Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Comparative Study on
Shoppers Stop and
Westside
By:
The Warriors
Sunita Chowdhury
Imran Khan
Amit Kumar
Devesh Kumar
Jyoti Kumari
Service Marketing:
Services marketing is marketing based on relationship and value. It may be
used to market a service or a product. Marketing a service-base business is
different from marketing a goods-base business.
Characteristics of a Service:
What exactly are the characteristics of a service? How are services different
from a product? In fact many organisations do have service elements to the
product they sell, for example McDonald’s sell physical products i.e. burgers
but consumers are also concerned about the quality and speed of service, are
staff cheerful and welcoming and do they serve with a smile on their face?
1. Lack of ownership.
You cannot own and store a service like you can a product. Services are used
or hired for a period of time. For example when buying a ticket to the USA
the service lasts maybe 9 hours each way , but consumers want and expect
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excellent service for that time. Because you can measure the duration of the
service consumers become more demanding of it.
2. Intangibility
You cannot hold or touch a service unlike a product. In saying that although
services are intangible the experience consumers obtain from the service has
an impact on how they will perceive it. What do consumers perceive from
customer service, the location, and the inner presentation of where they are
purchasing the service?.
3. Inseparability
4. Perishibility
Services last a specific time and cannot be stored like a product for later use.
If traveling by train, coach or air the service will only last the duration of the
journey. The service is developed and used almost simultaneously. Again
because of this time constraint consumers demand more.
5. Heterogeneity
The Indian Retail market is estimated to be worth around Rs. 14,100 billion.
The organized retail market has increased its share from 3 % in 2004 to
around 4 % in 2006 and is valued at Rs. 511 billion (source: India Retail
Report 2007). Food and grocery is estimated to be the largest single block,
but the contribution of the organized sector is at 0.8 %. The clothing, textile
and fashion accessories constitute the second largest block where nearly 17.5
% is contributed by the organized sector. Footwear has the highest
contribution from organized retail (36 %).
SHOPPERS STOP:
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Shopper’s Stop Ltd., has redefined retail in India, taking it to the next level.
From being just the sale of goods to consumers, the company has created a
unique aura around retail and turned it into an experience, an indulgence.
The pioneer of organized retail in India, Shopper’s Stop Ltd., has been
instrumental in bringing about a retail revolution in the country and has
become the highest benchmark for the industry. With its growth plans firmly
in place and undeniable leadership in the field, Shopper’s Stop Ltd., is well
on its way to raise the bar of performance even higher. Shopper’s Stop Ltd.
has made this purchase of goods extremely pleasurable. The stores have
redefined shopping by making it more than just a transaction. The entire
shopping process is the coming together of an amazing array of offerings,
warm but unobtrusive service and special privileges and benefits that
translate every visit into customer delight.
Since its inception in 1991, Shopper’s Stop Ltd., which was founded by the
K Raheja Corp. Group (Chandru L Raheja Group), one of the leading
players in the country in the business of real estate development and hotels,
has been offering premium and luxury value for the entire family. Its first
store was in Andheri, Mumbai. Shoppers Stop Ltd has been awarded "the
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Hall of Fame" and won "the Emerging Market Retailer of the Year Award",
by World Retail Congress at Barcelona, on April 10, 2008. Shoppers Stop is
listed on the BSE. With the launch of the Navi Mumbai departmental store,
Shoppers Stop has 27 stores in 12 cities in India. Shopper’s Stop Ltd. has
metamorphosed from being a chain of retail stores to emerging as a Fashion
& Lifestyle destination, which now includes retail concepts such as
bookstores, cafés and high-end lifestyle merchandise for the growing
affluent middle class in India. Today, its name is synonymous with superior
quality product, services and above all, an international shopping
experience.
Store:
Shoppers Stop is one of the leading retail stores in India. Shoppers Stop
began by operating a chain of department stores under the name “Shoppers’
Stop” in India. Currently Shoppers Stop has twenty seven (27) stores across
the country and three stores under the name HomeStop. Shoppers Stop has
also begun operating a number of speciality stores, namely Crossword
Bookstores, Mothercare, Brio, Desi Café, Arcelia.
Shoppers Stop retails a range of branded apparel and private label under the
following categories of apparel, footwear, fashion jewellery, leather
products, accessories and home products. These are complemented by cafe,
food, entertainment, personal care and various beauty related services.
Shoppers Stop launched its e-store with delivery across major cities in India
in 2008. The website retails all the products available at Shoppers Stop
stores, including apparel, cosmetics and accessories.
