TRANSCRIPT – AIVIN MATHEWS

Aivin: (00:02):
Hello? Hello?

Shubham: (00:04):
Yeah. Hi Aivin: Shubham: here . So as discussed, I'll be taking a small interview, which is regarding
retail shopping experience . So I'll be asking you questions regarding your consumer buying pattern at big
retail outlets, like big bazar. So before we start tell me something about yourself, your name, where do
you live in? What is the income and all?

Aivin: (00:25):

Yeh Hai Shubham: glad to be here my name is Aivin: Aivin: Mathews I live in Mumbai right now and as
we mentioned like my family income would be around let se 24 to 26 lakh per annum

Shubam – tell me the buying pattern of your visit at these stores(1)

Aivin: - my buying patterns ok so mostly I would say it's somewhere between 1-2 times in a week that
would be for generic groceries and vegetables so sometimes even ok bulk shopping can be done for
groceries and overall I would definitely say it's at least once a week

Shubham: (01:08):
Okay. So tell me about, uh, um, so since you go only once a week, so do you have any, uh, written or a
mental shopping list prepared before we go to these hypermarket ? (2)

Aivin: (01:19):
Okay. So most of the time these hypermarkets here, the, okay. There is a mental picture on the items that
I have to buy, and most of them are repeat buys. So yeah, I would say 80% of my buying list would be
already prepared by me.

Shubham: (01:38):
So how much time do you take to prepare this list?

Aivin: (01:43):

I am travelling towards the location so during that time I would probably put a note on my phone or
maybe ask family members for some specific items that they might be needing so won't take more than
10-15 minutes yeahShubham: (02:07):
Shubham: - Okay. So whenever you go to shopping, you always prepare a list. Is that, is that the case?
Aivin: - Yeah, it would be right to say that

Shubham: (02:19):
So, okay. So once I prepared this list and then you go to these markets, so how much time do you take,
uh, or, uh, taking all these things in a basket and coming back to home how much time do all these
purchase take.
Aivin: (02:33):

ok so most of the time whatever items that I have to pick will easily you know be done by 15 20 minutes
tops but It mostly depends upon you know like how far am I travelling for how long the que is on the
you know the store that's the major problem I would say most time consuming item of the store

Shubham: (03:03):
So, uh, what is the average time span you spent at these outlets?

Aivin: (03:10):
A half an hour, 20 minutes for shopping and at least for 10 minutes for paying the bill also.

Shubham: (03:18):
Okay. So my next question is regarding crowd. So whenever you see cloud at these big retail outlets, what
perception do you create in your mind when you see this crowd gathered over these outlets?

Aivin: (03:29):
Okay. I don't generally like a crowded place when it comes to shopping. Like, I think that most of the
hypermarkets that you see their lanes are pretty small. Like if you're carrying, you know, a bag or trolly
with you, most of the time, if there are more people out there, you will have to find your way in between
like getting through multiple people could be, you know, a bit of an issue. And that takes up a lot of time.
So mostly I would prefer a place with less crowds so that I can randomly look at items too. But if it's too
crowded, my perception changes. And I would like to finish off my work with you because I know there
will be a long line for the billing process.

Shubham: (04:23):
Okay. So my next question is which part of the store would you look at to identify it as crowded?

Aivin: (04:32):
Yeah, it's mostly the billing , counter assembly, like, well, the, most of the time the entry and the exit are
at different locations. So whenever I enter, I look into the exit point or where the, mostly the building
counter would be to see how crowded that might be. That would be one indication. And the other would
be near consume most of the consumer items like food items or something like snacks or something. You
can see a very big line near a dairy products and all. Yeah.

Shubham: (05:06):
So these were some general questions which I have asked now we'll be moving to comprehensive
questions. Okay. So answer these questions in detail. Okay.
So my next question is, uh, what emotions do you feel when you see a crowded store? So like, do you feel
irritated or do you feel frustrated or do you feel excited? Like, what is your emotion?

Aivin: (05:31):
Well, uh, if I see a crowded store, I would feel irritated. Uh, yeah. I lose interest in shopping if there is a
crowded store.

