An Exploratory Study on Consumer Durables Market with reference to Unorganized Retailer strategy

Transcription

1 1 SIT Journal of Management An Exploratory Study on Consumer Durables Market with reference to Unorganized Retailer strategy Shuvendu Dey* Abstract It is only recently that organized retailing in the consumer durable segment is catching up in India. The market has been largely dominated by the unorganized retailers till the recent past. While the entry of large organized retailers has ensured volumes, it also signifies their growing bargaining power. This it is important for the consumer durable manufacturers to understand the perception of the unorganized retailers to ensure that they get substantial volume from this segment too in order to reduce their dependence on the large retailers to protect their bottom line. The study has been planned to explore strategies for influencing the perceptions of unorganized consumer durables retailers. A sample of 200 retailers at various locations of North Bengali has been selected and studied in this regard. Factor analysis technique has been applied for the analysis of perceptions of the sample retailers. The results of factor analysis show that product strategy is the most important factor followed by price, distribution and promotion strategies. The study also focused on whether the importance given to different factors change according to location of retailers. Keywords: Organized Retailers, Unorganized Retailers Consumer Durable, Strategies, Location, Factor Analysis *Shuvendu Dey, Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Business Administration, Siliguri Institute of Technology, India, shuvendudey@rediffmail.com, M : +91(0)

2 2 SIT Journal of Management Introduction The retail industry in India is hailed as a sunrise industry. It is one of the fastest growing sectors in the nation that caters to the world s second largest consumer market. India has one of the largest numbers of retail outlets in the world. The country has about 14 million outlets. But the typical Indian retail shops are very small. Over 14 million outlets operate in the country and only 4% of them being larger than 500 sq ft in size. It is the 5 th largest retail destination globally and owns the credit of being ranked as an attractive market for retail investment by A.T. Kearney s 8 th Annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI). In India, organized retail contributes towards less than 10% of the total retail market. The retail market in India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, with 1.2 billion people engaged directly and indirectly. In 2010, larger format convenience stores and supermarkets accounted for about 4% of the industry, and these were present only in large urban centers. The organized retail market is growing at 35% annually while growth of unorganized retail sector is pegged at 6%. The retail sector in India can be broadly classified into organized and unorganized retail sectors. Organized retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains and also the privately owned large retail businesses. It refers to businesses employing more than 10 persons. Unorganized retailing refers to pre-dominantly traditional format of low-cost single store retailing. In India the economic reform process was initiated with the endeavor of accelerating the pace of overall growth and abolition of poverty to a considerable level. The reform process in true sense was kicked off since 1991 under the leadership of the then Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. The Government of India indicated an enduring shift towards a more open economy including foreign investment, and a restructuring of the role of Government. Foreign investments in India increased sharply from 1991 following the liberalization policies of the Government. The post 1991 foreign trade and investment policies have, however, substantially augmented foreign investments largely in trading, marketing, business process outsourcing, medical

3 3 SIT Journal of Management services, stock markets and other similar marketing activities. Until 2011, Indian Central Government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets, convenience stores or any retail outlets. Even single-brand retail was limited to 51% ownership. However, in November 2011, Government announced retail reforms for both single-brand stores and multi-brand stores. Though the Indian retail markets are dominated by unorganized small retailers, the situation has been changed in recent past. The problems of unorganized retailers are mainly in terms of absence of many factors, such as proper supply chain management, superior vendor relationships, infrastructural facilities, quality customer services and timely promotional campaigns etc. The attitude of customers is also gradually changing towards organized market segments mainly due to increased income levels, strong economy, changing life styles and shopping habits of customers. Review of literature Retailers who can satisfy the product requirements of their customers are preferred over the others. The model put forth by Sheth (1983) clarifies the competitive structure of the retail markets, the corporate image of the retailers, and the marketing activities that influence the retailers accessibility. Retailing is the one of the most vibrant and swiftly changing sectors of the Indian economy. Organized retail companies are growing at a faster rate threatening the existence of unorganized retailers. Arnold, Handelman and Tigert (1998), with reference to Wal- Mart discount departmental stores in United States of America, predicted that the impact on smaller retail stores would ultimately lead to disappearance of these stores. In addition, in keeping with the change in the economy and society, retailers and shopping habits of consumers have also altered enormously (Dawson & Broadbridge, 1988). Morganosky (1997), in his study on the structural changes in the retail markets and their implications on consumers, revealed that due to the emergence of new retail formats, competition between retailers of organized and unorganized is soaring with the pervasiveness and intricacy of consumer cross shopping patterns across various retail channels. In their study on consumer shopping habits, Brennan & Lundsten (2000) identified that consumers shop for low prices and large variety and favor stores which

