End Term Assessment

Customer Experience Management & Retail Operations

Submitted by

Ishita Sabharwal MFM/20/68

Shubhi Garg MFM/20/105

Stuti Khetarpal MFM/20/142

Pradeep Kumar Nayak MFM/20/720

Submitted to

Dr. Harleen Sahni

(Associate Professor)

Department of Fashion Management Studies

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)

(Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India)

January 2021

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This assignment was supported by Dr. Harleen Sahni. We thank our colleagues from NIFT,
Gandhinagar who provided insight and expertise that greatly assisted in the assignment.

We thank Dr. Harleen Sahni for assistance with technique and methodology for comments
that greatly improved the manuscript.

We would also like to expand our gratitude to all those who have directly and indirectly
guided us in writing this assignment.

NAME:

Ishita Sabharwal

Shubhi Garg

Stuti Khetarpal

Pradeep Kumar Nayak

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 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 5

BACKGROUND STUDY..................................................................................................... 6

RETAIL INDUSTRY ........................................................................................................ 6

Retail Industry in India ............................................................................................... 6

Malls in India ............................................................................................................... 8

Stand Alone Locations ................................................................................................. 9

Challenges of Retailing in India ................................................................................ 12

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ........................................................................................... 13

CUSTOMER EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING ............................................................... 15

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE .................................................................... 15

Advantages of Standard Operating Procedures in Retail ............................................... 18

SYSTEMS APPLICATION AND DATA PROCESSING (SAP) .................................... 19

LOYALTY PROGRAMME ............................................................................................ 20

WESTSIDE BRAND ......................................................................................................... 22

ABOUT WESTSIDE ....................................................................................................... 22

MISSION STATEMENT ................................................................................................ 24

PRODUCT RANGE OFFERED AT WESTSIDE............................................................ 25

PRICE RANGE OFFERED ............................................................................................. 27

PLACE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................. 28

PROMOTION STRATEGY ............................................................................................ 28

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP) ....................................................... 31

ABOUT THE STORE ..................................................................................................... 31

STORE OPENING & CLOSING .................................................................................... 34

COVID-19 MEASURES ................................................................................................. 35

STOCK INWARD & OUTWARD .................................................................................. 35

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 BILLING......................................................................................................................... 36

PETTY CASH MANAGEMENT .................................................................................... 36

LOYALTY PROGRAM .................................................................................................. 36

STAFF MANAGEMENT................................................................................................ 37

BACK ROOM MANAGEMENT .................................................................................... 37

HOUSEKEEPING........................................................................................................... 37

SECURITY ..................................................................................................................... 37

SHOPLIFTING ............................................................................................................... 37

FEEDBACK.................................................................................................................... 38

ADDITIONAL FINDINGS ............................................................................................. 38

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE & STORE HEALTH

........................................................................................................................................... 39

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 42

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 43

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INTRODUCTION
The enormous retail boom in India has given space to many companies who have
mushroomed out to benefit from this retail boom, which is nothing but a structured format of
the unorganized retail business which is being done in India from ages.

The retail business is booming in India and there has been a remarkable shift in the buying
behaviour of people from traditional stores to departmental stores. These stores try and attract
customers by providing them with services and plethora of options in brands in different
categories so that they can retain customers for long and make them loyal towards their retail
stores.

Westside, a retail brand of TATA group is one such store. The brand has established itself as
a One Shop Stop for the entire family.

Figure 1-Logo (business-standard, 2016)

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BACKGROUND STUDY
With more and more people becoming fashion conscious including men and with shopping
now being looked upon as a leisure activity with Malls and mega-stores becoming a place for
hang out rather than shopping, there was a need to profile retail customers based on this.
Also, with lots of stores coming up in organized sector, measuring customer satisfaction in
such stores becomes important. The study studies various aspects of Retail Industry in India
and how a one shop stop store functions in a current scenario.

RETAIL INDUSTRY

Retailing is the interface between the producer and the individual consumer buying for
personal consumption. This excludes direct interface between the manufacturer and
institutional buyers such as the government and other bulk customers. A retailer is one who
stocks the producer’s goods and is involved in the act of selling it to the individual consumer,
at a margin of profit. As such, retailing is the last link that connects the individual consumer
with the manufacturing and distribution chain.

Retail has played a major role world over in increasing productivity across a wide range of
consumer goods and services. The impact can be best seen in countries like U.S.A., U.K.,
Mexico, Thailand and more recently China. Economies of countries like Singapore,
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Dubai are also heavily assisted by the retail sector.

Top Retailers Worldwide:

• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. U.S.A.

• Carrefour Group France
• The Kroger Co. U.S.A.
• The Home Depot, Inc. U.S.A.
• Metro Germany

Retail Industry in India

The retail industry in India is of late often being hailed as one of the sunrise sectors in the
economy. AT Kearney, the well-known international management consultancy, recently
identified India as the ‘second most attractive retail destination’ globally from among thirty
emergent markets. It has made India the cause of a good deal of excitement and the cynosure

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of many foreign eyes. With a contribution of 14% to the national GDP and employing 7% of
the total workforce (only agriculture employs more) in the country, the retail industry is one
of the pillars of the Indian economy.

Retail sales in India amounted to about Rs.7400 billion in 2002, expanded at an average
annual rate of 7% during 1999-2002. With the upturn in economic growth during 2003, retail
sales are also expected to expand at a higher pace of nearly 10%. Across the country, retail
sales in real terms are predicted to rise more rapidly than consumer expenditure during 2003-
08. The forecast growth in real retail sales during 2003- 2008 is 8.3% per year, compared
with 7.1% for consumer expenditure. Modernization of the Indian retail sector will be
reflected in rapid growth in sales of supermarkets, departmental stores, and hyper marts.
Sales from these large-format stores are to expand at growth rates ranging from 24% to 49%
per year during 2003-2008, according to a latest report by Euro monitor International, a
leading provider of global consumer-market intelligence.

The country has the highest per capita outlets in the world - 5.5 outlets per 1000 population.
Around 7% of the population in India is engaged in retailing, as compared to 20% in the
USA. In a developing country like India, a large chunk of consumer expenditure is on
necessities, especially food-related items. Hence, it is not surprising that food, beverages, and
tobacco accounted for as much as 71% of retail sales in 2002. The share of food related items
had, however, declined over the review period, down from 73% in 1999. This is not
unexpected, because with income growth, Indians, like consumers elsewhere, have started
spending more on non-food items compared with food products. Sales through supermarkets
and department stores are small compared with overall retail sales. Nevertheless, their sales
have grown much more rapidly, at almost a triple rate (about 30% per year during the review
period). This high acceleration in sales through modern retail formats is expected to continue
during the next few years, with the rapid growth in numbers of such outlets due to consumer
demand and business potential.

