RESEARCH

Market research is defined as a systematic gathering, recording and analysis of the data concern with an objective. This whole activity is divided into various parts & after compilation of that we reach at certain findings, which enable us to take marketing decisions. It involves the diagnosis of information needed and the selection of relevant and interrelated variables. Redman and More defined research as a systematized effort to gain new knowledge. The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific procedures. The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and has not been discovered as yet.

Significance Of Research
Research inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and it promotes the development of logical habit of thinking and organization. Research provides the basis for nearly all Govt. policies on our economic system. Research has its special significance in solving various operational and planning problems of business and industry.

Research Design
Survey method has been used for the data collection with the help of questionnaire as the research instrument . It was a field research method where consumers visit were made to gather the information needed for the market survey. The source for the information was the consumers of the desired product.

Type of Research
Market research is being used to measure the characteristics of market, to obtain information needed for forecasting to evaluate new product ideas and improve existing product . There are number of decisions or alternatives in the market, one course of action is to be selected from them.

Method of Research
The study falls under the category of Descriptive research and uses survey method. Descriptive research includes survey and fact finding enquiries of different kinds. It is description of state of affairs, as it exists at present. Main characteristics of this method are that, the researcher has no control over the variables. He can only report what is happening. The method of research used in this research was Survey method.Research methodology is the process which helps in selecting the tools to achieve the objectives.

General Methodology:
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The methodology adopted for this project was completely base on primary information. The location of the study was in Pune dist. The first stage included gathering information about the stationery product of the Pune market. That was, to find out which are the major players, what is general distribution pattern, what is the buying behaviour of customers. The second stage comprised determining the objective of the study and drafting the questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed keeping in mind the objective of the study. It was designed with due guidance of the company guide. It was assured that the questionnaire prepared Keeping in mind the education level of the respondents who were mainly retailers the questionnaire was kept simple and precise.

The methodology consists of : Need and objective of research Collecting the facts/data Analysis of the data. Conclusion and solution

1) Sampling design:
A definite plan developed to obtain a sample from a given population is called sampling plan. Designing the sample Based on two decisions. First, who is to be surveyed? Second, how many people in the sample are chosen?

Sample unit: Retailers of stationery product in Pune dist. Of Maharashtra. Sample size: The larger the size, the more accurate the result would be. But practically, its
not feasible to survey the entire target outlets. The sample size of the survey done by me was 130 outlets.

Sampling Procedure
I try to find out most of the retailers in the market.

Contact Method
I personally visited most of the retailers. Few shopkeepers due to their busy schedule or loyalty for their brand refused to respond at all.
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2) Sources of data collection: Primary data:

Data obtained from the first hand by the researcher is called the primary data.Here the main source of primary data collection was interviews, discussion and interaction with customers by using the Questionnaire.

Secondary data:
Secondary data refers to the data available in some form or another and may include the result of the previously performed research or the available materials such as newspaper, reports may be from the internet. Various sources of secondary data used in this research are: Internet Interaction with the dealers.

Questionnaire as an instrument of data collections: Questionnaires were used as an instrument for data collection for primary data collection. P. V. Young has classified the questionnaire in two groups ,

1) Structured questionnaire 2) Non- structured questionnaire

Structured questionnaire contain definite, concrete questions with additional questions limited to those necessary to classify inadequate answers or to elicit a more detailed response. Structured questionnaire can be of two types, namely disguised and non-disguised. This classification is based on whether the object or purpose of study is revealed or undisclosed to the respondent. Thus a structured non-disguised questionnaire is one where the listing of questions is in a pre-arranged order and object of the study is revealed to the respondent. In a structured disguised questionnaire, researcher doesnt disclose the object of the study.
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Non-structured questionnaire, often known as interview guide is used for focused, depth and non directive interviews. It contains definite subject matter areas, the coverage which is required during the interview, but the interviewer is largely free to arrange the form and timing of enquiry.

Types of questions: Open-end questions:

Close-end questions:
An open-ended or simply open or free answer question gives the respondent complete freedom to decide the form, length and detail of answers. Open questions are preferred when the researcher is interested in knowing what is uppermost in the mind of the respondent. Close end questions has only two answers in the form yes or no, true or false or do not use etc.

