Vishal proj- 2

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T

I feel great pleasure in presenting this summer training project in the hands

of my mentor. It is really a great opportunity given by him to me. This

research work is combined effort of many hearts, hands and brains.

First of all I would like to thank God who showered his blessing in every

step of this profile and has given me this opportunity to conduct this

industrial profiling.

I am immensely grateful to Director General Late Prof. Mukund Lal for

providing me this opportunity for bringing out my talent.

Now my grateful thanks to my Mentor and Course Co-ordinator Mr.

Sandeep Singh Sir who helped me a lot and guided me in every step related

to this project.

I also want to thank my teachers, Staff Member and Library members for

their valuable advice and guidance who helped me to complete this project

successfully.

Ankit Seth

PGDM (Retail Management)

PGRM/01/07

P R E F A C E

This Summer Training Project has been prepared as a part of my course

curriculum. As the topic is “A study of Kitchenware department of Vishal

Mega Mart”, I found this project very interesting and educative. By working

in Vishal Mega Mart I gained knowledge about all aspects and operations of

a retail organization and got a practical aspect of working in an organization.

With the growing popularity of retail sector, most of the people are

involving in this sector. Before entering in this sector one should know the

correct scene of retail sector and have an overview of how this market

operates etc. This project is carried out to translate the theoretical knowledge

of the subjects in to the practical field work.

Keeping these things in mind, it is the matter of great privilege and

satisfaction for me to place this report before the readers. The report is

prepared in very simple language using very systematic research

methodology. And I hope this will give light upon the subject. I have tried

my best to make an objective appraisal of all available data and draw

conclusion on that basis.

Ankit Seth

PGDM (Retail Management)

PGRM/01/07

D E C L A R A T I O N

I, Ankit Seth Student of PGDM (Retail Management) IIIrd Semester,

School Of management Sciences declare that the project on “A study of

Kitchenware department of Vishal Mega Mart” is the result of my own

efforts and it is based on data collected and guidance given to me.

I have prepared it as a part of my course curriculum. This report is

correct to best of my knowledge and so far has not been published

anywhere else.

Ankit Seth

PGDM (Retail Management)

PGRM/01/07

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Retailing is the business where an organization directly sells its products and services to an end consumer and this is for his personal use. By definition whenever an organization be it a manufacturing or a whole seller sells directly to the end consumer it is actually operating in the Retail space. This industry has traveled a long way from a humble beginning to a situation where worldwide Retail sales is more than $ 7 Trillion .

Retailing has played a vital role worldwide in increasing productivity across a wide range of consumer goods and services. The impact can be best felt in countries like USA ,UK ,Mexico ,Thailand and more recently in China. Economies of countries like Singapore , Hong Kong and Malaysia are also heavily boosted by the Retail Industry.It is a changing Industry and old traditional ways of doing business has lost relevance nowadays. It is an Industry which is heavily dependent on consumer spending . In this ecosystem consumers play the most important role. As a result of this, Retailers are continuously challenging themselves to find out ways and means of identifying customers need . They are busy in devising new strategies to have an atomic level understanding of consumer demand.

Global Retailing

The top 200 Retailers alone contribute for 30% of worldwide demand. Retail sales is generally driven by people’s ability (disposable income) and willingness (consumer confidence) to buy goods and services. Money spent on household consumption worldwide has increased by 68% between 1980 and 2003. The leader has unquestionably been the USA where some two-thirds or $ 6.6 trillions out of the $ 10 trillions American economy is consumer spending. Consumers are spending around $ 3 trillions on discretionary products and services. Retail turnover in the European Union is around Euros 2000 billion and the average growth in this sector seems to be following an upward trend. The Asian economies (excluding Japan) are expected to grow at 6% consistently till 2005-06. Positive forces at work in Retail consumer markets today include high rates of personal expenditures, low interest rates, low unemployment and very low inflation. Negative factors that impact retail sales involve weakening consumer confidence.

Top Retailers of the World:

Rank Country of Origin Name of Company

Formats

1 US Wal -Mart Discount, Hyper market,Supermarket, Superstore, Warehouse

2 France Carrefour Cash& Carry , Convenience, Discount, Hypermarket, Supermarket

3 Netherland Royal Ahold Cash and Carry

4 US Home Depot DIY, Specialty

5 US Kroger Convenience, Discount, Specialty, Supermarket, Warehouse

6 Germany Metro AG Cash& Carry, Department, DIY, Hypermarket, Specialty, Superstore

7 US Target Department, Discount

8 US Albertson’s Drug, Supermarket, Warehouse

9 US Kmart Discount, Superstore

10 US Sears Department, Mail Order, Specialty

Type of Retailers:

Retail Organizations have shown great variety and different format of stores are coming up quite rapidly. Generally Retailers can be of six types.

1. Specialty Store This stores are characterized by narrow product lines but with deep assortments such as Apparel Stores , Sporting goods store, Furniture store ,Florist and Book store. Under this also there could be specializations like limited line store ( eg. Men’s clothing store) and Super specialty store (eg. Men’s custom shirt store ). Example of such stores are Athlete’s foot ,Tall men. 2. Departmental StoreSeveral Product Lines –typically clothing ,home furnishing and household goods with each line operated as a separate department managed by specialist buyers and merchandisers Examples Sears, JC Penny , Nordstrom.3. SupermarketsRelatively large ,low cost ,low margin high volume ,self service operation which is designed to cater total needs for food, laundry, household maintenance products .Supermarkets earn an average profit of only 1 percent on sales. Example : Safeway, Kroger. 4. Convenience StoreThese are the stores which are relatively small in size and they are located near residential area , normally remains open seven days a week and carrying a limited line of high turnover convenience products at slightly high prices. Many have added take away sandwiches , coffee and pastries. Example : 7-Eleven ,Circle K

5. Discount StoresStandard merchandise sold at lower prices with lower margin but higher volumes. Actual discount stores regularly sell merchandise at lower prices and offer mostly national brands. In Discount retailing , Discount specialty retailing is also present eg. discount electronic store or discount book store Example : Wal- Mart (all purpose discount store) , Kmart . Specialty : Crown Bookstore.

6. Off Price Retailers.Merchandise bought at less than regular wholesale prices and sold at less than retail prices. Often left over goods , irregulars obtained at reduced prices from manufacturers and other retailers. Factory outlets are owned and operated by manufacturers and they normally carry manufacturer’s surplus ,discontinued and irregular goods. Example : Mikasa (Dinnerware ) and Dexter(Shoes).

Characteristics of Retail Industry:

The spectrum of Retail Industry is quite wide in nature. Retail serves consumers through a small grocery store to a huge departmental store. Retail Industry is heavily dependent on consumer spending. In fact 2/3 of US GDP is coming from Retail business. Retail is the second largest industry in US. It has employed 23 Million people . During economic slow down consumer spending decreases and it poses threat to the Retail industry. Consumers confidence is one of the key drivers of the industry.

Decline in Small StoresIt is observed that small independently owned stores are gradually loosing their foothold in the market place. These stores are generally called “Mom and Pop” stores and they offer limited merchandise to the consumer. These store are facing stiff competition from the large departmental stores or superstores and in this process they are closing down their shutters. In many locations the arrival of a superstore has forced nearby independents out of business. In the book selling business Barnes & Noble superstore or Borders Books and music usually puts smaller bookstores out of business. This is a major characteristic prevailing worldwide. But it is also true that many small independent outlets still thrive by knowing their customers better and providing them with more personalized service.

Internet and E-CommerceInternet the ubiquitous medium has opened a new avenue in front of the Retailers. It has offered an opportunity to the consumers to shop from the home. As it stands today overall Retail sales through internet may not be that significant but gradually it is gaining popularity amongst consumers. Amazon.com is the company which is very successful in this E commerce domain.

Repositioning of Departmental StoresThe appeal of big departmental store is in the wane and they are trying to reposition themselves. They are repositioning their product lines to survive in this highly competitive market eg. A departmental stores which is supplying general merchandise to the consumer is changing themselves to a giant apparel store.

Rise in Discount storesSupremacy of Discount store is also one of the distinct characteristics of Retail Industry today. Discount stores offer money back guarantee, every day low price etc to lure customers. They also provide floor help and easy access to the merchandise to facilitate the consumer. Wal- Mart the worlds largest Retailer comes under this category of Retail store.

Category KillersThere are Retailers who actually concentrate on one particular product category and grab a lion’s share of that market and outperform their competitors. They are called Category Killers. Toys R Us (Toy market ), Home Depot (Home Improvement) , Staples (Office Supplies) are the examples of such Retailers who have grabbed a major market share in that product category and they have forced a reduction in the number of players in that product segment. This is also a distinct trend observed in the current Retail market. Ten years back there were number of players in the toy market and no one was controlling more than 5% of market share but now the number of players has come down to six and Toys R Us is enjoying 20% market share.

Direct MarketingWith the advancement of technology Retailers have found another sales channel through which they can reach the consumer and this is direct marketing. Direct marketing has their root in direct mail and catalog marketing (Land’s End and LL Bean). It includes telemarketing, television direct response marketing. (Home shopping network, QVC) . Although an overwhelming majority of goods and services is sold through stores, non store Retailing is also growing at a faster rate. Direct selling is $9 Billion industry with around 600 companies selling door to door. Avon ,Electrolux ,Southwestern company ,Tupperware and Mary key cosmetics are the examples who have adopted this strategy successfully.

Demographic ChangesRetail industry is impacted by the demographic changes. As a result of this change taste of the consumer is undergoing a change and it creates a demand for certain products. World wide Retailers are keeping a close watch on this change and they are trying to realign themselves with this change. Mergers and Acquisitions Retailers who want to dominate the market place have adopted the strategy of mergers and acquisitions. This is also one of the distinct trends in Global Retail Industry today. Instead of achieving an organic growth Retailers can grow significantly with the help of mergers and acquisitions. This helps them to occupy more shelf space in the market place. As the volume increases they are establishing better control over their suppliers and they are reducing the procurement cost and in that way they are boosting their profitability. This is driven by the economic growth factors, size ,revenue pattern and the customer demand. Sears and Land’s End merger is one of the significant mergers which has happened in recent times. Another important example would be Nikes acquisition of Hurley, a well known surfing brand. This has helped Nike to enter in to a new market segment.

Operational Issues:

In order to survive in this Industry, which is driven by the consumer demand Retailers need to successfully counter the operational issues. If the Retailers fail to diagnose and address those operational issues their existence will be jeopardized.

Supply Chain Management and Logistics

The process of getting goods to the customer has been traditionally known as Physical Distribution. Physical Distribution starts at the factory and it ends at the store. Nowadays the definition of Physical distribution is expanded and a broader concept has come which is Supply Chain Management. Ideally Supply Chain Management encompasses the material flow from supplier’s suppliers to the final destination. Retailers need to have a grip on that whole chain in order to control the procurement and delivery cost. This will help them to choose the right supplier for the merchandise. Retailers need to come out of the constricted view about the supply chain which is viewing the market as a point to point destination, instead they need to consider the holistic picture which is a part of Market Logistics. Market Logistics involves physical flow of materials from point of origin to the point where it meets the customers requirement. This Demand Chain orientation can help them to cut down the procurement cost to a great extent. IKEA the global furniture retailing giant has successfully addressed this issue and they are able to sell quality furniture at a much lower cost than his competitors.

Pricing

In Retailing environment pricing has become a burning issue to the retailers. Customer’s expectation from a Retail store has become very high and customers are looking for more and more bargain prices. This situation can be referred as Price drought . Price deflation is taking hold in the Retail environment and any reduction in volume is complicating the scenario further. This trend is quite evident in Apparel and Consumer goods market. Pricing seems to be a key positioning factor and must be decided in relation to the target market , Assortment mix and competition. Strategic pricing has become an important strategic tool to the retailers. Airlines

Industry started this strategic pricing technique where the underlying philosophy is not all consumers want a particular product at the same time and the degree of demand will also vary. With this idea in mind different consumers are charged different prices for the same product or service. Retailers need to adopt the right pricing tactics in this environment of fierce competition. Retail stores markdown the price for some items to attract people, this is called traffic building. They also run storewide reduction sell.

It is observed that a shoe Retail outlet sells 50% of the product at normal mark up , 25% of the product at 40% mark up and remaining 25% at cost. Some Retailers have done away with sales pricing and they are resorting to everyday low price (EDLP). It leads to lower advertising cost , greater pricing stability and higher Retail profits. Wal- Mart uses this kind of pricing strategy.

Sales ChannelsDesign of sales channel is also a key operational issue in today’s Retail industry. Technology has become one indispensable business component and Retailers need to make use of this successfully. Retailer needs to come out from the mindset of traditional store retailing and they need to use all available channels to reach a wider consumer community. Amongst Non store Retail channels Internet and E commerce is gradually gaining popularity. Consumers do not need to come to store for buying goods or service they can do that over a click of a button from their drawing room. Retailers need to derive benefit from that . Marketing through call centre or catalogue marketing is also an emerging trend . Retailers need to choose sales channels carefully and need to use all those channels effectively to acquire more customer centricity. Ultimate objective here is to offer a consumer a tailor made shopping experience and to provide more easy access to his product and service offering.

Strategies in Retail:

A business firm can not travel in an unplanned way . To encounter the business challenges in a highly competitive environment and to find out a sustainable growth road map Retailers need to realize the importance of strategic planning. Strategic planning can be viewed as a stream of decisions and activities which lead to Effective business strategies which help the organization to fulfill its objectives. Retail landscape is changing rapidly and in this changing economic environment Retailers need to find out the right strategy which will help them to cope up with this environment and empowers them to take right decisions for the future. Adopting correct strategy will help the Retailers to optimize their resources and also it will give an edge over its competitors. Margin and Turnover are the two important parameters of Retail Industry and the Retail operations can be classified into four groups/quadrants.

i) High Margin and High Turnover eg. a convenience food storeii) Low Margin and High Turnover eg. a discount storeiii) Low Margin Low Turnover i.e .a dying businessiv) High Margin Low Turnover eg. an up market specialty store.

Retail business needs to formulate the suitable strategy after considering its strengths and weaknesses. Hence SWOT analysis will be an effective tool in determining the correct strategy for the particular category of retail business.

IT in Retail:

Information Technology has become a key business driver in today’s world. Retailers are also trying to reap in the benefits of the technology. Thus technology has become a critical and competitive tool for surviving in the business. Retailers are using software systems to manage and plan their inventory , to reduce the procurement costs , electronic ordering , electronic fund transfer , e mail communication and for many other things. IT is poised to take a much bigger role in Retail Industry however the high implementation cost of IT projects has restricted many Retailers to go for proper IT solution. IT growth areas in Retail are mentioned below.

