Research Methodology

Survey Topic To check consumer awareness among the people of the country.

What is Consumer Awareness?

Consumer awareness is making the consumer aware of His/her rights. A marketing term Consumers awareness about products or services, its characteristics and the other marketing P's. "word of mouth: A popular source of increasing consumer

awareness
An effective tool toward achieving Consumer Education, Protection Awareness of Consumer Rights

Need of Consumer Awareness

General observation: People for, whom various schemes have been taken up by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), in fact, do not get benefit as expected mainly because of
Lack of awareness of these schemes and their benefits. Only knowledgeable and alert consumers being few in numbers are aware of their rights and responsibilities can protect themselves effectively.

Making existing and potential customers knowledgeable about products/services as consumer awareness programs create more informed buying decisions. Lack of basic consumer education particularly in rural market. To eliminate the misleading of consumers by producers.

Consumer Education
DEFINITION OF A CONSUMER Consumers are people who buy goods and services to satisfy their needs. Issues that Consumer Education concerns with What to buy? How much to buy? When to buy? Where to buy? How to buy? How to use?

Problems Faced by Consumers

Price Variation Adulteration and Poor Quality Non-availability - Hoarding and Black Marketing Defective Weights and Measures Deceptive Trade Practices Poor Consumer Guidance Lack of Standardised Products

Solution A Market Survey

A survey within the consumer market which will help us to come to a conclusion whether people are really concerned about their consumer rights. Objective of Survey An close ended survey targeted towards the prevalent sample of People i.e. Consumers Target consumers mainly living in the urban area i.e. Mumbai & Suburbs To ask questions to the consumer which will mainly focus on
Buying practices of consumers Any problem experienced during their purchase/usage About certain Consumer Protection Provisions Primary questions regarding personal information such as Age, Education, Income etc.

Survey Details
A survey containing a sample of 100 individuals with series 17 close ended questions. Sampling technique: Random sampling Hypothesis: The Consumer are NOT aware about the proper buying practices & Consumer protection Rights. Drawing inferences from the sample data collected to compare it with the actual hypothesis . To examine the buying behavior of the consumers. Examine certain relations between 2 or more questions to analyze the validity of the relation.

1. Do you examine the expiry date of the food items and medicines when you buy them?

Yes-73%
No-27%

2. Have you ever cross checked the weights of the products mentioned on the package?

Yes-36%
No-64%

3. Do you check the standardization of goods when you buy? (eg. ISO, HALLMARK)
70 60

50
40 30

20
10 0 yes no

STANDARDIZATION MARKS
ISI Mark AGMARK FPO Wool Mark ECO Mark Labels Packaging

4. Do you check the M.R.P. (Maximum Retail Prices) before buying the products?

No

Yes

20

40

60

80

5. Have you ever come across adulteration in food stuff?

55 50 45 40 Yes No

6. If yes, did you complain to?

Shopkeeper-44%

Main Supplier-12%
Media-3% Other-41%

7. Was your complaint to the supplier/shopkeeper attended by him to your satisfaction?

52 51 50 49 48 47 46 Yes No

8. What should be the punishment given to the offenders?

Responses
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Responses

9. Have you heard about the Consumer Protection Act?

70
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes No

What is Consumer Protection Act 1986

The act came into effect first on December 24, 1986 The act is applicable in all states in India except in Jammu and

Kashmir.
The act makes provisions to include both tangible goods and intangible services purchased from a trader or service provider. The act can apply to any consumer who uses the product for noncommercial activities.

What is Consumer Protection Act 1986

The act in itself is rosy and seems omnipotent to promote consumerism in India. The consumer courts have the authority similar to that of a Judicial Magistrate of the first class in attaching properties and arresting persons in case any of its verdicts are violated or not adhered.

Rights of consumers.
Right to Safety Right to be Redressed Right to Information

Right to Choose
Right to be Heard

Right to Consumer Education

10. Are you aware of consumer courts, for redressal of grievances of consumers?
Responses

Yes-55%
No-45%

Consumer Disputes Redressal Agencies

The Central Govt. has created 3 tier system for

consumer redressal these are as follows:

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

11. If yes, have you ever filed a case in the consumer court?
Responses

Yes
No

Correlation between reading awareness

79% of the sample have the newspaper reading habit & watching news channels An observed 60% awareness about the CPA.

12. Do you read newspaper, watch news channels?

Responses

Yes-79%
No-21%

13. Monthly Income.

Incomes
30,000 & abv.

20,000 to 30,000
Incomes 10,000 to 20,000

0 to 10,000

10

15

20

25

30

14. Age
Age

10 to 20-17%

20 to 30-68%
30 to 40 -15% 40 and abv.-0%

15. Education.
Education

S.S.C-9%

H.S.C-15%
Graduation-48% PG-28%

16. Gender.
Gender

Male-69%
Female-31%

17. According to you what are the steps government should take to in order to make people aware about the consumer rights and duties? (Optional)
Most observed Answers: Ads on TV by role model Compulsory announcements in food courts, theatres Pamphlets, handbills Big hoardings on platforms People should know about the law and govt. should be responsible behind this All laws should be compulsory Fines and penalties for non compliance of laws

Conclusion.
Buying behaviour: Buying practices of consumers is fairly enough based on data i.e. Expiry Check: 73% Standardization of product: 62% Weight check: 36% M.R.P.: 75% Adulteration Experiences & Actions taken 45% experiences encountered While maximum complaints made only to Shopkeepers .

Conclusions Cont
Awareness about Consumer Rights
60% awareness among the sample of data regarding CPA & Consumer Courts However only 25% have registered cases