Shubham: (05:52):
Okay. So, uh, when you, uh, when you see a lot of crowd gathered over a bigbazar and you are not
stepping that a retail store, so would you like to go in that store and have a look at it or you'll just go by.

Aivin: (06:06):
Okay. So most of the time, like, like I mentioned, like, uh, I go once a week So there might be instances
there where I am there for multiple reasons. So if I see a, you know, crowded store that if I don't have any
emergency items, I might leave quickly without buying any item. I'm not a fan of crowded places. So I
just avoid it and considering, you know, the current, uh, pandemic situation. Yeah. I always avoid
crowded places.

Shubham: (06:40):
So, um, so you mentioned about this shopping list. You take, whenever you go to these places, so do you
strictly follow the shopping list?

Aivin: (06:51):
Okay. So, uh, yeah, every item on the list has to be bought, so that remains a priority. And after that,
whatever, you know, sometimes most of the time you forget a few things. So that is why I prepare a list,
but there might be some items that when you stroll to through, you know, the store, you might just see
them and you remember, okay, this might also be needed. So there might be one or two items every time
that I pick up on the way, which I didn't plan to, you know, initially let's say if I have, uh, seven or eight
items that I want to buy, I definitely go and buy two or three more items that might not be there on the
list. Most of the time, those are basic snacks, like ice creams or chocolates or something like that. Yeah.

Shubham: (07:46):
Um, can you tell me in percentage terms, like how many times does it happen that you exceed the amount
in the shopping list?

Aivin: (07:53):
Yeah, I always exceed, I would say every time I exceed the shopping list amount.

Shubham: (07:59):
Okay. So, so my next question is, does the presence of a crowd affect your buying decision in the sense
that you buy more or less than you're originally intended to add? For example, if you are, uh, going to an
area which you like, let's say clothing, and then you see a lot of crowd gathered over there. So would you
go and check out those items or not?

Aivin: (08:21):
Okay. So crowd always affects or, you know, my mood and perception. So the thing is if I find a crowded
store, especially for shopping and all, we are definitely I'll avoid that. Like if I have, I'll only buy the basic
amenities, what I am supposed to buy and might not be, I can't do without those things. So if I go for
clothes shopping or something like that, I'll always avoid it because I'll have to stand in queue for, you
know, even trying on the dresses and something like that. So, yeah, I definitely avoid crowd and, uh, uh,
most, I might miss items on the list if it's not a necessity, like if I could buy that buy within the next three
or four days or so then I would come back later.

Shubham: (09:14):
Okay. So, um, my next question is, does the size of hypermarket affect your shopping experience? So do
you like a big store or a small store?

Aivin: (09:25):
Okay. Personally, I think I would like a bigger store, but not with, uh, you know, multiple floors, like
going into another floor is kind of tiring and not something that I like, but if it's a single floor spread over
a large area. Yes. I, I definitely prefer that. Cause it gives me room to just roll around, look at a few things
and you want come back. Yeah.

Shubham: (09:52):
So let's say there is a small store, which is just near to our house and there's a big store, which fulfills all
your requirements, but that is a, say five kilometers away from her house. So would you go that extra
mile for that big retail store or not?

Aivin: (10:08):
Okay. If I have a, okay. Let's say if I have a big item list to buy, I'll definitely prefer the hypermarket.
And, uh, because you know, I could get more items on the list and, uh, there's always some, you know,
things that I, like I said, there might be some impulse buy from my side. I always look for those ones. So I
think I would prefer the hypermarket, even if it is a bit far off, but if I find it to be crowded, then I might
go back to the smaller one after the hypermarket.

Shubham: (10:47):
So you mentioned about this impulse buying. So what is the percentage in terms like, for example, if
you're shopping for 10,000 rupees, that is your intention to shop according to the shopping list, to how
much amount do you exceed from that budget that you prepared.

Aivin: (11:04):
Okay. So that would be a very small amount of the total budget, I would say. Yes.