Supply Chain Management: Supply chain is one of the focus areas for the Retailers and immense opportunity of business process improvement and scope of technological empowerment is there in this area. In today’s tough economic climate customers have become price sensitive and there is a price draught in the market . Retailers are struggling to control the cost and in this environment effective Supply Chain Management can act as a big contributor. It helps them to integrate with their suppliers and through collaborative planning retailers can reduce the cost. SCM solutions will enable Retailers to track their inventory movement from supplier’s premises to the point of sale. It gives a better visibility in the area of demand planning, forecasting and inventory management. Worlds largest Retailer Wal –Mart has adopted a state of the art SCM system which not only tracks the inventory but also it increases the efficiency of the process. Wal –Mart has also introduced the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) of merchandise.

CRM CRM continues to be a growth area for IT in Retail sector. Advancement in this field helps to maintain sophisticated customer database and systems that can maximize multi channel returns. This helps the retailers to understand the customers demand pattern and enables them to offer a tailor made shopping experience.

InternetInternet has unfolded lot of opportunities to the Retailers. Retailers can do business over internet. It can also be used as a communication medium. Successful Retail community uses internet technology for reliable communication between Retailers , customers and suppliers.

Business IntelligenceBusiness Intelligence is an effective analytical tool which helps the Retailers to understand the eco system of retail business . It helps the business community to take mission critical business decisions which will help them to navigate in the right direction. In today’s world Retailers equipped with such data mining or data warehousing tool can have the micro level understanding of customer demand.

Retail scenario in India:

Overview :

Economic liberalization has brought about distinct changes in the life of urban people in India. A higher income group middle class is emerging in the Indian society. Demographic changes have also made palpable changes in social culture and lifestyle . In this environment Indian Retail Industry is witnessing rapid growth . AT Kearney has ranked India as fifth in terms of Retail attractiveness. The industry has got tremendous potential but it also requires sufficient capital flow. Current Foreign Direct Investment policy of Indian Government does not allow any foreign direct investment in this sector however different global retail players are seriously eying this market.

Industry Characteristics :

Indian Retail Industry is the largest employer after Agriculture (around 8% of the population) and it has the highest outlet density in the world however this industry is still in a very nascent stage. The whole market is mostly unorganized and it is dominated by fragmented Kirana stores. A poor, supply chain and backward integration has weakened the whole process. Organized corporate retailers contribute only a negligible percentage of the overall retail business. Organized and trained Retail workforce is not available in India and the overall skill level is low mainly because of the low maturity level of the Industry.

Business Opportunities

However India can unveil significant business opportunity to the Retailers. Indian retail sector is estimated to have a total market size of $ 180 Billion. A McKinsey report on India says organized retailing would increase the efficiency and productivity of entire gamut of economic activities, and would help in achieving higher GDP growth.

The factors responsible for the development of the Retail sector in India can be broadlysummarized as follows:

1. Rising incomes and improvements in infrastructure are enlarging consumer markets and accelerating the convergence of consumer tastes. Looking at income classification, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) classified approximately 50% of the Indian population as low income in 1994-95; this is expected to decline to 17.8% by 2006-07.

2. Liberalization of the Indian economy which has led to the opening up of the market for consumer goods has helped the MNC brands like Kellogs, Unilever, Nestle, etc. to make significant inroads into the vast consumer market by offering a wide range of choices to the Indian consumers.

3. Shift in consumer demand to foreign brands like McDonalds, Sony, Panasonic, etc.

Major Retail Players in India:

Retailer Current Turn Over in Rs. Crore

Pantaloon 700RPG 550Shopper Stop 400Life style 230Westside 120Ebony 85Piramyd 72

Organized Retail Penetration:

Rs. billion Units 2004-05E 2005-06P 2006-07P 2007-08P

Total Retail Industry

Rs. billion 9990 10659 11374 12136

Growth rate Per cent 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7

Organised Rs. billion 350 441 556 700Penetration Per cent 3.5 4.1 4.9 5.8

Organised retail Y-O-Y growth

Per cent 24 26 26 26

E: Estimated, P: Projected Source: CRIS INFAC

COMPANY PROFILE

It started as a humble one store enterprise in 1986 in Kolkata(erstwhile, Calcutta) is today a conglomerate encompassing 132 showrooms in 81 cities / 20 states. India’s first hyper-market has also been opened for the Indian consumer by Vishal. Situated in the national capital Delhi this store boasts of the singe largest collection of goods and commodities sold under one roof in India.

The group had a turnover of Rs. 1463.12 million for fiscal 2005, under the dynamic leadership of Mr.Ram Chandra Aggarwal . The group had of turnover Rs 2884.43 million for fiscal 2006 and Rs. 6026.53 million for fiscal 2007

The group’s prime focus is on retailing. The Vishal stores offer affordable family fashion at prices to suit every pocket.

The group’s philosophy is integration and towards this end has initiated backward integration in the field of high fashion by setting up a state of the art manufacturing facility to support its retail endeavors.

Vishal is one of fastest growing retailing groups in India. Its outlets cater to almost all price ranges. The showrooms have over 70,000 products range which fulfills all your household needs, and can be catered to under one roof. It is covering about 2059292 lac sq. ft. in 18 state across India. Each store gives you international quality goods and prices hard to match. The cost benefits that is derived from the large central purchase of goods and services is passed on to the consumer.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Vishal Retail Ltd. has a factory in Gurgaon, Haryana. This factory has more than 700 imported machines that have a capacity to manufacturer 150000 pieces a month. The factory occupies 80000 sq ft of covered space. The Vishal group indirectly gives employment to more than a 1000 people. These people work in ancillaries that supply finished goods to the company. They have 10 warehouses that cater to 132 showrooms in 20 states/81 cities. It is covering about 2059292 sq. ft. .in 20 state across India.

S W O T A N A L Y S I S

Some of the strengths and weaknesses of Vishal Mega Mart are outlined below.

STRENGTHS:

i) Understanding of the ‘value retail’ segment

ii) Supply chain management

iii) Logistics and distribution network

iv) Geographical spread

v) Identifying new locations

vi) Private labels

vii) Information technology systems

viii) Experienced and skilled management team

WEAKNESSES:

i) Slow performance of the Stores

ii) Advent of Category Killers.

OPPORTUNITIES:

i) Increasing penetration in the country by leveraging our supply chain,

distribution and logistics network

ii) Emphasis on Backward Integration

iii) Expansion of FMCG

iv) Procurement from low-cost production centres outside India

v) Increasing customer satisfaction and our base of loyal customers

vi) Continue to upgrade information technology systems and processes

vii) Continue to train employees and seek entrepreneurship from employees

THREATS:

i) Demise of Independent small stores

ii) Demographic Changes

P R O D U C T S

FOODMART

Beverage Cooked Indian Cooked Chinese Drinks Fruits & Vegetables

FOOTWARE

Boys GirlsShoes SlippersSandals Sandals

Ladies MensShoes ShoesSlippers Slippers

TELEMART

Communication Mobile Accessories Mobile Mobile Batteries

Mobile Charger Mobile Dori

HOUSEHOLD

Acrylic Ware Copper Steel Dinner Set Jug Cake Server

Home Aids Pressure Cooker Non Stick Floor Wiper Cooker Handi Sanitary Brush Pressure Pan Dosa Tawa

General Plastic Goods Electrical App. Bone China Coffee Mug Chopper Soup Set Bucket Microwave Oven Dessert Set

Glass Ware Thermo Ware Porcelain Cup Tiffin Cup & Saucer Lemon Set Container

LADIES ACCESSORIES

Personal Items Jewellery Cosmetics Cap(LCA) Necklace LIp Gloss Socks(Las) Ring Nail Polish

LIFESTYLE

Time Zone Opticals Gifts & Novelties Ladies Wrist Watch Ladies Sun Glass Flower Vase Mens Wrist Watch Mens Sun Glass Key Chain

Mens Accessories Electric & Electronics Perfume/Deo Items

Belts Battery(ABT) Spray Wallets Calculator(EEC) Deo

GARMENTS

MEN

Upper Lower Shirt Casual Jeans(MP)

Shirt Formal Cotton- Trouser(MPC)

Ethnic & Sports Winter Wear Night Suits Suit(WMC) T-Shirts Blazer(WMB) Dupatta Windcheater

Sherwani Jacket

LADIES

Upper Lower Kurta Pants Jeans Skirt Top Capri

Ethnic Winter Wear Nighty Jackets Lancha Stawl Sharara Blazer Salwar Suit Track Suit

Sarees Fancy(SRF) Synthetics Banarsi

BOYS

Lower Sets Winter Wear Jeans Night Suit Suit Bermudas Baba Suit Blazer Dungries Jacket

Upper Ethnic Shirt Formal Kurta- Pyjama T-Shirt Sherwani

GIRLS

Lower Sets Winter Wear Hot Pant Night Suit Hipster Set Skirt Capri Set Blazer Dungries Jacket

Upper Ethnic Tops(GWT) Sharara Frock(GFK) Lancha

INFANTS

Garments Accessories Hot Pant Bed Sheet Frock UnderGarments Baba Suit Socks

Winter Wear Sweater Pull Over

HOME FURNISHING

Drawing Room Bedroom Door Mat Bed Sheet Carpet Pillows Curtains Pillow Cover

Kitchen Bathroom Apron Bath Mats Kitchen Napkin Towel Gift Sets

SPORTS & FITNESS

Indoor games Outdoor games Basket Ball Cricket Bat T.T. Bat Football Boxing Kit Lawn Tennis Swimming Costumes Tennis Racket Water Ball Tennis Ball Fitness Equip. Personal Gym

STATIONERY

School Office Paper Mart Exam Board Office File Diary Clay Punching Machine File Party Stuff Balloons Ribbons

TOYS & GAMES Soft Toys Dolls Cycles &

Scooters Musical Toys Barbie Doll Cycles Non-Musical Other Dolls Scooters

Board Games Infant Toys Video Games Wooden Blocks Teether T.V. Video Puzzles Swing Hand Game

Video Game

TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

Luggages Portfolio Bags Suitcase Shoulder- Bags Pouch & Cases Executive -Bag Waist Pouch School BagsVanity Cases

B R A N D S

Vishal Mega Mart is one of India’s fastest growing retail chains. The chain currently has 132 company stores in 20 states / 81 cities in India. The Vishal brand is known for great modern style for men, women and children. Vishal offers high level fashion styling. Since 1986, their name has been synonymous with quality, value and fashion integrity. They offer an unparalleled collection of clothes for the entire family. Each garment is hand selected for quality and contemporary styling. Vishal manufactures majority of its own garments and out sources some under its direct quality supervision. This enables them to offer the lowest possible and most reasonable prices. Their goal is to provide a range of fashion wear to suit every pocket. Their product mix represents the most current fashion trends in tops, bottoms, formals and accessories for men, women and kids. Their courteous staff will ensure that consumers get a perfect fit.

The Popular Brands of Vishal Mega Mart are:

Zeppelin : Mens Shirts & Trousers

Fizzy Babe : Ladies & Kids Girls

Kitaan Studio : Mens Shirts & Trousers

Jasmine : Ladies & Kids Girls

Blues & Khakis : Mens Trousers

Zero Degree : Kids Boys

Paranoia : Mens Shirts & T-Shirts

Soil : Mens Shirts

Chlorine : Mens Shirts

Massa Bay : Mens Trousers & Bermudas

Fume : Mens Shirts, T-Shirts, UnderGarments.

Q U A L I T Y C O N T R O L

The dedicated professional Quality Control team of Vishal Mega Mart ensures the

quality of products. Their quality checks start with basic cloth and accessories and end

with doing a full inspection of the finished items. They believe that Quality Control is the

key to success. Their goal is to give the customer with the best quality and value for his

money.

O P E R A T I O N S B L U E P R I N T

STORE OPENING

Objective:

To open the store:

1. In presence of the authorized personnel.2. To prepare floor for customer readiness.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The front/back office door of the store has to be opened by the designated management one hour before the store opening time for the customers, in the presence of the security personnel.

Only the designated manager / management team can open the store. No other person will be allowed to open the store, unless otherwise sanctioned.

The schedule for executives of the store needs to be drawn two weeks in advance, the schedule needs to be made and be available with the Security and all concerned. A copy of this list is to be pasted in the Security Area outside the Staff Entrance. In case any change is to be made in the schedule, it needs to be sanctioned by the Store head.

The designated owner or the business manager opening the store has to check the locks for the security seal and for any tampering (attempts to break the lock). In case the seal is secure, the lock is opened. If it is found tampered, the lock must be opened in the presence of the security personnel and the store, safe, merchandise and valuables checked for theft. This must be reported to the Territory Head immediately for follow-up.

Once the front/back door is opened, the back office lights have to be switched on.

The Security Officer and the designated manager sign on the Store Opening Register (Refer to the table below)

Date Time Name Remarks Signature

Operations

Security 1

Security 2

The Security Officer and the designated manager carry out the check as per the checklist mentioned in the Store Opening Security Checklist (Refer to the table below)

Daily Store Opening Security Checklist:

Particulars Remarks

Checkpoint

Staff Entrance (if applicable)

Customer Entrance

Emergency Exit

Generator Room (if applicable)

Security / server Room (if applicable)

Cash Counter

Back Store Entrance (if applicable)

Miscellaneous

Disarming of Security System

Fire Extinguishers in Position

Water taps check / Toilet

Emergency PA System Check

Safe

Admin office

Gift voucher cupboard etc

Stock on floor

If they find any abnormality as per their Checklist, it is noted on the Remarks Columns

He has to switch on the lights and the AC of the server room.

He has to then switch on the UPS machines, the server and monitor and Do Start of Day + print reports.

Action + file reports.

When the above activity is taking place, no other computer can be switched on.

The department owner along with the security personnel has to check the seal on the safe, where the previous day's cash is deposited, for any disturbance or tampering. (not applicable for time delay safes).

All Employees while entering will swipe their identity cards in the machine and enter the attendance register. All the CSAs / support staff have to report for work, half an hour (approx) before the store opening.

The designated department owner/store manager has to then take a round of the store and thoroughly check the store for any disturbances. He/she also has to check for any damages regards to racks, signages, coffee table, chairs/tables, shopping bags, trolleys etc. that might need repairing or replacement. Replenishment, filling up, department / plan-o-gram changes, promotions for the day, windows etc need to be made / implemented before opening.

The security has to prepare the following checklist as part and parcel of his duty performance

TASK - Security PERFORMED

Store – Opening. Lock/seal check of the back office door & front door.

Check to ensure No smoking is permitted in store premises

Checking of all CSAs entering and exiting the store.

Checking of goods entering into the store (goods meant for exchange, merchandise, non trading goods, capex items, etc)

Checking of goods exiting the store (purchase returns, etc)

Responsible for all customer belongings deposited at the baggage counter. (if applicable)

Security to check sales floor + BOH for people hiding in the store; items kept behind by someone which may constitute a threat or risk to store + staff security.