3) Analytical tools:
The data, which was collected, was summarized and tabulated on MS-excel for further analysis. The analysis performed was mainly comparative analysis using statistical analytical tools. The tools that have been used are as follows: Bar Chart Pie Chart

1.1 INTRODUCTION
The project intends to decipher the satisfaction level as well as the preferences of retailers pertaining to the various stationery brands launched by ITC. We aim to analyze the success, marketability and future growth prospects stationery brands. Basically we intend to find out the most popular stationery brand in the market from our sample. Stationery brands as such are a very minor part of the FMCG industry because FMCG sector is largely organized. Here we will also look into the market trends in stationery brands. For this a survey was conducted in Pune where respondents were asked to fill a

questionnaire. The data was collected and analysed to obtain conclusions. This report carries an introduction of the company profile, detail of the methodology followed detailed data analysis and the results so obtained with the variety of graphs along with given. Summer training gives us an insight into the working of the real corporate world. It gives us the practical knowledge of the working of the organizations. During the short time within the industry, we get to learn the various aspects of an organizations like the culture followed, the functional aspects etc. The main objective of the summer internship is to experience the various concepts that we learn in our first year of management course, as learning the concepts is very different from experiencing them at a concrete level. We learn to face the various situations by establishing relationships between real and significant factors in a situation. We also learn that in a given situation all the functional aspects are inter-related; one functional aspect cannot be isolated from the organization. We learn to be more confident by judging the various situations based on our reasoning and by the application of our knowledge in these situations.

CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND:
WHAT IS RETAILING?
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Retailing is a distribution channel function where one organization buys products from supplying firms or manufactures the product themselves, and then sells these directly to consumers. A retailer is a reseller (i.e., obtains product from one party in order to sell to another) from which a consumer purchases products. In the US alone there are over 1,100,000 retailers according to the 2002 US Census of Retail Trade. In the majority of retail situations, the organization from which a consumer makes purchases is a reseller of products obtained from others and not the product manufacturer. But as we discussed in the Distribution Decisions tutorial, some manufacturers also operate their own retail outlets in a corporate channel arrangement. While consumers are the retailers buyers, a consumer does not always buy from retailers. For instance, when a consumer purchases from another consumer (e.g., eBay) the consumer purchase would not be classified as a retail purchase. This distinction can get confusing but in the US and other countries the dividing line is whether the one selling to consumers is classified as a business (e.g., legal and tax purposes) or is selling as a hobby without a legal business standing. As a reseller, retailers offer many benefits to suppliers and customers as we discussed in the Distribution Decisions tutorial. For consumers the most important benefits relate to the ability to purchase small quantities of a wide assortment of products at prices that are considered reasonably affordable. For suppliers the most important benefits relate to offering opportunities to reach their target market, build product demand through retail promotions, and provide consumer feedback to the product marketer. Definition of Retail Audit Study of a selected sample of retail outlets, provided as subscription-based service by market research firms. Retail-audit service providers gather information on a brand's sales volume, sales trends, stock levels, effectiveness of in-store display and promotion efforts, and other associated aspects

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Statement of the Problem is To study of retail audit of stationery product of ITC ltd Todays word is changing rapidly either economically, technologically or politically due to the globalization. Its become difficult for any type of
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company to sustain in the market, face the challenges, fulfill the needs and wants of the customer and at the same time increase the market share.

OBJECTIVES
1) To verify the physical location of the outlets. 2) To find out availability of stationery product of ITC in the retail outlet. 3) To find out the competitors. 4) To study about the competitor brands in study segments. 5) To find out trade margin for stationery product. 6) To find the problem of retailers with the distributor or the company. 7) To suggest majors for improving the availability of stationery product of ITC in the retail outlet.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

It covers the market survey with the help of which market potential is carried out. It compares the major players of the stationery products on various aspects such as price, quality, durability, brand image. Analyzing the gap among the various competitors in the market. It is also useful for finding out actual expectations of the existing customer.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

Exact data collection is not possible by sub-dealer Response error, interview error and based answers in some cases were the other limitation of study. Due to unavailability of time and reluctance on the part of the interviewee there may be some minor problem. The major problem of the survey was that most of the respondents being very loyal to their brands didnt give exact answers .like they didnt talk much about what
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problems they are facing, what are the different marketing schemes of the brand in which they deal etc.

