS BRAND

CONSUMER DEMAND 24 80%

NEW PRODUCT 2 6.67%

69
SUGGESTED BY 4 13.33%

SALESPERSON

Table No. 22: Necessity of keeping pulse candy by the retailers

​Chart No. 22: Necessity of keeping pulse candy by the retailers

Interpretation: ​80% of retailers says that they keep this product on customer’s demands
while 13.33% of retailer keep it because it is a new product and rest in kept when it is
been suggested by salesperson.

PULSE LOYAL CUSTOMER ENCOUNTER BY RETAILERS

AL CUSTOMERQUENCY CENTAGE

ENCOUNTERED

70
ND ABOVE

Table No. 23: Pulse loyal customer encounter by retailers

Chart No. 23: Pulse loyal customer encounter by retailers

Interpretation: ​50% of retailers encounter more than 50 customer on daily/weekly basis

followed by 30% of retailers encounter 20 to 50 people a week and rest of retailers
encounter 10 to 40 people per week.

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CUSTOMERS RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH REATAILERS

a) No

b) Yes(if any)

Ans. YES such as

● Cola

● Imli

● Strawberry1

● Red grapes

● Mint flavor

● Kala khatta

● Mango

● Orange

● Lemon

● Pineapple

● Grape

72
FINDINGS

73
 ​FINDING

The research and data interpretation signifies some of the essential and vital indicators to

the behavior pattern and understand need and demand of the customers. The study is

based on the consumer buying behavior and retailer buying behavior for pulse candy.

Some of the vital findings are as follows -:

● The monthly income of the respondents is near about 50000 and above.

● Almost everyone is aware about the pulse candy from their family or friends.

Before consuming pulse people use to consume various other candies such as

mango bite, alpenliebe etc

● Most of the people buy it from grocery shop and they are impress by the taste of

the candy pulse.

● It is one of the demanded candies in the market as almost every person consume it

on daily basis. Most of the consumers responded that they consume this candy at

anytime in the whole day.

74
● The consumption quantity of the product is increasing day by day most of the

people consume more than 10 candies per day

● The company has gained many loyal customers as major of the customers will

compromise rather than buying any other brand.

● Almost everyone is aware about the new flavor of the pulse candy .i.e. guava and

they are overall satisfied with both of the flavors.

● Majority of the recommended kaccha aam as the best flavor of the pulse while few

customers recommended some new flavors too such as:

Litchi

Kala khatta

Mango

Strawberry

Mint

Green Apple

● Almost every retailer keeps pulse candy at their shop and it is easily visible to every

customer visiting the shop and there are few retailers who keep spurious brands such

as plus, blast etc

● There are various competitive brands such as : mango bite, alpenliebe, hajmola and

various other spurious brands but now people only prefer pulse candy as retailers told

that they sell around 5-6 jars a week

● Most of the retailers buys the jars direly from the wholesaler or the private hawkers. It

is the most demanding candy by the customer because of its taste

75
● Most of the retailers buy the jar at a discounted rate usually the rate lies between

90-95 rupees.

● Almost retailers avail special discounts and rewards from the company for selling

pulse candy in huge amount and they are also given various offers too.

● The retailers told that before consuming pulse people use to buys various different

candies such as swaad, center fresh fundagoli mango bite etc but now almost retailers

recommend only pulse candy as the best.

LIMITATIONS

76
 ​LIMITATIONS

These were the few limitations which were being observed and it cannot be removed and

have to be accepted as permanent constraints.

● The sample area and sample size has been limited due to time constraint

● Some customers and vendors are reluctant to give their feedback and opinions.

● All observations are made on the basis of feedback been obtained from the survey.

● Retailers at times not being flexible enough to give out required information

77
RECOMMENDATIONS

78
 RECOMMENDATIONS

● The company should focus in its salt content which is being filled inside the hard

boiled candy.

● The sales departments need to work on its distribution network channel for

reaching out to the Retailers.

