ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I feel great pleasure in presenting this summer training project in the hands
of my mentor. It is really a great opportunity given by him to me. This
research work is combined effort of many hearts, hands and brains.
First of all I would like to thank God who showered his blessing in every
step of this profile and has given me this opportunity to conduct this
industrial profiling.
I am immensely grateful to Director General Late Prof. Mukund Lal for
providing me this opportunity for bringing out my talent.
Now my grateful thanks to my Mentor and Course Co-ordinator Mr.
Sandeep Singh Sir who helped me a lot and guided me in every step related
to this project.
I also want to thank my teachers, Staff Member and Library members for
their valuable advice and guidance who helped me to complete this project
successfully.

Ankit Seth
PGDM (Retail Management)
PGRM/01/07
 P R E F A C E

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

curriculum. As the topic is “A study of Kitchenware department of Vishal
Mega Mart”, I found this project very interesting and educative. By working
in Vishal Mega Mart I gained knowledge about all aspects and operations of
a retail organization and got a practical aspect of working in an organization.

With the growing popularity of retail sector, most of the people are
involving in this sector. Before entering in this sector one should know the
correct scene of retail sector and have an overview of how this market
operates etc. This project is carried out to translate the theoretical knowledge
of the subjects in to the practical field work.

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

satisfaction for me to place this report before the readers. The report is
prepared in very simple language using very systematic research
methodology. And I hope this will give light upon the subject. I have tried
my best to make an objective appraisal of all available data and draw
conclusion on that basis.

Ankit Seth
PGDM (Retail Management)
PGRM/01/07
 DECLARATION

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

School Of management Sciences declare that the project on “A study of
Kitchenware department of Vishal Mega Mart” is the result of my own
efforts and it is based on data collected and guidance given to me.

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

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

Ankit Seth
PGDM (Retail Management)
PGRM/01/07
 INTRODUCTION

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

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

Global Retailing

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

Rank Country of Origin Name of Formats

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

2 France Carrefour Cash& Carry , Convenience,

Discount, Hypermarket,
Supermarket

3 Netherland Royal Ahold Cash and Carry

4 US Home Depot DIY, Specialty

5 US Kroger Convenience, Discount,

Specialty, Supermarket,
Warehouse

6 Germany Metro AG Cash& Carry, Department, DIY,

Hypermarket, Specialty,
Superstore

7 US Target Department, Discount

8 US Albertson’s Drug, Supermarket,

Warehouse

9 US Kmart Discount, Superstore

10 US Sears Department, Mail Order,

Specialty
 Type of Retailers:

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

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

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

6. Off Price Retailers.

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

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

Decline in Small Stores

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

Internet and E-Commerce

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

Repositioning of Departmental Stores

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

Rise in Discount stores

Supremacy of Discount store is also one of the distinct characteristics of Retail
Industry today. Discount stores offer money back guarantee, every day low price etc
to lure customers. They also provide floor help and easy access to the merchandise to
facilitate the consumer. Wal- Mart the worlds largest Retailer comes under this
category of Retail store.
Category Killers
There are Retailers who actually concentrate on one particular product category and
grab a lion’s share of that market and outperform their competitors. They are called
Category Killers. Toys R Us (Toy market ), Home Depot (Home Improvement) ,
Staples (Office Supplies) are the examples of such Retailers who have grabbed a
major market share in that product category and they have forced a reduction in the
number of players in that product segment. This is also a distinct trend observed in
the current Retail market. Ten years back there were number of players in the toy
market and no one was controlling more than 5% of market share but now the number
of players has come down to six and Toys R Us is enjoying 20% market share.

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

Demographic Changes
Retail industry is impacted by the demographic changes. As a result of this change
taste of the consumer is undergoing a change and it creates a demand for certain
products. World wide Retailers are keeping a close watch on this change and they are
trying to realign themselves with this change.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Retailers who want to dominate the market place have adopted the strategy of
mergers and acquisitions. This is also one of the distinct trends in Global Retail
Industry today. Instead of achieving an organic growth Retailers can grow
significantly with the help of mergers and acquisitions. This helps them to occupy
more shelf space in the market place. As the volume increases they are establishing
better control over their suppliers and they are reducing the procurement cost and in
that way they are boosting their profitability. This is driven by the economic growth
factors, size ,revenue pattern and the customer demand. Sears and Land’s End merger
is one of the significant mergers which has happened in recent times. Another
important example would be Nikes acquisition of Hurley, a well known surfing
brand. This has helped Nike to enter in to a new market segment.
Operational Issues:
In order to survive in this Industry, which is driven by the consumer demand
Retailers need to successfully counter the operational issues. If the Retailers fail to
diagnose and address those operational issues their existence will be jeopardized.

Supply Chain Management and Logistics

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

Pricing

In Retailing environment pricing has become a burning issue to the retailers.

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

Industry started this strategic pricing technique where the underlying philosophy is
not all consumers want a particular product at the same time and the degree of
demand will also vary. With this idea in mind different consumers are charged
different prices for the same product or service.
Retailers need to adopt the right pricing tactics in this environment of fierce
competition. Retail stores markdown the price for some items to attract people, this
is called traffic building. They also run storewide reduction sell.
It is observed that a shoe Retail outlet sells 50% of the product at normal mark up ,
25% of the product at 40% mark up and remaining 25% at cost. Some Retailers
have done away with sales pricing and they are resorting to everyday low price
(EDLP). It leads to lower advertising cost , greater pricing stability and higher Retail
profits. Wal- Mart uses this kind of pricing strategy.

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

Strategies in Retail:

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

i) High Margin and High Turnover eg. a convenience food store

ii) Low Margin and High Turnover eg. a discount store
iii) Low Margin Low Turnover i.e .a dying business
iv) High Margin Low Turnover eg. an up market specialty store.

Retail business needs to formulate the suitable strategy after considering its
strengths and weaknesses. Hence SWOT analysis will be an effective tool in
determining the correct strategy for the particular category of retail business.
IT in Retail:
Information Technology has become a key business driver in today’s world. Retailers
are also trying to reap in the benefits of the technology. Thus technology has become
a critical and competitive tool for surviving in the business. Retailers are using
software systems to manage and plan their inventory , to reduce the procurement
costs , electronic ordering , electronic fund transfer , e mail communication and for
many other things. IT is poised to take a much bigger role in Retail Industry however
the high implementation cost of IT projects has restricted many Retailers to go for
proper IT solution. IT growth areas in Retail are mentioned below.

Supply Chain Management:

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

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

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

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

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

Industry Characteristics :

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

Business Opportunities

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

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

1. Rising incomes and improvements in infrastructure are enlarging consumer

markets and accelerating the convergence of consumer tastes. Looking at income
classification, the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)
classified approximately 50% of the Indian population as low income in 1994-95;
this is expected to decline to 17.8% by 2006-07.
2. Liberalization of the Indian economy which has led to the opening up of the
market for consumer goods has helped the MNC brands like Kellogs, Unilever,
Nestle, etc. to make significant inroads into the vast consumer market by offering
a wide range of choices to the Indian consumers.
3. Shift in consumer demand to foreign brands like McDonalds, Sony, Panasonic,
etc.

Major Retail Players in India:

Retailer Current Turn Over in
Rs. Crore
Pantaloon 700
RPG 550
Shopper Stop 400
Life style 230
Westside 120
Ebony 85
Piramyd 72

Organized Retail Penetration:

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

Total Retail Rs. billion 9990 10659 11374 12136

Industry
Growth rate Per cent 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.7

Organised Rs. billion 350 441 556 700

Penetration Per cent 3.5 4.1 4.9 5.8

Organised Per cent 24 26 26 26

retail Y-O-Y
growth

E: Estimated, P: Projected Source: CRIS INFAC

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

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

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

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

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

INFRASTRUCTURE

Vishal Retail Ltd. has a factory in Gurgaon, Haryana. This factory has more
than 700 imported machines that have a capacity to manufacturer 150000 pieces a month.
The factory occupies 80000 sq ft of covered space. The Vishal group indirectly gives
employment to more than a 1000 people. These people work in ancillaries that supply
finished goods to the company.

They have 10 warehouses that cater to 132 showrooms in 20 states/81 cities. It is

covering about 2059292 sq. ft. .in 20 state across India.
 SWOT ANALYSIS
Some of the strengths and weaknesses of Vishal Mega Mart are outlined below.