4 4 SIT Journal of Management stocks unique items they cannot find elsewhere. The closure of a small shop with a super store nearly would have an effect on the inhabitants of a locality in a different way compared to the closure of only shop in a small neighborhood without a super store nearby, and the decrease in the number of small stores has different implications to the existing customers depending upon the locations and other options to shop (Smith & Sparks, 2000). The findings of the study by Selvadurai et al (2013) involving small retailers divulge that large store retailing negatively affect the small traders on trade diversion, but also positively modernize their retail formats. If conventional unorganized retailers are to survive, it will be critically important to understand what the residents in a particular community want from their retailers. In addition, smart retailers will have to focus on brand management in order to convey their value proposition and emphasize improvements in customer experience as a differentiating factor (Alejandro, Carlota, Juan-Antonio, Teresa, 2012). Only those stores with a clear understanding of their customer wants and changes that are occurring within the market place can hope to survive by identifying and then satisfying some of those needs more effectively than their competitors. Independent, unorganized retailers have increasingly been under threat with the growth of major multiple retailers in the organized retail scene, but independent small shops operating in local community locations do serve a function whether it be a social or community one and provide a vital service to certain groups of consumers (Mishra and Dash, 2008). Another study conducted by Radha Krishnan (2003), found that with the entry of superstores, the most affected stores are precisely the smaller stores, whose sales are associated with small areas, few number of employees, low sales volumes and the isolated stores. Brennan(1991), in his view on strategies adopted by the retailers opined that providing specialized services, offering better quality products and improved customer services were the most successful strategies, on the other hand increasing sales and promotions, lowering prices and increasing advertising were least successful. Mc Gee (1996), is also of the opinion that retailers facing threat from new discounters respond with lower prices and increased promotions. Watkins (1986) proposed that the strategies adopted should avoid low price and differentiation domain of the large retailer and emphasize a focused offer. Covin & Covin (1990) also stated that small business strategies

5 5 SIT Journal of Management propose customer service and product specialization or customization as appropriate strategic moves. From the above literature review, it is clear that most of the research were carried out outside India giving a least scope to its application in the Indian context. Further there are very few studies on threat faced by the unorganized retailers and the strategies adopted to overcome the same. Hence a study of this kind has been undertaken with a view to know the various strategies adopted by the Indian unorganized retailers to sustain themselves in the markets. Significance of the study Formulation and execution of strategy is important in a competitive environment. Competitive environment is the feeling with which retailers as individuals and as groups respond to their sustainability and growth. It is a state of healthy balance in the retail market segment in which retailers make their respective contributions to overcome the competition. With the government policy of privatization and liberalization, a large number of organized retailers have entered in the Indian market. As a result an unhealthy atmosphere of competition has developed between the organized and unorganized retailers. There is cutthroat competition and the retailers try to snatch each other s piece of share. In this competitive backdrop every retailer is only interested in improving his/her position to create a strong base for survival. This entails developing strategies in terms of attracting large number of customers and to retain them. With the opening up of the market post-liberalization, there has been an ongoing invasion of the market by the organized retailers. While this invasion is largely limited to domestic players, foreign retailers are waiting for opportune moment to enter the market. In this scenario, it is interesting to know what strategies are being adopted by the unorganized retailers to overcome the competition with the imminent bipolarization of the market between them and the deep pocketed corporate backed organized retail chains. The present study strives to suggest additions and improvements on the present strategies which could be incorporated into a well designed set of marketing polices for better performance of unorganized retailers.