The factors responsible for the development of the retail sector in India can be broadly
summarized as follows:

• 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)

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 classified approximately 50% of the Indian population as low income in 1994-95; this
is expected to decline to 17.8% by 2006-07.
• Liberalization of the Indian economy which has led to the opening of the market for
consumer goods has helped the MNC brands like Kellogg’s, Unilever, Nestle, etc. to
make significant inroads into the vast consumer market by offering a wide range of
choices to the Indian consumers.
• Shift in consumer demand to foreign brands like McDonalds, Sony,
Panasonic, etc.
• The internet revolution is making the Indian consumer more accessible to the growing
influences of domestic and foreign retail chains. Reach of satellite T.V. channels are
helping in creating awareness about global products for local markets. About 47% of
India’s population is under the age of 20; and this will increase to 55% by 2015. This
young population, which is technology-savvy, watch more than 50 TV satellite
channels, and display the highest propensity to spend, will immensely contribute to
the growth of the retail sector in the country.
• As India continues to get strongly integrated with the world economy riding the
waves of globalization, the retail sector is bound to take big leaps in the years to
come.

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. At 6%, the share of employment of retail in India is low, even when compared to
Brazil (14%), and Poland (12%).

Malls in India

The Great Indian Mall Boom began innocuously enough in the early 2000s, with just three
malls in existence in the entire country. The rest is, as they say, history as Indian shoppers
slowly but surely developed a penchant for shopping in clean, vibrant, climate-controlled,
and highly enabled malls rather than in the usual ‘kirana’ shops and scattered individual
stores.

Over the last 2-3 years, the Indian consumer market has seen a significant growth in the
number of modern-day shopping centres, popularly known as ‘malls. There is an increased
demand for quality retail space from a varied segment of large-format retailers and brands,
which include food and apparel chains, consumer durables and multiplex operators.

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Shopping-centre development has attracted real-estate developers and corporate houses
across cities in India. While previously it was the large, organized retailers –with their
modern, up-market outlets, and direct consumer interface- who had been a key factor driving
the growth of organized retail in the country, now it is the malls which are playing the role.

Factors such as availability of physical space, population densities, city planning, and socio-
economic parameters have driven the Indian market to evolve, to a certain extent, its own
definition of a ‘mall’.

For example, while a mall in USA is 400,000 to 1 million sq. ft. in size, an Indian version can
be anywhere between 80,000 sq. ft. and 500,000 sq. ft.

Rapid urbanization and digitization, increasing disposable incomes and lifestyle changes of
the middle-class are leading to a major revolution in the Indian retail sector, which is pegged
to grow by 60 percent to reach US$ 1.1 trillion by 2020. The Government has clearly hit the
bullseye by easing the FDI norms in the retail sector over the past few years.

Today’s top-performing shopping malls are essentially mixed-use businesses that incorporate
social entertainment options, provide a unique appeal along with a considerable depth of
shopping experience, and are in prime destinations that are easily accessible by both public
and private transport. Moreover, the ability to anticipate and align with changing consumer
needs make malls successful today.

Despite the considerable progress from its humble beginnings, the Indian mall story is just
unfolding and will evolve further. If we look at some of the most innovative mall
developments globally, we see advanced features like indoor ski-hills, water parks, theme
parks, science centres, zoos and even shooting ranges, among others. India is catching up,
albeit with an eye on the essential Indian culture and mindset – which again is very region-
specific (Anuj Puri, 2018)

Stand Alone Locations

Faced with slow economic growth, high common area maintenance (CAM), which includes
electricity and maintenance charges, built-up charges and high rentals, retailers selling
discretionary items such as clothes and durables increasingly prefer standalone properties
over malls.

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Harminder Sahni, managing director of management consultancy Wazir Advisors, says after
reducing built-up charges, retailers get 65-70 per cent of the carpet area in malls. However, in
standalone properties, they get a carpet area of 80-85 per cent. In luxury malls such as Delhi’s

Rakesh Biyani, joint managing director, Pantaloon Retail, says standalone properties make
more sense, given the concern on high rents and operating charges. “We have been looking
for standalone properties. But getting the right property is a challenge,” he says. This
financial year, Pantaloon Retail plans to open about 100 large stores across formats such
mall-based Central, departmental store Pantaloons and Brand Factory. (Kamath, 2013)

Another reason why retailers are opting for standalone properties is the delay in opening new
malls. According to a recent report by global property consultant Cushman and Wakefield,
realty developers delayed adding nearly 44 per cent of the 2.27 million sq. ft of shopping mall
space they were scheduled to add in the January-June period. Now, this one million sq. ft
would be ready either in the second half of this year or 2013. The report adds a fifth of the
space in malls in major cities lies vacant. (Kamath, 2013)

“It is easier to work with a single landlord and get the standalone property up and running. A
standalone property requires one occupancy certificate, while a mall needs multiple
approvals,” says Ajit Joshi, chief executive of Croma, 70 per cent of whose stores are
standalone properties. (Kamath, 2013)

B A Kodandaraman, chairman and managing director, Vivek, says, “In standalone stores, you
make your own assessment, depending on the population and the select size of a store. But in
the case of a mall, you have to think about many things.”

However, mall developers and some retailers say malls have their own advantages. “If your
mall is in a good location, has good infrastructure and is doing well, you may not see any
issues there,” says Shishir Shrivastava, chief executive and joint managing director at The
Phoenix Mills, which runs malls such as High Street Phoenix and Phoenix Market City in
Mumbai and other parts of the country.

“In standalone stores, there are issues with parking, facilities, etc. We provide central air
conditioning to retailers, and this adds to their efficiency,” he adds. (Kamath, 2013)

With a Stand Alone Building:

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 • Business owners can enact their own rules (within legal and company policies). In
mall or kiosk locations, companies are forced to follow rules put in place by the
landlord.
• Employees and customers will have access to front-row parking, which is especially
helpful in inclement weather.
• Customers show up to eat/shop at your establishment; there is no competition (at least
not in the immediate vicinity), and customers will not be distracted by shopping or
additional services.
• You set your own hours.
• Additional responsibilities might fall into place, such as overseeing the building’s
trash removal.
• Bills, such as electricity, etc. can (and generally do) come at a higher price.
• Rent, surprisingly, might be cheaper. (Or bank fees if the location is owned by the
establishment.) Especially depending on location; malls or other rented spaces can
charge incredible per-month fees, often taking a large cut of business.
• Snow removal, ice management, lawn care, etc. must all be handled in a timely
manner.

