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What is Retail :
The word ‘retail’ has been derived from the French word “retaillier” and means ‘to cut a
piece’ or ‘to break bulk’. It covers all the activities involved in the sale of product and
services. Retailing is a high-intensity competition industry and second largest globally.
The reason for its popularity lies in its ability to provide easier access to a variety of
products, freedom of choice, and many services to consumers. The size of an average
retail store varies across countries depending largely on the level of a particular
country’s economic development.
The largest retail store in the world is Wal-Mart of USA.
Retailing is the world’s largest private sector contributing to 8% of the GDP and it
employs one sixth of the labor force. The estimated retail trade is expected to be 7
trillion US $. Many countries have developed only due to retailing and presently we see
there is a vast change in the retail industry. As far as India is concerned it contributes to
14% of our GDP and it is the second largest sector next to agriculture which provides
employment to more number of persons.
Retailing is the business activity of selling goods and services to the final consumer.
Retailing can be defined as the business products and services to consumers for their
own use.
According to Kotler, “Retailing includes all the activities involved in selling goods or
services to the final consumers for personal, non business use”.
Retailing is the activity of selling goods and services to last level consumers for their
use. It is concerned with getting goods in their finished state into the hands of
customers who are prepared to pay for the pleasure of eating, wearing or experiencing
particular product items. Retailing is all about the distribution of goods and services
because retailers play a key role in the route that
products take after originating from a manufacturer, grower or service-provider to reach
the person who consumes. Retailing is also one of the key elements of a marketing
strategy facilitating the targeting process, making sure that a product reaches particular
groups of consumers. It is important in a marketing strategy to match the arena in which
a product is purchased to the benefits and characteristics of the product itself and its
price. Retailers provide a collection of service benefits to their customers such as being
located in convenient places, editing product ranges according to shopping tasks, and
selling goods in quantities that match personal consumption levels. Ensuring that this
process runs smoothly presents a host of managerial challenges. Retailing is therefore
a deceptively simple management process – yet fascinatingly
complex in its detail.
Caution The term retailing applies not only to the selling of tangible products like loaves
of bread or pairs of shoes, but also to the selling of service products.
Companies who provide meals out, haircuts and aromatherapy sessions are all
essentially retailers, as they sell to the final consumer, and yet customers do not take
goods away from these retailers in a carrier bag. The consumption of the service
product coincides with the retailing activity itself.
Retail Marketing
Retail marketing is the process by which retailers promote awareness and interest of
their goods and services in an effort to generate sales from their consumers. There are
many different approaches and strategies retailers can use to market their goods and
services
The Nature of Retail Marketing:
Product: There are two primary types of merchandise. Hard or durable goods like
appliances, electronics, and sporting equipment. And soft goods like clothing,
household items, cosmetics, and paper products. Some retailers carry a range of hard
and soft items like a supermarket or a major retail chain while many smaller retailers
only carry one category of goods, like a boutique clothing store.
Price: Pricing is a key element to any retail strategy. The retail price needs to cover the
cost of goods as well as additional overhead costs. There are four primary pricing
strategies used by retailers:
1. Everyday low pricing: The retailer operates in thin margins and attracts
customers interested in the lowest possible price. This strategy is used by big
box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target.
2. High/low pricing: The retailer starts with a high price and later reduces the price
when the item’s popularity fades. This strategy is mainly used by small to mid-
sized retailers.
3. Competitive pricing: The retailer bases the price on what their competition is
charging. This strategy is often used after the retailer has exhausted the higher
pricing strategy (high/low pricing).
4. Psychological pricing: The retailer sets the price of items with odd numbers that
consumers perceive as being lower than they actually are. For example, a list
price of $1.95 is associated with spending $1 rather than $2 in the customers
mind. This strategy is also called pricing ending or charm pricing.
Place: The place is where the retailer conducts business with its customers. The place
can be a physical retail location or a non-physical space like a catalog company or an e-
store. While most retailers are small, independently owned operations (over 90%), over
50% of retail sales are generated by major retailers often called “big box retailers” (see
the list of the top 20 big box retailers below).
Promotion: Promotion is the final marketing mix elements. Promotions include personal
selling, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, and publicity. A promotional mix
specifies how much attention to pay to each tactic, and how much money to budget for
each. A promotion can have a wide range of objectives, including increasing sales, new
product acceptance, creation of brand equity, positioning, competitive retaliations, or the
creation of a corporate image.