START OF DAY PROCEDURES

Objective:

To ensure all administrative procedures run and are implemented before store opens:

Procedure must be done by administrative manager or store management Must be done before store opens

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The main administrative terminal must be opened and start of day is run

This ensures that the system is reset for the new trading day and all reports for the previous day are run and printed.

Reports to be generated

The following store reports must be run before the store opens:

Previous days sales report Previous days over / under rings Banking totals and bank deposit slips Over / Under banking totals Sensitive transactions report and gift vouchers reconciliation Price discrepancy report and new updated price file Petty cash totals Salaries report paid by store for casuals / contractors Stock report across all departments (closing and opening stock on hand) Loyalty card members report Repairs / Lay-byes report Branch expense and profit report Markdown file (if applicable) and price report

Action to be taken

All manual transactions from the previous day must be captured, before start of day but ideally before store closure the evening before. (Manual transactions; 2x persons involved + managers authority)

Cash count reconciliation and float check to be done Any stock counts done and adjustments made accordingly and recorded

All markdowns whether temporary or permanent are required to be action-ed and price changes implemented.

New price signage’s in place as per above All sensitive transaction dockets must be cross checked against the report for

authenticity and management authorization Stock requests, stock shortages or over-stocks to be action-ed accordingly All RTM’s, including manufacturer faults and product recalls to be action-ed All received stock to be entered into the system and IBT’s transferred or

acknowledged what ever may be the case. Store turnover, sales associates targets, to be captured in the store ops file/daily

enclosure. Store and staff targets issued Store staffing schedule checked in accordance with the staff roster and available

budgets. Branch expense report generated and checked for variances to budget

Basic Store Opening procedures:

Complete banking for previous day Issue floats to cashiers Replenish floor from BOH. Ensure all styles on display. All size curves

represented. Check promotions for the day and staff understanding Check prices, and update or change where necessary Stock rotation if necessary Clean fixtures / departments Ensure all POS have bags, till rolls etc Implement new promotions and displays Update all signage’s Analyze sales and stock reports Issue sales targets Check adequate staffing. Check dress code. Conduct any relevant in store training before opening Receive stock from DC Return RTM’s to vendor Conduct Stock counts on specified days Check lights are working and correctly positioned Complete any bulk RTM’s / customer complaints

STORE READYING PROCESS

Objective:

To ensure all systems at the premises are in a working condition before store opening for the customer.

Process:

The housekeeping has to start work one-hour before the store opens. Housekeeping Checklist must be signed by the store manager.

TASK - Housekeeping 9.00 AM 1.00 PM 5.00 PM

Check Point Check Point Check Point

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Door Mats, Door Handles & Door Cleaned. Ladies/ mens toilet, front door, back door etc

Mopping of Floors

Emptying/ Cleaning of dustbins

Cleaning of cash counters

Cleaning of Baggage Counter

AC ducts grills cleaned

Dusting/ Checking of Cob webs at corners and ceilings

Spraying freshners

Fire Exits Cleaned

Cleaning and Drying Toilets

Cleaning of Staff Room

Wiping down of all surfaces + glass

Empty shoe boxes/unused required to be thrown away

Task performed by: Name and

Store Manager's Signature:

The maintenance department has to cover all the checks required, half an hour before the store opening, to ensure that the store is ready for opening.

TASK – Maintenance Team PERFORMED (Twice a day)

Checking the Glass (sliding ) Door or roller shutter is working

Checking of all lights daily.

Checking PA System volume

Checking of lighting, fused lamps and change.

Checking of Air Conditioning system. To switch on the same, 20 minutes before the store opens. To check the temperature levels in the store, every two hours, to ensure that the air conditioning is functioning in its optimum capacity maintained at approx 22*c.

Checking the music system & speakers.

Checking for water leakage on ceiling, walls, taps & flush.

Checking whether the flush in the toilet is functioning right.

Checking whether the wheels of the trolleys are smooth and working.

Query POS Table Cleanliness

Checking the EPBAX phone system.

Checking whether the telephones are changed from the night answering mode to the day mode.

Checking Fire Exits; and fire extinguishes are in place + working conditions

Other:

Task performed by: Name

Store Manager’s Signature:

Store Manager’s Checklist to be done before the store opens DAILY STORE CHECK LIST – Store Manager

DATE :-Store Location :

DETAILS Mo Tue Wed Th Fri Sat Su1.Signages & Communication

Outdoor signboard in good condition Signages & Acrylics in placeCorrect & concise signages in place Is the latest communication up regarding events etc?New & Noteworthy items are highlightedBestsellers are highlightedEvents & Promotion Posters are upAre Section & Sub Section Signages in place?Store Policies & Services backdrop in place

2.Maintenance RelatedAre Glass surfaces clean?Is the Floor clean?Is the Ceiling clean?Are the Toilets clean?Are the A/Cs working and right temperature maintained? Is the Music playing at right levels? Right type of music?(Only CD’s issued by H/O to be used.Is the baggage counter maintained well? (if applicable)

3.ProductsAre the Products properly merchandised?Is the merchandise clean & surfaces clean where required?Are all sides seen by customers well presented?Are depts correctly positioned / presented / as well as fixtures etc

4.PeopleAre all the staff in uniform?Are all the staff wearing Badges?Are the grooming standards being maintained?Are the attendance & statutory registers being maintained?Are the individual personnel files being maintained?Is the shift schedule & monthly roster being maintained?Are all the sections being adequately manned?Regular training on product knowledge and service being conducted?Grooming standards of securityGreeting and communication of securityVendor records kept + checked (ito concessionaire)Check overtime schedule is correct

5.Lighting & Fixtures

Layout as per planAre all lights working and properly focused?Are the floor display stools in good condition?Are the fixtures as per plan?

6.Instore ServicesIs the Customer complaint book being maintained?What is the Status on Customer feedback forms?Are repairs being followed up?

7. Store ConsumablesAre all the following consumables available & as per std requirementsPOS DocketsGift TagsVisiting CardsSuggestion CardsCarry BagsBills , till rolls / EFT slips etcWrapping PapersRewards enrolment formGift Vouchers & Envelopes

The CSAs have to report to work half-hour before the store opening time TASK – CSA’s LIST PERFORMED

Shelves, racks and fixtures are dust free.

The items are dust free.

Items are neatly arranged in a logical format on the shelves as per required layout display format.

All the items are in their respective sections/subsections.

All the Signages are in place.

New arrivals & Best selling items are placed up front

Merchandise displayed on the floor/shelves/fixtures is properly arranged and tagged. Price tags + (security tags) correct and in place.

Housekeeping in the section in place.

Monitor the levels of pilferage & shrinkage.

Shopping bags & (trolleys) are in place.

No cartons or merchandise bins lying on the floor or empties

Fixtures alignment are correct

The CSAs then proceed to ready the floor for selling to customers.

It is the responsibility of the designated department/store manager to check against the checklist provided for housekeeping and maintenance, whether all the activities listed within have been carried out successfully. A register for the same has to be maintained and the same has to be signed by the Business Manager.

TASKS TO BE PERFORMED – STORE MANAGEMENT / BM’s /DM’s /Supervisors

Monitor the Reporting time of the CSAs.

Rescheduling of CSAs if any of them are absent from work.

Monitor the floor etiquette practiced by the CSAs

Grooming standards of CSAs

Overall Cleanliness standards in the store (housekeeping maintenance). Check against the checklist and identify any discrepancies.

Check the Visual merchandising in the store, Merchandising, Product Availability + correctness.

Interacting with Customers and understanding their needs and expectations.

Regularly analyze the customer feedback forms, and determine the corrective course of action. It is critical to respond to customers providing constructive feedback using a pre-formatted letter.

Sort out problems amongst CSAs. Staff in general.

Discuss Service Issues with CSAs and sort them out.

Monitor Walk-in's and conversion rates.

Create the daily sales report & mail it to the BM

Monitor competition on regular basis.

Initiate ideas & actions plans, to increase walk-ins, conversion rates and the overall sales of the store.

Complete security check / audit list and all things attached to it.

The security personnel have to sign the attendance register, when they report to work as well as when they are leaving (this would be critical as they are paid overtime for extra working hours). If the security person has worked overtime, he has to enter the

reason for the same and the name of authorized personnel who has approved the same, in the register.

The department owner has to ensure that all CSAs meticulously follow the grooming standards

The designated department owner has to then switch on the POS machines at the cash counter. If there is any problem, which can't be sorted out, the department owner has to ensure that the required help (IT) is called in to sort out the problem, and the system is up & ready when the store opens to the customer. If the problem cannot be sorted out, the billing has to be done manually, till the system is corrected. Follow manual procedures, and capture in the POs same day and before end of day if possible.

Half-hour before the store opens for the customers, the tea vending machine located at the back-office has to be switched on. The same has to be switched off after all the associates of the shift have served themselves.

Twenty minutes before the store opens to the customers, the lights and the Air Conditioning of the entire store has to be switched on.

The designated department owner / Store Manager has to conduct a morning meeting everyday, with all the customer service associates, wherein the previous day’s sales figures, conversion rate, walk-in’s have to be discussed. If there are any customer complaints/specific issues the same have to be discussed during this meeting. For the associates coming in the second shift, they have to be addressed in the evening by the department owner in charge of the second shift. Designated days for specific identified training needs to also do.

It is critical for the store manager to conduct a meeting once a week with all the associates of the store, including the back office personnel. This meeting would essentially serve as a forum, wherein all the associates can come together and voice out their issues and problems, which have to be addressed and sorted out by the manager.

The store has to be neat, clean and in order, at the time when it is opened to the customer.

RECEIVING AND DESPATCH OF GOODS:

Objective:

To enable store staff to receive and dispatch merchandise from / to the DC as well as direct from and to a supplier:

There will be mainly two types of delivery to the stores:

1: Direct Store Delivery (DSD): In most part this is Direct from the brand / concessionaire

2: From DC: In most part this will be for private labels.

Indenting:

Prior to receiving stock at the store an indent would be raised to secure the order for the store at a specified time. This is done by means of the following ways:

There are essentially 3 types of indenting:

1: Auto – used primarily for Core product – system initiated

2: Manual – used primarily for fashion product – done by H/O (and sometimes stores)

3: Emergency – used primarily when there has been poor replenishments (low stock levels), higher than anticipated sales or a customer mass purchase etc.

Delivery schedules are as per Mall defined times or in the case where the store is a street store it should be in the hour before the store opens.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

All goods received must be signed for in the presence of another staff member and cross checked by management. The documentation is store stamped with date; signature; quantity received; driver’s name etc.

The CSA is required to check the seal on the truck is intact and has not been tampered with.

The driver must produce all relevant documentation pertaining to the delivery – e.g the purchase order, invoice, trip sheet etc

A full carton and unit count is required on products received direct from the supplier

Products direct from a supplier must be checked for quality issues and brought to attention within 2 days maximum.

A full count of the cartons is done on receiving of goods from DC

A micro count is done of each SKU / unit at the dedicated BOH area when unpacking the cartons from the DC

No quality check is necessary for private labels as these are AQL inspected prior to the shipment of goods.

Once the received goods are verified as correct in quantity, order and quality – the goods will be acknowledged / scanned and downloaded into the system via a hand held terminal (HHT).

If there are any discrepancies in quality or quantity these should be recorded on the invoice and the correct quantity written down and actioned upon---- by notify the DC + relevent supplier.

Generate a GRN and stamp, date and sign both copies and ensure vendor / driver does the same. Issue the driver with a duplicate copy and file the other copy in the office.

Care should be taken to ensure that the delivery is for the correct store

Stock is checked against the purchase order, and any discrepancy marked on the document and recorded as either - incorrect item received, under delivery, over delivery, or damaged / broken.

If the truck is from the DC, ensure that any returns or empties are loaded before the driver departs. Similarly if the truck is from a supplier, ensure that any returned goods are loaded before the driver departs. This would be manufacture faults, customer complaints, etc

Once the goods have been received, then the goods can be moved from the staging area to the dedicated BOH and unpacked (break bulk) and shelved according to the BOH layout principle.

The BOH is laid out as per the layout on the floor and the product is run in a snake like fashion from left to right and top to bottom.

The BOH is divided into mens, ladies, kids sections, and within this it is laid out by Brand, then by style, color and size – and the product stacked accordingly.

REPLENISHMENT AND STOCK CONTROL:

Objective:

To enable store staff to replenish the shelf, to do spot fills and enable them to be proactive rather than reactive in managing correct stock levels.

Also, to give staff an understanding of how the store is laid out and to identify brands, departments and products.

Floor layout:

The sales floor and BOH is divided into specific departments which are further divided into specific product areas. Each fixture has a plan-o-gram and this will be store specific. The CSA should take particular care to follow as close as possible the plan-o-gram provided in order to replenish / fill the shelf with the correct product in the right place.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Identify the gaps on the sales floor while either doing a floor walk, by analyzing sales reports, or when a customer is requesting for a particular style or size which is not on display. Periodically CSA’s need to check that all styles available are on display. This stock in the BOH must be checked to ensure it is on the floor.

Select correct stock (sku’s) required for the fill from the BOH area. Load onto the MHE and take to the floor where the fill is required.

Do not take the shoe box to the sales floor when replenishing or doing spot fills. (Only take the shoe box to the sales floor when selling to a customer).

Ensure the shelf is free of dirt and grime, and free of any clutter.

The new product should be given precedence. The older dated product can be put either in a secondary position or removed from display until space is made available.

Once the shelf and area location for the new product has been decided according to the store plan-o-gram details, place the product on display in the desired manner and according to the visual merchandising principles.

Ensure only one of each style and color is on display except where there are low stock levels. In this situation the same style or color may be repeated to fill the display shelf.

Where it is not possible to replenish the floor with the same duplicate style or color, management should be consulted in the possibility of either removing a shelf or fixture so the floor does not look too empty. In this situation the fixtures or shelving may need to be re-spaced to avoid odd looking spaces.

Do a macro quality check when putting the product on the floor to ensure that there are no noticeable or obvious quality issues pertaining to the product.

If there is a noticeable quality issue with the product, put aside and bring to your managers attention. This product must be entered into the system and sent back to the supplier (or to the QA department – whichever is the instruction) with a reason code for the return.

Once all available merchandise spaces have been filled, return the excess stock to the BOH and place in the correctly allocated area.

Always keep odds in the BOH in the same area allocated when the stock arrived in store therefore keeping the departments + styles together.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY OF PRODUCTS:

Objective:

To ensure that the stores across India reflect a chain store image and there is consistency in the display of products and visual merchandising standards, thus providing a common frame of reference to the customer no matter where they shop.