STRENGTHS:

i) Understanding of the ‘value retail’ segment

ii) Supply chain management
iii) Logistics and distribution network
iv) Geographical spread
v) Identifying new locations
vi) Private labels
vii) Information technology systems
viii) Experienced and skilled management team

WEAKNESSES:

i) Slow performance of the Stores

ii) Advent of Category Killers.

OPPORTUNITIES:
i) Increasing penetration in the country by leveraging our supply chain,
distribution and logistics network
ii) Emphasis on Backward Integration
iii) Expansion of FMCG
iv) Procurement from low-cost production centres outside India
v) Increasing customer satisfaction and our base of loyal customers
vi) Continue to upgrade information technology systems and processes
vii) Continue to train employees and seek entrepreneurship from employees

THREATS:

i) Demise of Independent small stores

ii) Demographic Changes

PRODUCTS
• FOODMART

Beverage
Cooked Indian
Cooked Chinese
Drinks
Fruits & Vegetables

• FOOTWARE

Boys Girls
Shoes Slippers
Sandals Sandals

Ladies Mens
Shoes Shoes
Slippers Slippers

• TELEMART

Communication Mobile Accessories

Mobile Mobile Batteries
Mobile Charger
Mobile Dori

• HOUSEHOLD

Acrylic Ware Copper Steel

Dinner Set Jug Cake Server

Home Aids Pressure Cooker Non Stick

Floor Wiper Cooker Handi
Sanitary Brush Pressure Pan Dosa Tawa

General Plastic Goods Electrical App. Bone China

Coffee Mug Chopper Soup Set
Bucket Microwave Oven Dessert Set

Glass Ware Thermo Ware Porcelain

Cup Tiffin Cup & Saucer
Lemon Set Container

• LADIES ACCESSORIES

Personal Items Jewellery Cosmetics

Cap(LCA) Necklace LIp Gloss
 Socks(Las) Ring Nail Polish

• LIFESTYLE

Time Zone Opticals Gifts & Novelties

Ladies Wrist Watch Ladies Sun Glass Flower Vase
Mens Wrist Watch Mens Sun Glass Key Chain

Mens Accessories Electric & Electronics Perfume/Deo

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

• GARMENTS

MEN

Upper Lower
Shirt Casual Jeans(MP)
Shirt Formal Cotton-
Trouser(MPC)

Ethnic & Sports Winter Wear

Night Suits Suit(WMC)
T-Shirts Blazer(WMB)
Dupatta Windcheater
Sherwani Jacket

LADIES

Upper Lower
Kurta Pants Jeans
Skirt Top Capri

Ethnic Winter Wear

Nighty Jackets
Lancha Stawl
Sharara Blazer
Salwar Suit Track Suit

Sarees
Fancy(SRF)
Synthetics Banarsi
 BOYS

Lower Sets Winter Wear

Jeans Night Suit Suit
Bermudas Baba Suit Blazer
Dungries Jacket

Upper Ethnic
Shirt Formal Kurta- Pyjama
T-Shirt Sherwani

GIRLS

Lower Sets Winter Wear

Hot Pant Night Suit Hipster Set
Skirt Capri Set Blazer
Dungries Jacket

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

INFANTS

Garments Accessories
Hot Pant Bed Sheet
Frock UnderGarments
Baba Suit Socks

Winter Wear
Sweater
Pull Over

• HOME FURNISHING

Drawing Room Bedroom

Door Mat Bed Sheet
Carpet Pillows
Curtains Pillow Cover
Kitchen Bathroom
Apron Bath Mats
Kitchen Napkin Towel Gift Sets
• SPORTS & FITNESS

Indoor games Outdoor games

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

• STATIONERY

School Office Paper Mart

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

• TOYS & GAMES

Soft Toys Dolls Cycles &

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

Board Games Infant Toys Video Games

Wooden Blocks Teether T.V. Video
Puzzles Swing Hand Game
Video Game

• TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

Luggages Portfolio Bags

Suitcase Shoulder- Bags
Pouch & Cases Executive -Bag
Waist Pouch School Bags
Vanity Cases

BRANDS
Vishal Mega Mart is one of India’s fastest growing retail chains. The chain currently has
132 company stores in 20 states / 81 cities in India. The Vishal brand is known for great
modern style for men, women and children. Vishal offers high level fashion styling.
Since 1986, their name has been synonymous with quality, value and fashion integrity.
They offer an unparalleled collection of clothes for the entire family. Each garment is
hand selected for quality and contemporary styling. Vishal manufactures majority of its
own garments and out sources some under its direct quality supervision. This enables
them to offer the lowest possible and most reasonable prices.

Their goal is to provide a range of fashion wear to suit every pocket. Their product mix
represents the most current fashion trends in tops, bottoms, formals and accessories for
men, women and kids. Their courteous staff will ensure that consumers get a perfect fit.

The Popular Brands of Vishal Mega Mart are:

• Zeppelin : Mens Shirts & Trousers

• Fizzy Babe : Ladies & Kids Girls
• Kitaan Studio : Mens Shirts & Trousers
• Jasmine : Ladies & Kids Girls
• Blues & Khakis : Mens Trousers
• Zero Degree : Kids Boys
• Paranoia : Mens Shirts & T-Shirts
• Soil : Mens Shirts
• Chlorine : Mens Shirts
• Massa Bay : Mens Trousers & Bermudas
• Fume : Mens Shirts, T-Shirts, UnderGarments.
 QUALITY CONTROL

The dedicated professional Quality Control team of Vishal Mega Mart ensures the
quality of products. Their quality checks start with basic cloth and accessories and end
with doing a full inspection of the finished items. They believe that Quality Control is the
key to success. Their goal is to give the customer with the best quality and value for his
money.
 OPERATIONS
BLUEPRINT
STORE OPENING

Objective:
To open the store:
1. In presence of the authorized personnel.
2. To prepare floor for customer readiness.

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

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

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

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

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

 The Security Officer and the designated manager sign on the Store Opening Register
(Refer to the table below)
Date Time Name Remarks Signature
Operations
Security 1
Security 2
 The Security Officer and the designated manager carry out the check as per the
checklist mentioned in the Store Opening Security Checklist (Refer to the table
below)

Daily Store Opening Security Checklist:

Particulars Remarks
Checkpoint
Staff Entrance (if applicable)
Customer Entrance
Emergency Exit
Generator Room (if applicable)
Security / server Room (if applicable)
Cash Counter
Back Store Entrance (if applicable)
Miscellaneous
Disarming of Security System
Fire Extinguishers in Position
Water taps check / Toilet
Emergency PA System Check
Safe
Admin office
Gift voucher cupboard etc
Stock on floor

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

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

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

 Action + file reports.

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

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

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

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

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

TASK - Security PERFORMED

Store – Opening. Lock/seal check of the back office door & front
door.
Check to ensure No smoking is permitted in store premises
Checking of all CSAs entering and exiting the store.
Checking of goods entering into the store (goods meant for
exchange, merchandise, non trading goods, capex items, etc)
Checking of goods exiting the store (purchase returns, etc)
Responsible for all customer belongings deposited at the baggage
counter. (if applicable)
Security to check sales floor + BOH for people hiding in the store;
items kept behind by someone which may constitute a threat or risk
to store + staff security.
 START OF DAY PROCEDURES

Objective:
To ensure all administrative procedures run and are implemented before store opens:
• Procedure must be done by administrative manager or store management
• Must be done before store opens

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

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

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

Reports to be generated

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

Action to be taken

• All manual transactions from the previous day must be captured, before start of
day but ideally before store closure the evening before. (Manual transactions; 2x
persons involved + managers authority)
• Cash count reconciliation and float check to be done
• Any stock counts done and adjustments made accordingly and recorded
• All markdowns whether temporary or permanent are required to be action-ed and
price changes implemented.
• New price signage’s in place as per above
• All sensitive transaction dockets must be cross checked against the report for
authenticity and management authorization
• Stock requests, stock shortages or over-stocks to be action-ed accordingly
• All RTM’s, including manufacturer faults and product recalls to be action-ed
• All received stock to be entered into the system and IBT’s transferred or
acknowledged what ever may be the case.
• Store turnover, sales associates targets, to be captured in the store ops file/daily
enclosure.
• Store and staff targets issued
• Store staffing schedule checked in accordance with the staff roster and available
budgets.
• Branch expense report generated and checked for variances to budget

Basic Store Opening procedures:

• Complete banking for previous day

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

Objective:
To ensure all systems at the premises are in a working condition before store opening for
the customer.
Process:
 The housekeeping has to start work one-hour before the store opens. Housekeeping
Checklist must be signed by the store manager.