(1) Hawkers. Such retailers don't start any shop anywhere. Rather they go on wandering
here and there and thus affect sales of the commodities in piece-meal or smaller
quantities, to the consumers. The following are some of their popular names:
i.) Wandering Retail Vendors;
ii.) Vendors of the Foot-Path;
iii.) Vendors of the Fairs and Village Markets.
(2) Retailers Having Established Shops. The permanent retailers, by setting up their
shops on a specific place, resort to the sale of the commodities to the consumers in
small quantities, as per their needs.
(3) Large-Scale Retailers. Some traders or the organizations resort to take up retail trade
on large-scale some of which include the following:
i.) Departmental Stores;
ii.) Chain Shops;.
iii.) Mail-Order Business;
iv.) Super-Bazars;
v.) Consumers' Co-operative Stores;
Major Formats of In-Store Retailing :
Format Description The Value Proposition
Complete range available for
Exclusive showrooms either owned or franchised
Branded Stores a given brand, certified
out by a manufacturer.
product quality
Greater choice to the
Specialty Focus on a specific consumer need, carry most of
consumer, comparison
Stores the brands available
between brands is possible
Large stores having a wide variety of products,
Department organized into different departments such as One stop shop catering to
Stores clothing, house wares, furniture, appliances, toys, varied/ consumer needs.
etc.
One stop shop catering to
Supermarkets Extremely large self-service retail outlets
varied consumer needs
Stores offering discounts on the retail price through
Discount
selling high volumes and reaping economies of Low Prices
Stores
scale
Larger than a supermarket, sometimes with a Low prices, vast choice
Hyper- mart warehouse appearance, generally located in quieter available including services
parts of the city such as cafeterias.
Convenience Small self-service formats located in crowded urban Convenient location and
stores areas. extended operating hours.
Shopping An enclosure having different formats of in-store Variety of shops available to
Malls retailers, all under one roof. each other.
Formats Adopted by Key Players in India :
Retailer Original formats Later Formats
Hypermarket (Spencer's)Specialty Store (Health
RPG Retail Supermarket (Foodworld)
and Glow)
Department Store (Piramyd
Piramal's Discount Store (TruMart)
Megastore)
Pantaloon Small format outlets (Shoppe) Supermarket (Food Bazaar)
Retail Department Store (Pantaloon) Hypermarket (Big Bazaar) Mall (Central)
Department Store (shopper's
K Raheja Supermarket (TBA)
stop)
Group Hypermarket (TBA)
Specialty Store (Crossword)
Tata/ Trent Department Store (Westside) Hypermarket (Star India Bazaar)
Landmark
Department Store (Lifestyle) Hypermarket (TBA)
Group
Discount Store (Subhiksha, Margin Free, Apna Bazaar), Supermarket (Nilgiri's),
Others
Specialty Electronics
Services Rendered by the Retailers
I. Services Towards the Wholesellers
Though each consumer has a unique set of criteria they use to make judgments about
products, the practice of classifying consumers by characteristics (based on their
demographics, interests, and other factors) into manageable groups, or market
segments, is common. It would be difficult to produce a product that would appeal to
every consumer. Hence, successful retailers tend to focus on those consumers who are
most likely going to find their products appealing and purchase them.
Members of the lawn and garden industry have promoted container gardening and the
use of raised garden beds as a way for 'Baby Boomers' and 'Mature' generations to
garden without having to bend over.
Terms, such a 'Gen X,' 'Generation Jones,' and 'Baby Boomers,' were created as a way
of classifying "a group of individuals, most of whom are the same approximate age,
having similar ideas, problems, attitudes, etc.". Marketers have discovered that they can
often work with producers and retailers to provide goods and services that would appeal
to a majority of members of a particular generation, based on the general needs and
wants of consumers within the group. See the sidebar for examples.
Demographics: Ethnicity
For the past several years, the population of certain ethnic groups has increased,
particularly those who are of Asian and Hispanic or Latino descents. These changes
present opportunities for many agricultural businesses. It is necessary for agricultural
businesses to understand that within the Asian ethnic group, that those of Chinese,
Korean, and Japanese descent will have different languages and cultures. The same is
true for groups within the Hispanic ethnic group.