To provide an environment for the customer which is both interesting and easy to shop, which in turn promotes and encourages multiple and repeat spending.

Provide guidelines on how to launch a promotion and how to launch sale; press conference; product launches + Events to be added.

Merchandising principles:

Merchandise on display reflects a good availability of product and sizes. Merchandise on display at the front of the departments and in focal areas should reflect the stores and company image and branding strategy.

Where the product is bought in more than one color-way, the full color range and styles (where possible) is on offer to the customer.

No Kimball’s, swing tickets or tags are visible to the eye – where possible these should be concealed inside the product or behind the product display.

No packaging elements such as stuffing, cardboard slips etc are on display.

All lights are properly focused/ angled on the intended display. Ensure that no lights are out of working order and that the correct bulb color / light emitting shade is being used e.g bright white light etc.

All signage (POP’s) being used is correct for the fixture and display intended. All promotions are highlighted with the correct price and type of promotion.

Except during sale, merchandise is laid out according to the same end use within the floor layout set-up.

This rule can be broken to create area’s of cross merchandising. This is normally best suited where two products are bought together. Such adjacencies are where a formal shoe is bought with a pair of formal pants for example, but it can be as simple as a pair of socks or handbag etc. This is known as co-ordinated fashion accessorizing.

Depending on the shape and size of the store the fixtures are placed at 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the walls. Should the fixtures be required to be angled at 45

degrees to accommodate customer flow, this will be conveyed and decided by HO.

No out of stock signage will be used and in the case where a particular style is sold out, a duplicate style or a style which is already on display should be used to fill the space.

All displays should make use of intermittent use of acrylic display stands to create excitement and highlight a particular style of shoe. Shelf talkers draw attention to a particular product such as a special price, new line or arrival, a promotion, end of range, best seller etc.

A fine balance should be achieved in display between not over-displaying the shelf – where the display becomes too busy and cluttered. This will leave the customer confused with too many decisions to make. Also care should be taken not to leave the shelf under displayed – this will leave the customer frustrated for lack of choice.

Hanger disciplines should always be maintained. This means that no empty hangers on the sales floor, that the straight arm has a full size curve on display, and that the hanger has the correct size indicator for the shoe on display.

All POP signage must be placed inside an acrylic sleeve / sign holder.

Always ensure that the thematic and lifestyle posters on display are the latest / most recent and up to date, and in line with the marketing calendar dates and promotions.

No shelf edge labels are to be used.

Most the times there will only be One Facing product on display and no more than Two Deep at any given time unless displayed on a peg hook with a full size curve.

Departments, products and brands should be proportionately displayed according to the sales performance of the merchandise. In other words the space allocated to a particular department, product or brand should be in direct proportion to the contribution of the sale of the product to the rest of the store/brand/department etc.

Sales performance can be analyzed using margins, sales qty, sales value, clearances, contribution, sales per square feet etc. Comparison of like for like; actuals vs projected; and comparison of seasons + sale periods of previous years.

Types of fixtures and where it can be found:

1. Feature tables, nested tables, two and three tier tables.

Normally found as a lead into a department or entry to the store to create an element of interest and bring the customers attention to the latest newest styles and fashion or new promotions.

2. Floor and wall Gondola’s

Gondola’s are normally used to house bulk displays and are more suited to Hypermarkets and Supermarkets (high volume trading). Gondola’s can hold a full size curve of merchandise by hanging or using shelving.

3. Slotted wall bays with shelves, (or slat walls with slats and pegs).

All wall space is premium display area. The perimeter walls should house the best, newest and most popular brands and styles. The wall bay is normally highlighted with the brand signage and sometimes a mood poster. Slat walls are ideal for accessories.

4. Feature walls

These are found in-between the normal slotted bay / shelved wall and acts as a break or breathing space from one sub department to the next. These areas are normally housed quite light in stocks and have the very latest designs and fashion to highlight to the customer in order to get the customers attention due to the price point or styling of the shoe/bag.

5. Hot spots, primary focal areas

These are found at junctions where two departments meet, or an area of high traffic flow such as a column, a feature wall or a main walk-way. Hot spots normally have a strong visual presence such as in apparel where a mannequin is on display. This can be achieved in footwear by creating a focused area such as a range of ladies casual boots all brought together in one compact space. Mixing of brands is acceptable when done in this instance only.

6. Secondary focal areas

These areas are used primarily for end of sale periods, end of range lines, older stocks and less popular merchandise or broken ranges. Care should be taken to move older stocks to these areas when new stocks arrive in the store. End of ranges is the last of the best sellers and should be signaged accordingly.

Window layout:

Window displays must always show the newest and latest trends (except of course when on sale).

Windows should be changed regularly – at least once a week and preferably twice weekly if new arrivals and promotions provide enough variety.

The latest posters and promotions must be kept on display for the period stipulated only.

Pricing should always be prominent and easily identifiable.

Run a story or a theme in the window ensuring that the products are available in the store – do not haphazardly place different items and lifestyles. A focused window could be a display of kids shoes for back to school. Or a summer holiday window promoting mens sandals. Or sports window promoting the various types of running shoes on offer in the store etc etc.

Sale, promotions and pricing:

Promotions will be advised by H/O through the Promotional Advice document.

This document will give detail on the promotion start dates, end dates, what type of product will be on promotion, what type and quantity of POP’s to use and where, the layout and positioning of the promo, and specific selling instructions.

Promotions will occur on a weekly / monthly basis depending on the need and requirement.

Once the promotional advice arrives the store person responsible (CSA /DM) should check on stock and promotional material arrival dates and qualities are correct.

If the stock and promotion material does not arrive on time, it should be followed up with the category and marketing team at HO.

The promotion should launch on the specified time and date – no sooner or later.

Launch the promotion either the evening before the launch after store closure, or the same day a couple of hours before the store opens.

Stock levels during the promotion must be carefully monitored and re-orders requested or placed if available.

All staff should be aware of the promo in the store and know the offer and pricing of the promotions.

Promotions should always be placed in a position of prominence. Promotions should be placed on nested tables at the front of a department, on hot spots, focal areas, (gondola ends). The promotions can be run on perimeter walls as well in the case of large promo’s such as the launch of sale etc.

Always use signage to highlight a sale and promotion. There should be high visibility of both signage and stock when on promotion. Shelf talkers, banners, posters, in strategic positions put in both acrylic sleeves and clip poster holders to be used or back lit light boxes.

Only use danglers during sales or promotions to avoid too much clutter and follow the strict guidelines from marketing on placement positions + quantity + standard sizing.

Ensure the correct prices are used to promote the product. This need to be double checked against the price promotion list / price look up file / markdown report.

All new products arriving at the store should be checked that they are carrying the correct barcode label and price. This can be cross checked by scanning the article at the time of receiving as well as at the POS to be sure of the latest pricing for the item. (this is done in the price look up file menu).

Once the promo end’s, and if the promotion is not to be re-launched or run again – the promotional material should be destroyed. If the promo is to be re-run the promo material should be kept safe till the next promo launch date.

Stores to advise before a new promo if they need extra’s or resending new quantities.

At the end of the promo’ if there is stock left over – ensure that it is worked back into the floor stock. If the promo has sold old out before time or the promo has ended – place regular stocks as per the plan-o-gram back in position.

Stores will be notified of sales well in advance and this will be according to the marketing and promotional calendar.

Sale markdown price look up file (price report) can be downloaded by stores a couple of days prior to the sale / promo launch so that the store can ready itself and prepare for the sale launch.

Once the staff receives the markdown schedule / price report they will identify the stock in their department and isolate the stock to prepare the stocks for the sale. If the markdown is a seasonal markdown – and the volumes of stock are high, the marking down and moving of products should be done on the floor after the store is closed – but before the launch.

Temporary price changes should be indicated via a printed shelf talker. This can be indicated either as a percentage-off the price such as “20% off”, or it can be a price indicator such as “Now Only Rs299”. A swing ticket which gives the was/now price should also be attached to the product. The was/now ticket will be handwritten with the old price and the new price. This procedure is done for all temporary markdowns.

Where there is a permanent markdown, the new price should be indicated using a Meto gun label and stuck to the swing tag taking care not to conceal any detail on the barcode.

If there is a change to the article detail or where a product has a damaged or lost barcode – a new replacement barcode / swing ticket will be required to be printed and attached to the item.

Any old barcodes removed / replaced by a new barcode should be stapled to the price change report and handed in to the admin manager for filing and checking.

The shelf talkers can be put on top of floor gondola’s / fixtures, attached to the shelf edge or displayed on top of the shelf itself / display stands

Sale items will be displayed within the sub department / brand area and will be by price point within a particular brick.

Sale when launched will take priority and will be up front in the store /department.

When the store is on sale, all temporary signage should be removed from the floor and only Sale signs should be visible or on display.

As sale stock levels decrease and during further reductions and final clearances – the sale will be moved to a secondary position.

The signage must be changed during further reductions and final clearance to reflect accordingly.

Once sales ends the signage must be taken down and the floor returned to a steady state of normal trade. This will involve putting all full priced products in its proper positions according to the most recent plan-o-gram or layout.

Where the stores stock levels are exceptionally low – stock should be spread out evenly but where it is not possible to make an adequate display – management may take a decision to remove one or two fixtures from the floor and spread out the floor fixtures. This is the exception to the rule of course.

All brands running promotions will supply approved promotional material / signage for the category, and it must be to our size and specification.

CUSTOMER ENTRY PROCESS

Customer Entry process can be defined from the time the customer arrives at the entrance of the store…till he/she actually enters the merchandise area of the store.

Objective: To make the customer feel welcome and comfortable about the store. To propagate a feeling of ‘It’s my store. I am welcome here’

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Job Responsibility: Security personnel at the entrance/exit

When the customer approaches the entrance of the store, he/she has to be greeted with a `Good Morning Sir’ or `Good Morning Ma’am’ in English,+ Hindi if the customer arrives in the morning by the security personnel at the entrance. The customer would be greeted appropriately in the afternoon and evening.

If the security person sees the customer carrying any belongings, he has to inform the customer in English that the same has to be deposited at the baggage counter. (if applicable) otherwise the bag should be sealed close.

Then the security person has to open the door (applicable to stores having an entrance door) in a smooth movement. Special care has to be taken in case of female customers, to ensure that he does not brush the customer or come too close while opening the door.

When the customer leaves the store, the security person has to open the door (if not a sliding door) for the customer to walk out, and thank him once he is out of the store.

Job Responsibility: Security personnel at the baggage counter

When the customer walks into the store, and approaches the baggage counter to deposit the belongings, the security person at the baggage counter has to greet the customer with a `Good Morning Sir’ or `Good Morning Ma’am’ in English. The customer would be greeted appropriately in the afternoon and evening.

The Personnel has to ask the Customer politely to check what is inside the baggage for Security reasons, or declare what’s in the bag and inform customer not to keep valuables in their bags.

Signage to show same

He has to then ask the customer, if the item is personal or for exchange/returns. This can be done in English or Hindi.

If the item is personal, the security person has to place the item/items in one of the sections of the baggage counter and give the customer a token for the same.( Care has to be taken that under no circumstances, the security person’s hand brushes the hand of the customer (especially in the case of female customers).

If the customer has come with a return, the guard at the baggage counter has to create a Exchange Slip. The security person has to clearly direct the customer to the exchange counter or Pos / CSD to process the returns. Under no circumstances, the security person should leave the baggage counter unmanned.

When the customer leaves the store, the security person has to accept the token and hand over the belongings to the customer and thank him.

If the customer loses the token, he has to politely ask the customer if he/she may have left it somewhere in the store. If the customer cannot find the token, the security person has to ask the customer to describe some of the contents in the bag. He has to then ask the permission of the customer to check the bag, whether the item description matches the actual contents. All this needs to be carried out in the presence of the Store Manager. The Store Manager has to then take a call, as deemed fit. Care has to be taken that the customer is not offended at any point. The customer should be politely made to realize that this check is essential in the overall interest of the customers.

Customers to fill in a declaration form so that if found taken by another customer we free ourselves from any legal actions. Same as for credit notes/ credit cards etc.

CUSTOMER BUYING PROCESS

The Customer Buying Process starts from the time the customer enters into the store till he/she makes a purchase and leaves the store.

Objective:

To ensure that the customer feels comfortable in the store, and that the feeling of “it's My store” is felt, as well as it encourages the customer to stay longer in the store to influence a purchase.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION:

Job Responsibility: All CSAs, support staff, Store Manager & Store management + Business Manager.

The CSA have to proceed to undertake necessary preparations, ensure that the floor is ready for sale. The management have to ensure that all the items mentioned in the checklist have been covered

The CSAs have to maintain all the Grooming and Floor etiquette standards at all times.

The CSA has to acknowledge the customer.

The Department Manager has to ensure that the Retailing Selling Standards are followed by all CSAs.

CSA has to carry pen and pad with him every time.

If the customer is looking for a specific product or merchandise, the CSA has to have adequate product knowledge to be able to identify the item and know where it is placed in the section. If the same is available, the CSA has to find the same and hand it over to the customer.

If the customer cannot find a particular item that he/she is looking for, the CSA has to inquire whether the customer wants to place an order and note the same in the order pad. All the details have to be filled in correctly for further processing. The CSA should transfer this customer request into the customer order book. Regular follow ups are required to check when the product has been delivered to store, + the customer contacted.

Job Responsibility: All Customer Service Executives, Store Manager & Department owners

If the product / merchandise displayed in the display rack get sold off, they have to be immediately replaced by the CSA.

The CSA has to ensure that the section appears neat and organized at all times.

If a customer gets upset for some reason, the dept manager has to intervene and assume a position of responsibility and sort out the matter efficiently and effectively. It would be advisable to request the irate customer to come to the back office, where the matter can be sorted out. This will ensure that the other customers are not disturbed and an undue scene is not created.

It is extremely critical for the CSA not to get into an argument with the customer, in any given situation. If the CSA cannot sort out the complaint, he/she has to immediately involve the concept manager / Store manager into the matter.

The store manager / DM managers has to ensure that the overall store, departments & groups are neat and clean at all times.

Once the selection process is over and the item is chosen for purchase, the customer walks towards the cash counter for billing

If the item has to be gift wrapped, the cashier has to hand over the item to a CSA who has to carry the item to the appropriate counter and gift wrap it neatly . The item has to be gift wrapped only by the CSA and not by any office assistant or the security personnel at the baggage counter. This should only occur once the item has been paid for.

The customer should collect the item from the cash counter.

Once the buying process is over and the customer approaches the baggage counter (if applicable), the security person takes the token, hands over the belongings to the customer and politely thanks the customer.

The customer exits the store.