Products:
Shoppers Stop retails products of domestic and international brands such as
Louis Philippe, Pepe, Arrow, BIBA, Gini & Jony, Carbon, Corelle, Magppie,
Nike, Reebok, LEGO, and Mattel. Shoppers Stop retails merchandise under
its own labels, such as STOP, Kashish, LIFE and Vettorio Fratini, Elliza
Donatein, Acropolis etc. The company also licensees for Austin Reed
(London), an international brand, who’s men's and women's outerwear are
retailed in India exclusively through the chain. In October 2009, Shoppers
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Stop has bought the license for merchandising Zoozoo the brand mascot for
Vodafone India.
Marketing:
In April 2008, Shoppers Stop changed its logo and adopted the mantra "Start
Something New" repositioned to bridge to luxury segment and introduced
international brands like CK Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, FCUK, Mustang, Dior
across the stores. The focus of the reposition was on the service, ambience
up gradation and customer connect.
* Merchandising
Merchandising opportunities like the launched Zoozoo merchandise and film
merchandise with Om Shanti Om and Love Aaj Kal.
* Sensorial experience
Creating an environment conducive to relax in-between shopping introduced
Shoppers Stop Radio that plays youthful music and Cafe Coffee Day was
given the management of the Desi Cafe and Brio cafes
In order to enhance the level of customer service and gain insight into new
and emerging practices followed internationally, Shopper’s Stop Ltd. is a
member of the Inter Continental Group of Department Stores (IGDS). It is
the only Indian member along with 29 other experienced retailers from all
over the world. Leveraging expertise, excellence and experience, Shopper’s
Stop Ltd. has become a benchmark for the Indian retail industry to follow.
Continuing expansion plans, presence across several retail formats and
international offerings will empower Shopper’s Stop Ltd. to meet and
exceed the expectations of shoppers at the micro level and the industry at the
macro level. The company’s flagship business of department stores is
manifest in Shoppers’ Stop. A pioneer of organized retail in India, Shoppers’
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Stop today, is the country’s biggest Department Store Chain. It offers
customers an international shopping environment and a world-class
shopping experience through its 20 stores in 11 cities. It houses a host of
international and domestic brands across categories such as apparel,
accessories, cosmetics, home & kitchenware as also its own private brands.
Shoppers‟ Stop offers a wide range of brands (more than 400 brands) for
the entire family to choose from. Exclusive and established brands share
shelf space to offer an array of choices customers across all ages, tastes and
occasions.
Weakness
Very high prices
Less Schemes
Less Discounts
Competition from standalone stores
Threats
Government Policies
Entrance of New Players
High attrition
Lesser consumer spending
Entry of foreign players
Unorganized sector
Opportunities
Awareness about the brands
Quality
Youngsters
Collaborate
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Private levels
Enter new consumer goods segments.
WESTSIDE
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Style, affordable prices, quality these are the factors that have shaped
Westside's success story in the retail fashion stores business. Launched in
1998 in Bangalore, the Westside chain has, ever since, been setting the
standards for other fashion retailers to follow.
Established in 1998 as part of the Tata Group, Trent Ltd. operates Westside,
one of India's largest and fastest growing chains of retail stores. The
Westside stores have numerous departments to meet the varied shopping
needs of customers. These include Menswear, Women’s wear, Kid’s wear,
Footwear, Cosmetics, Perfumes and Handbags, Household Accessories,
lingerie, and Gifts. The company has already established 36 Westside
departmental stores (measuring 15,000-30,000 square feet each) in
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad & Noida (to
be considered as 1 city), Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ludhiana,
Lucknow, Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and
Jammu. The company hopes to expand rapidly with similar format stores
that offer a fine balance between style and price retailing.
Trent ventured into the hypermarket business in 2004 with Star Bazaar,
providing an ample assortment of products made available at the lowest
prices, aptly exemplifying its ‘Chota Budget, Lambi Shopping’ motto. At
present Star Bazaar has 4 stores in 3 cities located in Ahmedabad, Mumbai
and Bangalore. This store offers customers an eclectic array of products that
include staple foods, beverages, health and beauty products, vegetables,
fruits, dairy circa 1998 when The Tatas acquired Littlewoods – a London
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based retail chain. This acquisition was followed by the establishment of
Trent Ltd (a Tata enterprise that presently operates Westside). Littlewoods
was subsequently renamed Westside.
In a rapidly evolving retail scenario, Westside has carved a niche for its
brand of merchandise creating a loyal following. Currently, the company has
36 Westside stores measuring 15,000-30,000 square feet each across 20
cities. With a variety of designs and styles, everything at Westside is
exclusively designed and the merchandise ranges from stylized clothes,
footwear and accessories for men, women and children to well-co-
coordinated table linens, artifacts, home accessories and furnishings. Well-
designed interiors, sprawling space, prime locations and coffee shops
enhance the customers’ shopping experience.