Agricultural retailers or producers who offer foods could produce vegetables, flours,
grains, and other ingredients used by ethnic groups on a day-to-day basis and when
preparing meals for Chinese New year (mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bean
sprouts). If this approach is pursued, it will be important to know which vegetables are
commonly used by each ethnic group. It will also be important to learn about the
meaning that certain ingredients convey. Examples include: Chinese lettuce (prosperity)
and turnip (good omens).
Those who grow plants and flowers can also market their products to ethnic groups who
wish to incorporate these items into traditional ceremonies.
It will be necessary to determine that there is a large enough population of the target
ethnic group in order to support the retailer's or producer's efforts.
Demographics: Income
Disposable income (or net income) is the amount of money that an individual has
available to pay for expenses minus taxes and deductions. Discretionary income is the
amount of money that remains after consumers pay for "needs" (food, rent/mortgage,
insurance, etc.) that are required to sustain a reasonable livelihood. In general, the
higher the level of net income the greater the amount of discretionary income that would
be available for a consumer to purchase 'wants,' or items not necessary to maintain
their life but rather their lifestyle.
If the 'core' customer has a limited income then goods and services marketed to them
should be within a price range that is affordable.
Demographics: Geographical
The location where a consumer lives (e.g., the southeast vs. the northwest U.S. and/or
in a metropolitan area versus a rural environment) can greatly influence his or her
needs, wants, and access to goods and services. Cultural 'tastes' and traditions can
affect food preparation, ingredients commonly used, and availability of specialty cuisine.
East Coast consumers may include seafood as a staple in their diets, while consumers
living in the southwest may frequently use chili peppers. Food retailers should be aware
of entrees and recipes commonly prepared in their area and provide as many essential
ingredients as possible. As a greater number of consumers travel and experiment with
new cuisines, they may desire to recreate the dish in their own kitchen upon their return.
Specialty or gift shop retailers can offer gift baskets that include these food ingredients
or sell baking mixes that customers can prepare with ease.
The availability and variety of food ingredients can also differ based on consumer's
proximity to large metropolitan areas. Consumers residing in metropolitan areas, such
as New York and Philadelphia, have access to a large variety of products and outlets
from which to purchase. Rural consumers, however, may have fewer options. Retailers
in these areas will need to become educated about current trends and predictions and
what is needed to provide consumers with ingredients and information necessary to
cook a popular meal or to plant a fashionable garden. Becoming a member of a national
association may be a wise decision. Subscribing to free e-newsletters published by
marketing associations and related sources will also provide retailer with useful
information.
Demographics: Homeownership
Knowing the level of homeownership within a market area is particularly important for
businesses that sell plants, vegetable seeds, and lawn and garden services.
Consumers who are homeowners may be more willing than renters to: a) invest in the
establishment and upkeep of their lawn and garden and b) purchase outdoor plant
material and landscape services.
Income level and amount of outdoor space may have an influence on the amount of
money spent and the types of goods and services purchased.
The types of plant material grown and marketed should not only be appropriate for the
'target' market's location, but should also be the right dimensions for the consumer's
outdoor lawn or garden space. Horticultural business that find that there are several
apartment complexes or condominiums, with limited yard or no yard at all, within their
market area should consider marketing plant material that can be grown in containers,
in raised beds, or have a more vertical growth habit.
Emerging Issues In Retail:-
It is truly said by William James that individuals. That is the reason retailing is like to be
in the jungle where we have to think for our survival to be the fittest. A good retailer
would combine the personalized care of the local grocer with the state-of-the-art CRM
and other tools of retail to retain his customer base and to survive and flourish in an
ever emerging retail scenario.
However, there are a few challenges that retailers across the country have to face. With
the markets here being mainly fragmented and unorganized, retailers across the
country face the following challenges:-
1.Heavy investment
It is very important for the retailers to focus on heavy investment to meet their
infrastructure needs as well as appointment of well-trained middle management level
professionals for the smooth functioning of the trade in the market.
Now a days, the market scenario is changing with a rapid speed which results in the
constant changes in consumer taste & preferences, logistical challenges and evolution
of new retail formats from time to time. Retailers need to implement various strategies to
improve their business processes, such as logistics, innovation, distribution, fashion,
marketing and management to keep in pace with changing market trends and to reach
the levels of quality and service as per the expectations of the consumers.
