SHOPPING COMPARISON

B2C WEBSITES AND

OFFLINE RETAIL STORE
E-COMMERCE

ASSIGNMENT 1

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

MR. NITIN SALVE AASTHA SHARMA (BFT/16/160)

ABHISHEK KUMAR NIRALA (BFT/16/822)

SHUBHAM (BFT/16/1468)
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

An offline shopping is a traditional way of buying services or products. Unlike online shopping,
in offline instead of going to the internet you physically go to the store/ mall and see the
product you want to buy, understand the material, design and other specifications and
functionality. Online shopping also known as E commerce is at large, one of the most thriving
ways of trade and has been adopted by most of the entrepreneurs in order to reach a higher
level of business and profits.

B2C is amongst one of the type of e-commerce models which involves the business and
consumers and the most common segment of e commerce. This is a business where the sales
are made generally to the consumers instead of other businesses.

We have taken shoes as our product as per the result of our fascination. We took redtape.com
and libertyshoesonline.com as the online outlets and Bata as the offline outlet.

Redtape is a brand known for its comfort. The website of the same has vast options shown
along with symbol for better understanding. The products are segregated according to
footwear, apparel and on sale which makes the purchase easy. Return, shipment and payment
policies are given on the home page itself. There is also a store locator option for the user.

Liberty is a brand known for the shoes. The website is based on their theme and the layout is
very neat and attractive. The new innovations, their own brands, their community links etc.
everything is given on the home page in an orderly manner.

The Bata store located in Hiranandani, Kharghar has a variety of shoes. There were no discounts
available but the staff was quite nice and cooperative. We could get proper size of the product
along with hand and feel.
 PART 1: BACKGROUND
PRODUCT INFORMATION
 Product: Footwear
 Category: Sport shoes
 Range: 1500-2500 INR
 Target: Girls

DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE TO BUY THE PRODUCT

 Online: Flipkart, Amazon etc.
 Retail Store: Bata, Liberty etc.
 Factory Outlet: Addidas, Reebok etc.
 Local Market: Dadar, Kurla etc.
 Second Hand: Quickr etc.
 Television Shopping: Home Shop 18
 Online Stores: Redtape etc.
 Search online but buy offline

SHOPPING COMPARISON
REDTAPE
Website: https://redtape.com/

About: Red Tape is a brand known for its unparalleled Comfort, International Styles and
Finesse. It is the brand for Hi-Fashion & Lifestyle, owing to its unmatched quality, skilled
craftsmanship and trendy products. It was founded in 1979 by Mirza Group. The headquarters
are in Noida. It has various retail stores, online stores and factory outlets spread across India
and world.

About User Interface: The website has nice functionality along with its color scheme and
design. The header of the website is nice with options available along with symbols and
hyperlinks, but the footer seems a bit congested to us. It could have been more properly
arranged.
 FIGURE 1: HOME PAGE

Shopping Procedure:

 Open https://redtape.com/
 Login with your email and password/ Sign up with your email id, name, mobile number
and setting new password/ Continue as Guest
 Search for the product
o Either by category
o In the search box
 Select the preferences
o Price(new, low, high, discount)
o Filter by (All, Shoe slip on, slip on, lace up, and walking/running)
 Choose the products you like and add them to wish list.
 Open the wishlist:
o Account -> My profile -> My stuff -> My wishlist
o In Footer, under my Account
 Add the product you liked to cart after selecting the appropriate size (size chart given in
3 standards)
 FIGURE 2: PRODUCT DETAILS AVAILABLE

 Click on the cart symbol given on the header. Click view cart.
 Check the details and place the order.
 Add Shipment address on next screen.
 Check order summary, redeem points or ad coupon code if you have any.
 Select payment method:
o Online: credit or debit card/ cash card/ wallet (mobikwik/jiomoney)/ paytm/
UPI/ netbanking
o Cash on delivery (Verify the number by entering OTP)
 Confirm delivery

RETURN AND EXCHANGE POLICY

 Return can be made within 7 days of purchase with no damage to the product, original
packaging and invoice.
 Return Packaging & Courier charges will have to be borne by the Customer himself, this
will be applicable in cases of size-change request also.
 Refund will be made through the mode in which payment was made.
LIBERTY
Website: https://www.libertyshoesonline.com/

About:  liberty has been fashioning footwear for well over 50 years for the style- conscious
people around the globe. It too has various stores, outlet spread across the country and globe.

About User Interface: We liked the user interface of the website better than redtape. It has a
crisp layout with all the useful links and options available. The header and footer of the website
are very nice arranged in a systematic layout. The link to the blog is given on the home page.
There is also a separate section for the social media with pictures which has animation in it
when cursor comes over it. Overall the functionality is very smooth and nice.

FIGURE 3: HOME PAGE FOR LIBERTY

Shopping Procedure:

 Open https://www.libertyshoesonline.com/
 Login with your email and password or via Facebook and Google accounts/ Sign up with
your email id, name, mobile number and setting new password
 Search for the product
o Either by category
o In the search box
 Select the preferences
o Price(range from 0 to 2499)
 o Brand
o Color
o Size
o Type (lace/ non-lace)
 Choose the products you like, select your size and check the availability in your area by
entering your pincode. Add the products to wishlist.
 Open the wishlist from the header.
 Chose the product from the wishlist which you like the most and add it to cart.