COMPANY PROFILE

ITC is one of India's foremost private sector companies with a market capitalization of nearly US $ 19 billion and a turnover of over US $ 5.1 billion. ITC is rated among the World's Best Big Companies, Asia's 'Feb 50' and the World's Most Reputable Companies by Forbes magazine, among India's Most Respected Companies by Business World and among India's Most Valuable Companies by Business Today. ITC ranks among India's `10 Most Valuable
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(Company) Brands', in a study conducted by Brand Finance and published by the Economic Times. ITC also ranks among Asia's 50 best performing companies compiled by Business Week.

ITC India Limited

Type Public (BSE:ITC)

Founded

August 24, 1910 Radha Bazar Lane, Kolkata, India

Headquarters Key people

Virginia House, Kolkata, India Y C Deveshwar, Chairman K Vaidyanath, Director, CFO: Partho Chatterjee

Industry

Tobacco, Foods, Hotels, Stationery, Greeting Cards, Product Cigarettes, Packaged Food, apparel

Revenue Employees Website

$4.75 billion USD (2006) 20,000 (2007) http://www.itcportal.com/

ITC has a diversified presence in Cigarettes, Hotels, Paperboards & Specialty Papers, Packaging, Agri-Business, Packaged Foods & Confectionery, Information Technology, Branded Apparel, Personal Care, Stationery, Safety Matches and other FMCG products. While ITC is an outstanding market leader in its traditional businesses of Cigarettes, Hotels, Paperboards, Packaging and Agri-Exports, it is rapidly gaining market share even in its nascent businesses of Packaged Foods & Confectionery, Branded Apparel, Personal Care and Stationery. As one of India's most valuable and respected corporations, ITC is widely perceived to be dedicatedly nation-oriented. Chairman Y C Deveshwar calls this source of inspiration "a commitment beyond the market". In his own words: "ITC believes that its aspiration to create enduring value for the nation provides the motive force to sustain growing shareholder value. ITC practices this philosophy by not only driving each of its businesses towards international
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competitiveness but by also consciously contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of the larger value chain of which it is a part." ITC's diversified status originates from its corporate strategy aimed at creating multiple drivers of growth anchored on its time-tested core competencies unmatched distribution reach, superior brand-building capabilities, effective supply chain management and acknowledged service skills in hoteling. Over time, the strategic forays into new businesses are expected to garner a significant share of these emerging high-growth markets in India.

ITC's Agri-Business is one of India's largest exporters of agricultural products. ITC is one of the country's biggest foreign exchange earners (US $ 3.2 billion in the last decade). The Company's 'e-Choupal' initiative is enabling Indian agriculture significantly enhance its competitiveness by empowering Indian farmers through the power of the Internet. This transformational strategy, which has already become the subject matter of a case study at Harvard Business School, is expected to progressively create for ITC a huge rural distribution infrastructure, significantly enhancing the Company's marketing reach. ITC's wholly owned Information Technology subsidiary, ITC Infotech India Limited, is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities in providing end-to-end IT solutions, including e-enabled services and business process outsourcing. ITC's production facilities and hotels have won numerous national and international awards for quality, productivity, safety and environment management systems. ITC was the first company in India to voluntarily seek a corporate governance rating. ITC employs over 25,000 people at more than 60 locations across India. The Company continuously endeavors to enhance its wealth generating capabilities in a globalizing environment to consistently reward more than 3,72,000 shareholders, fulfill the aspirations of its stakeholders and meet societal expectations. This over-arching vision of the company is expressively captured in its corporate positioning statement: "Enduring Value. For the nation. For the Shareholder." ITC has transformed itself from a leading cigarette manufacturer to an umbrella group that offers a diversified product mix to enhance its brand image and reduce dependency on tobacco related products. It has forayed into the hospitality service industry and has become a major player in the hotels segment. Its position in the FMCG (fast moving
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consumer goods) business is also on a growth curve; especially its confectionery and biscuits which are slated to achieve the top ranks among its peers. It has made heavy investments to strengthen its IT (information technology) segment and to compete with the big players like Infosys and Wipro. Although the ITC group is marketing its image as an ideal corporate citizen and a company that takes its social responsibility seriously, it still earns 80% of revenues from selling cigarettes and other tobacco related products.