3. Frauds in Retail
However, with rapid growth in the retail sector, the associated perils and issues are also
coming to the forefront. The shrinkage or fraud in retail is a key issue that is becoming a
cause of concern for Indian retailers. Shrinkage is the "loss in inventory on account of a
combination of employee theft, shoplifting, vendor fraud and administrative error."
Retailing and logistics are concerned with product availability from the manufacturers
and sometimes the retailers have to bear huge losses due to lack of proper
infrastructure and distribution process. Good infrastructure and efficient distribution
channel is the need of the hour to boost the retail business. It is required to concentrate
in providing better transportation systems, warehousing facilities and timely distribution
of products.
5. Merchandise:
The primary goal of the most retailers is to sell the right kind of merchandise and
nothing is more central to the strategic thrust of the retailing firm. Merchandising
consists of activities involved in acquiring particular goods and services and making
them available at a place, time and quantity that enable the retailer to reach its goals.
Merchandising is perhaps, the most important function for any retail organization, as it
decides what finally goes on shelf of the store.
6. Change or perish
is the writing on the wall. Some of the largest names in retail, with stores all over the
country have disappeared from the retail map and some of the retailers are struggling to
come to terms with the change so that they can meet the expectations of customers.
New players are emerging, who seem to know which way the wind is blowing.
7. Pricing
Pricing is a crucial strategic variable due to its direct relationship with a firm's
goal and its interaction with other retailing elements. The importance of pricing
decisions is growing because today's customers are looking for good value when
they buy merchandise and services. Price is the easiest and quickest variable to
change.
8. Target audience
"Consumer the prime mover" "Consumer Pull", however, seems to be the most
important driving factor behind the sustenance of the industry. The purchasing power of
the customers has increased to a great extent, with the influencing the retail industry to
a great extent, a variety of other factors also seem to fuel the retailing boom.
9 Technology
Keeping up with the pace of modern technology is one of the major problem the retail
industry is facing. For instance, retail point of sale technology often uses computer
systems that are several years behind the computer industry as a whole. The inability of
retail industry technology to keep up with initiatives such as mobile digital coupons is a
problem that the industry regularly faces.
Trends in Retail
• Experimentation with formats: Retailing in India is still evolving and the sector is
witnessing a series of experiments across the country with new formats being tested
out. Ex. Quasi-mall, sub-urban discount stores, Cash and carry etc.
Favorable demographics
Growth in income
• Raising aspirations : Value added goods sales, Food and apparel retailing key
drivers of growth.
Organized retailing in India has been largely an urban phenomenon with affluent
classes and growing number of double-income households.
More successful in cities in the south and west of India. Reasons range from differences
in consumer buying behavior to cost of real estate and taxation laws.
Rural markets emerging as a huge opportunity for retailers reflected in the share of the
rural market across most categories of consumption
ITC is experimenting with retailing through its e-Choupal and Choupal Sagar – rural
hypermarkets.
HLL is using its Project Shakti initiative – leveraging women self-help groups – to
explore the rural market.
IT is a tool that has been used by retailers ranging from Amazon.com to eBay to
radically change buying behavior across the globe.
Companies using their own web portal or tie-sups with horizontal players like Rediff.com
and Indiatimes.com to offer products on the web.
• Investment Opportunities
Potential For Investment: The total estimated Investment Opportunity in the retail sector
is around US$ 5-6 Billion in the Next five years.
• Location: with modern retail formats having made their foray into the top cities namely
Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi,
Nagpur there exists tremendous potential in two tier towns over the next 5 years.
· Clothing
· Pharmacy
· Hyper Market
Conclusion
Market research will still need to be done after final product selection is made. The best
way to do this is to monitor consumer reaction to goods and services offered and
determine whether foot traffic and sales have changed. Additional decisions can then be
made to further alter product assortment. Consideration will also need to be given to the
number of 'core' or 'target' customers that live within the selected market area. If
relatively few consumers within the area fit the profile of who would have an interest in
the products and/or don't have the means to purchase them (i.e. true demand), then the
producer or retailer may need to modify their plan. Agricultural businesses that
accomplish the task of learning about these audiences will certainly experience rewards
by knowing what products to offer that would interest their customers.