MANAGING SALES AND SERVICE

OBJECTIVE:

To ensure consistent sales and service standards across all stores and provide a chain store image to the customer.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Specialty store formats are full service. Hypermarkets are both full and self service and Mini Hypers / Supermarkets are self service only. The following process is for stores providing a level of full service.

A comprehensive training manual has been put together on how to attend to the customer. This starts with greeting the customer and goes all the way through to closing the sale. It is imperative that all sales staff and management have been taken through it and are competent in the process of sales and after sales techniques.

The sales staff should talk about the features and benefits of the particular product the customer intends to buy as well as toward the end of the sale offer add on sales. This is all explained in the training manuals.

The sales staff should be familiar with the layout of the stock room in order to ensure speedy retrieval of the product from the BOH.

The sales assistant should never return to the sales floor from the BOH empty handed but should have different styles to offer and show the customer in addition to the one they like.

Once the sale is closed, the customer should be directed to the service desk (POS) to pay for the item/s.

If the item has been security tagged, the tag is removed at the POS using the deactivator and tag removing device.

The barcode on the product should be checked against the barcode label on the tag for correctness, and it should never be scanned but only the swing ticket / barcode on the product.

Always issue the customer a bill receipt and bag the items.

On exit the security will check the items against the bill.

Staff : CODE OF CONDUCT

Reporting Time

All the CSAs have to report for work half-hour before the store opening time.

They have to enter the store through the back office door. (or store front entrance if no back door).

As soon as they come into the store, they have to sign the master register and enter the time of arrival. Wherever attendance swiping machine is available, the CSAs also have to swipe their cards immediately after entering in the register.

The regular attendance register will be available for entry, with the lead-time of 10 minutes, post the regular reporting time. For e.g. if the reporting time is 9:30 a.m., all the associates coming into the store up to 9:40 a.m. will be allowed to make an entry into the register.

After the lead-time is over, the regular attendance register will be closed and taken by the designated Manager in his/her possession.

Any associate walking into the store after that will have to make an entry in the late register. Leave will be deducted accordingly.

If any associate reports for work, 30 minutes later than the regular reporting time, he/she will not be allowed to make an entry, even in the late register. The late register will be made available, only for 20 minutes.

In this case it would be at the discretion of the store manager to ask the associate to go back home or report to work. Accordingly, his/her attendance will be marked for that day, and leave deducted accordingly.

Grooming Standards

It is mandatory for every CSA to wear the uniform everyday. If the CSA can't wear the uniform for any reason, he has to inform the store manager of the reason for the same.

Care has to be taken that CSA do not wear garments that are loud in colour and style, which attracts undue negative attention on the shop floor. It would be the prerogative of the store Manager to determine whether a certain outfit is unsuitable for the floor.

The male associates should not at any given time show more than one day growth/beard. If an associate cannot do so for any reason, he has to inform the store manager of the reason for the same. If any CSR reports to work without shaving, he would be sent back home or asked to shave and come back. If he is sent back home. Leave / time off will be deducted accordingly. Beards + types of beards to be ok’ed by management.

It would be advisable for the female CSAs to avoid wearing large / flashy earrings, clinking bracelets or noisy bangles, which distracts the customer or irritates them.

The female associates, who have shoulder length or longer hair length, have to tie-up the same neatly when reporting on the floor. No CSA will be allowed to leave her hair open on the floor. If the CSA has short hair length, the same has to be groomed neatly, so that it does not fall on the face and cause distraction.

The male associates cannot have long hair unless approved by management. It has to be short and well groomed. If the store manager finds the hair length to be longer than acceptable, the associate will be asked to go home or to get an hair-cut and report back to work.

The male associates have to wear shoes when reporting to work. Sports shoes will not be allowed. Floaters / slip-ons will not be acceptable as they look very casual and portray an `I don’t care attitude’.

It would be advisable for the female associates to avoid wearing high heels or thick platform footwear, as it would be very uncomfortable to stand on the floor through out the day.

Under no circumstances, the female CSA should wear short skirts, bermudas, shorts, wrap around skirts etc. and the male CSA should aviod wearing shorts, torn jeans, dirty jeans etc.

Floor Etiquette: / Rules

The CSA have to stay in their respective sections at all times.

The CSA have to position themselves in such a manner that they are visible and available to the customers easily.

If a customer is carrying more than one product / merchandise in hand, the CSA has to immediately offer a shopping bag (or a trolley) to the customer to ease the weight so that he/she can shop better.

The associates have to greet as many customers as possible with a polite `Good morning Sir/Ma’am ' and not just passively wait for the customer to call out for assistance. However it is critical that the associate does not intrude on the customer’s privacy.

Also care has to be taken that the associate does not go too close to the customer while talking to him/her and invade his/her private space. This would be very critical in the case of female customers.

For regular customers, the CSA have to build a relationship with them and address them personally when they come to the store.

It would be advisable for each store to maintain list of regular customers, whom he/she can call and inform about new arrivals, events, offers, discounts etc. These lists should be professional + only at store level.

The CSA cannot chew gum / pan masala or smoke on the floor. Levels of oral hygiene have to be maintained at all times. Never to under influence of alcohol/drugs etc.

The CSA will not be allowed to eat anything on the floor.

The CSA cannot comb their hair or apply make-up on the floor.

At no point will the CSA be allowed to make groups and stand on the floor chatting with each other. No leaning on fixtures. No hands in pockets.

If two CSA man the section, both of them cannot take a break for lunch or tea/coffee at the same time. At any given point in time, the section has to be manned by at least one CSA.

No CSA will be allowed to entertain personal calls on the floor and no cell phones on sales floor.

No CSA will be allowed to carry their cell phones (or weapons) on the floor. They have to be kept in the back office at a secure location. It would be the responsibility of the CSA to ensure that he/she keeps the phone in a secure location, as the management will not be responsible for any loss or damage to the instrument. No weapons are allowed to enter the store.

If a CSA cannot help the customer he/she has to personally direct the customer to another person (CSA / DM Manager / Store Manager) who might be of help. The CSA has to wait and see if the customer's query has been satisfied or whether he requires more help.

If a customer asks for directions, the CSA has to accompany the customer to the particular location and not just point towards it.

If a customer is upset for any reason, the CSA has to attend to the situation efficiently and effectively.

In the case of a service failure the CSA must first apologies to the customer and state that he/she will call the person in charge (Concept manager / Store Manager) to attend to the problem. If the customer is particularly irate, he/she has to be ushered into the back office where the problem has to be sorted out to the customer's satisfaction. This is to avoid a scene and to ensure that the customers on the floor are not disturbed.

Product knowledge:

It is critical for all associates to be well versed with their sections. They have to know how the section is arranged and which merchandise / product can be found on which shelf. All staff must be taken through and signed off the product training manual.

They have to be aware of best selling merchandise, prices and promotions on product lines.

It is mandatory for all the CSAs to generate a list of best selling merchandise of their particular section based on customer needs, likes/ preferences etc. related to their particular section.

The associates will be subjected to a periodic test which will be quantitative and qualitative in nature, to probe their knowledge on the following parameters:1. Knowledge of fast selling merchandise 2. Availability/Placement of merchandise in the section.3. The brand name & supplier of the best selling merchandise4. The price range of popular merchandise5. To which target audience/age group does a particular merchandise appeal.6. Recommended solutions to simulated problems.

The test scores will be recorded by the H.R. department and will reflect in the performance appraisal.

Management will also test the CSA / DM’s preparedness during regular floor walks.

Policy Note on Disciplinary Action

Applicability: For all Store staff

Arising due to:

1. Unauthorized absence2. Habitual Late coming3. Non adherence to company policies 4. Non- conformance to service standards / failures to carry out their work

responsibility.5. Habitual misconduct6. Non-adherence to uniform and grooming standards7. Disrespect to superior orders / Insubordination, fighting or swearing.8. Disrespect to the company and brand image9. Theft + Dishonesty10. Being under the influence of drugs + alcohol.

MANAGING STORE EXPENSES AND BUDGETS

Objective:

To keep stores expenses in line or better than operating budgets issued and to ensure that the branch net profitability exceeds store turn over growth.

Annual store budgets for expenses and turnover are issued before the start of the new financial year.

Each month end, the store will load their new monthly budget on to the relevant reports, spreadsheets and petty cash / POS system.

This would include the stores daily enclosure, stock loss report, petty cash, profit and loss account, etc.

Store managers will account for any store over expense to the issued budget on a month end to their respective head.

Direct areas of influence are store salaries, overtime, store discounts, utilities bill, store expenses, store stock losses, and rentals.

STORE ADMIN AND AUDITING:

To keep control over all inventory, assets and consumables in an orderly fashion and preventing loss of any kind through negligence or theft or other means. A monthly store audit (at the month end) known as the Security Audit Check report

must be first done by the store manager and thereafter within 1 calendar month done by a field operations manager.

The report is a check on all sensitive areas where theft, misconduct and negligence can occur.

Administrative Key controls covered are;1. cash and banking controls

2. casual wages and petty cash

3. debtors control

4. sensitive transactions such as returns, refunds etc

5. authorization levels

6. manual transactions

7. stock takes and stock counts

8. markdowns

9. repair controls (if applicable)

10. store security

Stores will be measured on the number of out of line situations. A number is set in terms of what is acceptable or not acceptable. For starting purposes, a store will be allowed no more than 2 key control findings outside of the norm required and no more than 5 other controls outside the norm required. No serious controls will be allowed – and all audit findings are reported to the field management office on a monthly basis.

The security check list is filled in, maintained and kept in the store. This list details the norms and standards which need to met by the store and the staff in the store.

Failure to comply can lead to disciplinary action being taken.

STAFF SCHEDULING PROCESS

Objective:

Optimization of human resource (availability and utility) and fairness to all associates and reduce unnecessary overtime

The department manager has to maintain a list of all staffs in the store, especially the CSAs manning the floor. Staff scheduling sheet should be made available for all staff to see at the staff area in the BOH.

If any staff requires long leave (more than 4 days), the department owner has to be informed of the same, at least 15 - 20 days in advance which should be approved by the Store Manager within 2 days.

Annual leave is submitted at the beginning of each year by the staff and scheduled so as to ensure sufficient availability of staff in store at any given trading time (particularly important over Diwali and Xmas).

Format for Application of Long Leave

Long leave / Annual leaveFilled up by the staff giving details of his leave for the coming 1 months. It’s a form filled up by the CSA and submitted to the Supervisor. The superior approves them and files it.The record to be maintained in the following format:

Department manager __________________Supervisor___________________________Long leave for the month of ____________

LEAVE FORM :-

CSA Name Date of Leave Reason

The weekly off day will be fixed for the staff. Swapping of weekly off day for some

other day will NOT BE ALLOWED. If a staff requires an off on a particular day, he/she cannot set it off with his/her weekly off, instead one day’s casual leave will be considered

Everyday the immediate Department Owner checks the attendance of his/her team members.

The department owner has to schedule the staff using the thumb rule, 1/3 rd at each break while keeping the availability of 80% at 6.30p.m. onwards with the current weekly off.

The store manager also schedules the cashiers.

Every morning the designated department owner has to check the staff attendance and in case of unplanned absenteeism, he has to reshuffle the schedule so that are adequate number of associates in a particular section at any given point in time.

The department owner has to monitor the reporting time, breaks, exit time, of the associates to check adherence to the schedule. The same has to be entered in FMR (Floor Movement Register) mentioned below.

The CSA should enter his/her Time In, and then various breaks which he/she takes during the entire day. All these timings should be confirmed and tracked by the Store Manager / Department Owner.

If a CSA is absent / weekly off on a particular day, his name should be marked in the register in such a way that nothing can be entered against his name.

Everyday the FMR sheet should be checked and signed by the Store Manager.

Floor Movement Register

Sr. No CSA NameTime In

Break 115 mins

Break2½ hour

Break 315 mins

Time Out

In Out In Out In Out12345678

________________ (Store Manager)

During peak hours over the weekend, the associates at the back office are also required to provide assistance at the front end.

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE SCHEDULING:

1. The associates/department owner/store manager will NOT be allowed to take their weekly off on Saturday/Sunday, except in the case of back-office associates (but not all).

2. Two department owners cannot have their weekly off's on the same day.

3. As far as possible the store manager and any of the department owners have to avoid taking leave on the same day.

4. Before sanctioning leave for any associate, the designated department owner has to ensure that there are adequate numbers of associates available on the floor.

5. The schedules have to be reviewed on monthly basis, for any changes that have to be made i.e. rotation of staff etc. that has to be incorporated only after the approval of the store manager.

TARGET SETTING & MONITORING PROCESS

Objective:

1. Target Setting Process to begin, right from setting the annual/quarterly/monthly/daily targets, to planning and monitoring the achievements.

2. To standardize procedures in monitoring targets.3. To achieve 100% targets. (Target is the minimum requirement ).

1.1.1.1.1.1.1 PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Every 6 months (April to Sept and Oct. to March) the Corporate office sends the 6 monthly budget to the Store Head. The daily budget will work as daily target for CSAs.

Then, this is passed on by the Store Head to department owner.

Everyday Store Manager will announce daily target at the Store Opening.

Everyday the department owner has to address the CSA and announce the daily targets, of the store as well as individual targets.

Daily announcement of store target (to be pasted in office).

1. For the days / week on hand2. Customer Entry.3. Store target.4. Store Achievement.5. Achievement %.6. Loyalty member Enrollments.7. Today's Target.

NOTE: Store + Staff targets are separate to store plans/ budgets. Stores / staff / CSA’s are set stretch targets over + above store plans / budgets.

Once the sales and cost targets are approved and finalized, they will be merged with the targets of the other stores, for a consolidated report, to arrive at the profitability of the entire operations.

The store manager has to then break-up the annual sales target into monthly and daily targets. Using the turnover percentage splits issued by commercial/finance department.

The store manager has to conduct a weekly review meeting with all the staff on the target achievements and address the discrepancies if any.

A monthly meeting will be conducted at the support office with the Retail Head, to be attended by the respective store managers/department owners.

Every month the store manager has to submit a target achievement report to the Retail Head.

Format for Daily target / Achievement by Department Owner

For The Period: Year: Department Owner:

Date

( week 1 )

Target Ach Ach% Cum Target

Cum Ach Cum Ach %

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Wk2

Wk 3

Wk 4

Total Month

Total Year

STORE MANAGER's WEEKLY REPORT (Monday Report) to B&M

Date:

Head:

Dept.:

Target of the Week Achievement of the Week % Achievement

Critical Business Issues faced last week.

Concerns for the remainder of the Period/Quarter.

Customer Feedback of the Week.

Inventory position.

Performance of any on going promotion.

Action on Non Moving / Slow Moving.

Staff issues

Any Other.