6 6 SIT Journal of Management Objectives of the study The purpose of the study is to investigate the strategies adopted by the unorganized retailers to overcome the competition offered from the organized retailers. The following research objectives have been formulated to guide the study. 1. To analyze the various strategies adopted by the unorganized retailers to overcome competition. 2. To suggest suitable measures to overcome competition posed by large organized retailers. Methodology Employed To satisfy and to meet the objectives of the study both qualitative methodology and quantitative techniques have been used. The study has been conducted at various retail outlets located at various districts of North Bengal. A total of 200 sample retailers dealing with consumer durables were selected and approached them with a structured questionnaire. The content and validity of the various statements in the questionnaire were verified with the help of experts in the marketing field. The instrument used in this study consists of two parts. The first part deals with the demographic profile of the respondents such as gender, age, location, nature of retailing etc. Part two deals with opinions of the sample retailers prepared on the basis of various strategies. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. The primary data were collected by conducting a sample survey of retailers. With the help of a well prepared and structured questionnaire the primary data were collected from the respondents. The secondary data were collected from Journals, magazines, reports, and other books and also from Internet websites on retailing. The primary data collected have been sorted, classified and tabulated in a format and analyzed by statistical techniques like t-test and factor analysis for drawing inferences. The factor analysis allows for defining the factors affecting the perceptions of retailers to overcome the competition.

7 7 SIT Journal of Management 7. Results and discussion: Demographic Profile of the Respondents Gender: No. of Respondents Percentage (a) Male (b) Female 10 5 Age: (a) Less than (b) Years (c) Years (d) Above 50 Years Location: (a) Urban (b) Rural/Semi-Urban The above table reveals that 95 percent of respondents were male and the rest 5 percent were female. 14 percent of respondents come under age group of less than 30 years, 21 percent of respondents were between years, 35 percent of respondents were between years and 30 percent of respondents are above 50 years. It reveals that the retailers are male dominated and majority of respondents fall under the age group of above 50 years, followed by the age group of years. Factor analysis: As stated by Alias, Mimi and Rosli (2010), factor analysis entails extraction of factors from a correlation matrix, decide upon how many factors to be interrupted and at last rotating the retained factors. The sufficiency of data for relevancy of factor analysis has been verified by Kaiser-Meyer-Oklin (KMO) test. Usually, a value greater than 0.5 points toward appropriateness of the factor analysis (Malhotra and Dash, 2009). The KMO test value is which shows that sample selected for the study is adequate and is statistically significant for factor analysis. Data

8 8 SIT Journal of Management were subjected to factor analysis and the factors were generated using principle component analysis and varimax rotation. The principal component analysis in data extraction extracted four factors with Eigen values above 1.0. The Table 2 shows the factor analysis of results: Results of factor Analysis Factor 1: Product Loadings Mean Scores Eigen value & Strategies Percentage of variance Economy Packaging Eigen value =2.498 Percentage of variance Variations in Style =17.84 Durability Brand Equity Factor 2: Price Strategies Economy Pricing Eigen value =2.360 Percentage of variance Low Cost Packaging =16.86 Promotional Offers Factor 3: Distribution Strategies Door Step Delivery Eigen value =2.028 Percentage of variance Flexible Operational =14.48 Timings Credit Policy Factor 4: Promotion Strategies Customer Service Assortment Eigen value =1.250 Percentage of variance =8.93 Aggressive Promotion Eye-catching Ambience of retail outlets Total Percentage of Variance = 58.11

