1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As competition is becoming stiff, retailers are working on new marketing strategies to sustain in the market, one such strategy being private branding adopted by most of the retailer. Private brand is one of the strategies decisions for most of the retail organizations in recent years and hence many retailers’ have introduced varieties of private label in different categories like apparel, food and grocery, health care, personal care, consumer durables, lifestyle etc. Major driving force behind introducing store brand is to ensure the customer store loyalty. This can be accomplished as brand is available only in specific stores. The study aims to analyze the Consumer Perception towards Private Label Brands on Big Bazaar, Patia. This project report provides analysis and evaluation of customer perception towards store brands of Food Bazaar. The objective of the study is to understand the possibility of success when retailers introduce private brands. The research is aimed to explore if buying choices are made based on brand loyalty and to analyze whether customers actively seek for new brands or strict to the old brands. Methods of analysis include pie charts and graphs which chalk out the customer profile and how they make decisions with regards to brands. The project kicked off on the 2nd week at Big Bazaar,Patiawhen I got my topic. The 1st week went primarily studying retail store operation such as shelving, racking, selling and visual merchandising. From 2nd week onwards, I took those days when footfall is high in Big Bazaar i.e. Wednesday and weekends. I took the sales data of all private labels and the overall sales of products in that category. Throughout the project, we carried on various activities and checked how to improve the sales of private label products which is a major contributor to the bottom line of any retail store. We tried out various things like setting up displays, free sampling of private label products of food section (staples & processed food), announcements, attractive offers (combo & discounts), etc to see which suits best and contributes to rising sales. Then I carried out my survey taking 50 as my sample size which focused on bringing out what exactly motivates/ demotivates customers to buy private label products.The study showed some typical results which is interpreted thereof.

2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW
The main reasons that have been cited in the business and academic press for retailers desire too stock private labels are (a) higher retail margins on private labels; (b) negotiating leverage with national brand manufacturers; and(c) higher consumer store loyalty (Hoch and Banerjee 1993).The private label brand choice is depending on ‘experience’, ‘value’, ‘time utility’, ‘possession utility’,‘mechanism’ and ‘place utility'.Hoch and Banerjee (1993) contested the common perception that a private label’s primary attraction was the substantial price discount relative to the national brands, at which they were sold. They emphasized the role of quality in the private label purchase decision. They found evidence to support the notion that perceived quality was much more important than the level of price discount in determining the private-label category share. Several studies have examined the role of taste on the perceptions of private label brands. Sundel (1974) used a ‘blind’ (brands not identified) taste test and found that there were no significant differences in respondent ratings between national, regional and store brands of bread and canned corn. However, the national brands were still perceived by consumers to be superior to the regional or local store brands. Labeaga et al. (2007) contend that private labels assist building loyalty by differentiating the retailer. These brands are available at one retailer exclusively whilst manufacturer brands are available at many competing outlets. Regular consumers of private label brands are confronted with psychological costs when switching retailers as their preferred private label choice is no longer available. As a result, consumers who change retailers undergo demanding cognitive processes by evaluating other brands, including unfamiliar store brands, in choosing a new product. Consumers who purchase private label brands regularly do not only become loyal to that particular brand but also to the retailer through which it is sold (Collins and Burt, 2003).Among consumers, one obvious reason for their popularity and growth is their price advantage over national brands (Batra and Sinha, 2000). Nevertheless, high quality seems to be more important in determining PLB success than lower price (Hoch and Banerji, 1993). One of the interesting phenomena concerning PLBs is the fact that their growth has been highly uneven across product categories (Hoch and Banerji, 1993).
“It Happened in India”, Kishore Biyani: Here we find out 3C Balance theory by Kishore Biyani which describes India in three groups India one- Consuming class, India two- Service class, India three- Struggling class. It also tells about success story of Big Bazaar and how the new concept evolved about “Sabsesastaauracchakuchnahin” ,” Sabsesasta din-Wednesday bazaar”.
“Youth Customer perception of brand: Big Bazaar”, Mr. Ankit Srivastava, Dr.Sanjay Shankar Mishra This paper describes that in India the retail sector is worth US $ 180 bn growing between 11-12 % annually. Youth being a critical segment the marketers cannot ignore to dodge this particular segment. The paper attempts to identify the dimensions of service quality which are important to a customer (Youth).