CASHIERING AND FRONTLINES

Objective:

The cash counter is the heart of our business. All efforts are directed to towards the customer purchasing and finally paying for our products and services. Also the cash counter is a vital area that makes a final impression on the customer. Paying for the item is often the last thing the customer does before leaving the store, so their final perceptions of the store will be influenced by the way they are treated at the cash counter.

Checklist for Cashiers:

TASK REMARKS

Cash Advance at the start of the day ( STANDARD float )

Counter Cleaned

Calculator

Stapler

Scissors

Rubber Band

Bill Roll full

EFT Roll full

Summary Sheets

Working of POS Machine

Availability of Carry Bags, Forms & Customer Feedback Forms

Working of EFT Machine

Scheme and Discount Code Sheet (if applicable)

Any other:

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The cashier has to ensure that the queue of customers waiting for billing does not exceed by more than 5 customers at a time or a customer is not waiting in line for more than 3 minutes.

If a customer walks directly to the counter for billing, disregarding the queue, the cashier has to politely inform the customer to join the queue and tell him/her that he/she will be assisted as soon as possible.

When the customer approaches the cash counter, it is critical that the cashier makes eye contact with the customer smiles warmly or greets him/her.

The cashier then has to ask the customer whether he/she is a Loyalty Member.

If the customer is a Loyalty member, the cashier has to request the customer for the Loyalty card, to update the points against the purchases made.

The cashier then has to scan the items purchased. If the same cannot be scanned it has to be entered manually.

The cashier then has to enter in the quantity of that particular item purchased and check whether the price printed on the item matches with the price generated by the system.

In the case of shoes the cashier must scan the swing ticket bar-code and not the shoe box. The cashier must check the correct size of footwear and both pairs are matching.

If there is any discrepancy in the price on the price tag and the system price, the cashier has to ask a CSA to check if any identical title/item is available in the store and check the price of the same.

If the price cannot be verified, the customer has to be charged the lower of the two (price on the tag and the system price) and the sale has to be closed. (and management informed of the price discrepancy).

If any discounts have to be offered the same has to be entered into the system.

Once all the details are entered, the cashier has to ask the customer if he/she would like pay by cash or card. No cheques allowed.

The system offers a facility wherein the mode of payment can be captured onto the system, such as payment by cash, credit card, gift voucher, credit note or a combination of any.

If the customer is paying by cash, the cashier has to collect the cash, tender exact change (always return the smallest currency first) and print the invoice.

If the customer is paying by card, the cashier has to check the amount payable, swipe the card, enter the amount and wait for authorization.

Once the transaction is authorized and the slip is generated, the cashier has to forward the slip to the customer along with a pen. Once the customer signs the slips, one slip has to be handed over to the customer for his records.

The cashier must verify the signature on the slip is the same as on the card.

The invoice has to be printed and the items have to be placed in the carry bag the original copy of the invoice should be stapted to the inside of the carrier bag. Cashier must retain a copy for their records.

In the case of returns, the cashier has to thoroughly check the item for any damage or usage and ascertain the reason for exchange/return. If the cashier is unable to make an informed decision they must call a manager to assist.

If the returns/exchanges have to be accepted, the cashier has to request the customer to select any other item from the store. If the selected item is of lesser value, the cashier has to issue a credit note for the required amount. If the selected item is of higher value, the customer has to settle the bill by paying the difference amount by cash/card.

If the customer requires a Gift Voucher (G.V.) of a certain denomination, the same has to be issued by the cashier. All the details have to be entered by the cashier such as Start and End Number, amount in numerical figures, amount in words, Issue date, Issuing authority, on the main voucher. The voucher amount has to be captured on the counter foil as well, to be maintained at the store.

In the event the G.V. is redeemed partly, the cashier has to issue a fresh G.V. for the differential amount. (for e.g. if a customer purchases an item worth Rs. 250/- against a G.V. of Rs. 500/-, the cashier has to raise a fresh G.V. of Rs. 250/- for the differential amount.)

As a policy if any amount has to be refunded, the cashier has to issue a credit note for the required amount and hand over the same to the customer. As far as possible, cash refund should be avoided, unless specifically insisted on by the customer. The credit note should be valid from 6 months of issue.

Once the transaction is complete, the cashier has to hand over the bag to the customer and thank him for shopping at the store.

RETURNS & EXCHANGES (after sales service)

Objective:

1. To ensure that the customer is 100% satisfied with his purchases.2. To make the returns & exchange process as customer friendly as possible.

Service Parameters

1. As per policy the items will be replaced, exchanged within 15 days & Loyalty Members will be allowed to exchange within 30 days of purchase with proof of purchase/ original purchasing/ condition.

2. Returns or exchanges can take place under the following circumstances: The goods are damaged / defective, not of `merchantable quality’. If the item fails to meet the requirement of the customer. (in this case the product

must be in its original condition / packaging ).

The customer before entering into the store, along with the item to be exchanged/returned has to be intercepted by the security person, who has to create a Merchandise Exchange Slip, indicating the details of the item to be exchanged/returned and hand over the same to the customer.

The security person has to direct the customer to the exchange counter, for the processing of exchange request.

When the customer approaches the desk for exchange, the staff in charge has to inquire the reason for exchange/return of the item.

If the customer proposes to exchange/return the item on account of some defect, the staff has to thoroughly check the item for the same.

If the staff is convinced that the item is defective and needs to be exchanged, the cashier can offer the customer to select any other item of the same value from the store.

If the customer selects an item of higher value, he/she can settle the bill by paying the difference amount in cash or by card.

If the item selected by the customer is of lower value, a credit note has to be issued for the difference amount.

If the customer does not want to purchase any other item in exchange for the one returned, the cashier has to issue a credit note for the full amount, which can be used by the customer at a later date. ( recommended within 6 months ).

As a policy, the cashier has to try and convince the customer to accept a credit note for the amount payable to him/her and should return the amount in hard cash only under special circumstances, where the customer is absolutely unwilling to accept a credit note.

If the cashier is not convinced of the reason why the customer wants to exchange/return the product, he has to involve the department manager to reason with the customer, and not get into arguments with the customer.

If the department owner cannot sort out the issue, the store manager has to be involved immediately.

For defective items returned by the customer take customer detail down and accepted by the store, the cashier has to immediately hand over the same to the department owner/store manager. The supplier is to be contacted by QA/ Buyer and corrective action taken where possible, failing which, the item is written off as scrap / waste. Collect @ a central point: repeat styles or vendors to be notified. QA/ Buyer to take call.

In case of defective items, the cashier can create a slip indicating the problem with the item This will ensure that even at a later date, there will always be a reference as to why an item has been returned.

* All the defective/damaged items have to be collected in a designated area reserved for damaged stocks only and to be viewed by management (and the QA team if applicable).

The defective item should not be placed anywhere else in the store.

For the items which are exchanged for some other item, the cashier has to hand over the same to a CSA, who has to put them back in their respective sections, back up for sale.

Conditions

The Exchange Criteria for Loyalty Members

- Within 30 days from the date of purchase.

- The proof of purchase is provided (Cash Memo).

- No exchange of merchandise w.r.t hygiene issues

- No exchange of merchandise purchased on discount unless within 7 days of purchase

and must be exchanged at the price paid on the bill.

Exchange Criteria for Non-Loyalty card Members

- Within 15 days from the date of purchase.

- The proof of purchase is provided (Cash Memo).

- No exchange of merchandise w.r.t hygiene issues

- No exchange of merchandise purchased on discount unless within 7 days of purchase

and must be exchanged at the price paid on the bill.

- Customer returns policy to list.

- Customer reporting of defects; exchanges +complaints----- how to collect feedback +

distribute to right channels for customer satisfaction index.

SHOPLIFTING AND LOSS CONTROL

Theft by a customer or our own staff cannot be pardoned. However the issue has to be handled with extreme care and sensitivity, to avoid things blowing out of proportion. Basic knowledge of legalities is important for the store manager, to avoid undesirable legal consequences.

Objective:

To provide a systematic and common code of conduct to deal with incidents arising out of the following situations:

Theft by customer and staff Bribe and related issues enter into by any staff Robbery and in-subordination done by any staff

Coverage: This code covers all employees in the store (permanent / part-time / temporary) and customers.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

When an external customer is apprehended for shoplifting, and there is proper proof of shoplifting, we should recover the items and not insist that he/she pays. The Operation Manager should be informed and the police brought into the case. In case the customer is a minor or a young person, his guardian or his parents may be contacted.Please do not fine the customer, or ask him/her to buy the merchandise.

No employee (or relevant security agency we have employed) is authorized to conduct a search of either an employee's or customer's residence. Such a search can only be carried out with police involvement. In case the Store Head deems fit to involve the police he/she should first inform the Operations Manager of the course of action, followed by the police.

No customer or associate should be bodily harmed or manhandled by any employee. In case the person apprehended shoplifting (either customer or employee) is a lady, please ensure that another lady is present while questioning.

Please ensure that no external customer is witness to (or involved in) the questioning of an apprehended shoplifter, either another customer or an employee.

In case there is a need to involve the police in any case of shoplifting, in the first instance, allow the police to be handled by the Admin/Security Officer. The Store Head should be notified immediately.

If a staff is involved in theft, disciplinary action should not be taken unilaterally at the Unit against an employee for theft. All disciplinary action proposed by the Unit Head should have the prior approval of BOTH the Head Operations in question as well as the Head of HR. This is to ensure that the due process is followed and that we do not invite legal action against the company.

No staff should be punished for a "Suspected" crime. All cases of suspicion should be reported to the Head of Operations and Head of HR.

The Store manager / department owner has to inform the customer that he was observed picking up an item and walking out of the store without paying for it. The customer has to be given a fair chance to defend himself, at all times.

Customers should only be apprehended once they have exited the store and not while they are still in the store as they may claim they are still intending to buy the item.

If the ( sensormatic ) EAS machine is activated proper care needs to be taken , checking first that the EAS tag was properly de-activated – if not we should apologize and detag / deactivate the product. (Provided the customer has a cash slip and has purchased the product). If the product was not purchased – call security / management to talk to the customer and try to establish reason why the product was not paid for and take appropriate steps.

If the Customer denies possession of the item, the Store manager / department owner has to request the permission of the customer, to conduct a check of himself and his belongings.

The Security check has to take place only once the customer has agreed to it. It CANNOT BE FORCED on the customer at any point.

The Store Head is required to keep the Head of HR posted on all cases of theft by employees that have occurred, prior to any action against the employee being taken. Cases where Store Managers are proposing to take action OR NOT TO TAKE action should be reported.

As far as possible, in case of an employee theft, the employee in question must be dealt with, and not relatives, friends etc…

Once the customer has been dealt with as per the above then the associate who has intercepted the theft shall be rewarded in the following manner:

The name of the person shall be informed to Operation Head & HR The person shall also be given an appreciation letter from the company For staff who intercept theft shall get a weight-age of the same in the appraisal

under the "Other achievements" category

The store manager / department owner reserves the right to check the staff and his belongings. If the associate is found guilty, the following action has to be taken: A full confessional letter has to be taken detailing the items stolen, names of parents/spouse, full residential address and contact numbers for the store record.

The Head of Human Resources as well as the Head of the Operations have to be informed of the incident immediately and have to be kept updated of the actions undertaken to resolve the situation.

The staff can be asked by the store manager / department owner to put forth his/her resignation with immediate effect, failing which the staff member must be suspended and taken to enquiry.

Care has to be taken to ensure, that the individual whether found guilty or not is treated with courtesy and respect.

TAGGING OF GOODS:

Objective:

To reduce store shrink and maintain acceptable stock losses in stores to the specified norms and targets budgeted for by state ops.

There will be a window period of approximately 3 to 6 months to ascertain the necessity to have EAS tagging systems installed in a store. Security tagging will be store specific according to the stores stock loss results.

The ideal situation is where stores are able to maintain good stock loss results as a result of the store staff being vigilant and aware of prospective theft happening. The staff in these type of stores take accountability for stock loss and are therefore more involved and participative in the whole process.

Tagging:

There are essentially 3 places where the tagging can be done

1: At the Vendor

2: At the DC

3: At the store

We will tag footwear products when necessary (and according to the type of product) at the Store. This means that the stock will arrive at the store without a security tag. The stock loss guidelines will outline what should be tagged and how.

And there are essentially two types of tags which will be used.

1: soft tags (non-reusable)

2: a) hard tags with pins (re-usable)

b) hard tags without pins (re-usable)

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

All products in the Footwear Specialty stores will be tagged according to the stock loss prevention manual.

Once the product has been received / acknowledged in the store, the stock must be immediately security tagged according to the manual guidelines.

All products before going to the sales floor must be tagged. Stock for whatever reason which cannot be tagged should be kept in an area of high vigilance.

Where the shoe is single display, the left shoe will be put on display with the swing tickets, barcodes and security tags.

Single pair displays will have the odd left shoe tagged. This will not be the shoe which the customer normally tries on i.e. the right shoe.

Pair displays will have the left shoe tagged with all the swing tickets and barcodes etc.

All shoes with eyelets should be tagged through the right top eyelet and the swing tickets through the left top eyelet.

All sandals, shoes with straps, etc should be hard tagged without pins. This tag is attached with a cable tie.

All accessories can be where necessary soft tagged. These tags do not have pins (self adhesive) and can be affixed to the product out of site of the customer.

In some cases we may elect to have the soft tag manufactured into the mid sole of the shoe. The procedure for this type of tag will be confirmed at a later stage.

The product before being rung up must have the security tag removed. This is always done at the POS terminal.

Where the product is hard tagged, the cashier will remove the pin with the pin removing device / magnet provided at the cash counter.

Where the product is tagged without a pin but with a cable tie the cashier must cut and remove the tag with a pair of scissors.

Where the product is soft tagged, the cashier does not remove the tag but swipes the tag of the deactivator which nullifies the security tag from activating the EAS system at the store entrance.

All products must be swiped over the Double Checkers.

All removed reusable tags at the POS counter should be kept in a bin and ready for re-use.

Re-usable tags are then taken to the BOH and kept under lock and key from potential theft and meddling.

Re-orders of tags should be done once the store reaches the last 1000 tags. These orders will be done through the H/O packaging team on the EAS tag re-order form.

Where a tag has not been correctly deactivated or removed from a product and is activated at the store entrance by the customer – the store management should ensure that an apology is given.

All malfunctioning tags to be kept aside and a credit note raised against the supplier.

Cashiers must take care to check inside the shoe boxes for tagged items.

All tagging deactivators should be kept out of reach of customers.

All broken and loose found tags should be reported immediately. Where a tag is activated but it is unknown if the product has been paid for, the

customer must be politely asked if they don’t mind they hand over the product so that it may be properly deactivated.

If the product is still tagged and the customer has attempted to walk out the store with the product without paying for it, a manager should be called immediately.

The manager in this situation will request the customer to accompany the manager to his office where the matter can be resolved.