Shubham: (11:09):
How much, like how much out of the box purchase do you do

Aivin: (11:13):
It's like you mentioned, if for a buying of 10,000, maybe at most 10% of it, 10, 15%, not more than
thousand or 1500, that would be the match that I would go.

Shubham: (11:27):
So my next question is, does the ambiance of a store or anodour of the store influence a party decision or
not?

Aivin: (11:36):
Okay. As far as order is concerned? Uh, yeah, if I feel that there is some foul smell, so obviously that
doesn't give a good image about the store. Like I will start questioning the itmes, you know, maintaining
good cleanliness or are the products good? I wouldn't recommend that store to anybody else too. I would
probably not prefer a place which has some bad order.

Shubham: (12:12):
So these environmental factors does it does influence your purchase decision. Is that what I can infer

Aivin: (12:20):
Definitely. They do have an impact.

Shubham: (12:25):
So, uh, so let's say when you're shopping and then you see, uh, uh, good music playing in the background.
So would you, uh, be at a store and remain at a store for long in comparison to a store, which is not
having music, so will music, uh, increase your purchase at time or not?

Aivin: (12:43):
I mean, I have noticed, uh, you know, small little, like small music being played in the background, but,
uh, I don't focus much on those things, but I don't think that will make a difference for me personally, like
having music on the background , like a good ambience and order do play a good part for me, but not the
music part. I don't relate to the music part per se.

Shubham: (13:12):
Okay. So my next question is now suppose we have purchased all, all the items that you intended to
purchase. And then when checking out, you see a long queue at the payment counter, what is your
reaction to it?

Aivin: (13:27):
Okay. So mostly, like I said, I generally look at the, uh, billing counter at the time when I entered the
store. So I generally look for, you know, places with lesser line, but if those are a necessity and then I
have to buy, um, practically, you know, mentally prepared for it, because since I've already seen it in the
starting, I know that it's going to be a long time, but obviously I would prefer an aisle, which is less
crowded.

Shubham: (14:04):
So what can I infer is you are somewhat prepared that Yes. There will be a long line at a payment counter,
but somehow you are got adjusted to this fact. Is that, is that the story?

Aivin: (14:15):
Yes. You could say that because, yeah, because I live in Mumbai also and it's, for the most part, most of
the stores are pretty crowded. And if you go on a weekend, it's definitely crowded. So yeah, I am kind of
mentally prepared for those things initially.

Shubham: (14:33):
So how much time do you like to spend on a payment counter? Like what is your limit to spend time on
these counters?

Aivin: (14:45):
Uh, not maybe more than 15, 20 minutes because, uh, yeah, if, uh, if there is a long line in front of me,
there's at least 10, 15 people, so that can be very irritating for me. And, uh, sometimes you see the people
might be less, like, let's say just seven or eight, but, uh, they might be getting multiple trolleys or, you
know, they might be doing, you know, like shopping for a whole month or kind of that like you can incur,
you can make that assumption by seeing the amount of items that tehy buy. So if the people standing in
front of me are mostly those people, so I kind of get irritated of it. It's not something that I would like to
see.

Shubham: (15:35):
So when you go to these stores, do you like, uh, so when you see a long payment, a line right on the
starting, so when you see those lines, so do you finally go for shopping or not like, or you just walk away
from the main door itself?

Aivin: (15:52):
Uh, okay. So, uh, yeah, it's like I mentioned, like, uh, I don't walk away, but, uh, most of the time you can
see that, you know, nowadays the billing counters, at least in Mumbai, uh, they have a separate bill
counter for people who have just a handful of items. Like if you're carrying one or two items in your
hands, then you have a separate billing counter. So they don't mix you with the other ground so that you
can get done by easily. Like it's how, it's more the protocol in most of the places that I live nearby. So I
will look at my list and let's say if there is one or two items that have to be bought, so I'll just, you know,
get those ones, uh, standard the small line and just buy them and,l eave and maybe come back at some
other day for all the items.

Shubham: (16:56):
Okay. So my next question is about the other factors that influence a purchase, for example, say parking.
So how, how much role do you say see parking in your buying pattern?