2.2 ABOUT THE INDUSTRY
The Indian retail industry has presently emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industries as several players have started to enter the market. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and around eight per cent of the employment in India. The country is today the fifth largest global destination in the world for retail.
The retail market, (including organised and unorganized retail), was at Rs. 23 lakh crore in 2011-12. According to the study, organised retail, that comprised just seven per cent of the overall retail market in 2011-12, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24 per cent and attain 10.2 per cent share of the total retail sector by 2016-17.
In terms of sheer space, the organised retail supply in 2013 was about 4.7 million square feet (sq.ft.). This showed a 78 per cent increase over the total mall supply of just 2.5 million sq. ft. in 2012. Favorable demographics, increasing urbanization, nuclearisation of families, rising affluence amid consumers, growing preference for branded products and higher aspirations are other factors which will drive retail consumption in India.High consumer spending over the years by the young population (more than 31% of the country is below 14 years) and sharp rise in disposable income are driving the Indian organised retail sector’s growth. Even Tier I & Tier II cities and towns are witnessing a major shift in consumer preferences and lifestyles, the result of which, they have emerged as attractive markets for retailers to expand their presence.
The Indian retail sector is highly fragmented and the unorganized sector has around 13 million retail outlets that account for around 95-96% of the total Indian retail industry. However, going forward, the organised sector’s growth potential is expected to increase due to globalization, high economic growth, and improved lifestyle.
Although the growth potential in the sector is immense, there are obstacles too, that could slow the pace of growth for new entrants. Rigid regulations, high personnel costs, real estate costs, lack of basic infrastructure, and highly competitive domestic retailer groups are some such challenges.
RETAILING FORMATS IN INDIA:
MALLS
The largest form of organized retailing today. Located mainly in metro cities, in proximity to urban outskirts. Ranges from 60,000 sqft to 7,00,000sqft and above. They lend an ideal shopping experience with an amalgamation of product, service and entertainment, all under a common roof. Examples include Shoppers Stop, Piramyd, and Pantaloon.
SPECIALITY STORES
Chains such as the Bangalore based Kids Kemp, the Mumbai books retailer Crossword, RPG's Music World and the Times Group's music chain Planet M, are focusing on specific market segments and have established themselves strongly in their sectors.
DISCOUNT STORES

As the name suggests, discount stores or factory outlets, offer discounts on the MRP through selling in bulk reaching economies of scale or excess stock left over at the season. The product category can range from a variety of perishable/ non-perishable goods

DEPARTMENT STORE
Large stores ranging from 20000-50000 sq. ft, catering to a variety of consumer needs. Further classified into localized departments such as clothing, toys, home, groceries, etc. Departmental Stores are expected to take over the apparel business from exclusive brand showrooms. Among these, the biggest success is K Raheja's Shoppers Stop, which started in Mumbai and now has more than seven large stores (over 30,000 sq. ft) across India and even has its own in store brand for clothes called Stop.
HYPERMARKETS/SUPERMARKETS

Large self-service outlets, catering to varied shopper needs are termed as Supermarkets. These are located in or near residential high streets. These stores today contribute to 30% of all food & grocery organized retail sales. Super Markets can further be classified in to mini supermarkets typically 1,000 sqft to 2,000 sqft and large supermarkets ranging from of 3,500 sqft to 5,000 sq ft. having a strong focus on food & grocery and personal sales.

CONVENIENT STORE
These are relatively small stores 400-2,000 sq. feet located near residential areas. They stock a limited range of high-turnover convenience products and are usually open for extended periods during the day, seven days a week. Prices are slightly higher due to the convenience premium.

MULTI BARAND OUTLETS
Multi Brand outlets, also known as Category Killers, offer several brands across a single product category. These usually do well in busy market places and Metros.