With Malls and Kiosk Locations

• Bring on a heavy amount of competition. Outside restaurants are literally a few feet
away, as are other distractions, such as department or other clothing stores.
• Eliminate weather or landscape responsibilities.
• Can deter customers who must park and walk indoors, causing them to stop
somewhere with a drive-through or shorter walk.
• Reduce the need for in-house marketing or advertising.
• Might host lower fees, especially in utilities. This is heightened from the fact that
establishments are often smaller and therefore run with less power.
• Workers learn to work more efficiently as they are given less space to move about.
This also means fewer workers are required at a time, lowering funds spent on wages.
• Remove parking lot responsibilities, such as maintaining asphalt, etc.
• Can bring in folks who would not have thought to stop by on their own. When tired
from shopping or smelling delicious food, many customers will impulse order.

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 • Brings on the opportunity for heavy shopping crowds. Some even pair with stores to
create sales or coupons for some of the busiest days of the year. (Wallace)

Challenges of Retailing in India

Retailing as an industry in India has still a long way to go. To become a truly flourishing
industry, retailing needs to cross the following hurdles:

• Automatic approval is not allowed for foreign investment in retail.

• Regulations restricting real estate purchases, and cumbersome local laws.
• Taxation, which favours small retail businesses.
• Absence of developed supply chain and integrated IT management.
• Lack of trained work force.
• Low skill level for retailing management.
• Intrinsic complexity of retailing – rapid price changes, constant threat of product
obsolescence and low margins.

The retailers in India must learn both the art and science of retailing by closely following:

How retailers in other parts of the world are organizing, managing, and coping up with new
challenges in an ever-changing marketplace.

Indian retailers must use innovative retail formats to enhance shopping experience and try to
understand the regional variations in consumer attitudes to retailing.

Retail marketing efforts must improve in the country - advertising, promotions, and
campaigns to attract customers; building loyalty by identifying regular shoppers and offering
benefits to them; efficiently managing high-value customers; and monitoring customer needs
constantly, are some of the aspects which Indian retailers need to focus upon on a more pro-
active basis.

Despite the presence of the basic ingredients required for growth of the retail industry in
India, it still faces substantial hurdles that will retard and inhibit its growth in the future. One
of the key impediments is the lack of FDI status. This has largely limited capital investments
in supply chain infrastructure, which is a key for development and growth of food retailing
and has also constrained access to world-class retail practices. Multiplicity and complexity of
taxes, lack of proper infrastructure and relatively high cost of real estate are the other
impediments to the growth of retailing. While the industry and the government are trying to
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remove many of these hurdles, some of the roadblocks will remain and will continue to affect
the smooth growth of this industry.

However, because of the roadblocks, the industry remained in a rudimentary stage. While
these retailers gave the necessary ambience to customers, little effort was made to introduce
world-class customer care practices and improve operating efficiencies. Moreover, most of
these modern developments were restricted to south India, which is still regarded as a ‘Mecca
of Indian Retail’ (Retail_Scenario_India_Unlimited_Opportunity, 2008).

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Consumer behaviour is the study of how individual customers, groups or organizations select,
buy, use, and dispose ideas, goods, and services to satisfy their needs and wants. It refers to
the actions of the consumers in the marketplace and the underlying motives for those actions.

Marketers expect that by understanding what causes the consumers to buy goods and
services, they will be able to determine—which products are needed in the marketplace,
which are obsolete, and how best to present the goods to the consumers.

The study of consumer behaviour assumes that the consumers are actors in the marketplace.
The perspective of role theory assumes that consumers play various roles in the marketplace.
Starting from the information provider, from the user to the payer and to the disposer,
consumers play these roles in the decision process.

The roles also vary in different consumption situations; for example, a mother plays the role
of an influence in a child’s purchase process, whereas she plays the role of a disposer for the
products consumed by the family. (Chand)

The study of consumer behaviour not only helps to understand the past but even predict the
future. The below underlined factors pertaining to the tendencies, attitude and priorities of
people must be given due importance to have a good understanding of the purchasing patterns
of consumers

• Marketing Campaigns
Advertisement plays a greater role in influencing the purchasing decisions made by
consumers. They are even known to bring about a great shift in market shares of
competitive industries by influencing the purchasing decisions of consumers. The

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 Marketing campaigns done on regular basis can influence the consumer purchasing
decision to such an extent that they may opt for one brand over another or indulge in
indulgent or frivolous shopping. Marketing campaigns if undertaken at regular
intervals even help to remind consumers to shop for not so exciting products such as
health products or insurance policies.

• Economic Conditions
Consumer spending decisions are known to be greatly influenced by the economic
situation prevailing in the market. This holds true especially for purchases made of
vehicles, houses, and other household appliances. A positive economic environment is
known to make consumers more confident and willing to indulge in purchases
irrespective of their personal financial liabilities.

• Personal Preferences
At the personal level, consumer behaviour is influenced by various shades of likes,
dislikes, priorities, morals, and values. In certain dynamic industries such as fashion,
food and personal care, the personal view and opinion of the consumer pertaining to
style, and fun can become the dominant influencing factor. Though advertisement can
help in influencing these factors to some extent, the personal consumer likes, and
dislikes exert greater influence on the end purchase made by a consumer.
• Group Influence
Group influence is also seen to affect the decisions made by a consumer. The primary
influential group consisting of family members, classmates, immediate relatives, and
the secondary influential group consisting of neighbours and acquaintances are seen
have greater influence on the purchasing decisions of a consumer. Say for instance,
the mass liking for fast food over home cooked food or the craze for the SUV’s
against small utility vehicle are glaring examples of the same.