TASK - Housekeeping 9.00 AM 1.00 PM 5.00 PM

Check Point Check Point Check Point
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
Door Mats, Door Handles &
Door Cleaned. Ladies/ mens
toilet, front door, back door
etc
Mopping of Floors
Emptying/ Cleaning of
dustbins
Cleaning of cash counters
Cleaning of Baggage Counter
AC ducts grills cleaned
Dusting/ Checking of Cob
webs at corners and ceilings
Spraying freshners
Fire Exits Cleaned
Cleaning and Drying Toilets
Cleaning of Staff Room
Wiping down of all surfaces +
glass
Empty shoe boxes/unused
required to be thrown away
Task performed by: Name and
Store Manager's Signature:
 The maintenance department has to cover all the checks required, half an hour before
the store opening, to ensure that the store is ready for opening.

TASK – Maintenance Team PERFORMED (Twice

a day)
Checking the Glass (sliding ) Door or roller shutter is working
Checking of all lights daily.
Checking PA System volume
Checking of lighting, fused lamps and change.
Checking of Air Conditioning system. To switch on the same,
20 minutes before the store opens. To check the temperature
levels in the store, every two hours, to ensure that the air
conditioning is functioning in its optimum capacity maintained
at approx 22*c.
Checking the music system & speakers.

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

Checking whether the flush in the toilet is functioning right.
Checking whether the wheels of the trolleys are smooth and
working.
Query POS Table Cleanliness
Checking the EPBAX phone system.
Checking whether the telephones are changed from the night
answering mode to the day mode.
Checking Fire Exits; and fire extinguishes are in place +
working conditions
Other:

Task performed by: Name

Store Manager’s Signature:
 Store Manager’s Checklist to be done before the store opens
DAILY STORE CHECK LIST – Store Manager
DATE :-
Store Location :
DETAILS Mo Tue Wed Th Fri Sat Su
1.Signages & Communication
Outdoor signboard in good condition
Signages & Acrylics in place
Correct & concise signages in place
Is the latest communication up regarding events etc?
New & Noteworthy items are highlighted
Bestsellers are highlighted
Events & Promotion Posters are up
Are Section & Sub Section Signages in place?
Store Policies & Services backdrop in place

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

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

4.People
Are all the staff in uniform?
Are all the staff wearing Badges?
Are the grooming standards being maintained?
Are the attendance & statutory registers being maintained?
Are the individual personnel files being maintained?
Is the shift schedule & monthly roster being maintained?
Are all the sections being adequately manned?
Regular training on product knowledge and service being conducted?
Grooming standards of security
Greeting and communication of security
Vendor records kept + checked (ito concessionaire)
 Check overtime schedule is correct
5.Lighting & Fixtures
Layout as per plan
Are all lights working and properly focused?
Are the floor display stools in good condition?
Are the fixtures as per plan?
6.Instore Services
Is the Customer complaint book being maintained?
What is the Status on Customer feedback forms?
Are repairs being followed up?
7. Store Consumables
Are all the following consumables available & as per std
requirements
POS Dockets
Gift Tags
Visiting Cards
Suggestion Cards
Carry Bags
Bills , till rolls / EFT slips etc
Wrapping Papers
Rewards enrolment form
Gift Vouchers & Envelopes

 The CSAs have to report to work half-hour before the store opening time
TASK – CSA’s LIST PERFORMED
Shelves, racks and fixtures are dust free.
The items are dust free.
Items are neatly arranged in a logical format on the shelves as
per required layout display format.
All the items are in their respective sections/subsections.
All the Signages are in place.
New arrivals & Best selling items are placed up front
Merchandise displayed on the floor/shelves/fixtures is properly
arranged and tagged. Price tags + (security tags) correct and in
place.
Housekeeping in the section in place.
Monitor the levels of pilferage & shrinkage.
Shopping bags & (trolleys) are in place.
No cartons or merchandise bins lying on the floor or empties
Fixtures alignment are correct
 The CSAs then proceed to ready the floor for selling to customers.

 It is the responsibility of the designated department/store manager to check against

the checklist provided for housekeeping and maintenance, whether all the activities
listed within have been carried out successfully. A register for the same has to be
maintained and the same has to be signed by the Business Manager.

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

/Supervisors
Monitor the Reporting time of the CSAs.

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

Monitor the floor etiquette practiced by the CSAs
Grooming standards of CSAs
Overall Cleanliness standards in the store (housekeeping maintenance). Check against the
checklist and identify any discrepancies.
Check the Visual merchandising in the store, Merchandising, Product Availability +
correctness.
Interacting with Customers and understanding their needs and expectations.
Regularly analyze the customer feedback forms, and determine the corrective course of
action. It is critical to respond to customers providing constructive feedback using a pre-
formatted letter.
Sort out problems amongst CSAs. Staff in general.
Discuss Service Issues with CSAs and sort them out.
Monitor Walk-in's and conversion rates.
Create the daily sales report & mail it to the BM
Monitor competition on regular basis.
Initiate ideas & actions plans, to increase walk-ins, conversion rates and the overall sales
of the store.
Complete security check / audit list and all things attached to it.
  The security personnel have to sign the attendance register, when they report to
work as well as when they are leaving (this would be critical as they are paid
overtime for extra working hours). If the security person has worked overtime, he
has to enter the reason for the same and the name of authorized personnel who has
approved the same, in the register.

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

 The designated department owner has to then switch on the POS machines at the cash
counter. If there is any problem, which can't be sorted out, the department owner has
to ensure that the required help (IT) is called in to sort out the problem, and the
system is up & ready when the store opens to the customer.
If the problem cannot be sorted out, the billing has to be done manually, till the
system is corrected. Follow manual procedures, and capture in the POs same day and
before end of day if possible.
 Half-hour before the store opens for the customers, the tea vending machine located
at the back-office has to be switched on. The same has to be switched off after all the
associates of the shift have served themselves.

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

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

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

The store has to be neat, clean and in order, at the time when it is opened to the
customer.
 RECEIVING AND DESPATCH OF GOODS:

Objective:
To enable store staff to receive and dispatch merchandise from / to the DC as well as
direct from and to a supplier:
There will be mainly two types of delivery to the stores:
1: Direct Store Delivery (DSD): In most part this is Direct from the brand /
concessionaire
2: From DC: In most part this will be for private labels.

Indenting:
Prior to receiving stock at the store an indent would be raised to secure the order for the
store at a specified time. This is done by means of the following ways:
There are essentially 3 types of indenting:
1: Auto – used primarily for Core product – system initiated
2: Manual – used primarily for fashion product – done by H/O (and sometimes stores)
3: Emergency – used primarily when there has been poor replenishments (low stock
levels), higher than anticipated sales or a customer mass purchase etc.

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

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

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

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

 A full carton and unit count is required on products received direct from the
supplier
 Products direct from a supplier must be checked for quality issues and brought to
attention within 2 days maximum.

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

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

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

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

 If there are any discrepancies in quality or quantity these should be recorded on

the invoice and the correct quantity written down and actioned upon---- by notify
the DC + relevent supplier.

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

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

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

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

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

 The BOH is laid out as per the layout on the floor and the product is run in a
snake like fashion from left to right and top to bottom.
  The BOH is divided into mens, ladies, kids sections, and within this it is laid out
by Brand, then by style, color and size – and the product stacked accordingly.

REPLENISHMENT AND STOCK CONTROL:

Objective:

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

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

Floor layout:

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

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

 Ensure the shelf is free of dirt and grime, and free of any clutter.
 The new product should be given precedence. The older dated product can be put
either in a secondary position or removed from display until space is made
available.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Always keep odds in the BOH in the same area allocated when the stock arrived
in store therefore keeping the departments + styles together.
 VISUAL MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAY OF PRODUCTS:

Objective:
To ensure that the stores across India reflect a chain store image and there is consistency
in the display of products and visual merchandising standards, thus providing a common
frame of reference to the customer no matter where they shop.
To provide an environment for the customer which is both interesting and easy to shop,
which in turn promotes and encourages multiple and repeat spending.
Provide guidelines on how to launch a promotion and how to launch sale; press
conference; product launches + Events to be added.