Aivin: (17:14):
Yeah, definitely parking plays an important role. At least a bike parking should be available and ideally
free of cost would be my preference for them if I can park a car also. Yeah. That would be an added
bonus, but mostly, yeah, a bike bucking, which is not paid would be an ideal condition, but, uh, parking is
a must, I would say like since most of the time the stores, it's not in walkable distances, so yeah. Parking
fees should be there.

Shubham: (17:50):
So would you prefer a store which is not having a parking, even though if it's a discount, if it's offering
heavy discounts.

Aivin: (17:59):
Okay. The point of heavy discounts is to bulk buy. So I can just carry those items, you knowon myself.
So if most of the time I might not prefer that. Like if I had, if I can do it within, let's say an auto or
something. Yeah. That would be fine. So,

Shubham: (18:22):
So I ha so tell me something about our experience, like, uh, about parking thing that a real life incident
that must have happened with you with the parking thing. So would you prefer a store which is having a
comfortable parking rather than just parking on the roads? So what do you, um, spend that extra mile just
for the parking factor or not like, will you go to a retail outlet that is having good facilities as far as
parking is concerned or not?

Aivin: (18:48):
Okay. Yeah. So most of the stores that I go nearby, so we have a parking out here and it's free. Of course I
don't have to pay anything. And a couple of malls that, uh, have these stores, they have paid parking. So
most of the time, the places, if I go to those places, it's for multiple reasons, not just for, you know,
shopping for half an hour or so. So like I mentioned for the near places, yeah. I definitely go by a car or
bike since it's rainy season right now, I always have to go buy a car and, uh, out here in Mumbai, like it
dreams randomly. So I prefer places where you can park your car and get items and put those items in
your car and then drive away.

Shubham: (19:45):
My next question is regarding the loyalty programs offered at these outlets. So are you affected by these
loyalty programs or not?

Aivin: (19:53):
Uh, no. I'm, I'm personally not a fan of loyalty programs. I don't prefer them that, um, I have seen that
most of the time you will have to buy a large amount from a single store, always. So like that, you know,
the rest takes me to a number of brands. Sometimes it happens at a few brands that I'm specifically
looking for, might not be there in one store. So I might be compelled to buy similar items of different
brands. So I, I'm not a fan of loyalty programs and I don't prefer, you know, getting into those ones.

Shubham: (20:36):
So what is your take on the discount offers being listed, these outlets. So would you prefer going to a big
buzzer when there's a lot of sale or when it's, let's say if the independence day sale, or let's say it's a
Wednesday sale, so are you affected by discounts or not?

Aivin: (20:53):
Uh, yes. Uh, you know, discounts do play a part, but uh, like when, even when we get discount offers and
all, I generally go to those stores, but, uh, the time that I take is a different time, like, uh, I prefer going in
the morning or let's say afternoon, I don't go after 6:00 PM because it's very crowded and it takes a lot
more time. Like it could take more than an hour if I go at peak times. So discounts, do you know, play
apart otherwise if the discounts were not given, I don't think I would have gone to those places at first
part, at least in those times.

Shubham: (21:39):
So what I can assume is discounts, does play a major role Also, even if the space is crowded, you will
surely have a look at the store just because of the discount factor. Is there, what can I infer?

Aivin: (21:51):
Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I'll definitely give it a try at least once.

Shubham: (21:57):
So, um, so generally do you shop on only on discount days or are you a frequent buyer at these outlets?

Aivin: (22:07):
Uh, I would say, I would say I'm a frequent buyer, not, uh, more discount oriented.

Shubham: (22:14):
Okay. So let's say there's a discount at big bazar. You come to know about a discount coming days. So
what do you wait about that day? Or you'll just go because we have a requirement.

Aivin: (22:27):
Uh, I might wait for bulk buying . Like if there is one or two items that I need urgently, then I'll just buy
those items and rest of the items of the list. I will wait for discount.

Shubham: (22:43):
Cool Aivin: I got all your insights. I hope you enjoyed this interview.

Aivin: (22:48):
Yeah, definitely. Thank you for your time. Okay. Thank you.