Focus Group of Retailers in the Age bracket 30 years 45 years

Profiles of participants:
1.

Muhammad Ikram

32 Years old

2.

Sheikh Ahsan

44 Years old

3.

Arslan Bajwa

40 Years old

4.

Ali Shabar

37 Years old

MODERATOR: Customers who visit your store and ask for a certain brand of product are
not concerned about whether you recommend a certain brand to them.
RESPONDENT 1: There are different customers that are used to visit the stores. Some of them
are not aware of the particular brand so these customers are looking for the suggestions made by
the retailer. While on the other hand, customers who know their product and know its features as
well are not going to take any kind of suggestions, even if you give any they ignore it and do as
they want to have product.
RESPONDENT 2: It depends on the nature of the customers. Like some are very keen to have
the same product as they know but some of them are innovated and most of the time they like to
switch the brand in order to know about the new features of the product.
RESPONDENT 3: I think it depends on the level of education that the customer have. Like there
are many customers who have no knowledge about the product and their level of education is
very low so we can make them some suggestions according to their mentality while highly
qualified customers have a lot of knowledge and avoid having another brand.
RESPONDENT 4: It depends again on the attachment of customer with the product. Like if the
attachment is high then more difficult to make recommendations about new brand of the loyal
customers.
MODERATOR: If yes, is there a certain brand which is preferred by customers over
others?

RESPONDENT 1: it depends on the advertisement of the particular product. Like Sting is

making too much investments in the advertisements so very popular among the customers. Sting
is more preferred by customers because of low price and good quality.
RESPONDENT 2: I think Red bull is included in the most preferred brand as in each customer
is used to demand about the Red bull as in its high brand image and global wide image force the
customers to demand it.
RESPONDENT 3: I think Red bull is one of the top brands in the energy drink industry because
of its reliability and efficiency.
RESPONDENT 4: Of course Red bull. It is one of the leaders in the market and there is no
comparison of the red bull with any other brand.

MODERATOR: In your opinion, how do your customers rate Red bull in terms of quality
and pricing among other brands?
RESPONDENT 1: Red bull is preferred by many consumers. If you talk about in term of
quality, red bull is more preferred by the consumers but if you talk in term of price, then most of
the consumers take this price average as compare to the fun they are getting out of it.
RESPONDENT 2: It is good and very effective in terms of the quality but when we talk about
the pricing level, then I think its price is little bit high as compare to the other brand due to which
most of the consumers are used to buy the another brand of energy drink.
RESPONDENT 3: I think it depends on the nature of the consumer like how he wants to have
product. I think quality wise product is too good but some how consumers find some difficulties
in paying for the red bull.
RESPONDENT 4: I think the quality is too good but pricing strategy hasnt good enough and it
depends on the paying capacity of the consumers.
MODERATOR: How do you rate Red bull products among other brands?
RESPONDENT 1: I think it is a no 1 product in the energy drinks.

RESPONDENT 2: I think it is too good but when compare to Sting, it is not too more effective
like in pricing strategy.
RESPONDENT 3: I think its the no 1 product.
RESPONDENT 4: obviously there is no comparison of red bull with any of the other product.

MODERATOR: To what extent do your customers like quality and features?

RESPONDENT 1: Most of the customers are quality oriented and they like to have products of
good quality.
RESPONDENT 2: Customers coming in my store are so conscious about quality they like to pay
more for the quality.
RESPONDENT 3: Yes, customers are well aware of the product and like to have product having
good quality.
RESPONDENT 4: They dont compromise with the quality term and very conscious about their
healthy diet.

MODERATOR: To what extent are your customers inspired by the products of the new
brand of same beverage industry?
RESPONDENT 1: Again it depends on the nature of the customers. Customers who are fun
loving are used to consume the new brand product while customers who are loyal, dont go for
the new brand.
RESPONDENT 2: It depends on the knowledge of the customers. Like if the reputation of the
new brand isnt good in the market then they will not consume it but if they find it good then
they consume it and make experiences of having it.
RESPONDENT 3: Most of the customers are brand loyal and dont like to switch the brand.

RESPONDENT 4: Many of the customers like to consume products of different brands in order
to have better information about other brands too.

MODERATOR: Which brand available in the market provides you with the best margins?
RESPONDENT 1: Red bull is offering us the best margin as in it is based on the brand image of
the product and red bull isnt only strong in the market but in the global market too.
RESPONDENT 2: Red bull but I am earning more on the Sting as in consumers like to buy it
based on the low price strategy made by the Sting.
RESPONDENT 3: obviously Red bull. It is targeting to the upper class so I am earning more by
selling the products of the red bull in the market.
RESPONDENT 4: Red bull. It has a good repute in the market so I am earning more through
having these products.

MODERATOR: How much capacity do you have to store products?

RESPONDENT 1: I have a storage room of 10 by 12 feet to store the products of the consumer.
RESPONDENT 2: I have a capacity of around 15 by 10 feet to store the products.
RESPONDENT 3: I have a capacity around 12 by 13 feet.
RESPONDENT 4: I have a capacity of around 14 by 18 feet to manage the products.

MODERATOR: How long does it take for you to sell out the Red bull in the market like
sell has done in time or take time?
RESPONDENT 1: the market in which I am doing my business is very sensitive and the people
living there are very price conscious. So it takes no more time for me to sell the products in the
market as in red bull is good and strong enough to make its sells within the time.