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Except during sale, merchandise is laid out according to the same end use within
the floor layout set-up.
 This rule can be broken to create area’s of cross merchandising. This is normally
best suited where two products are bought together. Such adjacencies are where a
formal shoe is bought with a pair of formal pants for example, but it can be as
simple as a pair of socks or handbag etc. This is known as co-ordinated fashion
accessorizing.

 Depending on the shape and size of the store the fixtures are placed at 90 degrees
(perpendicular) to the walls. Should the fixtures be required to be angled at 45
degrees to accommodate customer flow, this will be conveyed and decided by
HO.

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

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

 A fine balance should be achieved in display between not over-displaying the

shelf – where the display becomes too busy and cluttered. This will leave the
customer confused with too many decisions to make. Also care should be taken
not to leave the shelf under displayed – this will leave the customer frustrated for
lack of choice.

 Hanger disciplines should always be maintained. This means that no empty

hangers on the sales floor, that the straight arm has a full size curve on display,
and that the hanger has the correct size indicator for the shoe on display.

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

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

 No shelf edge labels are to be used.

 Most the times there will only be One Facing product on display and no more
than Two Deep at any given time unless displayed on a peg hook with a full size
curve.
  Departments, products and brands should be proportionately displayed according
to the sales performance of the merchandise. In other words the space allocated to
a particular department, product or brand should be in direct proportion to the
contribution of the sale of the product to the rest of the store/brand/department
etc.

 Sales performance can be analyzed using margins, sales qty, sales value,
clearances, contribution, sales per square feet etc. Comparison of like for like;
actuals vs projected; and comparison of seasons + sale periods of previous years.
Types of fixtures and where it can be found:
1. Feature tables, nested tables, two and three tier tables.

Normally found as a lead into a department or entry to the store to create an

element of interest and bring the customers attention to the latest newest styles
and fashion or new promotions.

2. Floor and wall Gondola’s

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

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

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

4. Feature walls

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

5. Hot spots, primary focal areas

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

6. Secondary focal areas

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

Window layout:

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

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

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

 Pricing should always be prominent and easily identifiable.

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

Sale, promotions and pricing:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Ensure the correct prices are used to promote the product. This need to be double
checked against the price promotion list / price look up file / markdown report.
 All new products arriving at the store should be checked that they are carrying the
correct barcode label and price. This can be cross checked by scanning the article
at the time of receiving as well as at the POS to be sure of the latest pricing for the
item. (this is done in the price look up file menu).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Where there is a permanent markdown, the new price should be indicated using a
Meto gun label and stuck to the swing tag taking care not to conceal any detail on
the barcode.
 If there is a change to the article detail or where a product has a damaged or lost
barcode – a new replacement barcode / swing ticket will be required to be printed
and attached to the item.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 All brands running promotions will supply approved promotional material /

signage for the category, and it must be to our size and specification.
 CUSTOMER ENTRY PROCESS

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

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

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Job Responsibility: Security personnel at the entrance/exit

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

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

 Then the security person has to open the door (applicable to stores having an entrance
door) in a smooth movement. Special care has to be taken in case of female
customers, to ensure that he does not brush the customer or come too close while
opening the door.
 When the customer leaves the store, the security person has to open the door (if not a
sliding door) for the customer to walk out, and thank him once he is out of the store.

Job Responsibility: Security personnel at the baggage counter

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

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

 Signage to show same

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

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

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

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

 If the customer loses the token, he has to politely ask the customer if he/she may have
left it somewhere in the store. If the customer cannot find the token, the security
person has to ask the customer to describe some of the contents in the bag. He has to
then ask the permission of the customer to check the bag, whether the item
description matches the actual contents. All this needs to be carried out in the
presence of the Store Manager. The Store Manager has to then take a call, as deemed
fit. Care has to be taken that the customer is not offended at any point. The customer
should be politely made to realize that this check is essential in the overall interest of
the customers.
 Customers to fill in a declaration form so that if found taken by another customer we
free ourselves from any legal actions. Same as for credit notes/ credit cards etc.

CUSTOMER BUYING PROCESS

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

Objective:

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

PROCESS DESCRIPTION:

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

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

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

 The CSA has to acknowledge the customer.

Job Responsibility: All Customer Service Executives, Store

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Once the selection process is over and the item is chosen for purchase, the
customer walks towards the cash counter for billing
  If the item has to be gift wrapped, the cashier has to hand over the item to a CSA
who has to carry the item to the appropriate counter and gift wrap it neatly. The
item has to be gift wrapped only by the CSA and not by any office assistant or the
security personnel at the baggage counter. This should only occur once the item
has been paid for.

 The customer should collect the item from the cash counter.

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

 The customer exits the store.

MANAGING SALES AND SERVICE

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

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Specialty store formats are full service. Hypermarkets are both full and self service
and Mini Hypers / Supermarkets are self service only. The following process is for
stores providing a level of full service.
 A comprehensive training manual has been put together on how to attend to the
customer. This starts with greeting the customer and goes all the way through to
closing the sale. It is imperative that all sales staff and management have been
taken through it and are competent in the process of sales and after sales
techniques.

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

 The sales staff should be familiar with the layout of the stock room in order to
ensure speedy retrieval of the product from the BOH.
  The sales assistant should never return to the sales floor from the BOH empty
handed but should have different styles to offer and show the customer in addition
to the one they like.

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

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

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

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

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

Staff : CODE OF CONDUCT

Reporting Time

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

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

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

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

 After the lead-time is over, the regular attendance register will be closed and taken by
the designated Manager in his/her possession.
 Any associate walking into the store after that will have to make an entry in the late
register. Leave will be deducted accordingly.

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

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

Grooming Standards

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

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

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

 It would be advisable for the female CSAs to avoid wearing large / flashy earrings,
clinking bracelets or noisy bangles, which distracts the customer or irritates them.
 The female associates, who have shoulder length or longer hair length, have to tie-up
the same neatly when reporting on the floor. No CSA will be allowed to leave her
hair open on the floor. If the CSA has short hair length, the same has to be groomed
neatly, so that it does not fall on the face and cause distraction.

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

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

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

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

Floor Etiquette: / Rules

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

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

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

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

 Also care has to be taken that the associate does not go too close to the customer
while talking to him/her and invade his/her private space. This would be very critical
in the case of female customers.
 For regular customers, the CSA have to build a relationship with them and address
them personally when they come to the store.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 If a customer asks for directions, the CSA has to accompany the customer to the
particular location and not just point towards it.
 If a customer is upset for any reason, the CSA has to attend to the situation efficiently
and effectively.

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

Product knowledge:

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

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

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

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

 The test scores will be recorded by the H.R. department and will reflect in the
performance appraisal.
 Management will also test the CSA / DM’s preparedness during regular floor walks.
Policy Note on Disciplinary Action

Applicability: For all Store staff

Arising due to:
1. Unauthorized absence
2. Habitual Late coming
3. Non adherence to company policies
4. Non- conformance to service standards / failures to carry out their work
responsibility.
5. Habitual misconduct
6. Non-adherence to uniform and grooming standards
7. Disrespect to superior orders / Insubordination, fighting or swearing.
8. Disrespect to the company and brand image
9. Theft + Dishonesty
10. Being under the influence of drugs + alcohol.

MANAGING STORE EXPENSES AND BUDGETS

Objective:

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

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

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

 This would include the stores daily enclosure, stock loss report, petty cash, profit and
loss account, etc.
 Store managers will account for any store over expense to the issued budget on a
month end to their respective head.

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

STORE ADMIN AND AUDITING:

To keep control over all inventory, assets and consumables in an orderly fashion
and preventing loss of any kind through negligence or theft or other means.
 A monthly store audit (at the month end) known as the Security Audit Check report
must be first done by the store manager and thereafter within 1 calendar month done
by a field operations manager.

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

 Administrative Key controls covered are;

1. cash and banking controls
2. casual wages and petty cash
3. debtors control
4. sensitive transactions such as returns, refunds etc
5. authorization levels
6. manual transactions
7. stock takes and stock counts
8. markdowns
9. repair controls (if applicable)
10. store security
 Stores will be measured on the number of out of line situations. A number is set in
terms of what is acceptable or not acceptable. For starting purposes, a store will be
allowed no more than 2 key control findings outside of the norm required and no
more than 5 other controls outside the norm required. No serious controls will be
allowed – and all audit findings are reported to the field management office on a
monthly basis.

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

 Failure to comply can lead to disciplinary action being taken.