GROWTH OF RETAIL SECTOR IN INDIA
Retail and real estate are the two booming sectors of India in the present times. And if industry experts are to be believed, the prospects of both the sectors are mutually dependent on each other. Retail, one of India’s largest industries, has presently emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industries of our times with several players entering the market. Accounting for over 10 per cent of the country’s GDP and around eight per cent of the employment retailing in India is gradually inching its way toward becoming the next boom industry.
2.3 CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Retailing has seen such a transformation over the past decade that its very definition has undergone a sea change. No longer can a manufacturer rely on sales to take place by ensuring mere availability of his product. Today, retailing is about so much more than mere merchandising. It’s about casting customers in a story, reflecting their desires and aspirations, and forging long-lasting relationships. As the Indian consumer evolves they expect more and more at each and every time when they steps into a store. Retail today has changed from selling a product or a service to selling a hope, an aspiration and above all an experience that a consumer would like to repeat

For manufacturers and service providers the emerging opportunities in urban markets seem to lie in capturing and delivering better value to the customers through retail. For instance, in Chennai CalvinKare’s Limelight, Marico’s Kaya Skin Clinic and Apollo Hospital’s Apollo Pharmacies are examples, to name a few, where manufacturers/service providers combine their own manufactured products and services with those of others to generate value hitherto unknown. The last mile connect seems to be increasingly lively and experiential. Also, manufacturers and service providers face an exploding rural market yet only marginally tapped due to difficulties in rural retailing. Only innovative concepts and models may survive the test of time and investment
However, manufacturers and service providers will also increasingly face a host of specialist retailers, who are characterized by use of modern management techniques, backed with seemingly unlimited financial resources. Organized retail appears inevitable.

Retailing in India is currently estimated to be a US$ 200 billion industry, of which organized retailing makes up a paltry 3 percent or US$ 6.4 billion. By 2010, organized retail is projected to reach US$ 23 billion. For retail industry in India, things have never looked better and brighter. Challenges to the manufacturers and service providers would abound when market power shifts to organized retail.

2.4 NEED FOR PRIVATE LABEL BRANDS
As competition is becoming stiff, retailers are working on new marketing strategies to sustain in the market, one such strategy being private branding adopted by most of the retailer. Private brand is one of the strategies decisions for most of the retail organizations in recent years and hence many retailers’ have introduced varieties of private label in different categories like apparel, food and grocery, health care, personal care, consumer durables, lifestyle etc. Major driving force behind introducing store brand is to ensure the customer store loyalty. This can be accomplished as brand is available only in specific stores.

3. COMPANY PROFILE

Future Group is an Indian private conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai with its CEO as Mr. Kishore Biyani. The company is known for having a significant prominence in Indian retail and fashion sectors, with popular supermarket chains like Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar, lifestyle stores like Brand Factory, Central etc. and also for having notable presence in integrated foods and FMCG manufacturing sectors. Future Retail (initially Pantaloons Retail India Ltd (PRIL)) and Future Lifestyle Fashions, two operating companies of Future Group, are among the top retail companies listed in BSE with respect to assets,[3] and in NSE with respect to market capitalization.
• Future Retail Ltd consists of:
• Big Bazaar
• Food Bazaar
• FBB (Fashion @ Big Bazaar)
• HomeTown
• E Zone
• Foodhall
• FutureBazaar.com (e-retailing)
• Central

3.1 MISSION
We share the vision and belief that our customers and stakeholders shall be served only by creating and executing future scenarios in the consumption space leading to economic development.
We will be the trendsetters in evolving delivery formats, creating retail realty, making consumption affordable for all customer segments – for classes and for masses.
We shall infuse Indian brands with confidence and renewed ambition.
We shall be efficient, cost- conscious and committed to quality in whatever we do.
We shall ensure that our positive attitude, sincerity, humility and united determination shall be the driving force to make us successful.

3.2 VALUES
Indianness: Confidence in ourselves.
Leadership: To be a leader, both in thought and business.
Respect & Humility: To respect every individual and be humble in our conduct.
Introspection: Leading to purposeful thinking.
Openness: To be open and receptive to new ideas, knowledge and information.
Valuing and Nurturing Relationships: To build long term relationships.
Simplicity & Positivity: Simplicity and positivity in our thought, business and action.
Adaptability: To be flexible and adaptable, to meet challenges.
Flow: To respect and understand the universal laws of nature.