EAS tagging system is to be tested twice a day for working order by a manager.

All credits and returns in a saleable condition is to be tagged immediately on receipt and returned to the sales floor.

No tags are to be removed for trial or fitting of products.

LOSS CONTROL

The store will conduct both stock takes and stock counts to monitor and curb shrinkage in the store.

Common procedures used for doing both stock takes and stock counts:

Never count the shoe box. Always check inside the shoe box to ensure that the box is not empty, that the correct shoe and size are in the box.

Always scan the shoe barcode swing ticket and not the shoe box barcode. Make sure that the shoe is a left and right shoe and not two odds. Always prepare before hand for stock counts and stock takes. Check for odds,

wrong pairings, incorrect prices and barcodes. Make sure the stock is in the right position according to the plan-o-gram allocated

for the stocks. Check for units on display and do not count the unit twice by mistake i.e the item

on the floor as well as the item in the BOH. Always prepare the BOH first and then the sales floor. Always scan or count the sales floor first and then the BOH second in the case of

accessories or a full size curve. Style displays will not be counted on the sales floor but only in the BOH

Once the sales floor and BOH have been prepared, make sure that the BOH is isolated and no stock movement can occur.

Care must be taken not to count or scan Stock in transit (IBT’S), stock out on repairs, damaged and written off goods which are not part of the stores inventory.

Once stock take / count is done on both sales floor and BOH – the two individual counts are reconciled as one.

Always ensure that the stock take / count is done before start of day trading. If it is done after end of day trading, H/O loss control must be notified accordingly because of the sales / returns which have taken place during the day and need to be reconciled accordingly.

Stock Counts

Done fortnightly and can be done either on the full stores inventory or selected departments, styles, brands etc.

Are indicative of a potential stock loss problem. Stock counts are also used to update and correct inventory numbers in store but do

not affect the financial inventory data base which is the stock listed as delivered to, sold from and returned or sent out of the store.

Stock counts are done manually.

Stock Takes

Stock takes are done quarterly. There will be two financial stock takes six months

apart and two interim stock takes 3 months from the stock take.

Financial stock takes are done using hand held scanners (HHTs).

Scan Bins are allocated to fixtures, shelving, straight arms etc. The bin is scanned

and thereafter the individual barcode of each sku. Once the entire bin has been

scanned, the quantity is manually counted and entered into the HHT. If the two

numbers of the scanned quantity corresponds with the manual quantity the

scanned bin is accepted and the sales staff will move onto the next bin until all

bins have been scanned.

Once all bins have been scanned they are then downloaded into the system. The

system is then checked to ensure all bins have been scanned and all variances

checked and confirmed.

Stock takes are always done on the full inventory of the store.

STORE CLOSING AND END OF DAY PROCEDURES

Store Closing process can be defined from the time the last customer walks out of the store to the locking of premises.

Objective:

Closing the store is a critical time. The procedure has been broadly defined to standardize the process of store closing to minimize all risks.

Daily Store Closing Security Checklist:

PARTICULARS REMARKS

Store-Closing: Main entrance & Back door to be sealed.

Store-closing: Thorough check of all personnel leaving the store.

Store-closing: Check whether all computers are switched off. Searching all staff / contractors.

Store-closing: Check if all lights, Air conditioning and water taps are closed /off

Store-closing: Check if the cash safe is locked & sealed/ time delayed.

Store-closing: Check if the main door and the back doors are sealed before leaving the store.

Store-Closing: Main entrance & Back door to be sealed.

Store-closing: Thorough check of all personnel leaving the store.

Store-closing: Check whether all computers are switched off. Searching all staff / contractors.

Store-closing: Check if all lights, Air conditioning and water taps are closed /off

Store-closing: Check if the cash safe is locked & sealed/ time delayed.

Store-closing: Check if the main door and the back doors are sealed before leaving the store.

Store-Closing: Main entrance & Back door to be sealed.

Store-closing: Thorough check of all personnel leaving the store.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

15 minutes + and interval of 5 minutes announcement repeated before the store closing time, the department owner has to announce on the PA system, requesting the customers to proceed to cash counter as the store is approaching closing time. If the store is not equipped with a PA system, or if the PA system is faulty, the respective CSA have to request the customers in their sections, to proceed to the cash counter.

A Store Closing Announcement has to be made which states "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We are now nearing closing time as per local rules + regulations (government). We request you to expedite your shopping and proceed towards the cash counter. Thank you for shopping with us. Have a pleasant evening." Look forward to seeing you again.

Care must be taken not to switch off any of the lights before the actual store closing time as it indicates disrespect towards the customer. The air conditioning system has to be switched off 15 minutes before actual store closing time.

Once the items are billed and the last customer walks out of the store, the spot lights have to be switched off.

The lights near the cash counter can be left on (as well as the lights in the BOH area), as the cashiers have to summarize their transactions of the day.

The security person has to then open the back door and allow the executives to leave after conducting a thorough security check.

At any point, two security persons have to be present. At the time of closing, one of the security person can leave only after being checked by the other security person.

Once the cash summary report is filled by the cashier, indicating details such as cash sales, credit sales, sales against manual bills, total number of bills, no. of manual bills, gift vouchers issued/adjusted etc… he has to provide the details to the store manager / admin manager.

The designated department owner has to then prepare the Daily Sales Report (DSR) and mail/fax the same to the Head of Departments at the support office. The DSR to summarize the following: Total sales Total number of bills Total number of footfalls Conversion rate Average bill size

A copy of the DSR has to be placed at a designated area in the back office, for the reference of the store manager (if he/she is coming in the morning shift) & department owner who would be addressing the associates in the morning meeting.

The department owner has to collect the cash from the cashier and deposit the same in the safe and lock the same immediately. Once the cash is deposited & the safe is locked, it has to be sealed.

The department owner has to then go to the server room and shut of the following in the order of priority: (to be confirmed with SAP team): The Monitor and the CPU The Server (to be confirmed) The UPS machines The Mains (will shut it off centrally) The Air Conditioning and the lights

The security person would be responsible for checking whether all the computers / POS have been switched off in the front store as well at the back office.

The department owner has to go around the store and check the following, again: If all the computers have been shut off in the store and back office If the front door is locked securely. If the lights have been shut. All the taps are shut

Finally when all the checks are over, the security person has to check the department owner and the department owner has to check the security person, and they both have to leave the store.

The security person has to lock the back door securely, seal the lock and hand over the keys to the designated department owner.

The department owner has to take the keys in his possession before leaving in case of a call out due to a prospective burglary etc.

Lastly the security person has to switch off the last light and leave the store. The emergency lights needs to be switched on at all times

Persons responsible for carrying keys required to keep in a safe place to avoid duplication etc.

Security person to have all emergency contact no’s etc and Mall stores to be given list as well.

Issuing of Alarm codes + safe codes to personnel.

Specimen of manager signatures for audit purposes etc.

Basic store Closing procedures:

Clean and tidy department.

Conduct general housekeeping – sizing, hangering, filling up etc

Fix displays if necessary

Fix signage and prices if necessary

Fill up promotions

Open up or cut back on space requirements

Give T/O and sales targets feedback to sales staff

Do cash ups

Reconcile all sensitive transactions

Secure store / set alarm

S T O R E S

All the stores of Vishal Mega Mart are air conditioned and tastefully decorated with easy

excess to the products, giving the customers a unique shopping experience. The trained

staff will be able to help the customer select the garment of their choice and also help

them color coordinates the accessories that they may want to buy. The Vishal Group is

expanding rapidly.

The group’s prime focus is fashion retailing. The Vishal stores offer affordable family

fashion at prices to suit every pocket. The group’s philosophy is integration and towards

this end has initiated backward integration in the field of high fashion by setting up a

state of the art manufacturing facility to support its retail endeavors.

Vishal is one of fastest growing retailing groups. Their outlets cater to almost all price

ranges. Their showrooms have a product range so wide that all household needs of a

customer can be catered to under one roof. Their stores give customers international

quality goods and prices hard to match. The cost benefits that they derive from their

large central purchase of goods and services is passed on to the consumer.

S T O R E L O C A T I O N

ANDHRA PRADESH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Sagar Plaza , Troop Bazar, Hyderabad

2. VISHAL MEGAMART 3-11-107, Ramanthapur, Ranga Reddy District,

Hyderabad

ASSAM

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Amaze Shopping Mall, A.T. Road, Opp. PanBazar

Overbridge, Guwahati – 781001

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Central Road, Silchar, Assam

BIHAR

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Pandey Mall, Frazer Road

CHATTISGARH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Guru Ghasidas Plaza, Amapara, G.E. Road,

Raipur

DELHI

1. VISHAL MEGAMART A-18, B block, Mohan Co-Operative Society, Mathura

Road, New Delhi.

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Palmohan Plaza - 39, Block - A,2 Rajouri Garden, New

Delhi

3. VISHAL MEGAMART 10209/10210, Padam Singh Road, Karol Bagh, Delhi

4. VISHAL MEGAMART FD - 7 , Pitampura New Delhi

5. VISHAL MEGAMART B-374, Meera Bagh, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi

6. VISHAL MEGAMART WZ-9A, LAN No-10, Barinder Nagar, New Delhi

7. VISHAL MEGAMART E- 367, Nirman Vihar, Vikas Marg, New Delhi

8. VISHAL MEGAMART RZ-6, Part of Rect No 19 Killa No. 1/2/1, 10, 1/2/2

Rect No. 18 Killa No. 7/3, 5/2 & 6, Laxmi Garden, Village Nazafgarh.

9. VISHAL MEGAMART 156 out of Khadra No. 83/14(Killa No. 14 S Q No.

83), Village Hastsal, colony G-1 Block, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi

10. VISHAL MEGAMART A Block, Plot no.1, Ground Floor, Ph-2, Opp.

Satyawati College, Ashok vihar, New Delhi.

11. VISHAL MEGAMART Mahipalpur Crossing Near Bikaner Sweets Mahipalpur,

New Delhi.

12. VISHAL MEGAMART 2, Road No.85, Club Road, Punjabi Bagh (W) New

Delhi.

13. VISHAL MEGAMART E-6 Outer Ring Road, Prashant Vihar, New Delhi.

14. VISHAL MEGAMART 2 Road No.85 Club Road Punjabi Bagh West (B), New

Delhi.

15. VISHAL MEGAMART D-2/21 krishna nagar, Delhi

GUJRAT

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Zodiac Square, FP-407, Bodakdev, Opp. Gurudwara,

SG Road, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Ved Road, Surat, Gujarat

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Kings Square 703+704/3/2/, Near Jalaram Mandir,

Paldi

4. VISHAL MEGAMART Kataria Arked , Plot No. 56,57, 58 Dumas Road,

Piplad, Surat

HARYANA

1. VISHAL MEGAMART SCO 10,11,12 Near Payal Cinema, Sector- 14,

Gurgaon.

2. VISHAL MEGAMART SCO No. 104 & 105, Sector -5, Punchkula, Haryana

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Sun City Mall, Near Jindal House, Opp. Vidyut

Nagar, Delhi Road, Hissar - 125001

4. VISHAL MEGAMART Dabwali Road, Near Green Belt, Sirsa

HIMACHAL PARDESH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Doon Metro Mall, Near Dena Bank, Sai Road,

Gollarwale, Baddi.

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Moon International Hotel, Near Secretaraite, Chhoti

Shimla, Shimla (H.P)

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Opp. Mezbaan Restarunt , Near ITI College, Sharma

Marriage Palace Ponta Sahib

4. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Secratarait Shimla East

5. VISHAL MEGAMART nh-22 Railway crossing, Opp. classic hotel Dharmpur

JAMMU & KASHMIR

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Govt. Tube Well, Kunjwani Byepass, Jammu.

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bahu Plaza, Opp. LIC Building, Panama Chowk,

Jammu.

JHARKHAND

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Central Bank Building, Vishnu Talkies,

Main Road, Ranchi, Jharkhand

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Commerce House, Near ICICI Bank,

Shastri Nagar, Bank More, Dhanbad

3. VISHAL MEGAMART NH-33, Dimna Chowk, Manho, Jamshedpur,

Jharkhand

4. VISHAL MEGAMART Main Road Saraidhela, Dhanbad, Jharkhand

KARNATAKA

1. VISHAL MEGAMART No. 31/9, Hosur Main Road , Near Central Silk Board

Junction, Bangalore , Karnataka

MADHYA PRADESH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Mangal City, Plot No. A-1, PU-4, Commercial

Scheme No. 54, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bhopal-City Center, Press Complex Zone1,

MP Nagar, Bhopal

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Kranti Appartments, B Wing, Yashwant

Niwas Road , Indore , Madhya Pradesh

4. VISHAL MEGAMART Kanha Shopping Mall Pvt. Ltd., C-5, City

Center, Lashkar, Gwalior

MAHARASHTRA

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Wing B, KPCT Building, Wanowarie, Pune,

Maharashtra

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bansi Nagar, Near Railway Station, Aurangabad ,

Maharashtra

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Suyojit Commercial Complex, Near Hotel Prakash,

New Mumbai-Agra Road, Mumbai Naka, Nasik

4. VISHAL MEGAMART F-3 first floor Thakur Shopping Mall Western Express

Highway Dahisar (E) Mumbai

5. VISHAL MEGAMART Dindayal Upadhyay Marg, Nr. Bus Depot, Mulund

(Maharashtra)

6. VISHAL MEGAMART Plot No. 6 Layout Survey No. 50, 52, 53 A

Sehkar/Walvekar Nagar, Pune

7. VISHAL MEGAMART Sahkar mandir CTC No-496/27/1, Sadar Bazar,

Satara, Maharashtra

GOA

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Samrat Ash Theatre Complex, 18th June Road, Panaji, Goa

ORISSA

1. VISHAL MEGAMART WESTERN MARKET BUILDING, Shop No.- 07,

Bhubaneswar-9 Orissa

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Plot No.1176, 1177, R. C Church Road

Behrampur Orissa

3. VISHAL MEGAMART A-1/2 Nayapally, I.R.C. Village ,

Bhubaneshwar, Orissa

4. VISHAL MEGAMART BAJRAKBATI, Cuttack, Orissa - 753001

PUNJAB

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Euphoria Towers, 2435, Maharaj Nagar, Firozpur

Road, Ludhiana, Punjab

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Village Dharampur, HB No. 152 Teh. kalka - Pinjor

(Punjab)

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Plot No 111 / 455 Swani Motors, at G.T. Road,

B.M.C.Chowk Jalandhar (Punjab)

4. VISHAL MEGAMART Arjan Complex, Main Sirhind Road, Nr. Hemkunt

Petrol Pump, Patiala

5. VISHAL MEGAMART Sector 32, Urban Estate, Chandigarh Road, Jamalpur,

Ludhiana, Punjab

6. VISHAL MEGAMART SCO No. 126-127, District Sopping Centre, Ranjit

Avenues, Amritsar , Punjab

7. VISHAL MEGAMART Near State Bank of Patiala, Hazi Ratan Chowk, Civil

Lines Bhatinda Punjab

8. VISHAL MEGAMART 9 Shoppers Paradise, Jalandhar Road, Shastri Road,

Batala Punjab

9. VISHAL MEGAMART 3460/1, Sun Plaza opposite Dana Mandi G.T. Road

Khanna (Punjab)

RAJASTHAN

1. VISHAL MEGAMART 1, Ajmer Road, Nr. Sarogi Petrol Pump & Shalimar

Hotel, Opp. Govt. Hostel, Jaipur

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Beawar-Khasra No.149, near Hotel Shri, Ajmer Road,

Beawar Rajasthan

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Crystal Court, 5, Indra Palace, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur,

Rajasthan

4. VISHAL MEGAMART 6 B, Chopasani Road, Near New Kohinor Cinema ,

Jodhpur, Rajasthan

5. VISHAL MEGAMART Hira Panna Market, Pur Road,

Bhilwara, Rajasthan

6. VISHAL MEGAMART Vidhyadhar Nagar, Main Sikar Road, Jaipur

7. VISHAL MEGAMART 138 - 139, Machla Magra, Udaipur

8. VISHAL MEGAMART Opposite Hotel Shanti Niwas, Gangashaher Road, Nr,

Railway Station Bikaner (Rajasthan)

9. VISHAL MEGAMART Shyam Nagar, Pal link Road, Jodhpur

UTTAR PRADESH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Ansal Plaza , Vaishali, Ghaziabad.