Light a Diya, Help a Child – Purchase a diya and light it at Westside during
the Diwali Promotion. Funds collected are donated to NGOs to help bringing
smiles to the faces of underprivileged children.
SWOT OF WESTSIDE:
Strengths
Growing at the faster pace
Brand name of TATA’s.
Good customer base.
Apparels are cheaper
Attractive promotional schemes and heavy discounts
Location advantage
Weakness
Not much product range for middle class
Need some concessions from labor laws
Lack of differentiation
Poor inventory turns and stock availability
Opportunities
Huge untapped market
Urbanization
Threats
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Competition from organized retail players
Competition from local retailers.
The following comparative study has been done between Shoppers Stop
Ansal Plaza, south extension and Westside Lajpat Nagar.
Both the retail chain their own in private label brands but Westside is more
into promoting and selling its own brand whereas shoppers stop as lot of
other brands apart from its own private one.
SERVICES:
Parking Facility:
Shoppers Stop has good parking facility in comparison to Westside and also
through our survey it can be concluded that customers are happier with the
parking facility of Shoppers Stop than Westside.
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Outside appeal:
In terms of outside appeal that is facades windows etc. definitely Westside
scores higher than Shoppers Stop.
Sales Personnel:
Sales personnel of Shoppers Stop seemed more attentive and friendly to us
than Westside.
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Products:
As mentioned before the product quality in shoppers stop is higher than
Westside. The variety and assortment is pretty good in shoppers stop. The
range of products available is too good be it apparel or home furnishing or
accessories and that’s customers drive in especially to shoppers stop and
hence it has been able to succeed in standalone stores whereas Westside
usually is in a mall.
In Store advertisements:
In Shoppers Stop frequently you can hear ads and offers through speakers.
But this was less in case of Westside.
Kids toys:
There is more variety of toys in Shoppers Stop than in Westside.
Restroom:
Each floor of Shoppers Stop contains at least one rest room but that could
not spot in Westside, though Westside had sitting arrangements for their
customers in each floor which was not there in case of Shoppers Stop.
Service Desk:
Both Shoppers Stop and Westside have at least one service desk in their
retail shops.
The result has been concluded on the basis of different rates given by the
customers to the services both the retail shops on the scale of 1-10.
Total:
Stores Parking Facility (space) Outside appeal (facades windows etc.)
Shoppers' Stop 350 290
Westside 160 320
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Shoppers' Stop 290 280
Westside 270 250
Ease of location of
Stores desired category Range of garment Range of acc.
Shoppers' Stop 34 34 31
Westside 28 32 25
Ease of Alter/exchange
Stores advertisement In store advertisement Other facility
Shoppers' Stop 35 26 27
Westside 25 24 24
Average:
Stores Parking Facility (space) Outside appeal (facades windows etc.)
Shoppers'
Stop 7 5.8
Westside 3.2 6.4
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Stores Billing Counters Trial Rooms
Shoppers'
Stop 6.4 6.4
Westside 6.2 6.8
Range of
Stores Ease of location of desired category Range of garment acc.
Shoppers'
Stop 6.8 6.8 6.2
Westside 5.6 6.4 5
Percentage:
Stores Parking Facility (space) Outside appeal (facades windows etc.)
Shoppers' Stop 0.7 0.58
Westside 0.32 0.64
Range of
Stores Ease of location of desired category Range of garment acc.
Shoppers'
Stop 0.68 0.68 0.62
Westside 0.56 0.64 0.5
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From the above graph we can say that customers are more satisfied
with the parking facility of Shoppers Stop than Westside but they
think the outside that is facades windows etc of Westside is more
appealing in Westside.
From the above graph we can say that customers find sales personnels
of Shoppers Stop more attentive and friendly than sales personnels of
Westside.
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It is clear from the graph that customers find the music and
arrangements of Shoppers Stop better than Westside. But according to
them Westside has more moving space than Shoppers Stop.
The above graph says that customers are more satisfied with the
billing system and counters of Shoppers Stop but they find Westside
trial rooms more convenient and good.
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Ease of location of desired category, range of garment and range of
accessories, customers find Shoppers Stop better in these parameters.
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Customers are more satisfied with the rest rooms of Shoppers Stop
than Westside but they have equal opinion for drinking facility in both
the shops.
Conclusion:
From the above survey we can conclude that in spite of high prices in
Shoppers Stop customers find Shoppers Stop ahead in terms of services than
Westside.
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References:
www.wikipedia.org
www.shoppersstop.com
www.mywestside.com
www.scribd.com
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