The major areas in which ITC has diversified are:

Major brands of ITC FMCG Cigarettes Food Lifestyle Retailing Greetings and stationery Safety Matches
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Incense sticks Hotels Paperboards and Packaging Paperboards and specialty papers packaging Agri-Business - exports -choupal Information Technology

Corporate Vision:
Corporate vision is to merge the latest in technology with the best of natural ingredients to create innovative color products. We consistently combine tradition with scientific ingenuity to provide the market with products that deliver verifiable results.

VISION:
Sustain ITC's position as one of India's most valuable corporations through world class performance, creating growing value for the Indian economy and the Companys stakeholders.

MISSION:
To enhance the wealth generating capability of the enterprise in a globalizing environment, delivering superior and sustainable stakeholder value.

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PRODUCT PROFILE

ITC made its entry into the stationery business in the year 2002 with its premium range of notebooks, followed in the year 2003 with the more popular range to augment its offering.Today, ITC continues to blend its core capabilities to market a growing range of education and stationery products. These capabilities include, a. Manufacturer of Indias first Ozone treated environment friendly Elemental ChlorinFree (ECF) pulp, paper and paperboard. b. Knowledge of image processing, printing & conversion garnered from its Packaging & Printing Business. c. Brand Building & Trade Marketing & Distribution strengths resident in its FMCG Business.

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ITCs stationery Brands are marketed as Classmate and Paperkraft, with Classmate addressing the needs of students and Paperkraft targeted towards college students and executives. Classmate Indias truly largest

National brand, reaching 65,000 outlets across the country, has over 300 variants in its range which comprises notebooks, long books, practical books, drawing books, scrap books, reminder pads etc

The Classmate Fun N Learn range of children books targeting pre-school learners, comprising categories like Pre School Learner, Active Minds and Read Aloud Tales with features like Wipe n Use again, Trace & Color and Puzzles ensure that a child's first lessons are truly enjoyable. Classmate Invento Geometry Boxes, launched for school students comprise a world-class precision compass and high quality plastic instruments coupled with interesting trivia and useful information, to make geometry more fascinating for students. Aesthetically designed, Classmate pens offer the consumer a smoother and more comfortable writing experience through use of ergonomic design, reducing the effort required for writing. The initial launch comprises ball pens Classmate Safari and Classmate Ilet and gel pens - Classmate Glider and Classmate Octane.

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A new entry to the Classmate portfolio is its range of HB Jet Black pencils. Designed attractively for school kids, the pencils offer a unique advantage of lesser lead wear out and thus, Stay Sharper for Longer. Dark and smooth writing coupled with Strong Bonded lead offer an enjoyable writing experience. The Classmate Notebook range builds in regional preferences and caters to the requirements of All India & State Education Boards. Every Classmate notebook carries ITC's Corporate Social Responsibility message on its back. For every four Classmate Notebooks, ITC contributes Re. 1 to its rural development initiative that supports, among other projects, primary education in villages. Classmate has successfully run the Classmate Young Author & Artist Contest for 5 years. The contest is a national level event going across 34 cities and getting participation from 5000 schools.

The Paperkraft range consists of premium stationery with a wide variety for executives to choose from. The assortment consists of notepads & multi subject notebooks in hard, soft covers & multiple binding formats including spirals, wires etc. The Paperkraft brand recently launched premium business paperan environment friendly

multipurpose paper for office and home use. The paper has been crafted by ITCs Bhadrachalam unit using a pioneering technology, called Ozone Treated Elemental Chlorine Free technology. Paperkraft business paper is the whitest and brightest 75 & 70 GSM papers manufactured in India and provides consumers an opportunity to Go Green. In recognition of its quality products & processes, the business has been awarded with
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ISO 9001:2000 by Messrs Det Norske Veritas.

DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS

SAMPLE SIZE DETAILS: Sample Population: Business Person, Service Person, Student, Housewife's Etc. Sample Size: 100 Consumers Age Group: Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5

Age Group 15-20 20-25 25-35 35-50 Above 50

Number 52 31 9 5 3

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25-35 9%

35-50 Above 50 3% 5%

20-25 31%

15-20 52%

Age group

Occupation: Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 Category Student Business Person Regular Employee Others Number 76 12 8 4

Occupation Details

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Business Person 12%

Regular Employee 8%

Others 4%

Student 76%

Q 1). Which type of Pen do you currently use?

Sl. No. 1 2 3 4

Category Ball Pen Gel Pen Ink Pen Premium pen

Number 84 12 2 2

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Gel Pen 12%

Ink Pen 2%

Premium pen 2%

Ball Pen 84%

Findings: - Almost 84% of the respondents say that they use Ball Pen. And the next best usage is of Gel Pen by 12%, Ink & Premium Pen are least preferred by the consumers in the modern or present market condition Inference: - Majority of the consumers prefers and uses Ball Pen than any other type of pens

Q 2). Which Brand Of Ball Pen do prefer to write?

Purpose: - Main purpose behind this question is to know the most preferred brand in the current market situation

Sl. No. 1 2

Brands Classmate Reynolds

19

Number 9 12

3 4 5 6 7

Cello Lexi Linc Italia Others

46 25 3 2 3

Most preferred brands

Linc 3%

Italia 2% Lexi 25%

Others 3%

Classmate 9%

Reynolds 12%

Cello 46%

Findings: - From the above chart it has been analysed that majority of the consumers (i.e.) 46% of them prefer Cello as a brand to be used which is followed by Reynolds & Lexi by 12% & 25% responses whereas classmate pen are used by 9% only.

Inference:- Cello is the most preferred brand among consumers than its competitors Q 3). What is the price range in which you generally used to buy a pen?

Sl. No. 1 2 3 4

Price Range Below RS 5 Beteen RS 5 -Rs 10 Between RS 10-Rs15 Between RS 15-Rs20

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Number 20 60 12 5

Avove 20 Source: - Field survey

Most selling price range of pens

Between RS 15Rs20 5% Between RS 10Rs15 12%

Avove 20 3% Below RS 5 20%

Beteen RS 5 -Rs 10 60%

Findings: - It can be analyzed from the above graph that out of the total responses 60% prefer pen in Rs 15 20 price range. Whereas the next most preferred price range is Below Rs 5. The high price range ranging from Rs 15 20 & above that is least prefer by the consumers. Inference:- Consumer mostly favors and prefer their pen (either Ball or Gel) in the price range of Rs 5-10

Q 4).From where do you prefer to buy pen?

Sl. No. 1 2 3 4

Type Stationary shops Super market Shopping malls Others

Number 81 8 9 2

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Places of purchase

Shopping malls Others 2% 9% Super market 8%

Stationary shops 81%

Findings: - It can be analysed from the above graph that out of the total responses, 81% prefer stationary shops as their place of purchase Inference: - Consumer mostly prefers to buy their pen from stationary shops.

Q 5). Which Characteristics of Pen Influence your Buying Decision?

Sl. No. 1 2 3 4

Characteristic Smoothly writing Grip Price Long-Life

Number 68 10 8 6

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Brand Name

Factors influencing buying decision

Long-Life Price 6% 8% Grip 10%

Brand Name 8%

Smoothly writing 68%

Findings: - From the above graph that it can be identified that 68% of consumers buying decisions are influenced by smoothly writing. The grip and brand name of pen have 10% and 8% influence on buying decision. Inference: - Majority of consumers buying decisions are influenced by smoothly writing Q 6). Which Advertising Media Influences You The Most?