STAFF SCHEDULING PROCESS

Objective:

Optimization of human resource (availability and utility) and fairness to all

associates and reduce unnecessary overtime

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

 If any staff requires long leave (more than 4 days), the department owner has to be
informed of the same, at least 15 - 20 days in advance which should be approved by
the Store Manager within 2 days.
 Annual leave is submitted at the beginning of each year by the staff and scheduled so
as to ensure sufficient availability of staff in store at any given trading time
(particularly important over Diwali and Xmas).

Format for Application of Long Leave

Long leave / Annual leave

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

Department manager __________________

Supervisor___________________________
Long leave for the month of ____________

LEAVE FORM :-

CSA Name Date of Leave Reason

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

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

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

 The store manager also schedules the cashiers.

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

 The department owner has to monitor the reporting time, breaks, exit time, of the
associates to check adherence to the schedule. The same has to be entered in FMR
(Floor Movement Register) mentioned below.
  The CSA should enter his/her Time In, and then various breaks which he/she takes
during the entire day. All these timings should be confirmed and tracked by the Store
Manager / Department Owner.

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

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

Floor Movement Register

Sr. No CSA Name Break 1 Break2 Break 3

Time In Time Out
15 mins ½ hour 15 mins
In Out In Out In Out
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

________________

(Store Manager)

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

FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE SCHEDULING:

1. The associates/department owner/store manager will NOT be allowed to take their

weekly off on Saturday/Sunday, except in the case of back-office associates (but not
all).
2. Two department owners cannot have their weekly off's on the same day.

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

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

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

TARGET SETTING & MONITORING PROCESS

Objective:
1. Target Setting Process to begin, right from setting the annual/quarterly/monthly/daily
targets, to planning and monitoring the achievements.
2. To standardize procedures in monitoring targets.
3. To achieve 100% targets. (Target is the minimum requirement ).

0.1.1.1.1.1.1 PROCESS DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

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

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

1. For the days / week on hand

2. Customer Entry.
3. Store target.
4. Store Achievement.
5. Achievement %.
6. Loyalty member Enrollments.
7. Today's Target.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Format for Daily target / Achievement by Department Owner

For The Period: Year: Department Owner:

Date Target Ach Ach% Cum Cum Ach Cum Ach
Target %
( week 1 )
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Wk2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Total
Month
Total Year

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

Date:
Head:
Dept.:

 Target of the Week

 Achievement of the Week
 % Achievement

• Critical Business Issues faced last week.

• Concerns for the remainder of the Period/Quarter.
• Customer Feedback of the Week.
• Inventory position.
• Performance of any on going promotion.
• Action on Non Moving / Slow Moving.
• Staff issues
• Any Other.

CASHIERING AND FRONTLINES

Objective:

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

Checklist for Cashiers:

TASK REMARKS
Cash Advance at the start of the day ( STANDARD
float )
Counter Cleaned
Calculator
Stapler
Scissors
Rubber Band
Bill Roll full
EFT Roll full
Summary Sheets
Working of POS Machine
Availability of Carry Bags, Forms & Customer
Feedback Forms
Working of EFT Machine
Scheme and Discount Code Sheet (if applicable)
Any other:

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

 If a customer walks directly to the counter for billing, disregarding the queue, the
cashier has to politely inform the customer to join the queue and tell him/her that
he/she will be assisted as soon as possible.
 When the customer approaches the cash counter, it is critical that the cashier makes
eye contact with the customer smiles warmly or greets him/her.

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

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

 The cashier then has to scan the items purchased. If the same cannot be scanned it has
to be entered manually.
 The cashier then has to enter in the quantity of that particular item purchased and
check whether the price printed on the item matches with the price generated by the
system.

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

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

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

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

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

 The system offers a facility wherein the mode of payment can be captured onto the
system, such as payment by cash, credit card, gift voucher, credit note or a
combination of any.
 If the customer is paying by cash, the cashier has to collect the cash, tender exact
change (always return the smallest currency first) and print the invoice.

 If the customer is paying by card, the cashier has to check the amount payable, swipe
the card, enter the amount and wait for authorization.
 Once the transaction is authorized and the slip is generated, the cashier has to forward
the slip to the customer along with a pen. Once the customer signs the slips, one slip
has to be handed over to the customer for his records.

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

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

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

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

 If the customer requires a Gift Voucher (G.V.) of a certain denomination, the same
has to be issued by the cashier.
All the details have to be entered by the cashier such as Start and End Number,
amount in numerical figures, amount in words, Issue date, Issuing authority, on the
main voucher. The voucher amount has to be captured on the counter foil as well, to
be maintained at the store.
 In the event the G.V. is redeemed partly, the cashier has to issue a fresh G.V. for the
differential amount. (for e.g. if a customer purchases an item worth Rs. 250/- against
a G.V. of Rs. 500/-, the cashier has to raise a fresh G.V. of Rs. 250/- for the
differential amount.)

 As a policy if any amount has to be refunded, the cashier has to issue a credit note for
the required amount and hand over the same to the customer. As far as possible, cash
refund should be avoided, unless specifically insisted on by the customer. The credit
note should be valid from 6 months of issue.
 Once the transaction is complete, the cashier has to hand over the bag to the customer
and thank him for shopping at the store.
RETURNS & EXCHANGES (after sales service)

Objective:

1. To ensure that the customer is 100% satisfied with his purchases.

2. To make the returns & exchange process as customer friendly as possible.

Service Parameters
1. As per policy the items will be replaced, exchanged within 15 days & Loyalty
Members will be allowed to exchange within 30 days of purchase with proof of
purchase/ original purchasing/ condition.
2. Returns or exchanges can take place under the following circumstances:
 The goods are damaged / defective, not of `merchantable quality’.
 If the item fails to meet the requirement of the customer. (in this case the
product must be in its original condition / packaging ).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* All the defective/damaged items have to be collected in a designated area reserved

for damaged stocks only and to be viewed by management (and the QA team if
applicable).

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

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

Conditions

The Exchange Criteria for Loyalty Members

- Within 30 days from the date of purchase.
- The proof of purchase is provided (Cash Memo).
- No exchange of merchandise w.r.t hygiene issues
- No exchange of merchandise purchased on discount unless within 7 days of purchase
and must be exchanged at the price paid on the bill.

Exchange Criteria for Non-Loyalty card Members

- Within 15 days from the date of purchase.

- The proof of purchase is provided (Cash Memo).
- No exchange of merchandise w.r.t hygiene issues
- No exchange of merchandise purchased on discount unless within 7 days of purchase
and must be exchanged at the price paid on the bill.
- Customer returns policy to list.
- Customer reporting of defects; exchanges +complaints----- how to collect feedback +
distribute to right channels for customer satisfaction index.

SHOPLIFTING AND LOSS CONTROL

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

To provide a systematic and common code of conduct to deal with incidents arising out
of the following situations:
 Theft by customer and staff
 Bribe and related issues enter into by any staff
 Robbery and in-subordination done by any staff

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

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

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

 No employee (or relevant security agency we have employed) is authorized to

conduct a search of either an employee's or customer's residence. Such a search can
only be carried out with police involvement. In case the Store Head deems fit to
involve the police he/she should first inform the Operations Manager of the course of
action, followed by the police.

 No customer or associate should be bodily harmed or manhandled by any employee.

In case the person apprehended shoplifting (either customer or employee) is a lady,
please ensure that another lady is present while questioning.

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

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

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

 No staff should be punished for a "Suspected" crime. All cases of suspicion should be
reported to the Head of Operations and Head of HR.
 The Store manager / department owner has to inform the customer that he was
observed picking up an item and walking out of the store without paying for it. The
customer has to be given a fair chance to defend himself, at all times.
 Customers should only be apprehended once they have exited the store and not while
they are still in the store as they may claim they are still intending to buy the item.

 If the ( sensormatic ) EAS machine is activated proper care needs to be taken ,

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

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

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

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

 As far as possible, in case of an employee theft, the employee in question must be

dealt with, and not relatives, friends etc…

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

• The name of the person shall be informed to Operation Head & HR

• The person shall also be given an appreciation letter from the company
 • For staff who intercept theft shall get a weight-age of the same in the
appraisal under the "Other achievements" category

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

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

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

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

TAGGING OF GOODS:

Objective:
To reduce store shrink and maintain acceptable stock losses in stores to the specified
norms and targets budgeted for by state ops.
There will be a window period of approximately 3 to 6 months to ascertain the necessity
to have EAS tagging systems installed in a store. Security tagging will be store specific
according to the stores stock loss results.