9 9 SIT Journal of Management The four factors are namely, product strategies, price strategies, distribution strategies, and promotion strategies of the retailers, and the total variance explained is percent. Eigen values greater than 1.0 are considered significant and a total variance nearing 60 percent is also considered quite satisfactory. The above data reveals that there location is not significantly associated with the various strategies adopted by the retailers. It is only in case of flexible operational timings of the stores that there exists a difference of opinion among respondents with regard to distribution strategies and the corresponding t- value of the variable is 5% which is not significant. Conclusion, Managerial Implications and Limitations The findings of the study sheds light on the perception of unorganized retailers with regard to the various strategies adopted by them to overcome the threat posed by the organized retailers. The results of factor analysis demonstrate that strategies related to product is most important factor follow by price strategies, distribution strategies and promotion strategies. It is thus of paramount importance for the unorganized small retailers to focus on these factors for effective sustainability in the market on the face of stiff competition. Location has not been found to significantly affect the competency of the retailers. There is no space for complacency at all as the market is going to wines a major upheaval with the opening up of the FDI in Multi-brand retailing. The results also provide important feedback for the consumer durable manufacturers to design their marketing efforts keeping in mind the realities exposed through the study to provide a strong base on various factors to be taken into consideration in order to devise effective strategies to minimize the impact of organized retailers and reduce their dependence to them. The study has been limited to dealers of North Bengal and hence generalizations should not be made based on the findings of the study. Due to constraints of time and funds, random sampling technique could not be adopted rendering the study vulnerable to respondent bias. A future pan- Indian study can be undertaken overcoming these limitations to come up with inferences that may be generalized for the benefit of the concerned stakeholders.

10 10 SIT Journal of Management References Alejandro, M., Carlota, L. Juan-Antonio, M. Teresa, F. (2012). An overview about Fashion Retailing Sector: UK Versus Spain, International Business & Economics Research Journal, Special Edition, Volume 11, Number 13, Pp: Alias, R., Mimi, L. A. & Rosli, Y. (2010). Consumers Perceptions and Attitudes towards Safety Beef Consumption, The IUP Journal of Marketing Research, Vol-9, No.4, pp Arnold, S., Handelman, J. & Tigert, S. (1998). The Impact of a Market Spoiler on Consumer Preference Structures, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 5, No. 1,pp Brennan, D. P. & Lundsten, L. (2000. Impact of Large Discount Stores on Small US Towns: Reasons for Shopping and Retailer Strategies, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol.28, No. 45, pp Brennan, D. P. (1991). An Analysis of Impact of Discounters on Retailing in Small Towns and Alternative Responses for Retailers and Community Leaders, Unpublished Research Report, October 1. Covin, J. & Covin, T. (1990), Competitive Aggressiveness, Environmental Context and Small Firm Performance, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp Dawson, J. A. & Broadbridge, A. (1988). Retailing in Scotland 2005, Institute for Retail Studies, Stirling Malhotra, N. & Dash, S. B. (2009). Marketing Research, 5th Edition, Pearson publications Limited, New Delhi, pp Mishra, M & Dash, U. (2008). Importance of Retail Service Attributes: A Study on Indian Consumers, The ICFAI Journal of Management Research, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp Morganosky, M. A. (1997). Retail Market Structure Change: Implications for Retailers and Consumers, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol.25, No. 8, pp Radha Krishnan, K. (2003). Organized retail: Forging ahead, Praxis, Vol. 4, No., pp Selvadurai et al (2013). Small-Scale Retailers in an Island Town, Asian Social Science, Vol. 9, No. 14; 2013, pp

11 11 SIT Journal of Management Sheth, J.N., Emerging Trends for the Retailing Industry, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 59 No. 3, Autumn 1983, pp Smith, A., Sparks, L. (2000).The role and function of the independent small shop: the situation in Scotland, The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Vol. 10, Issue 2, pp Watkins, T. (1986). The economics of the brand. A marketing analysis, McGraw-Hill, London