• Purchasing Power
Purchasing power of a consumer plays an important role in influencing the consumer
behaviour. The consumers generally analyse their purchasing capacity before deciding
to buy and products or services. The product may be excellent, but if it fails to meet
the buyers purchasing ability, it will have high impact on it its sales. Segmenting

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 consumers based on their buying capacity would help in determining eligible
consumers to achieve better results.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING

Survival in today's economic climate and competitive retail environment requires more than
just low prices and innovative products. To compete effectively, businesses must focus on the
customer's shopping experience. To manage a customer's experience, retailers should
understand what “customer experience” means. Customer experience includes every point of
contact at which the customer interacts with the business, product, or service. Customer
experience management represents a business strategy designed to manage the customer
experience. It represents a strategy that results in a win–win value exchange between the
retailer and its customers. This paper focuses on the role of macro factors in the retail
environment and how they can shape customer experiences and behaviours. Several ways
(e.g., promotion, price, merchandise, supply chain and location) to deliver a superior
customer experience are identified which should result in higher customer satisfaction, more
frequent shopping visits, larger wallet shares, and higher profits.

Customer Experiential Marketing is a marketing strategy that directly engages consumers and
invites and encourages them to participate in the evolution of a brand or a brand experience.
Rather than looking at consumers as passive receivers of messages, engagement marketers
believe that consumers should be actively involved in the production and co-creation of
marketing programs, developing a relationship with the brand.

Consumer Engagement is when a brand and a consumer connect. According to Brad

Nierenberg, experiential marketing is the live, one-on-one interactions that allow consumers
to create connections with brands. Consumers will continue to seek and demand one-on-one,
shareable interaction with a brand.

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Imagine for a moment that you work in the customer service department at a grocery store. A
customer comes in one day and says they need to return a bag of bread. Most likely, the store
you work for already has a set of written rules in place for how to handle this situation. That
written set of rules is what is known as a standard operating procedure.

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“Freedom without rules doesn’t work. And communities do not work unless they are
regulated by etiquette.” ~ Judith Martin

(Johnson)

Standard operating procedures are written, step-by-step instructions that describe how to
perform a routine activity. Employees should complete them in the exact same way every
time so that the business can remain consistent. Standard operating procedures help maintain
safety and efficiency for departments such as:

• Production/operations
• Sales and customer service
• Employee training
• Legal
• Financial

A standing operating procedure should never be difficult to read or vaguely worded. It should
be brief, easy to understand and contain actions steps that are simple follow. A good standard
operating procedure should clearly outline the steps and inform the employee of any safety
concerns.

The standing operating procedures should be the basis for training any new employees. They
should also be updated every year to ensure they stay relevant to the current needs of the
organization.

Standard operating procedures are detailed, written instructions on how to perform a routine
business activity. They are easy to read and they explain every detail of the process being
described. It is important to keep in mind that a good standard operating procedure does not
focus on what needs to be done but rather how it should be done. A standard operating
procedure is an effective tool that every business should have. They give a better
understanding of business processes and help to decide how to move forward. They will
ensure that all employees are performing the business processes in the same way.

Having standard operating procedures in place will also give the firm an option to scale
business more quickly. This is because standard operating procedures make it easier to
replicate these processes across your organization.

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Many businesses choose to implement standard operating procedures by displaying written
documents in areas where they will be clearly visible to all employees. However, often there
are better tools available to businesses.

Following are the reasons why a business needs standard operating procedures:

• They save time and money

When the same task is completed in many ways, it will always take longer to
complete. Having a standard operating procedure in place streamlines the process so
employees can accomplish more in less time.

• They provide consistency

Having a standard operating procedure in place ensures that regardless of who is

working, business processes are being completed the correct way.

• They improve communication

Standard operating procedures make your employees’ jobs easier because no longer
do they have to guess as to how they should be performing their jobs. And they do not
have to try to rack their brains to remember what you told them when they were first
hired.

• They allow you to hold your employees accountable

• They create a safer work environment

Following are steps to follow when creating your own standard operating procedure:

1. Develop a list of your business processes

2. Plan the process
3. Talk with employees
4. Write and review the process
5. Maintain the process

A written standard operating procedure not only lets your employee know how they should
be doing their job, but it also lets them know why. When you explain to employees why tasks

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are performed in a certain way, they will be more likely to complete them. Standard operating
procedures are time-consuming to create at first, but the benefits are worth it. And they will
save you a lot of time and frustration down the road.

Advantages of Standard Operating Procedures in Retail

Operational procedures are vital to the business of running a retail store. Procedures typically
cover all activities in the store, from sales transactions to customer support to inventory.
According to The Friedman Group, following standard operating procedures increases sales,
boosts worker productivity, and enhances a store's image.

Technology

Retail stores use some type of business software or point-of-sale system to track sales. This
allows managers to determine what products are selling well and helps them track inventory,
dollars sold through each cash register and inventory control tags on valuable merchandise.
Retailers often use this electronic information to generate product orders when replenishing
stock levels.

Inventory Management

Inventory management procedures pertain to the handling of products in a store. These

procedures include receipt of inventory by verifying that each product is in the order as
quoted; counting of inventory each week; restricting access to valuable inventory using
locked cabinets; and installing cameras or mirrors to limit or prohibit theft.

Marketing

Retailers use marketing strategies to draw customers into the store and entice them to
purchase goods or services. Marketing tools include radio, newspaper, and television
advertisements; special pricing; in-store promotions; and signs outside the store to attract
buyers.

Labour Practices

Employees are typically a large expense for retailers. Companies often devise schedules to
ensure enough workers are available to cover the business’ needs without increasing
operating costs. Retailers sometimes hire younger people willing to work for lower wages to
save the company money. Relying on a large group of hourly employees also helps ensure the
company does not have to pay overtime.

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Record Keeping

Some retailers keep detailed records of their customers through customer reward cards. Data
received through the reward cards at the register may be used to offer promotions or
discounts and can help the retailer identify spending trends. If retailers notice that some items
are bought in pairs or groups, they may offer promotions on top sellers to drive up business.

Training

Retailers usually train new hires in groups because it is more cost effective than training one
person at a time. Training typically covers register and checkout procedures, customer service
and stocking shelves. Safety issues and what to do in case of a robbery are also discussed.

SYSTEMS APPLICATION AND DATA PROCESSING (SAP)

SAP (Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing") is a German-based

European multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage
business operations and customer relations. SAP is headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-
Württemberg, Germany with regional offices in 180 countries. The company has over
335,000 customers in over 180 countries.

Today, SAP is the largest developer of software for business applications in the world and the
fourth largest independent software vendor in absolute terms. More than 7,500 companies
(over 15,000 rooms) in more than 90 countries choose SAP systems for mainframe and client
/ server to control processes in finance, manufacturing, sales, distribution, and operations
essential to human resources. R / 3 is considered standard in industries such as petroleum,
chemical, consumer products, high tech / electronics.