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

Tagging:
There are essentially 3 places where the tagging can be done
1: At the Vendor
2: At the DC
3: At the store

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

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

1: soft tags (non-reusable)

2: a) hard tags with pins (re-usable)
b) hard tags without pins (re-usable)

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
 All products in the Footwear Specialty stores will be tagged according to the
stock loss prevention manual.
 Once the product has been received / acknowledged in the store, the stock must be
immediately security tagged according to the manual guidelines.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Where the product is soft tagged, the cashier does not remove the tag but swipes
the tag of the deactivator which nullifies the security tag from activating the EAS
system at the store entrance.
  All products must be swiped over the Double Checkers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 All broken and loose found tags should be reported immediately.

 Where a tag is activated but it is unknown if the product has been paid for, the
customer must be politely asked if they don’t mind they hand over the product so that
it may be properly deactivated.

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

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

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

 All credits and returns in a saleable condition is to be tagged immediately on

receipt and returned to the sales floor.
 No tags are to be removed for trial or fitting of products.

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

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

• Never count the shoe box. Always check inside the shoe box to ensure that the
box is not empty, that the correct shoe and size are in the box.
• Always scan the shoe barcode swing ticket and not the shoe box barcode.
• Make sure that the shoe is a left and right shoe and not two odds.
• Always prepare before hand for stock counts and stock takes. Check for odds,
wrong pairings, incorrect prices and barcodes.
• Make sure the stock is in the right position according to the plan-o-gram allocated
for the stocks.
• Check for units on display and do not count the unit twice by mistake i.e the item
on the floor as well as the item in the BOH.
• Always prepare the BOH first and then the sales floor.
• Always scan or count the sales floor first and then the BOH second in the case of
accessories or a full size curve. Style displays will not be counted on the sales
floor but only in the BOH
• Once the sales floor and BOH have been prepared, make sure that the BOH is
isolated and no stock movement can occur.
• Care must be taken not to count or scan Stock in transit (IBT’S), stock out on
repairs, damaged and written off goods which are not part of the stores inventory.
• Once stock take / count is done on both sales floor and BOH – the two individual
counts are reconciled as one.
• Always ensure that the stock take / count is done before start of day trading. If it
is done after end of day trading, H/O loss control must be notified accordingly
because of the sales / returns which have taken place during the day and need to
be reconciled accordingly.

Stock Counts

 Done fortnightly and can be done either on the full stores inventory or
selected departments, styles, brands etc.
 Are indicative of a potential stock loss problem.
 Stock counts are also used to update and correct inventory numbers in
store but do not affect the financial inventory data base which is the stock listed as
delivered to, sold from and returned or sent out of the store.
 Stock counts are done manually.

Stock Takes
 Stock takes are done quarterly. There will be two financial stock takes six
months apart and two interim stock takes 3 months from the stock take.
 Financial stock takes are done using hand held scanners (HHTs).
 Scan Bins are allocated to fixtures, shelving, straight arms etc. The bin is
scanned and thereafter the individual barcode of each sku. Once the entire bin has
been scanned, the quantity is manually counted and entered into the HHT. If the
two numbers of the scanned quantity corresponds with the manual quantity the
scanned bin is accepted and the sales staff will move onto the next bin until all
bins have been scanned.
 Once all bins have been scanned they are then downloaded into the
system. The system is then checked to ensure all bins have been scanned and all
variances checked and confirmed.
 Stock takes are always done on the full inventory of the store.

STORE CLOSING AND END OF DAY PROCEDURES

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

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

Daily Store Closing Security Checklist:

PARTICULARS REMARKS
Store-Closing: Main entrance & Back door to be sealed.
Store-closing: Thorough check of all personnel leaving the
store.
Store-closing: Check whether all computers are switched off.
Searching all staff / contractors.
Store-closing: Check if all lights, Air conditioning and water
taps are closed /off
Store-closing: Check if the cash safe is locked & sealed/ time
delayed.
Store-closing: Check if the main door and the back doors are
sealed before leaving the store.
Store-Closing: Main entrance & Back door to be sealed.
Store-closing: Thorough check of all personnel leaving the
store.
Store-closing: Check whether all computers are switched off.
Searching all staff / contractors.
Store-closing: Check if all lights, Air conditioning and water
taps are closed /off
Store-closing: Check if the cash safe is locked & sealed/ time
delayed.
Store-closing: Check if the main door and the back doors are
sealed before leaving the store.
Store-Closing: Main entrance & Back door to be sealed.
Store-closing: Thorough check of all personnel leaving the
store.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 The designated department owner has to then prepare the Daily Sales Report (DSR)
and mail/fax the same to the Head of Departments at the support office. The DSR to
summarize the following:
 Total sales
 Total number of bills
 Total number of footfalls
 Conversion rate
 Average bill size
 A copy of the DSR has to be placed at a designated area in the back office, for the
reference of the store manager (if he/she is coming in the morning shift) &
department owner who would be addressing the associates in the morning meeting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Persons responsible for carrying keys required to keep in a safe place to avoid
duplication etc.
 Security person to have all emergency contact no’s etc and Mall stores to be given list
as well.

 Issuing of Alarm codes + safe codes to personnel.

 Specimen of manager signatures for audit purposes etc.

Basic store Closing procedures:

• Clean and tidy department.

• Conduct general housekeeping – sizing, hangering, filling up etc
• Fix displays if necessary
• Fix signage and prices if necessary
• Fill up promotions
• Open up or cut back on space requirements
• Give T/O and sales targets feedback to sales staff
• Do cash ups
• Reconcile all sensitive transactions
• Secure store / set alarm
 STORES

All the stores of Vishal Mega Mart are air conditioned and tastefully decorated with easy
excess to the products, giving the customers a unique shopping experience. The trained
staff will be able to help the customer select the garment of their choice and also help
them color coordinates the accessories that they may want to buy. The Vishal Group is
expanding rapidly.

The group’s prime focus is fashion retailing. The Vishal stores offer affordable family
fashion at prices to suit every pocket. The group’s philosophy is integration and towards
this end has initiated backward integration in the field of high fashion by setting up a
state of the art manufacturing facility to support its retail endeavors.

Vishal is one of fastest growing retailing groups. Their outlets cater to almost all price
ranges. Their showrooms have a product range so wide that all household needs of a
customer can be catered to under one roof. Their stores give customers international
quality goods and prices hard to match. The cost benefits that they derive from their
large central purchase of goods and services is passed on to the consumer.
 STORE LOCATION
ANDHRA PRADESH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Sagar Plaza , Troop Bazar, Hyderabad

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

ASSAM

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

Overbridge, Guwahati – 781001
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Central Road, Silchar, Assam

BIHAR

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Pandey Mall, Frazer Road

CHATTISGARH

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

Raipur

DELHI

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

Road, New Delhi.
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Palmohan Plaza - 39, Block - A,2 Rajouri Garden, New
Delhi
3. VISHAL MEGAMART 10209/10210, Padam Singh Road, Karol Bagh, Delhi
4. VISHAL MEGAMART FD - 7 , Pitampura New Delhi
5. VISHAL MEGAMART B-374, Meera Bagh, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi
6. VISHAL MEGAMART WZ-9A, LAN No-10, Barinder Nagar, New Delhi
7. VISHAL MEGAMART E- 367, Nirman Vihar, Vikas Marg, New Delhi
8. VISHAL MEGAMART RZ-6, Part of Rect No 19 Killa No. 1/2/1, 10, 1/2/2
Rect No. 18 Killa No. 7/3, 5/2 & 6, Laxmi Garden, Village Nazafgarh.
9. VISHAL MEGAMART 156 out of Khadra No. 83/14(Killa No. 14 S Q No.
83), Village Hastsal, colony G-1 Block, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi
10. VISHAL MEGAMART A Block, Plot no.1, Ground Floor, Ph-2, Opp.
Satyawati College, Ashok vihar, New Delhi.
11. VISHAL MEGAMART Mahipalpur Crossing Near Bikaner Sweets Mahipalpur,
New Delhi.
12. VISHAL MEGAMART 2, Road No.85, Club Road, Punjabi Bagh (W) New
Delhi.
13. VISHAL MEGAMART E-6 Outer Ring Road, Prashant Vihar, New Delhi.
14. VISHAL MEGAMART 2 Road No.85 Club Road Punjabi Bagh West (B), New
Delhi.
15. VISHAL MEGAMART D-2/21 krishna nagar, Delhi