FIGURE 4: PRODUCT DETAILS AVAILABLE

 Open the cart

 Check the details and place the order.
 Add Shipment address on next screen.
 Select payment method:
o Online: credit or debit card/ cash card/ wallet (mobikwik/jiomoney/ free
charge)/ paytm/ UPI/ netbanking/EMI
o Cash on delivery (Verify the number by entering OTP)
  Confirm delivery

RETURN AND EXCHANGE POLICY

 For returning any product purchased online or via store, we are required to notify the
company within 48 hours of delivery. Product should reach their premise within 15 days
of the delivery.
 Reverse Pickup facility will only be provided to Prepaid Orders above Rs. 1,000 only.
 The item you want to return must be unused and accompanied with its original
packaging and tags in an unwashed & undamaged condition.
 Liberty depends on the availability. Mention your reason of exchange on your invoice
before shipping your product.
 Liberty follows No Cash Refund Policy wherein original shipping charges along with the
payment made through credit card, debit card, net banking or COD is non-refunded in
cash.

BATA
Location: Hiranandani, Kharghar

FIGURE 5: BATA STORE FROM OUTSIDE

Shopping Procedure:

 The front of the store has a big logo of Bata.

 The front door has transparent glass, hence the shoes inside are visible from outside.
The store is air conditioned.
 When we enter the store, on one side there is the cash counter and on the other side
there are footwear on a glass rack.
 All the different style and categories of shoes are kept in pairs; one pair of one style at a
time.
 The store has very bright lighting, has sitting arrangements to try the footwear and huge
mirrors are placed to see ourselves with the footwear on.
 Men, women, kids and sports category are separated. The sleepers, sandals and shoes
are kept separately.
 Then the customer chooses a style on the racks and tells the store representative to get
a pair of his/her feet size.
 If there are any discounts then it is displayed through small posters and pictures on
either door of the store or near the shoe racks.
 Then the customer tries the footwear and if any personal choice about color is told then
they bring it for the customer.
 If the customer likes the fitting, comfort and style then the pair of footwear is taken to
the counter, then the bar code on the tag of that footwear is scanned. Then the details
of the shoes are displayed on the system.
 If the footwear has to be sold on discount then the price is reduced otherwise the price
is same as printed and the invoice is generated through the computer.
 The cashier asks for your contact details and other information.
 Then the customer is asked about the amount to be paid and the mode of payment, i.e.
whether cash or through swiping the card.
 The Bata shoe store also accepts payment through Paytm e-wallet. Hence the bar code
or the registered phone number is shown to the customer.
 Then the payment is made and the bill/invoice of the product is given to the customer
on the confirmation of the payment.
 The customer also receives a message saying “thank you for shopping at Bata” which is a
method to make customer feel a sense of belongingness.
 The footwear is packed in its original cardboard box and kept in a paper bag and given
to the customer to carry it with him.
 Then the cashier asks the customer if he would like to buy something else, if he say no
then the cashier says “thank you and visit us again” to the customer and he leaves the
store.
 COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS

BATA (OFFLINE) REDTAPE(ONLINE) LIBERTY(ONLINE)

Actual MRP. No Mostly discounted Mostly Discounted
PRICE Bargaining. Discount products Products
on selected items
Travelling in this Easy viewing Easy viewing
CONVENIENCE weather is a bit procedure and procedure and
inconvenient doorstep delivery. doorstep delivery.
Time consuming in Viewing range of Viewing range of
travelling and billing products can be products can be
TIME
sometimes time sometimes time
consuming consuming
Good Quality(due to Good Quality Good Quality
QUALITY well established
brand)
Limited as compared Wide range Wide range
VARIETY
to online stores
DELIVERY PERIOD Instant delivery Could not estimate Could not estimate
CREDITS None None EMI
Very organized and User friendly, less User friendly, very
SHOPPING helpful staff informative informative
EXPERIENCE compared to other
sites
EXCHANGE AND 30 days 7 days exchange or 48 hours
RETURN POLICY return/replace return exchange/return
TRUST Trustworthy Trustworthy Trustworthy
None Facebook, twitter, Facebook, twitter,
SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube, instagram pinterest, instagram
Footwear, Bags, Apparel for men, Footwear
PRODUCT RANGE
Socks, Shoe Polishes Footwear for all
Store layout was Website layout was The brand image is
practical but readable but not maintained with use
LAYOUT
mainstream monotonous of colors and layout is
a basic 4 column grid.
RECOMMENDATIONS:

Bata: Can be more organized with proper labeling and directions of the products. Staff should
be trained well enough to handle big crowds.