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bareilly-D85 civil lines Ayub Khan Chauraha,

Chaupala Road. Bareilly Uttar Pradesh

3. VISHAL MEGAMART 6 / 3, South Side, G.T. Road, Silver City Complex

Ghaziabad-191001

4. VISHAL MEGAMART C-27/278, Maldahiya, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

5. VISHAL MEGAMART 16 / 111 , Mall Road, Near Nishant Cinema , Kanpur

6. VISHAL MEGAMART Tulsi Theatre Building, 12, Rani Laxmi Bai Marg

Hazratganj, Lucknow

7. VISHAL MEGAMART Khasra No. 83/7 Munisipal No. 123/7, Shree Ram

Place Main Delhi Road Meerut

8. VISHAL MEGAMART 1372/2-A& 137/2 - A-1 Nauchandi Garh road opp.

Smart Heavens, Meerut

9. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Tulsi Talkies, Delhi Highway, Bhagwan Talkies

Crossing, Agra (U.P)

10. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Vishal Motors, Avaas Vikas Colony, Chandra

Shekhar Azad Nagar, Unnao.

11. VISHAL MEGAMART Madhubani Complex Kanth Road, Moradabad

12. VISHAL MEGAMART khasra no 644/1, paisar plaza, NH-28, Faridabad road,

Barabanki, U.P

13. VISHAL MEGAMART 25/26/1-2 fatehabad-Agra Road, Agra

14. VISHAL MEGAMART Paisar plaza , Paisar Naka lucknow - Faizabad Road

Barabanki

15. VISHAL MEGAMART 742 chandreshekar Aazad Nagar, Palika Parisad city

Distric Unao

UTTRAKHAND

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Shri Ram Plaza, Rajpur Road, Dilla Ram Bazar,

Dehradun

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Khasra No. 38 &39 Village Shakhupaura, Khankhal

Pargana Jwalapur, Haridwar

3. VISHAL MEGAMART Opposite Naini Valley School, Nainital Road

Haldwani

4. VISHAL MEGAMART S.G.A.D. Complex, Opp. Axis Bank, Civil Lines,

Naintal Road, Rudrapur

WEST BENGAL

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Spencer Plaza, Burdwan Road, Siliguri, West Bengal

2. VISHAL MEGAMART PGE Plaza, VIP Road, Baguhati Kolkata

3. VISHAL MEGAMART 116F & 117F, B.T. Road, kamar Hatti, Kolkata

4. VISHAL MEGAMART 169,Raas bihari Avenue, garihat, Kolkata

VISHAL MEGA MART, VARANASI

STORE ADDRESS & LOCATION

A N A L Y S I S

Chart showing preliminary information about respondents.

I. Age group wise classification:

Age group 15-25 25-35 35-45 45 & aboveNo. of 42 39 17 2

respondents

15-25 25-35 35-45 45 &above

4239

17

20

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

No. of respondents

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 100 respondents 42 are in the age group of 15-25, 39 in the age group of 25-35, 17 in the age group of 35-45 & 2 respondents are above age 45 years.

II. Occupation wise classification:

Occupation Student Service Business OtherNo. of respondents

38 20 20 22

38

20 2022

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Student Service Business Other

No

. o

f re

spo

nd

ents

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 100 respondents, 38 respondents are student, 20 are engaged in service, 20 are engaged in business & 22 belong to other category.

III. Gender wise classification:

Gender Male FemaleNo. of respondents 67 33

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 100 respondents 67 are male & 33 are female.

IV. Marital status wise classification:

Marital status Married UnmarriedNo. of respondents 56 44

33

67

Male

Female

56

44

0 20 40 60

Married

Unmarried

Mar

ital

sta

tus

No. of respondents

INTERPRETATION:

Out of total respondents 56 are married & rest is unmarried.

1. How many times do you visit Vishal Mega Mart in a month?

Options No. of respondentsOnce 46Twice 29Thrice 9More 16

46

29

9

16

Once

Twice

Thrice

More

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of above pie chart it can be concluded that 46 respondents out of 100, visit Vishal once in a month. 29 respondents visit Vishal twice, only 9 respondents visit thrice in a month & 16 respondents visit Vishal more than 3 times in a month.

2. Do you prefer any particular day?

Options No. of RespondentsYes 15No 85

15

85

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Yes No

No. of Respondents

Days Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Thursday Friday Saturday

No. of responses

9 1 1 - 1 1 6

0

9

1 10

1 1

6

0123456789

10

Days

No

. o

f re

sp

on

ses

INTERPRETATION:

Only 15 respondents prefer a particular day to visit Vishal, out of 100 respondents.

3. You prefer to shop in Vishal Mega Mart because:

Options No. of responsesNearness to home 9Reasonable price 33Quality 17All under one roof 62Variety of products 44

9

33

17

62

44

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Nearness tohome

Reasonableprice

Quality All under oneroof

Variety ofproducts

No

. o

f re

spo

nse

s

INTERPRETATION:

After analyzing the above chart it can be said that most of the people prefer vishal because it provides them all under one roof. Out of total, 62 responses have been received in favour of all under one roof, 44 for variety, 33 for reasonable price, 17 in favour of quality & only 9 in favour of nearness to home.

4. What product you prefer to buy in kitchenware department?

Options No. of responsesAppliances 14Plastic items 58Glass items 52Aluminium items 10Steel items 14Copper items -Non-stick items 10

14

58

52

10

14

0

10

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Appliances

Plastic items

Glass items

Aluminium items

Steel items

Copper items

Non-stick items

No. of responses

INTERPRETATION:

From the above analysis it can be drawn that most of the people prefer to buy plastic and glass items in kitchenware section of Vishal because most of the responses are in favour of them viz. 58 & 52. 14 responses are received for steel & appliances and 10 for non-stick & aluminium items. It can be seen that no response has been received for copper item.

5. Are you attracted towards the schemes and offers present in Vishal Mega Mart?

Options No. of RespondentsYes 83No 17

83

17

0 20 40 60 80 100

Yes

No

No. of Respondents

INTERPRETATION:

From the above chart it can be concluded that 83% of the total respondents are attracted towards schemes & offers available in vishal. Only 17% respondents do not bother about schemes & offers.

6. Are you a planned or unplanned buyer?

Options No. of RespondentsPlanned 51Unplanned 49

51

49

48 49 50 51

Planned

Unplanned

No. of Respondents

INTERPRETATION:

It can be seen that most of the respondents are planned buyers. Out of total 51 respondents are planned and 49 are unplanned buyers.

7. Are you satisfied with the exchange system provided by Vishal Mega Mart?

Options No. of RespondentsYes 71No 6Never used 23

71

6

23

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Yes No Never used

No. of Respondents

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 100 respondents 71 respondents are satisfied with the exchange system of Vishal, only 6 are dissatisfied. 23 respondents have never used the exchange system of Vishal.

8. Are you satisfied with the atmosphere provided by Vishal Mega Mart?

Very Poor Poor Average Good Very Good

Water facilities - 10 48 38 4Air Conditioning 16 26 34 23 1Sales staff - 7 35 46 12Lighting 1 6 35 46 12Music 5 12 46 32 5Billing system 1 7 41 43 8

16

5

10

26

7

6

12

48

34

35

35

46

41

38

23

46

46

32

43

1

17 8

5

12

12

1

4

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Water facilities

Air Conditioning

Sales staff

Lighting

Music

Billing system

No. of respondents

Very Poor

Poor

Average

Good

Very Good

INTERPRETATION:

4 respondents have rated water facilities as very good, 38 have rated it good, 48 have rated average, 10 have rated poor & no respondent has rated it very poor.

1 respondent have rated air conditioning as very good, 23 have rated it good, 34 have rated average, 26 have rated poor & 16 respondents has rated it very poor.

12 respondents have rated sales staff of vishal mega mart as very good, 46 have rated it good, 35 have rated average, 7 have rated poor & no respondent has rated it very poor.

12 respondents have rated lighting as very good, 46 have rated it good, 35 have rated average, 6 have rated poor & only 1 respondent has rated it very poor.

5 respondents have rated music as very good, 32 have rated it good, 46 have rated average, 12 have rated poor & 5 respondents has rated it very poor.

8 respondents have rated billing system as very good, 43 have rated it good, 41 have rated average, 7 have rated poor & 1 respondent has rated it very poor.

9. How do you rank Vishal Mega Mart in comparision to its competitors?

Store No. of respondents visited the store

No. of respondents not visited the store

Vishal Mega Mart 100 -Baazar Kolkata 34 66Citi Style 32 68

100

0

34

66

32

68

0102030405060708090

100

No. of respondents

VishalMegaMart

BaazarKolkata

Citi Style

Stores

No. of respondentsvisited the store

No. of respondents notvisited the store

INTERPRETATION:

Out of total 100 respondents, 66 have not visited Baazar kolkata and 68 have not visited Citi style & also Baazar kolkata.

(I) ON THE BASIS OF PRICE

STORE/RANK I II IIIVishal Mega Mart

74 24 2

Baazar kolkata 18 24 22Citi Style 8 20 38

74

18

8

24 24 20

2

22

38

010

20304050607080

No. of respondents

I II III

Ranks

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF PRICE

Vishal Mega Mart

Baazar kolkata

Citi Style

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of price Vishal has been ranked as first 74 times, second 24 times & third only 2 times. Whereas Baazar kolkata has been ranked as first 18 times, second 24 times & third 22 times. Citi style has been ranked first, second & third 8, 20, 38 times respectively.

(II) ON THE BASIS OF QUALITY

STORE/RANK I II IIIVishal Mega Mart

84 8 8

Baazar kolkata 6 34 24Citi Style 10 26 30

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF QUALITY

84

8

8

6

34

24

10

26

30

0 20 40 60 80 100

I

II

III

Ran

ks

No. of respondents

Citi Style

Baazar kolkata

Vishal Mega Mart

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of quality Vishal has been ranked as first 84 times, second 8 times & third 8 times. Whereas Baazar kolkata has been ranked as

first 6 times, second 34 times & third 24 times. Citi style has been ranked first, second & third 10, 26 and 30 times respectively.

(III) ON THE BASIS OF PRODUCT RANGE

STORE/RANK I II IIIVishal Mega Mart

82 18 -

Baazar kolkata 6 24 34Citi Style 12 26 38

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF PRODUCT RANGE

82

18

06

2434

12

26

38

0102030405060708090

I II III

Ranks

No

. o

f re

spo

nd

ents

Vishal Mega Mart

Baazar kolkata

Citi Style

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of product range Vishal has been ranked as first 82 times, second 18 times & has not been rated third. Whereas Baazar kolkata has been ranked as first 6 times, second 24 times & third 34 times. Citi style has been ranked first, second & third 12, 24 and 38 times respectively.

(IV) ON THE BASIS OF SALES STAFF

STORE/RANK I II IIIVishal Mega Mart

74 12 14

Bazaar kolkata 10 24 30Citi Style 16 32 18

7410

16

1224

32

1430

18

0 20 40 60 80

No. of respondents

I

II

III

Ran

ks

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF SALES STAFF

Citi Style

Baazar kolkata

Vishal Mega Mart

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of sales staff Vishal has been ranked as first 74 times, second 12 times & third 14 times. Whereas Baazar kolkata has been ranked as first 10 times, second 24 times & third 30 times. Citi style has been ranked first, second & third 16, 32 and 18 times respectively by the respondents.

FINDINGS

1. Most of the respondents are regular customers of Vishal mega Mart and visit the store atleast once or twice in a month.

2. The respondents do not generally prefer any particular day but still some of them prefer Saturday and Sunday to visit the store.

3. The main reason for the popularity of the store is that it provides all under one roof and also because it offers variety of products.

4. Plastic items and glass items are the most popular products that are sold in kitchenware department.

5. People generally prefer to buy products during schemes and offers.

6. People that visit the store are both planned and unplanned buyers.

7. People are generally satisfied with the exchange system of Vishal Mega Mart.

8. The survey reveals that water facilities of Vishal is average, air conditioning is also average, sales staff & lighting is good, music is average and billing system is good.

9. More than 60% of the respondents visiting Vishal Mega Mart have not visited both Baazar kolkata and Citi style.

10. Most of the respondents have ranked Vishal having the lowest price as compared to Baazar kolkata and Citi style.

11. On the basis of quality, product range and sales staff most of the respondents have ranked Vishal first as compared to other stores.

RECOMMENDATIONS

I. More variety of each item should be provided to the customers to provide them with greater choices.

II. Wood utensils are not available. These should be present and with enough choice.

III. More price range in steel and glass items should be there.

IV. Price of plates, trays and malmoware items should be reduced.

V. More discount on kitchen items should be provided.

VI. Air conditioning of this department should improve as it is suffocated.

VII. This section is quit congested. More space must be provided to facilitate smooth flow of traffic.

VIII. Billing system should also improve. It is very time taking.

IX. Price of some products like steel is not according to the quality of the products.

X. Instead of loud songs, soft music must be played to provide a better atmosphere to the customers.

XI. Power backup must improve.

XII. Sales staff must improve and must pay more attention towards customers.