GUJRAT

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

SG Road, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Ved Road, Surat, Gujarat
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Kings Square 703+704/3/2/, Near Jalaram Mandir,
Paldi
4. VISHAL MEGAMART Kataria Arked , Plot No. 56,57, 58 Dumas Road,
Piplad, Surat

HARYANA

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

Gurgaon.
2. VISHAL MEGAMART SCO No. 104 & 105, Sector -5, Punchkula, Haryana
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Sun City Mall, Near Jindal House, Opp. Vidyut
Nagar, Delhi Road, Hissar - 125001
4. VISHAL MEGAMART Dabwali Road, Near Green Belt, Sirsa

HIMACHAL PARDESH
1. VISHAL MEGAMART Doon Metro Mall, Near Dena Bank, Sai Road,
Gollarwale, Baddi.
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Moon International Hotel, Near Secretaraite, Chhoti
Shimla, Shimla (H.P)
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Opp. Mezbaan Restarunt , Near ITI College, Sharma
Marriage Palace Ponta Sahib
4. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Secratarait Shimla East
5. VISHAL MEGAMART nh-22 Railway crossing, Opp. classic hotel Dharmpur

JAMMU & KASHMIR

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

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

JHARKHAND

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Central Bank Building, Vishnu Talkies,

Main Road, Ranchi, Jharkhand
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Commerce House, Near ICICI Bank,
Shastri Nagar, Bank More, Dhanbad
3. VISHAL MEGAMART NH-33, Dimna Chowk, Manho, Jamshedpur,
Jharkhand
4. VISHAL MEGAMART Main Road Saraidhela, Dhanbad, Jharkhand

KARNATAKA

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

MADHYA PRADESH
1. VISHAL MEGAMART Mangal City, Plot No. A-1, PU-4, Commercial
Scheme No. 54, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bhopal-City Center, Press Complex Zone1,
MP Nagar, Bhopal
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Kranti Appartments, B Wing, Yashwant
Niwas Road , Indore , Madhya Pradesh
4. VISHAL MEGAMART Kanha Shopping Mall Pvt. Ltd., C-5, City
Center, Lashkar, Gwalior

MAHARASHTRA

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

Maharashtra
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bansi Nagar, Near Railway Station, Aurangabad ,
Maharashtra
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Suyojit Commercial Complex, Near Hotel Prakash,
New Mumbai-Agra Road, Mumbai Naka, Nasik
4. VISHAL MEGAMART F-3 first floor Thakur Shopping Mall Western Express
Highway Dahisar (E) Mumbai
5. VISHAL MEGAMART Dindayal Upadhyay Marg, Nr. Bus Depot, Mulund
(Maharashtra)
6. VISHAL MEGAMART Plot No. 6 Layout Survey No. 50, 52, 53 A
Sehkar/Walvekar Nagar, Pune
7. VISHAL MEGAMART Sahkar mandir CTC No-496/27/1, Sadar Bazar,
Satara, Maharashtra

GOA

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

Panaji, Goa

ORISSA
1. VISHAL MEGAMART WESTERN MARKET BUILDING, Shop No.- 07,
Bhubaneswar-9 Orissa
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Plot No.1176, 1177, R. C Church Road
Behrampur Orissa
3. VISHAL MEGAMART A-1/2 Nayapally, I.R.C. Village ,
Bhubaneshwar, Orissa
4. VISHAL MEGAMART BAJRAKBATI, Cuttack, Orissa - 753001

PUNJAB

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

Road, Ludhiana, Punjab
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Village Dharampur, HB No. 152 Teh. kalka - Pinjor
(Punjab)
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Plot No 111 / 455 Swani Motors, at G.T. Road,
B.M.C.Chowk Jalandhar (Punjab)
4. VISHAL MEGAMART Arjan Complex, Main Sirhind Road, Nr. Hemkunt
Petrol Pump, Patiala
5. VISHAL MEGAMART Sector 32, Urban Estate, Chandigarh Road, Jamalpur,
Ludhiana, Punjab
6. VISHAL MEGAMART SCO No. 126-127, District Sopping Centre, Ranjit
Avenues, Amritsar , Punjab
7. VISHAL MEGAMART Near State Bank of Patiala, Hazi Ratan Chowk, Civil
Lines Bhatinda Punjab
8. VISHAL MEGAMART 9 Shoppers Paradise, Jalandhar Road, Shastri Road,
Batala Punjab
9. VISHAL MEGAMART 3460/1, Sun Plaza opposite Dana Mandi G.T. Road
Khanna (Punjab)

RAJASTHAN
1. VISHAL MEGAMART 1, Ajmer Road, Nr. Sarogi Petrol Pump & Shalimar
Hotel, Opp. Govt. Hostel, Jaipur
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Beawar-Khasra No.149, near Hotel Shri, Ajmer Road,
Beawar Rajasthan
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Crystal Court, 5, Indra Palace, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur,
Rajasthan
4. VISHAL MEGAMART 6 B, Chopasani Road, Near New Kohinor Cinema ,
Jodhpur, Rajasthan
5. VISHAL MEGAMART Hira Panna Market, Pur Road,
Bhilwara, Rajasthan
6. VISHAL MEGAMART Vidhyadhar Nagar, Main Sikar Road, Jaipur
7. VISHAL MEGAMART 138 - 139, Machla Magra, Udaipur
8. VISHAL MEGAMART Opposite Hotel Shanti Niwas, Gangashaher Road, Nr,
Railway Station Bikaner (Rajasthan)
9. VISHAL MEGAMART Shyam Nagar, Pal link Road, Jodhpur

UTTAR PRADESH

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Ansal Plaza , Vaishali, Ghaziabad.

2. VISHAL MEGAMART Bareilly-D85 civil lines Ayub Khan Chauraha,
Chaupala Road. Bareilly Uttar Pradesh
3. VISHAL MEGAMART 6 / 3, South Side, G.T. Road, Silver City Complex
Ghaziabad-191001
4. VISHAL MEGAMART C-27/278, Maldahiya, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
5. VISHAL MEGAMART 16 / 111 , Mall Road, Near Nishant Cinema , Kanpur
6. VISHAL MEGAMART Tulsi Theatre Building, 12, Rani Laxmi Bai Marg
Hazratganj, Lucknow
7. VISHAL MEGAMART Khasra No. 83/7 Munisipal No. 123/7, Shree Ram
Place Main Delhi Road Meerut
8. VISHAL MEGAMART 1372/2-A& 137/2 - A-1 Nauchandi Garh road opp.
Smart Heavens, Meerut
9. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Tulsi Talkies, Delhi Highway, Bhagwan Talkies
Crossing, Agra (U.P)
10. VISHAL MEGAMART Near Vishal Motors, Avaas Vikas Colony, Chandra
Shekhar Azad Nagar, Unnao.
11. VISHAL MEGAMART Madhubani Complex Kanth Road, Moradabad
12. VISHAL MEGAMART khasra no 644/1, paisar plaza, NH-28, Faridabad road,
Barabanki, U.P
13. VISHAL MEGAMART 25/26/1-2 fatehabad-Agra Road, Agra
14. VISHAL MEGAMART Paisar plaza , Paisar Naka lucknow - Faizabad Road
Barabanki
15. VISHAL MEGAMART 742 chandreshekar Aazad Nagar, Palika Parisad city
Distric Unao

UTTRAKHAND

1. VISHAL MEGAMART Shri Ram Plaza, Rajpur Road, Dilla Ram Bazar,
Dehradun
2. VISHAL MEGAMART Khasra No. 38 &39 Village Shakhupaura, Khankhal
Pargana Jwalapur, Haridwar
3. VISHAL MEGAMART Opposite Naini Valley School, Nainital Road
Haldwani
4. VISHAL MEGAMART S.G.A.D. Complex, Opp. Axis Bank, Civil Lines,
Naintal Road, Rudrapur

WEST BENGAL

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

2. VISHAL MEGAMART PGE Plaza, VIP Road, Baguhati Kolkata
3. VISHAL MEGAMART 116F & 117F, B.T. Road, kamar Hatti, Kolkata
4. VISHAL MEGAMART 169,Raas bihari Avenue, garihat, Kolkata

VISHAL MEGA MART, VARANASI

 STORE ADDRESS & LOCATION

ANALYSIS
Chart showing preliminary information about respondents.