RESPONDENT 2: Red bull is a very good and effective name and all of its products are sold in
the market based on the repute that it have in the market. So I am used to sell its products before
time and always used to make storage of the red bull in order to meet the supply and demand in
the market.
RESPONDENT 3: I am locating in the middle of the city and people living there are too young
and are very inspired by the red bull. So it takes me to sell the product within the time.
RESPONDENT 4: I am used to sell the product of the red bull over the time like couldnt able
to make sells before time because the reason behind it is that people living there are very price
conscious and like to have sting drink in order to satisfy their needs as it is offered at low price.

MODERATOR: Do sales of Red Bull are remained consistent throughout the year?
RESPONDENT 1: No its not. The sells of red bull are good enough to earn the margin but still it
depends more on the occasions and events. There is always a rise and fall in the demand of the
red bull.
RESPONDENT 2: No it doesnt remain consistent. The demand of the red bull gets too high in
the exam season like all the students are used to have red bull in order to get extra energy to
study day and night in order to get good grades at the final of each term.
RESPONDENT 3: it depends on the events. Like whenever red bull sponsors any event then
people get more familiar with the product and again change their behavior about that product and
start consuming that product in order to have fun in their lives.
RESPONDENT 4: I think its not. It depends on the marketing campaign of the red bull like
some people are still not familiar with the product even if they have money. So the consumptions
of red bull get high in the events or it remains constant.

MODERATOR: How do you perceive the creditability of online marketing in order to

enhance the sales?

RESPONDENT 1: it is very important to make the sales. As in it is a computerized world and

there are many social websites that help companies to make their sales online without putting
extra effort in making the sale.
RESPONDENT 2: I think online marketing is one of the best tool used by the most of the
successful companies. It helps you to target the customers by knowing their needs and wants. It
helps the company to launch a product according to consumers and boost its sells without any
extra effort.
RESPONDENT 3: It is very important like it helps you to make online advertisements without
paying any cost and it would also help you out to target a big community without going into the
market.
RESPONDENT 4: It is very useful in order to know about the needs of the consumers and it is
cost effective strategy and helps company to design product according to needs and make its
sales high.

MODERATOR: Do competitors welcome any feedback from you in terms of design and
quality of products?
RESPONDENT 1: Yes. All the competitors are very efficient in terms of feed back like the
distributor was used to ask me about the complaints of the product. They like to listen about the
complaints and then convey it to the company to make the improvement.
RESPONDENT 2: Yes. Recently the distributor of the sting drink asked me about the demand
of the consumers like whether the customers are satisfied with the product quality and design of
the bottle.
RESPONDENT 3: Yes. They are very efficient in collecting the feedback.
RESPONDENT 4: Yes, they like to have feedback and they listen it quite carefully and then
appreciate us for the useful knowledge by passing it to the top management.

MODERATOR: Do you think your sales will benefit as a result of advertising by the
companies?
RESPONDENT 1: Yes. Sales are the most important part of the sales and these are made based
on the advertisement.
RESPONDENT 2: Yes. Even if the brand have a good name in the market but still advertising
make a huge impact on the sales.
RESPONDENT 3: Yes, if company is making good advertising effort then the sales of the
company will be high in terms of future prediction.
RESPONDENT 4: The Company should make investment in the advertisements in order to
enhance the sales as it would give the entire new buyer a specific knowledge about the
usefulness of the product.

MODERATOR: What kind of facility you like from company like you take inventory on
credit or paying cash?
RESPONDENT 1: I like to have option of credit. I havent enough cash to pay in advance to sell
the products.
RESPONDENT 2: I like to have product on the credit like my sales are good enough to be done
before the time so its good for me to take products on credit.
RESPONDENT 3: I like to have credit option as in it allows me to invest my capital in other
sources to get high profit at the end.
RESPONDENT 4: I like to have cash option as in most of my sales are done after the time. So I
cant afford the interest expense made by the company.

MODERATOR: To what extent does in Red bull branding influence the purchasing
decisions of customers?
RESPONDENT 1: Red bull is a big name and it influences many of the customers to buy its
product just for the sake of imagining a high profile.
RESPONDENT 2: It influences a lot on the decisions like people have a perception that red bull
gives wings to fly so it is targeting to these customers.
RESPONDENT 3: Yes, it affects a lot like people with high ego buy it to remain individual
from the other buyers.
RESPONDENT 4: I think yes, many of the customers buying it in order to look unique and
imagine themselves as a high profile and want to belong with the highly status category.

MODERATOR: Are your customers loyal to the brand or to the store?

RESPONDENT 1: Yes most of the customers are loyal.
RESPONDENT 2: It depends like there are some products which are not available in other
stores so customers come in my store in order to just buy that ones.
RESPONDENT 3: Yes many of the customers are loyal and regular.
RESPONDENT 4: Yes many of the customers come for the monthly shopping while others
come on a random walk.

MODERATOR: What tendency in your experience does customers value most; price vs
quality?
RESPONDENT 1: Quality
RESPONDENT 2: Price
RESPONDENT 3: Quality

RESPONDENT 4: Price

MODERATOR: Please give some important tips to gain or maintain the market share?
RESPONDENT 1: Red bull is too good and has a good brand name. It is too good in terms of
quality but I think it should lower its price in order to cater the people of the middle class too.
RESPONDENT 2: Red bull should make more investments in the advertisements in the Pakistan
so it would let it to make more customers.
RESPONDENT 3: Red bull should make more packaging design like it should offer the product
between Rs 60-80/- in order to cater the people at the lower end.
RESPONDENT 4: Red bull should make or sponsors events in order to know the people about
the red bull brand and it would let the new customers to have red bull brand by experiencing its
taste and quality of the product.

MODERATOR: Thank you for your time and it was a much useful feedback from each
one of you for our research.