3.3 BIG BAZAAR

Big Bazaar is a chain of hypermarkets in India, which caters to every family’s needs and requirements with more than 100 stores in operation. It is a subsidiary of Future Group Venture Ltd's, and follows the business model of United States based Wal-Mart.Facilities offered by BigBazaarOnline shopping: Big Bazaar has an official website, FutureBazaar.com, which is one of the most favourite sites among people of India for online shopping. Future Bazaar is an online business venture of Future Group, which sells an assortment of products such as fashion, which includes merchandise for men and women, mobile accessories, mobile handsets and electronics like home theatres, video cameras, digital camera, LCD TVs, kitchen appliances and many more.

Big Bazaar has released the doors for the fashion world, general merchandise like sports goods, cutlery, crockery, utensils, and home furnishings etc. at best economical prices. Big Bazaar group offers more than 100 stores all over the country with an amalgamation of Indian bazaars’ feel and touch with a convenience and choice of the modern retail facilities. The worldwide country chain, Big Bazaar, is formed by CEO of Future Group, Mr. Kishore Biyani. Their basic attraction associated with reasonable prices is their Unique Selling Price. Big Bazaar has become a massive hit with lower middle-class and middle class people as a major client base.
Big Bazaar is way ahead of the road in having its own private labels. It manufactures its own products in various departments to build up a loyal customer base which also is less expensive than national brands and also it has a better control on it. The private label products of Food Bazaar are Golden Harvest, Premium Harvest, Ektaa, Agri Pure, Clean Mate, Care Mate, Sach, Tasty Treat, Sunkist and Fresh & Pure.
Recently, it launched “Think Skin” bodywash which is soon to be a hit in the market because of its low price and high adaptability by customers.

3.4 PRIVATE LABEL BRANDS
Leading the charge is the country's largest retailer Future Group, whose private brands have been outselling some of the country's best-known brands in select categories across 200-plus Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar outlets.
Private brands already account for close to 7% of modern trade sales in India, compared to 1% in China, according to market researcher Nielsen's latest survey that covers over 50 countries.
The private label phenomenon has leapfrogged in India compared to other Asian countries for many reasons: the value conscious Indian shopper, their familiarity and comfort with unbranded/ generic products, and the focus on quality of private label products on behalf of the retailers. The development will impact the bargaining power of marketers such as Reckitt Benckiser and Cadbury who have had a face-off with big retailers over margins.In Big Bazaar stores, private labels such as Clean Mate and Tasty Treat outsell national brands such as Domex, Pril and Bambino, and own brands lead the sales chart in at least four product segments (see chart). Future Group had boycotted chocolate maker Cadbury in 2008, and the following year it boycotted cereal maker Kellogg's brands across its Food Bazaar and Big Bazaar stores, both demanding higher business margins.
It stopped fresh orders from Reckitt Benckiser, maker of Dettol soaps and Harpic toilet cleaner, in February this year after the marketer slashed retailers' margins to 14% from 16% on some of its products to partly offset rising input costs. The issue was resolved two months back with Reckitt products back on Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar shelves.
The trend nowdays in retailing is having their own private labels. Private label brands are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting. They are often positioned as lower cost alternatives to regional, national or international brands, although recently some private label brands have been positioned as "premium" brands to compete with existing "name" brands. Organized retail is on the threshold of a boom in India. But as companies line up to grab a bigger and bigger slice of the retail pie, another battle is likely to change the face of the industry -- the one between the manufacturer brands and the retail chains’ private label brands, which are far from being just cheap generics. Worldwide experience shows that as retailers become more powerful, they have increasingly focused on their own brands at the expense of manufacturer brands. Private label brands, which occupy less than 5 per cent of the market in India now, are likely to corner 50 per cent of the market as the retail space opens up and matures.

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

TITLE OF THE PROJECT:-
A study on “CustomerPerception towards Store Brands of Food Bazaar”.