Sl. No. 1 2 3 4

Media Type TV Advertisements Banners & hoarding Newspapers & Magazines Internet

Number 61 5 19 15

Types of advertising media

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Newspapers & Magazines 19%

Internet 15% TV Advertisemen ts 61%

Banners & hoarding 5%

Findings: - From the chart it can be concluded that having almost 61% of the responses are influenced by TV Advertisements. The next most influencing media is Newspaper impacting the buying decision. Banners & hoarding is the least influencing among all media. Inference: - TV Ads are the most influencing Ad impacting the buying decision of different consumer segments

Q 7). Is your buying decision influence In-Shop advertisements?

Sl. No. 1 2

Response Yes No

Number 29 71

Source: - Field survey

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Effect of In-shop advertisement

Yes 29%

No 71%

Findings: - From the chart it can be concluded that 71% of respondents buying decision are not influenced by in shop advertisement. Only 29 % of respondents believes that their buying decision are influenced by In shop ads

Inference:-Majority respondents buying decision are not influenced by in shop advertisement

If Yes, Which influences the most?

Sl. No. 1 2 3

Type Posters Hoardings Pen Stands

Number 10 1 12

25

4 5

Stickers Others Source: - Field survey

5 1

Most influencing In-shop advertisements

Stickers 17%

Others 3% Posters 35%

Pen Stands 41% Hoardings 4%

Findings: - From the chart it can be concluded that Pen stands are the most influencing In shop Ad impacting the buying decision of different consumer segments having almost 41% of the responses. Hoarding is the least influencing among all media

Inference:- Pen stands are the most influencing In shop Ad impacting the buying decision of different consumer segments

Q 8). Who influence your buying decision most?

Sl. No. 1 2 3

Type of Respondents Parents Friends Colleagues

Number 18 64 9

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4 5

Sales person Others

8 1

Persons who influencing buying decision

sales person 8% colleagues 9%

others 1%

Parents 18%

friends 64%

Findings: - 64% of the respondents buying decision are influenced by friends. The next most influencers are parents.

Inference: - Friends are the most influencing group in the buying decision of different consumer segments

Q 9). Do You Choose Only One Brand?

Sl. No. 1 2

Response Yes No

Number 60 40

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Number of brand loyal customers

No 40% Yes 60%

Findings: - From the above chart it is analysed that 60% of responses are loyal to any brand where as 40% of respondents are do not loyal and stick to only 1 brand. Inference: - Majority of the respondents stick or are loyal to particular one brand

If Yes, Which brand?

Sl. No. 1 2 3

Brand Classmate Reynolds Cello

Number 6 10 29
28

4 5 6 7

Lexi Linc Italia Others

14 2 1 1

Brand loyalty among different pens

Linc Italia Others 3% 2% 2% Lexi 22%

Classmate 9% Reynolds 16%

Cello 46%

Findings: - From the above chart it is analysed that brand loyalty is highest in cello ie.46% followed by Lexi and Reynolds .Linc and Italia have the least no of brand loyal customers.

Inference:- Cello has the maximum brand loyal customers among different brands

Q10) Why do you purchase the same brand?

Sl. No. 1 2 3

Category High Quality Brand Image Easy Availability

Number 46 11 24

29

4 5

Value for money Others Source: - Field survey

16 3

Reasons for brand loyalty

Value for money 16%

Others 3%

Easy Availability 24%

High Quality 46%

Brand Image 11%

Findings: - From the above chart it is visualized that 46 % of respondents reason for brand loyalty is high quality. Easy availability and value for money are the next reasons Inference:- The main reason for brand loyalty in consumers is high quality of pen.

Q11). Rank the brands of pens according to your preference from 1-5?

Sl. No. 1 2 3

Brand Classmates Cello Reynolds

1ST 12 42 24

2ND 14 27 24

3RD 22 9 27

4TH 27 10 14

5TH 25 12 11

30

4 5

Lexi Italia

17 5

25 10

14 28

26 23

18 34

Table 5.1.15 Ratings of brand performance

45 40 35 No of respondents 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Classmates Cello Reynolds Brand name Lexi Italia 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH

Chart 5.1.15 Ratings of brand performance

Findings: - From the above chart it is visualized that 42 respondents has given first rank and 27 gave 2nd rank to Cello. Italia brand is the least preferred brand among consumers.