SAP consolidated its leadership position in the enterprise software market during its strong
strategic expansion. The company hired more than 6,500 professionals to its global staff,
primarily in the areas of research and development, sales, and consulting. SAP is a public
company with shares traded on stock exchanges globally.

SAP is an ERP system, from which you can manage the entire enterprise. Since the entry of
an invoice to the exit of merchandise, including management of human resources, etc.

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Markets are changing. Customers are changing. Businesses are changing. The success of
company depends on the quality of information and the speed with which it can be shared.
Depends on which can quickly respond and adapt to technological changes in your company.
With SAP, you can lead the way. And no one can give you a greater return on SAP
information. SAP has led the industry in research and development, spending on these
activities to 20% of their annual earnings. Due to this fact, SAP presented innovative
solutions. With over 1000 business processes included in the SAP software can integrate
throughout your organization. You can share real-time information to operators, suppliers,
and distributors, so it is a company of 50 or 100,000 employees. By combining a superior
business knowledge and experience with best industry practices, SAP solutions give “state-
of-the-future”. SAP allows you to restructure business while it is changing. (ESDS)

LOYALTY PROGRAMME

The concept of store loyalty is derived from the concept of brand loyalty which refers to the
tendency to make repeat purchases of products of the same brand. Store loyalty refers to the
tendency to repeatedly shop at the same store for similar or other products. A loyal customer
would give preference to a specific store and would tend to be far more forgiving of errors of
the store.

Loyalty has been found to be greatly influenced by Store Related Variables. Some of the
important store related variables are Shop location, Products Range and Store Image. In
consumer priorities, assortment and variety come after convenience and price. (Arnold,
Stephen J., Tae H. Ourn,).

Shop location is an influencing variable on loyalty as convenience of shopping is among the

main criteria of the customers. Location related variables are given importance in analysing
both trade areas and retail patronage behaviour. The consumers are favourably inclined to
revisit a store where they have positive shopping experiences like a great range of
assortments, good environment etc. The image of the store has also great effect on the loyalty
of the customers. Store image reflects shopper’s perception of a store in terms of functional
and psychological attributes. Loyalty is also influenced by shopper related variables. Several
factors such as age, income and social class of the shopper have found to influence on
customer’s decisions. (Moore, Charles Thomas, and Joseph Barry Mason) Customers
belonging to different age groups prefer different stores. There have been researches done

Page | 20
which suggests that the greater the congruence between self-image and store image, the
greater is the probability that the customer is loyal.

There is a direct linkage between personal values and desired consumer benefits. This means
different customers have different levels of desired consumer benefits which vary according
to their own perceived values. Loyalty is also influenced by the situation related variables.
These factors include task definition, level of involvement, shopping orientation and usage of
information. These indicate the intensity of need and the comfort of the shopper in taking a
purchase decision. The store choice has been found to depend on buying situations that differ
with the level of involvement.

Thus, we can say that the existence of the customer is integral to the existence of the retailer.
The ability to understand consumers is the key to developing a successful retail strategy. A
key factor in understanding customers is identifying the customers for product or service,
which means the target segment, and the demographics of this segment, their needs and
buying behaviour. Recognition of the need for a product or a service is the first stage that
may lead to a consumer buying. The need may be psychological or functional.

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WESTSIDE BRAND

ABOUT WESTSIDE

Established in 1998 as part of the Tata Group, Trent Ltd. operates Westside, one of India's
largest and fastest growing chains of retail stores. The Westside stores have numerous
departments to meet the varied shopping needs of customers. These include Menswear,
Women’s wear, Kid’s wear, Footwear, Cosmetics, Perfumes and Handbags, Household
Accessories, lingerie, and Gifts.

Figure 2-Logo Trent (sundayguardianlive, 2019)

In 1998 Tata sold off their 50% stake in the cosmetic products company Lakmé to HLL for
Rs 200 crore (approx. 45 million US$), and acquired Littlewoods – a London based retail
chain. This acquisition was followed by the establishment of Trent Ltd (a Tata enterprise that
presently operates Westside). All shareholders of Lakmé were given different shares in
Trent. Simone Tata, the chairperson of Lakmé, went on to head Trent. The reason behind the
sale was that Tata saw a greater growth potential in retail and believed that it would be much
more difficult for an Indian company to release new cosmetic products in a market that had
opened to global companies. Littlewoods was subsequently renamed Westside.

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In a rapidly evolving retail scenario, Westside has carved a niche for its brand of merchandise
creating a loyal following. Currently, the company has 132 Westside stores measuring
15,000-30,000 square feet each across 74 cities. With a variety of designs and styles,
everything at Westside is exclusively designed and the merchandise ranges from stylized
clothes, footwear and accessories for men, women and children to well-co-coordinated table
linens, artifacts, home accessories and furnishings. Well-designed interiors, sprawling space
and prime locations enhance the customers’ shopping experience.

Figure 3-Westside Logo (westside, 2020)

Trent ventured into the hypermarket business in 2004 with Star Bazaar, providing an ample
assortment of products made available at the lowest prices, aptly exemplifying its ‘Chota
Budget, Lambi Shopping’ motto. At present Star Bazaar has 4 stores in 3 cities located in
Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bangalore. This store offers customers an eclectic array of
products that include staple foods, beverages, health and beauty products, vegetables, fruits,
dairy products, consumer electronics and household items at the most affordable prices. Star
Bazaar also includes a large range of fashionable in- house garments for men, women, and
children, exclusively available at the store.

In addition, Trent recently acquired a 76% stake in Landmark, one of the largest books &
music retail chains in the country. Landmark began operations in 1987 with its first store in
Chennai with a floor space of 5500 sq. ft. At present Landmark have 10 stores, varying in

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size from 12,000 sq. ft. to 45,000 sq. ft, 3 in Chennai and 1 each in Bangalore, Gurgaon,
Mumbai, Vadodara, Gurgaon, Pune, Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

MISSION STATEMENT

Style, affordable prices, quality: these are the factors that have shaped Westside’s success
story in the retail fashion stores business. Launched in 1998 in Bangalore, the Westside chain
has, ever since, been setting the standards for other fashion retailers to follow. Westside
stands out from the competition for a variety of reasons. One is that most of the brands the
chain stocks and sells are its own, unlike retailers who store multiple labels. About 90 per
cent of Westside’s offerings are home-grown, and they cater to different customer segments.
The other 10 per cent includes toys, cosmetics, and lingerie.

“To be regarded by our customers as the most relevant retailer in the country.”