4.1 NEED OF THE STUDY
India has a huge customer base having different choices and buying behavior. To satisfy their wants is a task. The better a retailer satisfies the wants of customers, the bigger slice he gains in the market in terms of market share. Private label is such an initiative to have a loyal customer base. Thus, a study is required to know how customers perceive private labels to be and how to increase sales of private labels.
4.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• To study consumer perception and finally decision making for purchasing private label products.
• To analyze customer remarks about private label products.
• To understand customer expectations from private labels.
4.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
• This research was conducted in Big Bazaar, Patia.
• It aims on having a basic understanding of the organizational structure, culture, establishment, techniques, private labels and overall understanding of the organization.
• It attempts to analyze the performance of private labels and customer perception towards them.
4.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY o Time limit is a major constraint. o Some respondents didn’t have enough time to provide more insight. o Some data couldn’t be disclosed due to company’s procedure which would have been helpful in understanding the concepts more.

TYPE OF RESEARCH
The study can well be described as descriptive. As a descriptive research, the study will deal with the variables affecting the customer preference.

METHODOLOGY
• Primary Data:-
• The data have been collected through a structured questionnaire.
• Secondary Data:-
• The data are collected through official websites of BIGBAZAAR, books, magazine and news papers.
SAMPLE SIZE
50 is the sample size collected over a duration of 2 months.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Pictorial representation of data is done with the help of pie charts and tables. Further, it is analyzed and explained.

5. FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION
5.1 LEARNINGS
Private Label Brands of Food Bazaar
As per the above mentioned reasons, Food Bazaar came up with its own brands which are a hit in the market. In the staples, it has Golden Harvest, Premium Harvest, Ektaa, Fresh and Pure and AgriPure. In the home and personal care department, it has Clean Mate, Think Skin, Care Mate and Sach. In the food and beverages department (processed foods), it has Tasty Treat, Sach and Sunkist. All of that account to 328 SKUs.
Brands Product line
Golden Harvest • Cereals
• Flours
• Pulses
• Spices
• Dried fruits and nuts
Premium Harvest • Pulses
• Dried fruits and nuts
Ektaa • Pulses
Tasty Treat • Additives and Preservatives
• Juices
• Noodles
• Soup mix
• Biscuits
• Breakfast cereals
Agri Pure • Cereals
Clean mate • Fabric care
• Utensil cleaners
• House cleaning
Care mate • Pooja needs
• Disposable goods
• Personal care
Sach • Juices
• Disposable goods

PRIVATE LABELS OF FOOD BAZAAR AND MODES OF PROMOTION IN THE STORE Image 1- These are some of the private label brands of Food Bazaar. They have various brands for various product lines spread over Food and beverages, Home and personal care, Staples, etc.

Image 3- Ektaa premium pulses. This was a free sampling done to give the customers a taste of these pulses. Although the product is good, the packaging wasn’t that good and the look wasn’t new. Image 4- Corn flakes and fruit jam free sampling was done. These products weren’t moving due to their competitors like kellogs and kissan respectively. This was an attempt to create a loyal base of customers. Image 5- Free sampling of golden harvest premium basmati rice. That day we sold 32 units of the product. Image 5- Display of private label products during Savitri puja. That was a package of Golden harvest urad dal, golden harvest sugar, premium harvest sago, fresh and pure ghee and prarthnaagarvatti.

5.2 DATA ANALYSIS
As per the data collected, these are the findings and analysis:
Table 1: Gender wise classification of respondents
Gender No. of respondents
Male 22
Female 28

Out of 50 respondents, 28 (56%) were female and 22 (44%) were male. The survey was conducted on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. At that time, female footfall was high.

Table 2: Age group wise classification of respondents
Age group No. of respondents
18-24 12
25-39 25
Beyond 40 13

Out of the total number of respondents, 12 respondents are from 18 to 24 i.e. the youth, 25 respondents are from 25 to 39 and 13 respondents are above 40. Food Bazaar is frequented by families from which I took my sample. Then comes youth and then, it’s the age group of over 40.

Table 3: Frequency of visit
Frequency of visit No. of respondents
Always 8
Frequently 24
Rarely 18

8 respondents always visit Big Bazaar which means once a week, 24 respondents frequently visit Big Bazaar, which means once in 3 weeks and 18 respondents frequently visit Big Bazaar which means they don’t have any specific time to visit.