● There is a lot of demand of the product in the market the production of the

product should increase.

● If an advertisement is launched it will be an add-on for the company to increase

its revenue.

● The product availability should be done in Modern Trade as well.

● Different Packaging should be available for consumption for e.g. Pouches,

transparent stand-up Pouch etc

79
CONCLUSION

80
 ​CONCLUSION

Dharampal Satyapal Group, a rapidly growing multi-diversified conglomerate with a

turnover of approximately Rs. 7,700 Cr, has a strong presence in high growth sectors

such as F&B, Hospitality, Mouth Fresheners, Tobacco, Packaging, Agro forestry,

Rubber Thread and infrastructure. The Group has further strengthened its presence in

the F&B category by entering into Dairy and Confectionary segments. DS Group has

more than 24 manufacturing units spread across Delhi, NOIDA, Himachal Pradesh,

Assam and Tripura to generate its wide range of products. The topic of research was “ A

STUDY ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR AND RETAILER’S BUYING

BEHAVIOR FOR PULSE CANDY”.

● Pulse candy is of the most popular candy in the market.

● It is one of the most selling candy in the market.

● It is being consumed by all age group.

● The quality of the product is best.

● All income group people consume this product.

● Without much of advertisement it is winning the heart of people.

● The popularity of the product was done on word of mouth,

● It plays on humor.

81
APPENDICES

82
 APPENDICES

Dear Sir/Madam

I am Akansha Chauhan Conducting a research survey on study of “Consumer buying

behavior of pulse candy” So s to study the consumer’s perspective and look for their

taste, preference and take details of their buying profile. I request you to spare a few

minutes of valuable time in filling the questionnaire.

Name:

Age:

Gender: Male ( ) Female ( )

(Tick mark applicable)

Occupation:

a) Student

b) Employed

c) Self employed

d) Home-maker

Monthly household income:

a) Less than 10,000

b) 10,000- 25,000

c) 25,000- 50,000

d) 50,000 and above

e) Not applicable

83
84
Q1. Are you aware about the product pulse candy?

a) Yes

b) No

Q2. From where did you get the awareness about the product?

a) Newspaper

b) Magazine

c) Television

d) Social media

e) Friends /family

f) Word of mouth

Q3. Before pulse which brand were you consuming?

a) Alpenliebe

b) Mango bite

c) Hajmola

d) Other : please specify_________

Q4. What first triggered you to buy this product?

a) Taste

b) Popularity

c) Price

d) Packaging

85
Q5. Which place you usually buy from?

a) Grocery store

b) Paan shop

c) Wholesale market

d) Hypermarket

Q6. When do you prefer its consumption?

a) Before meal

b) After meal

c) After smoke

d) Any time of the day

Q7. How frequently you consume this product?

a) Daily

b) Alternatively

c) ​Once a week

d) Once a month

Q8. How much quantity you buy?

a) 1

86
 b) 1-5

c) 5-10

d) 10 and above

Q9. From whom you purchase?

a) Self-consumption

b) Friends /family

c) Others

Q10. Will you compromise on buying any other brand over pulse?

a) Yes

b) No

c) May be

a) Yes

b) no

87
BIBLIOGRAPHY

88
 ​ ​BIBLIOGRAPHY

JOURNALS

● Aaker, D.A.1997, Building brands without mass media with Eric Jouchinmsthaler.
Harvard Business Rev. ​ 75 ​(1): 39-50.

● Kamalaveni D and Nirmala., 2000, Consumer behavior in instant food products.

Ind. J. Marketing.​ 30 ​(5-7): 12-18.

BOOKS

Marketing Management (Author- Rajan Sexana)

(Publish by Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Co. LTD, New Delhi)

Second Edition (2001)

● Marketing Management (Author- Philip Kotler)

(Publish by Pren Tice-hall of India PVT. LTD., New Delhi)

Ninth Edition (2002)

WEBSITES

www.dsgroup.com

www.grin.com/consumer-buying-behaviour

www.wikipedia.com

89