I. Age group wise classification:

Age group 15-25 25-35 35-45 45 & above

No. of 42 39 17 2
respondents
 45 42
40 39

35
30
25
20 17
15 No. of respondents
10
5
0 2
15-25 25-35
35-45
45 &
above

INTERPRETATION:

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

II. Occupation wise classification:

Occupation Student Service Business Other

No. of 38 20 20 22
respondent
s
 40 38

35

30
No. of respondents

25 22
20 20
20

15

10

0
Student Service Business Other

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 100 respondents, 38 respondents are student, 20 are engaged

in service, 20 are engaged in business & 22 belong to other category.

III. Gender wise classification:

Gender Male Female

No. of respondents 67 33
 33

Male
Female

67

INTERPRETATION:

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

IV. Marital status wise classification:

Marital status Married Unmarried

No. of respondents 56 44
 44
Unmarried
Marital status

No. of respondents

56
Married

0 20 40 60

INTERPRETATION:

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

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

Options No. of respondents

Once 46
Twice 29
Thrice 9
More 16
 16

9 Once
46
Twice
Thrice
More

29

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of above pie chart it can be concluded that 46

respondents out of 100, visit Vishal once in a month. 29 respondents
visit Vishal twice, only 9 respondents visit thrice in a month & 16
respondents visit Vishal more than 3 times in a month.

2. Do you prefer any particular day?

Options No. of Respondents

Yes 15
No 85
 85
90
80
70
60
50
No. of Res pondents
40
30
15
20
10
0
Y es No

Days Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesd Thursday Friday Saturday

ay
No. of 9 1 1 - 1 1 6
respons
es
 10 9

No. of responses
9
8
7 6
6
5
4
3
2 1 1 1 1
1 0 0
0

ay
y

y
ay
y

ay

y
ys

da

da
da

a
d
sd
d

rid
a

rs
es

ur
un

on
D

ue

F
hu
dn

at
S

S
T
e
W
Days

INTERPRETATION:

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

respondents.

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

Options No. of responses

Nearness to home 9
Reasonable price 33
Quality 17
All under one roof 62
Variety of products 44
 70

60
No. of responses

50

40

30 62

20 44
33
10 17
9
0
Nearness to Reasonable Quality All under one Variety of
home price roof products

INTERPRETATION:

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

Options No. of responses

Appliances 14
Plastic items 58
Glass items 52
Aluminium items 10
Steel items 14
Copper items -
Non-stick items 10

Non-stick items 10

Copper items 0

Steel items 14

Aluminium items 10

Glass items 52

Plastic items 58

Appliances 14

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
No. of responses

INTERPRETATION:

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

Options No. of Respondents

Yes 83
No 17

17
No

No. of Respondents

83
Yes

0 20 40 60 80 100

INTERPRETATION:

From the above chart it can be concluded that 83% of the total
respondents are attracted towards schemes & offers available in
vishal. Only 17% respondents do not bother about schemes & offers.
6. Are you a planned or unplanned buyer?

Options No. of Respondents

Planned 51
Unplanned 49

49
Unplanned

No. of Respondents

51
Planned

48 49 50 51

INTERPRETATION:

It can be seen that most of the respondents are planned buyers. Out of
total 51 respondents are planned and 49 are unplanned buyers.
7. Are you satisfied with the exchange system provided by Vishal
Mega Mart?

Options No. of Respondents

Yes 71
No 6
Never used 23

80
71
70

60

50

40 No. of Respondents
30 23
20
6
10

0
Yes No Never used

INTERPRETATION:

Out of 100 respondents 71 respondents are satisfied with the

exchange system of Vishal, only 6 are dissatisfied. 23 respondents
have never used the exchange system of Vishal.
8. Are you satisfied with the atmosphere provided by Vishal Mega
Mart?

Very Poor Poor Average Good Very Good

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

1
B illing s y s tem 7 41 43 8

M us ic 5 12 46 32 5
V ery P oor
1
Lighting 6 35 46 12 P oor
A verage
S ales s taff 7 35 46 12 G ood
V ery G ood
A ir Conditioning 16 26 34 23 1

W ater fac ilities10 48 38 4

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
No. of re sp on de nts
INTERPRETATION:

4 respondents have rated water facilities as very good, 38 have rated

it good, 48 have rated average, 10 have rated poor & no respondent
has rated it very poor.

1 respondent have rated air conditioning as very good, 23 have rated it

good, 34 have rated average, 26 have rated poor & 16 respondents
has rated it very poor.

12 respondents have rated sales staff of vishal mega mart as very

good, 46 have rated it good, 35 have rated average, 7 have rated poor
& no respondent has rated it very poor.

12 respondents have rated lighting as very good, 46 have rated it

good, 35 have rated average, 6 have rated poor & only 1 respondent
has rated it very poor.

5 respondents have rated music as very good, 32 have rated it good,

46 have rated average, 12 have rated poor & 5 respondents has rated
it very poor.

8 respondents have rated billing system as very good, 43 have rated it

good, 41 have rated average, 7 have rated poor & 1 respondent has
rated it very poor.
9. How do you rank Vishal Mega Mart in comparision to its
competitors?

Store No. of respondents No. of respondents

visited the store not visited the store
Vishal Mega Mart 100 -
Baazar Kolkata 34 66
Citi Style 32 68

100
100
90
80 66 68
70
No. of 60
50
respondents 34 32 No. of respondents
40
30 visited the store
20 No. of respondents not
10 0 visited the store
0
Vishal Baazar Citi Style
Mega Kolkata
Mart
Stores

INTERPRETATION:

Out of total 100 respondents, 66 have not visited Baazar kolkata and
68 have not visited Citi style & also Baazar kolkata.
(I) ON THE BASIS OF PRICE

STORE/RANK I II III
Vishal Mega 74 24 2
Mart
Baazar kolkata 18 24 22
Citi Style 8 20 38

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF PRICE

80 74
70
60
50
No. of 38
40 Vishal Mega Mart
respondents 24 24
30 18 20 22 Baazar kolkata
20 Citi Style
8
10 2
0
I II III
Ranks

INTERPRETATION:

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

STORE/RANK I II III
Vishal Mega 84 8 8
Mart
Baazar kolkata 6 34 24
Citi Style 10 26 30

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF QUALITY

30
III 24
8
Citi Style
26
Ranks

II 34 Baazar kolkata
8
Vishal Mega Mart
10
I 6
84

0 20 40 60 80 100
No. of respondents

INTERPRETATION:

On the basis of quality Vishal has been ranked as first 84 times, second
8 times & third 8 times. Whereas Baazar kolkata has been ranked as
first 6 times, second 34 times & third 24 times. Citi style has been
ranked first, second & third 10, 26 and 30 times respectively.

(III) ON THE BASIS OF PRODUCT RANGE

STORE/RANK I II III
Vishal Mega 82 18 -
Mart
Baazar kolkata 6 24 34
Citi Style 12 26 38

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF PRODUCT RANGE

90 82
80
No. of respondents

70
60 Vishal Mega Mart
50
38 Baazar kolkata
40 34
30 24 26 Citi Style
18
20 12
6
10 0
0
I II III
Ranks

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

(IV) ON THE BASIS OF SALES STAFF

STORE/RANK I II III
Vishal Mega 74 12 14
Mart
Bazaar kolkata 10 24 30
Citi Style 16 32 18

RANKING ON THE BASIS OF SALES STAFF

18
III 30
14

32
Ranks

II 24 Citi Style
12
Baazar kolkata
16 Vishal Mega Mart
I 10
74

0 20 40 60 80
No. of respondents
INTERPRETATION:

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

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

2. The respondents do not generally prefer any particular day but

still some of them prefer Saturday and Sunday to visit the store.

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

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

5. People generally prefer to buy products during schemes and

offers.

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

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

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

9. More than 60% of the respondents visiting Vishal Mega Mart

have not visited both Baazar kolkata and Citi style.

10. Most of the respondents have ranked Vishal having the

lowest price as compared to Baazar kolkata and Citi style.

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

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

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

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

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

V. More discount on kitchen items should be provided.

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

suffocated.

VII. This section is quit congested. More space must be provided to

facilitate smooth flow of traffic.
VIII. Billing system should also improve. It is very time taking.

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

X. Instead of loud songs, soft music must be played to provide a

better atmosphere to the customers.

XI. Power backup must improve.

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