Table-4: Classification of products and PLBs tried by respondents
Private label products Trials by respondents
Golden Harvest 23
Premium Harvest 10
Fresh & Pure 5
Ektaa 9
Tasty Treat 24
Care mate 10
Agri pure 5
Think skin 2
Clean mate 20
Sach 4
None 9

Private label products of food bazaar include Golden Harvest, Premium Harvest, Fresh & Pure, Ektaa, Tasty Treat, Care mate, Agri pure, Think skin bodywash, Clean mate and Sach. In the above representation, respondents were asked what products they have tried earlier in the past. They listed out that Tasty treat is most tried out by 24 respondents, then Golden harvest, then clean mate, and subsequently, the least being Think skin which is a new bodywash being launched by Big Bazaar.

Table-5- Attributes of PLBs liked by respondents
Factors most liked by customers Frequency
Price 16
Quality 10
Variety 6
Availability
Combo offers 7
11

The above figure shows the qualities liked most by the customers in terms of private label products. The most liked factor is price, then combo offers, quality, then availability and the least liked is variety. Private label products incur no advertisement costs and the channel is handled by Food Bazaar itself. That’s why its prices are less. Also, the retailer gives a great deal of offers and discounts. Quality remains almost the same but it’s the perception of customers that matters. They think PLBs are incomparable in terms of quality with national brands. The main issue here is variety where customers don’t get preferred products.

Table 6: Attributes of PLB disliked by customers
Factors most disliked by customers Frequency
Price 9
Quality 21
Unavailability 4
No offers/discounts 16 The factor most disliked by the respondents is quality. 21 respondents find the quality of the product faulty or are apprehensive about it. 16 respondents want more discounts and offers. 9 respondents want the product to be available on the retail floor and 4 respondents complain about price.
Table 7: National brands vs PLBs
Several attributes of store brands (in general) with reference to Above Par At Par Below Par
Price 14 25 11
Quality 6 28 16
Availability 19 15 16
Reliability 3 18 29
Variety 12 30 8
Packaging 4 10 36

In the above figures, out of 50 respondents, 25 respondents think that prices are at par with national brands, 11 think its below par which means they think prices are lesser than national brands and 14 think it is more than national brands. As per quality, 6 think its better than national brands, 28 think its at par with national brands and 16 think that the quality is lower than national brands. As of availability, 19 think its available everywhere, 15 think its same as national brands and 16 think its not available, perhaps because there is less visibility of brands in the store. In case of reliability, 3 think that they are very reliable, 18 think they’re the same as national brands and 29 think reliability is an issue here. For variety, the figures are 12, 30 and 8 for above par, at par and below par respectively as per national brands. Packaging is unsatisfactory for majority of respondents. Some customers also mentioned that the packaging typically in processed foods have a very bad packaging which is why the look of the product isn’t that appealing to the customers.
Table 8: Review of Tasty treat by its users
Tasty treat review Frequency
Good 11
Okay 5
Bad 8

Tasty treat’s products are additives, preservatives, juices, noodles, soup mix, wafers, biscuits, breakfast cereals, etc. 45.8% of respondents find the product to be good, 20.8% of respondents find it okay and 33.3% of respondents don’t like tasty treat product. Products like namkeens and wafers are preferred by a large chunk of people. But products like soups, biscuits etc aren’t doing well there because of competition.

Table 9: Clean mate review from its users
Clean mate review Frequency
Good 10
Okay 1
Bad 9

50% of respondents find clean mate products to be good, 45% of respondents find it okay and 5% find it to be bad. Clean mate has many competitors. Inspite of that, customers find it good. Clean mate’s competitors are Harpic, Lizol, Vim, Surf excel, Ariel, etc.
Table 9: Ektaa review from its users
Ektaa review Frequency
Good 2
Okay 4
Bad 3

22.2% of respondents find Ektaa products good, 44.4.% find it to be okay and 33.3% it to be bad.Ektaa is a range of premium pulses range in Food Bazaar and is picking up in business. This is because it has got a variety of products which other competitors don’t offer. Also, it gives a rich feel of rural India.
Table 10: Golden Harvest review from its users
Golden Harvest Review Frequency
Good 11
Okay 8
Bad 4

47% of respondents find Golden harvest to be good, 16% of respondents find golden harvest as bad and 34% of respondents find it bad. Golden harvest has mostly staples product, and occupies almost 50% of shelf space in the Food Bazaar. This leaves customers with a great visibility of the product and increases sales.