Redtape: Customer should be able to check the availability of the product in the location.
Estimated delivery date should be displayed on the summary page

Liberty: No recommendations. However, products that are outdated or has bad reviews could
have been discarded from the site.
 APPENDIX 1: KEY CONSIDERATIONS OF DIFFERENT
ALTERNATIVES
ONLINE
 Price- Better discount and various offers in online shopping. Online transactions and
Cash on Delivery helps a lot (depending on the preference of the customer). We can also
compare the prices of the same product on different sites
 Convenience – Readily available at doorstep. Cuts the down effort of travelling to the
store itself.
 Time- Saves time in travelling but the product can take several days to arrive. And in
some cases the delivery may also be delayed.
 Quality- We can’t test the state of the item we are purchasing. Until we receive the item
we are not sure whether it is of good quality or not. However, one can go through the
feedback section and can get a good idea about the quality.
 Variety- Can access an endless shopping website and find lot of options for that one
single item you wish to buy (For instance, variety of colours for a particular design.)
 Delivery period- Different websites have different options for delivery, like same day
delivery, choose a particular day/time for delivery with respect to our availability, etc.
Sometimes we might not receive the product in the required period or it might get
delayed. Hence online shopping has its own pros and cons.
 Credits (EMIs, etc.) –Might be available.
 Shopping experience – Depends on consumer to consumer. Some people avoid the
hustle of going to the store whereas some seek the thrill of offline shopping.
 Exchange & return policy – Most websites have better suited policies with easy pickups
and drops. However, sometimes it becomes very time consuming.

RETAIL STORE

 Price – They normally sell products at MRP. But during sale seasons, various discounts
are also available. One can also bargain.
 Convenience - We get to see, touch and in some cases also try the product before
buying which helps us in making an informed decision as to whether the product will
suit our need or not, this even reduces the chance of return and exchange.
 Time – Time is consumed for travelling and searching for the store that provides that
particular product however the action of purchasing the product is immediate.
 Quality – Assured quality as we can check the product thoroughly before buying
  Variety – Limited variety. However, we can get a lot of brands to choose from.
 Delivery period – Immediately get the product. Exceptions may include when the outlet
orders the product from a different partner outlet or godown and promises to deliver it
to our place/asks us to go & check it once before buying t their store.
 Credits (EMIs, etc.) – Normally, do not provide any credit.
 Shopping experience – Vary from consumer to consumer. Some like to go out, and
some don’t.
 Exchange & return policy – Depends on the policy of the store.

FACTORY OUTLET

 Price – Price of the products are mostly lower than the MRP.
 Convenience – The outlets are very limited in number hence finding one is quite
troublesome. However, we can physically examine the product.
 Time – Finding and travelling to an outlet can be time consuming. However, purchase is
immediate.
 Quality – They normally sell rejected, outdated or surplus stock so there might be an
issue with quality.
 Variety – Limited.
 Delivery period – Immediate purchase.
 Credits (EMIs, etc) – None.
 Shopping experience – Depends on consumer.
 Exchange & return policy – Usually, they don’t provide any warranty.

LOCAL MARKET
 Price – Price is usually lower than retail outlets. Bargaining is possible.
 Convenience - Travel to that place, arrangement of product can be unorganised so
might face difficulty in finding a product.
 Time – Can be vast hence might be time consuming in finding the product.
 Quality – Quality is not assured. For instance: Size (dimensions) and no proper
packaging
 Variety – There is a variety of products to choose from.
 Delivery period – Immediate purchase.
 Credits (EMIs, etc) – None.
  Shopping experience – Depends on consumer’s style of shopping.
 Exchange & return policy – Depends on the store. But mostly, they don’t provide any
returns or exchange.

SECOND HAND
 Price- Used products are sold hence prices are lower than MRP.
 Convenience-:
o Online: Readily available at doorstep. Cuts the down effort of travelling to the
store itself.
o Offline: Can be from local market or acquaintance so the convenience in buying
product varies.
 Time-
o Online: Saves time in travelling but the product can take several days to arrive.
And in some cases the delivery may also be delayed.
o Offline: – Time is consumed for travelling and searching for the shop / house that
provides that particular product however the action of purchasing the product is
immediate.
 Quality- Since it is a used product there might be defects like oil stains, faded print ,
holes etc.
 Variety- Depends on availability.
 Delivery period- Varies for online but immediate purchase for offline.
 Credits (emis, etc.)- None
 Shopping experience- Varies from customer to customer.
 Exchange & return policy- None

TELEVISION SHOPPING
 Price - Better discount and various offers.
 Convenience – You have to devote a lot of time until the product of your preference is
displayed on the screen. And we just have to make a call to order.
 Time – A simple quick call can place the order.
 Quality - We can’t test the state of the item we are purchasing. Until we receive the
item we are not sure whether it is of good quality or not.
 Variety – They advertise one single product at one time. Options can vary from 2 to 5.
 Delivery period – Shipment/ delivery time can vary.
 Credits (emis, etc.) – Depends on products. Mostly none for shoes
 Shopping experience – Depends consumer to consumer. Some people might not like it
as they don’t like to be kept on hold.
 Exchange & return policy – Might have exchange & return policy. However, the
procedure can be time consuming.