To achieve this goal, the firm has a comprehensive understanding of consumer needs and
strive to win their confidence and offer them best-in-class products and services at affordable
prices. The firm promises to be in the forefront of fashion and services by anticipating and
exceeding the expectations of our customers.

It is their policy to satisfy customers with the range, quality, and value of the products they
offer. However, if consumers are dissatisfied with any item that they might have purchased
the firm takes necessary measures to assist them.

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PRODUCT RANGE OFFERED AT WESTSIDE

Product
Assortment

Beauty & Home

Clothing Footwear
Acessories Furmishings

Men
Men Studiowest
(Soleplay)

Women
Women
(Lunablu)

Kids
Kids
(Yellow)

Page | 25
Page | 26
PRICE RANGE OFFERED

The price ranges of different products are as follows –

A. Ethnic wear

• Vark (S-XXL) Rs 2999-5999

• Bombay Paisley (XS-L) Rs 399-1999
• Zuba (XS-XXL) Rs 599-3299
• Utsa (XS-XXL) Rs 349 - 3999

B. Lingerie and shapewear

• Wunder Luv Rs 199-1499

C. Women western wear

• Wardrobe (XS-XXL) Rs 799-4999

• L.O.V (XS-XXL) Rs 699-2999
• Nuon (XS-XL) Rs 399-2299
• Gia Curve Rs 699-2199
• Studio Fit (active wear) Rs 499-1299

D. Kids

• Baby Hop (0-36 months) Rs 299-1499

• Hop (3-9 years) Rs 249-1299
• Y&F (9-14 years) Rs 299-1499
• Utsa Kids (2-14 years) Rs 699-2299

E. Men

• Westsport (Casuals) Rs 599-2099

• WES (Formal & casual wear) Rs 799-4999
• Nuon (Teenagers) Rs 599-2299
• E.T.A (Indian fusion) Rs 499-2299
• Ascot (Semi formal wear) Rs 799-4999
• Studio West (Active Wear) Rs 599-1499

F. Home Center Rs 299-1299

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 G. Footwear

• Luna Blu (Women) Rs 299-1599

• SolePlay (Men) Rs 299-2999
• Kids Footwear Rs 499

H. Make-up and fragrance

• Studio West Rs 145-1695

• Travel Pouch Rs 249-399

I. Bags Rs 249-1699

J. Accessories Rs 99-899

(Earrings, rings, bracelets, hair bands, belts etc)

PLACE DESCRIPTION

• The Westside Karol Bagh store in a standalone store of ‘C Category’ with 12000 sq
feet area and a 15 Cr budget.

• It is in Karol Bagh’s Commercial Street with all competitive brands like Pantaloons,
Trends, W, Global Desi & BIBA around, which also happens to be their competitive
strategy.

• The people from the locality are laid back families from the upper middle-class strata.
Money is not a problem for them. The need quality services & space.

• The connectivity of the place is excellent as it is near to both an auto and bus stand.

PROMOTION STRATEGY

Westside has a loyalty program named ‘Clubwest’ which is an extraordinary rewards

program designed exclusively for Westside regulars. It comes in two variations, Classic and
Gold. One can enrol into Clubwest Classic by paying a nominal one-time fee of Rs. 150. 1
point is earned on every 135 Rupees spend. On the other hand, a purchase of Rs.5000 on the

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same day and a one-time fee of Rs.150 entitles you to a membership into Clubwest Gold. 1
point is earned on every 100 Rupees spent.

They have an initiative called, ‘Light a diya, help a child’ in which the customers are required
to purchase a diya and light it at Westside during the Diwali Promotion. Funds collected are
donated to NGOs to help bringing smiles to the faces of underprivileged children.

Another such initiative undertaken by the brand named ‘Angel tree’ happens during the
Christmas promotions where the customers can Purchase a “Silver Star” or a “Gold Star” and
decorate the Angels Tree in the store. The money collected will be donated to various NGOs
across the country working with underprivileged children.

As a part of promotional strategy, Westside also provides Gift cards. The only type of
advertisements that they indulge in, is Facebook ads which are a form of paid advertisements.
Through this strategy they aim to target the youth who spend a considerable amount of time
on social media. Apart from this, they also have Facebook & Instagram pages which are
however unverified.

Birthday month discounts are also provided @20% up to Rs 20,000 to encourage people to
make purchase.

If a Clubwest member does not make a purchase for 3 months, a reminder message is sent
along with some incentives like discount or points.

Figure 4-Club West (zaubacorp, 2013)

Westside also has a policy of ‘No question exchanges’ If the customer is not satisfied with
the quality of something they have bought, they can simply take it back to the store, and get it
exchanged within 1 year of purchase.

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TATACliq, their official online shopping application is promoted on the carry bag.

Figure 5-TATAClique (twitter, 2015)

Marketing Strategies adopted by Westside

• Attract shoppers & keep them in stores- the amount of time shoppers
spend in a store is perhaps the single most important factor in determining
how much they will buy.
• Honor the transition zone- on entering a store, people need to slow down
& short out the stimuli which means customer will likely be moving to
• Fast to respond positively.
• Do not make them hunt- put the most popular products up front to reward
busy customer & encourage them to look more.
• Women’s need more space- A customer specially a woman is far less
likely to buy an item if her derriere is brushed by any other customer.

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STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP)

1. ABOUT THE STORE

Figure 6-Westside Karol Bagh (Westside, 2021)

The Westside store selected for the research is a C category Stand Alone store, located on a
commercial street in Karol Bagh, New Delhi, Delhi. Westside store in Karol Bagh was
opened in April 2001 and has a carpet area of 12000 sq ft with 3 floors.

Figure 7-Westside Karol Bagh Street

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Karol Bagh is one of the busiest areas of Central Delhi with good transport connectivity.
The Delhi Metro runs through Karol Bagh and has three stations within the neighbourhood –
Rajender Nagar, and Shadipur. Karol Bagh has a Shadipur bus depot operating both intra-city
and inter-city buses, which is near the store. Westside Karol Bagh gets its major cliental from
Central Delhi areas. The store is surrounded by competitors like Pantaloons, Louis Philippe,
Global Desi, BIBA, and W.

To irrigate the space better Westside Karol Bagh has no parking and two entrances. The main
entrance is through the front face of the store. Ethnic wear is strategically placed on the upper
ground floor just after the entrance door and first floor along with Fusion Wear, Lingerie,
Cosmetics, Active Wear and Accessories. Kids Wear and Women Western Wear along with
footwear are on the second floor and the Men’s section and Home Furnishing Section is on
the third floor.