Table 11: Premium harvest review from users
Premium Harvest Review Frequency
Good 5
Okay 4
Bad 1

50% of respondents find premium harvest to be good, 40% find it okay and 10% find it bad. Premium harvest is mostly picked up by busy, working ladies of the family who want to give that added nutrition to their families. Packaging is a big factor here as its neatly packed which induces the customer to buy.
Table 12: Care mate review from its users
Care mate review Frequency
Good 2
Okay 6
Bad 2

20% find care mate to be good, 20% find it to be bad and the rest 60% find it to be okay. Care mate also occupies a major share of shelf space in Big Bazaar in case of disposable goods. But people complain against the quality of care mate handwash and people are more inclines towards national brands like lifebuoy, Dettol, etc.

Table 13: Fresh & Pure review from its users
Fresh & Pure review Frequency
Good 1
Okay 1
Bad 3

20% find Fresh & Pure to be good, 20% also fnd it okay but 60% find it to be bad.Fresh &Pure’s products in beverages cant compete with tata tea and coffee brands like Nescafe and bru.
Also, customers complain about the quality of the products.

Table 14: Satisfaction from private labels
Satisfaction from private labels Frequency
Yes 24
No 11
Cant say 15

48% of people are satisfied with private label brands, 22% are dissatisfied and 30% cant say if they’re satisfied or not. This is the overall satisfaction level which shows that people are actually liked by the customers. Some people who have really bad experiences with PLBs don’t like it.

Table 15: Brand consciousness among respondents
Brand consciousness Frequency
Yes 20
No 19
Cant say 11

40% of respondents say they are brand conscious, 22% cant say if they are brand conscious and 38% are brand conscious which means that the more the brand consciousness, the more likely people are to use PLBs. But there are some respondents who think that PLBs are not good brands so they forego purchasing them.
Table 16: Purchase/repurchase of PLBs of Food Bazaar
Purchase/repurchase PLB of Food bazaar Frequency
Yes 38
No 3
Cant say 9

76% confirm that they would repurchase or atleast purchase PLBs of Food Bazaar. 6% deny that they would do that and 18% can’t say if they will purchase or not. With this, cross selling can be introduced as well as upselling and it could mean more revenue from private label brands.

NOTABLE INFERENCES:
Age
Group Tasty
Treat Golden
Harvest Premium
Harvest Agri
Pure Ektaa Clean
Mate Sach Care
Mate Think
Skin Fresh &
Pure
18-24 8 1 1 0 2 7 3 4 0 0
25-39 7 12 9 3 4 10 1 5 0 2
Above
40 9 8 0 2 3 3 0 1 2 3

In the above graph, we can see from the preferences of Tasty treat is that above 40 age group likes it the most (38%), then 18 to 24 age group (33%) and then 25 to 39 (29%). For Golden Harvest, 25 to 39 age group (57%) prefer it, 38% i.e. from age group of above 40 prefer it and only 5% of the age group 18 to 24 prefer it. For Premium Harvest, 25 to 39 age group prefer using it more (90%), 10% is preferred by above 40 age group and none of 18 to 25 prefers premium harvest products. Then comes clean mate which is preferred by age group of 25-39.

6. CONCLUSION

• Finally, it is found that consumers have a positive perception towards private label products. Although in some cases they are apprehensive to try them. Products like golden harvest, clean mate and tasty treat have a positive image whereas products like fresh & pure, think skin have a negative image.
• Customers remark the products to be okay in most of the cases. They are neither very satisfied not very dissatisfied with the PLBs. Variety of customers have variety of reasons to buy these products. Most of them are driven by unavailability of the brands they are looking for and competitive prices of PLBs.
• Customers expect good quality products and more discounts and offers on the products. However the customer expectations are met in terms of discounts, quality still remains an issue.