Inference: - Cello has got the highest average rating followed by Lexi and Reynolds.

Q 12) Number of pen usually buy in a year?

Sl. No. Number of Pen 1 2 Less than 2 2 to 5

Number of Respondents 9 18

31

3 4

5 to 10 More than 10

25 48

Average no. of pen buying in a year

Less than 2 9% More than 10 48%

2 to 5 18%

5 to 10 25%

Findings: - It can be analysed from the above graph that out of the total responses 48%, purchase more than 10 pens in a year. Only 9% of respondents buy less than 2 pen in a year. Inference:- Most of the consumer purchase more than 10 pens in a year

Q 13). Do You Refill Your Pen regularly?

Sl. No. 1 2

Response Yes No

Number 37 63

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Number of regular refilling customers

Yes 37%

No 63%

Findings: - From the chart it can be concluded that 63% of respondents do not refill their pen and only 37 % refill their pen

Inference: - Majority of respondents do not refill their pen

If No, Why Sl. No. 1 2 Response Pen Cost Is Negligible Replacement results into Poor Performance Number 42

12

33

3 4

Refill Is Unavailable Others

9 1.2

Source: - Field survey

Reasons for non- refilling of pens

Refill Is Unavailable 14%

Others 2%

Pen Cost Is Negligible 65% Replacement results into Poor Performance 19%

Findings: - From the chart it can be concluded that 65% of customers do not refill their pen because of pen cost is negligible. For 19 % the reason is that replacement results into poor performance. Inference: - From the chart it can be concluded that most of customers do not refill their pen because of pen cost is negligible.

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Q14) Have you purchased classmate pen? SR. No. 1 2 Number of classmate pens Response Yes No Number 39 61 customers who have used

Yes 39%

No 61%

Number of customers has used classmate pens Findings: - From the chart it can be concluded that 39% of respondents have used classmate pens n and 61 % of respondents never used classmate pen. Inference:-Majority of respondents has never used classmate pen

SUGGESTIONS
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The Suggestions given are based on the consumer and retailer survey and its analysis and studying the Companies Own Marketing Mix at ITC Ltd and as per my knowledge regarding the concerned subject.

Cello Company is regarded as No 1 market leader due to its product verities mainly in the Price range ranging from Rs 5 20 .In this Low Price Segment where majority of consumers prefer to buy their pen. At the same price range Classmate have very less products which can satisfy consumer need. So hereby I suggest that Classmate should Come up with more products in Effective Price range Of Rs 5 20, targeted to different consumer segments.

The practice of Use and Throw is more visible in consumers, so classmate should bring some models in below 5 Rs price level.

Company should strongly take care of availability of pens at rural retail outlets. As Classmate is relatively new to the market consumers are not that much aware
about the product, so company should focus more on promotional activities

Compare to other brands classmates have limited or minimum In-shop advertisement

objects, by increasing this brand awareness can be improved.

From the survey it is clear that different variable/features influence buying decision of
consumer in different segments. Thus Company should not have a common Positioning for all Target Markets. The companies should try to focus on a target group by focusing on various characteristics that affect their buying decision

Thus if the Company uses all the above mentioned features for specific target market and makes the product, fixes the Price and positioned properly and effectively than it can definitely outperform it competitors in Different Segments.

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CONCLUSION

The project entitled A Study of the Consumer Buying Behaviour of Classmate Pen has helped in studying the various aspects of consumer behaviour especially towards pens. The study also helped in understanding and analyzing customer satisfaction about services and products offered to customers. Every player in the pen industry is trying to cover more market share than the other. So the company must be more alert providing high quality service and awareness to customers. The researcher hope the company will find his findings relevant and sincerely hope it uses his suggestions enlisted, which he hopes will take them miles ahead of competition. In short, the researcher would like to say that the very act of the concerned management at ITC Ltd in giving him the job of critically examining consumer buying behaviour towards pen of the company.

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