Both stairs & lifts are provided. The main entrance is through the front face of the store & the
other one is through the parking lot in the lower ground floor. Once the customer enters the
store, Fusion wear (Bombay Paisley) and Ethnic wear (Zuba) are strategically placed on the
upper ground floor. Other brands of Ethnic Wear namely Utsa and Vark, Lingerie,
Cosmetics, Active Wear and Accessories are located on the first floor. Kids Wear and
Women Western Wear along with footwear are on the second floor and the Men’s section
and Home Furnishing Section is on the third floor. The fourth floor consists of the storage
room, manager’s cabin, employees’ locker room and washroom. However, the washroom is
not easily accessible for the customers.

Figure 8-Westside Karol Bagh Ethnic Wear

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To create a mesmerising ambience Westside radio is played which is centralized. The air
conditioning is set at 23̊ to make the customers feel comfortable. It is switched on 15 minutes
prior to the store opening.

The store also has Fire exits on every floor along with fire extinguishers which are changed
after every 2 years. Smoke detectors and alarms are also installed. An assembly point in case
of fire is there on each floor & every 6 months a mock drill is arranged for the employees. 4
fire wardens & 4 first aiders are present at the store during the entire time. In case of any fire,
the assistant manager is required to take the staff’s attendance at the assembling point.

Perfumes of each brand are kept at the billing counter for easy accessibility. Coffee beans are
displayed along with perfumes to nullify the strong fragrance tested by the customers.

Figure 9-Westside Karol Bagh Western Wear Section

Attractive fixtures as part of visual merchandise, is displayed in the Studiowest section which
is received by the store from the headquarters according to the focus guide. Signages are
displayed above the respective brands.

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The walkway is marked by using grey tiles to highlight it. While the other area has cream
tiles. The Nuon section has all black interiors including the floor tiles, mannequins & wall
tiles.

The new lines which are displayed on the mannequins are kept close by so that it is easier for
the customers to locate.

Colour blocking techniques are used. Pastels colours are displayed in Vark and Zuba
sections. On the other hand, Indigos are displayed in Bombay Paisley section.

2. STORE OPENING & CLOSING

• The store is opened at 9:30 am for the staff and 11 am for the public. The opening
manager who is usually a lady performs the following operations -
• A pooja is conducted in manager’s cabin before the store is opened.
• The air conditioning is switched on 15 mins prior to the store opening. All the lights
are switched on only after 11 am.

During store closing, following actions are performed

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 3. COVID-19 MEASURES
Due to the emergence of COVID 19 pandemic the store was following the COVID-19
guidelines for providing safe shopping atmosphere to the customers. The following steps are
being taken-

• The complete staff was wearing face masks

• While entering the store in the morning the temperature for all the staff members is
recorded.
• Social distancing is ensured within the store
• The customers are checked for their body temperature at the entrance
• Then customers are asked to sanitize their hands upon entering the store.
• In store sanatization is done at regular intervals.

4. STOCK INWARD & OUTWARD

It has three sourcing centres at Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai to manage the 300 odd
vendors with a central warehouse in Pune.When the stock is sent out, an E-way bill is
generated for the truck which can be tracked through SAP by the store and distribution
center.

The trucks reach the store in the morning and the stock is unloaded by the back end staff
through the lifts to the 4th floor where the storage room is located. The tags are attached to
the clothes & scanned. The merchandise is then arranged according to the sizes and required
numbers of pieces are sent to the respective sections. The in-house visual merchandiser
makes sure that all the stock is arranged according to the focus guide received from the head
office by Friday morning. Also, being a C Category store, the lines and quantity of
merchandise received is comparatively less.

After the stock is displayed, it is observed for 3 weeks. If a particular stock does not move
from the shelves within this duration, it is then repacked and sent to DC. This stock is
received back at the time of discounts at lower rates or sent to other stores where the demand
is there.

In case, a particular product is demanded by the customer and the store does not have the
style or size, internal store transfer is also done. The stock is traced from the SAP system and
after knowing the availability, an employee is sent to get it from the respective store.

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 5. BILLING
When the shift begins, Rs 1000 is kept as float. The staff enters the ID & passwords in the
billing systems to start it. While billing, phone number of the customers are asked to add or
redeem the points of loyalty cards. The store also accepts UPI payments. Vouchers &
birthday discounts cannot be clubbed with any other discounts.

6. PETTY CASH MANAGEMENT

Rs 20,000 from sales is kept as petty cash for a week which is used for maintenance,
payments, housekeeping etc. The remaining balance is carried forward to the next week and a
total of Rs 20,000 is maintained throughout.

7. LOYALTY PROGRAM

Club west card program (Classic & Gold)

An assured return-and-exchange policy reinforces customer confidence in the chain. Another

winning Westside idea is Club West, a customer loyalty programme launched in May 2001.
The 30,000-plus members of this club get rebates at restaurants and on holiday packages
from the Taj Group of Hotels, home delivery of alterations, and best of all, special shopping
hours on the first day of any discount sales event organized by the chain.

Important benefits of club west card

• Most attractive rewards shopping

• Instant use of the card
• Easy to operate
• Extra convenience
• Validity at all stores

Westside does its regular brand building through advertisements in the media with brand
ambassador Yuvraj Singh and other young models; more important are its in-house
promotions, which peak during the three main festive seasons: summer, Diwali and
Christmas. The promotions are mostly theme based, with decorations to match, live bands
and other attractions.

Page | 36
One can enrol into Clubwest Classic by paying a nominal one-time fee of Rs. 150. 1 point is
earned on every 135 Rupees spend. On the other hand, a purchase of Rs.5000 on the same
day and a one-time fee of Rs.150 entitles you to a membership into Clubwest Gold. 1 point is
earned on every 100 Rupees spent.

8. STAFF MANAGEMENT

Before opening the store, the employees must report to the assistant manager and sign a log
sheet. Every Thursday the staff meets & is briefed by the manager & the assistant manager on
the new lines, target of the week & the visual merchandise.

Staff training

Before joining, the staff undergoes an induction training for 24 hrs which are allocated over 3
days. It is done by a training head in case it’s a big group or by the store manager. They are
briefed about the products, do’s and don’ts & about their jobs.

There are 45 employees in the store out of which 39 are working on the front end.