RECOMMENDATIONS
• In certain brands like Fresh and Pure (coffee and tea), and detergent of clean mate, people have a very negative response towards the quality of the product. Sale of these products is very low even with various offers given.
That means Food Bazaar either has to improve the quality of those products or has to remove those product lines from Big Bazaar, Patia.
We had tried doing free sampling promotions inside the store which also didn’t work out.
People coming to Big Bazaar Patia are brand conscious and wouldn’t compromise with it unless a product with better quality is offered.
But those brands that actually do well like tasty treat, golden harvest, clean mate etc need a little promotions too to move from the shelves. We have tried free sampling promotions, announcements, and setting up displays help in moving goods faster.
• Placing them on end caps and Point of sales- It has been observed that placing products that aren’t moving in end caps and point of sales has been a major driver of sales.

On a single day (27th may), we had tried on these techniques and the result was as such:
PLBs Sales revenue of PLB (Rs) Sales revenue of other national brands (Rs) Percentage (%) of sales of PLBs on other national brands
Golden Harvest 52880 280458 18.5
Premium Harvest 12964
Ektaa 9877
Fresh and Pure 2276 45265 5
Tasty Treat 2855 32997 8.7
Sach 3490 5692 61.3
Clean mate 7688 145509 6.3
Care mate 2096 5029 41.7
Think Skin 3186 1722 185

• Packaging and Visibility : Packaging on a macro level has to change for some products like Tasty Treat pickles, Jam, Clean mate detergent. This is to ensure that the products appeal to the customers being kept on the shelves. Apart from that, PLBs are kept at eye level so that visibility is there. Problems practically arise when brand staff of a certain brands stack their products on the shelves and ignore the PLBs. Whereas in actual, PLBs should first occupy 50% of the shelves and then space allocation is done to other brands.
This problem can be solved by motivating the store’s own employees for selling of private label products. This can be done by:
1. Incentive plans for private label products which typically don’t move
2. Educating employees about the importance of private label products

Bibliography
For this report, I followed a few research articles such as:
• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Food-Bazaar
• http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-01-21/news/28426893_1_private-brands-privatelabels-clean-mate
• Batra, R., &Sinha, I., (2000). Consumer level factors moderating the success of private label brands across product categories, Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 175-191
• Hoch, Stephen J. and ShumeetBanerji (1993). "When Do Private Labels Succeed?" Sloan Management Review, 34(4), Summer, pp. 57-67.
• www.in.kpmg.com/TL_Files/Pictures/Indian_Retail_Mar09.pdf

Annexure
The copy of questionnaire:
1. Name & phone no. ____________________________________________
2. Gender
• Female
• Male
3. Age
• 18 to 24
• 25 to 39
• above 40
4. How often do you visit Food Bazaar?
• always
• frequently
• rarely
5. Are you aware of the store brands of Food Bazaar?
• Yes
• No
6. So far, which products have you tried of Food Bazaar?
• Golden Harvest
• Premium Harvest
• Fresh & Pure
• Ektaa pulses
• Tasty Treat
• Care Mate
• Agri Pure
• Think skin
• Sach
• Clean Mate
• None
7. What do you like the most about store brands? price
• quality
• variety
• availability
• combo offers
8. What do you dislike the most about store brands? Price
• Quality
• Unavailability
• No offers/ discounts
9. How do you rate the several attributes of store brands with reference to national brands? Above par At par Below par Price
• Quality
• Availability
• Reliability
• Variety
• Packaging
10. How would you rate Tasty Treat products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. _______________________________
11. How would you rate Clean Mate products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. ________________________________
12. How would you rate Ektaa products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. _______________________________
13. How would you rate golden harvest products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. ________________________________
14. How would you rate premium harvest products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. _______________________________
15. How would you rate Care Mate products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. ___________________________________
16. How would you rate Fresh & Pure products with reference to other brands? (with reference to quality, price & availability). Comment. _______________________________
17. Are you satisfied with the products of Big Bazaar?
• Yes. :)
• No. :(
• Cant say. :|
18. Are you brand conscious?
• Yes. :)
• No. :(
• Cant say. :|
19. Your opinion is very important to us. Please share your views about the store brands of Big Bazaar.
20. Would you like to purchase/repurchase store brands in future?
• Yes :)
• No :(
• Cantsay :|