9. BACK ROOM MANAGEMENT

The strip, soft and hard tags are attached to the clothes and they are organized as per sizes.
The article code which is written on the wash care instructions, are added to the SAP system
to track the sale of the product.

All the merchandise is required to be below 3 inches from the ceiling. A Red line is made to
mark the same.

10. HOUSEKEEPING
Every washroom has a checklist for cleaning and washing which happens every 2-3hours. In
house system for ironing is there. A maintenance person is always present in the store.

11. SECURITY

The guard records the number of people coming and going out from the store.

12. SHOPLIFTING

Shoplifters are usually ladies between the age of 25-40 years who are kleptomaniac.

Page | 37
0.001% of the clothes are either shoplifted or have a trial error. The Westside policy for
shoplifting is to charge 10 times extra of the cost of the product. In the case of female shop
lifter, the manager is required to confront the female in front of a camera and in the presence
of a lady guard. Frisking is not allowed.

However due to ethical reasons, the shop lifters are usually allowed to go with the request to
not come back.

13. FEEDBACK
The bill contains a feedback code which can be used by the customers to give meaningful
feedback to the brand on the website.

14. ADDITIONAL FINDINGS

The following inferences were drawn after interviewing the store staff.

The following are the findings:

• A major portion of customers in Westside Karol Bagh belong to the age bracket of
15-35 years.
• The major competitors of Westside Karol Bagh include brands like Raymond and
Pantaloons. Consumers are indifferent to these brands as average rating is same for
them
• It can be observed that the consumers usually purchase goods from Westside within
span of 6-8 months, suggesting that they buy only during sales period as told by the
store manager.
• Majority of shoppers from the store are women and they prefer to purchase Ethnic
Wear and Western Wear.
• The consumers find in store bags bulky and inconvenient to carry.

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 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE &

STORE HEALTH

The following are the recommended SOP strategies for Westside Karol Bagh

• Westside Karol Bagh should incorporate parking space for the customer convenience.
• The lighting of the store needed to improve as it becomes quite dull after sunset.
• The social distancing management can be improved because of COVID-19
regulations.
• The firm should be more active on social media. The social media accounts of the
firm should be verified so as to give consumers better insights into upcoming events
and products.
• Westside can further collaborate with upcoming designers and established famous
personalities.
• Publishing Look Books for the trends for customers
• Collaboration with bloggers and influencers
• The stores should prominent signage for availability of merchandise on TATA Cliq
• The store carry bags can be made of recycled cloth instead of recycled paper as that
paper can’t be reused. It will make the brand more proactive towards Sustainability
efforts.
• Maximum utilization of space consistent with adequate care and protection of
materials.
• Ease of storing and picking, thus enabling speedy operations.
• An especially important principle in store keeping is FIFO or First-in-First-out. Most
materials have a shelf life, and this is specially so in the case of beauty products at
Westside. The oldest stock has to be issued first.
• Uniforms can be issued to Store Staff.
• Rejections should be handled promptly and with good judgment. The responsibility
for return of rejected materials lies with the Storekeeper and the Inspecting persons.
When material rejection occurs, immediate action must be taken to return, replace and
/ or dispose of the rejections.
• Need for systematic stores accounting: Stores accounting has two aspects, the value of
the materials stored, and the physical quantity of the materials stored. Stores

Page | 39
 accounting is necessary for a large number of reasons, of which the following are
most important: -
o The stocks represent assets of the organization and as such it is necessary to
include their value in the accounts of the organization.
o It provides a means of costing of an item used.
o It provides a basis for inventory control by value.
o As for the second aspect, it is necessary all the time to ensure that all the
materials that have been received have been accounted for. All receipts and all
issues have to be entered in stock ledgers or registers and have to be accounted
for.
o Maintenance of Ledgers will be done properly
• Scrap is inevitable in a store. Scrap has a value and must be treated as any other stores
item. It should be accounted for properly and stores personnel are responsible for it.
Collect, sort, and prepare the scrap metal and waste. Each has a different value and if
all are mixed up, their value may fall exceptionally low. Different items will have
their own buyers. Sorting, categorizing, and preparing the scrap are therefore,
important.
• Physical Stock Taking is the process of counting, weighing, measuring, etc. of all the
items in the stock and recording the results of such an exercise. The objective of stock
taking is as follows: -
o It is a statutory necessity.
o To verify the accuracy of the stock records.
o To disclose the possibility of fraud, theft, loss etc.
o To reveal any weakness in the overall storage system, so as to make
improvements.
o To enable better control of inventories.
o Various methods of stock verification can be adopted. Annual stock taking
shall be carried out before closure of every financial year. As per statutory
requirement each item must be physically checked as per its unit of
measurement at least once in a year and entry to the effect that the physical
stock verification is carried out by way of counting, weighing, or measuring
and found correct to be made in the relevant ledger pages and initialed by the

Page | 40
 verifying officer. Discrepancies if any found are recorded and immediately
investigated.
o The stock check should be planned in such a way that all the items are
checked at least once in a year and the important items and costly or attractive
items checked two, three or four times a year.
• Good housekeeping is one of the major responsibilities of every Stores Supervisor.
Neat and orderly premises are not only a morale booster but also an important element
in accident prevention.

RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON MARKET RESEARCH

The following are few recommendations to enhance customer experience in the store.

• Attractive Visual Merchandise

• Improvement in Customer Feedback Mechanism
• Sitting Provisions in the store , especially near the fitting areas and Footwear Section
• E-Bill for sustainability
• Improving the in-store bags
• Providing a professional Tailor for fitting services

Page | 41
 CONCLUSION

In a rapidly evolving retail scenario Westside has carved a niche for its brand of merchandise,
creating a loyal following. And this can be attributed to the strong back end team of Westside
and to the Front-End staff who provide customers with a comfortable environment to shop.

The visits to the store in Karol Bagh were beneficial for the study. Interaction with the
Westside Staff helped us to get insights into functioning of the store, the merchandise, store
operations and distribution channels.

Certain fallacies in the store like primitive store layout, focus on ethnic wear, lack of mirrors
near the footwear and makeup sections and no sitting areas in the store could be figured out.
However, the store has a strong location advantage. Being a standalone store, it becomes
easier for the store to load and unload the stock. However, the store is a C Store with low
budget and hence maintenance is a tedious job.

As per the requirements of the assignment, development of certain strategies to promote the
brand and enhance customer experience were initiated.

It was a great learning experience for all of us and we would like to thank Westside Store
Staff to provide us with the required inputs.

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