Dissertation report on

PANTALOONS

Report submitted by

NAME – Masum Kaijar Biswas

Roll –PG/VUOAP01/MBA-IS No- 264
Registration number –

Institute – Bengal Institute of Business Studies

 Declaration

I hereby declare that the study entitled “PANTALOONS is being submitted

by me as my final year dissertation project in the partial fulfilment of the
requirement for the award of masters of Business Administration. The study is
based on secondary source of data as well as on primary data/information
source.

The material borrowed from similar titles other sources and incorporated in
the dissertation has been duly acknowledged.

The matter embodied in this project report has not been submitted to any other
university or institution for the award of degree. This project is my original
work and it has not been presented earlier in this manner. This information is
purely of academic interest.

Signature Date:

(Bengal Institute of Business Studies)

 Certificate

To whomever it may concern

This is to certify that Roll-PG/VUOAP01/MBA-IS No- 264, a

bonafide student of this college has completed his dissertation as per
guidelines. He has done this completely on his own and it is an original work
and not copied from any resource.

Thanking you.
Yours truly,

Assistant Professor
Bengal Institute of Business Studies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PARTICULARS PAGE NO.

TITLE 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
INTRODUCTION 3
COMPANY DETAILS 5
CUSTOMER 8
COMPETITORS 9
PANTALOONS ENVIRONMENT 10
ASSIGNMENT PROFILE 13
DETAILS OF ASSIGNMENT 14
WORK PROCESS 21
FINDINGS AND INFERENCE 23
CONCLUSION AND 24
RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES 2
THANK YOU 28
 TITLE

STORE OPERATIONS
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The study's goal was to investigate the OPERATIONAL FUNCTIONS performed by

PANTALOONS.

The project lasted for 60 days. The main goal was to comprehend the numerous strategies
utilized by PANTALOONS as well as other operations and to meet the needs of the
customers. The main goal was to satisfy customers while also learning about consumer
purchasing patterns and determining what they needed beyond what was already provided.

This report's research technique was primarily descriptive in nature. Along with the client
testimonials we read throughout our SIP programme.

Through the study, it was discovered that Pantaloons also paid attention to advertising and
other tools, such as calling the customers and informing them about the offers, organizing
campaigns, etc. Products, brand availability, product variety, and range, according to the
needs of the customer and change periodically with respect to the requirements.

Pantaloons wants to offer individuals services at value-added costs. The main goal of this
project was to gather customer experience in pantaloons and to understand the influences of
various media on the purchasing decisions of the customers. They target various segments,
taking advantage of opportunities suggested by opportunities indicated by higher demand
for lifestyle segment.
 INTRODUCTION

ADITYA BIRLA GROUP

The Aditya Birla Group, a $40 billion US firm, is a member of the Fortune 500. A
remarkable force of over 136,000 employees from 42 different nationalities serves as its
foundation. The Group was voted No. 1 in Asia Pacific for 2011 and No. 4 overall in the
2011 "Top Companies for Leaders" poll. Aon Hewitt, Fortune Magazine, and RBL
performed the largest survey ever on organisational leadership, titled "Top Companies for
Leaders" (a strategic HR and Leadership Advisory firm). The Aditya Birla Group is the
number-one company and the "Best in Class," according to Nielsen's Corporate Image
Monitor 2012–2013. 50% of the Aditya Birla Group's sales come from its international
operations.

Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Korea, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden,
Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, and Vietnam are among the 36
nations where the Group conducts business. The Aditya Birla Group is a multinational
company with headquarters in Worli, Mumbai, India, and is named after Aditya Vikram
Birla. The world's largest manufacturer of viscose staple fibre is the Aditya Birla Group.

It operates out of India, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, and China. It is the brand owner of Birla
Cellulose. The corporation also owns acrylic fibre operations in Egypt and Thailand, viscose
filament yarn businesses and spinning mills in India and South East Asia, in addition to
viscose staple fibre. In Canada and Laos, the firm has holdings in pulp and plantations. Its
two businesses, Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. and Grasim Bhiwani Textiles Ltd., a division of
Grasim Industries, are both engaged in the textile industry.

VISION:

To be a premium global conglomerate, with a clear focus on each of the businesses.

MISSION:
To deliver superior value to our customers, shareholders, employees and society at large.

VALUES:

• Integrity

Acting and taking decisions in a manner that is fair and honest. Following the highest
standards of professionalism and being recognised for doing so. Integrity for us means
not only financial and intellectual integrity, but encompasses all other forms as are
generally understood.

• Commitment

On the foundation of integrity, doing all that is needed to deliver value to all stakeholders. In
the process, being accountable for our own actions and decisions, those of our team and
those on the part of the organisation for which we are responsible.

• Passion

An energetic, intuitive zeal that arises from emotional engagement with the organisation that
makes work joyful and inspires each one to give his or her best. A voluntary, spontaneous
and relentless pursuit of goals and objectives with the highest level of energy and
enthusiasm.

• Seamlessness

Thinking and working together across functional groups, hierarchies, businesses and
geographies. Leveraging diverse competencies and perspectives to garner the benefits of
synergy while promoting organisational unity through sharing and collaborative efforts.
• Speed

Responding to internal and external customers with a sense of urgency. Continuously

striving to finish before deadlines and choosing the best rhythm to optimise organisational
efficiencies.
 COMPANY DETAILS

PANTALOONS

Pantaloons is more than simply a company; it's an institution and a hub for learning and
growth. We consider knowledge to be the sole tool at our disposal, and we are relentless in
our search for it.

At Pantaloons, we take pride in defying expectations, thinking creatively, and taking the
untrodden path. This philosophy informs the phrase "Rewrite Rules, Retain Values," which
is our company's motto.

Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Limited is the name of a chain of upscale clothing stores in
India. In Gariahat, Kolkata, the first Pantaloons store debuted in 1997. As of November
2013, there were 76 Pantaloons locations spread throughout 44 cities. Pantaloons, which
was once owned by the Future Group, is currently run by Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited
(ABNL). With a focus on today's energetic youth and a commitment to meeting their
constantly changing needs, Pantaloons Fashion Retail Ltd. is India's top lifestyle apparel
brand.

The company keeps up with the latest fashion and clothing trends by introducing innovative
ideas, concepts, and products to the garment market. Pantaloons embodies the idea of
continually preserving the "newness factor" through fashionable apparel and accessories that
are visually appealing and upbeat in terms of fashion.

In 1997, there was a big celebration as the first Pantaloons store opened in Gariahat,
Kolkata. The company has evolved and transitioned over time in order to present appealing
trends and styles that cater to the changing fashion hub. Since its inception, Pantaloons has
evolved from selling simply a variety of brands to also carrying its very own, well-known
private labels that are created in-house by the Design Studio.
The Design Studio combines its skills in design and aesthetics to create trends that keep the
consumer stylishly dressed each season with a focused focus on bringing the newest in

fashion. Pantaloons, which was initially positioned as a retailer serving the fashion
requirements of the entire family, has since changed its positioning to become a fashion and
lifestyle brand with a focus on youth and on naturally in-tune designs. This potent
combination has helped Pantaloons keep its place on every consumer's wardrobe's style
radar.

For men, women, and children, Pantaloons stores offer a wide variety of options in
categories including formal to party clothing, western to Indian wear, and active wear.
Pantaloons has broadened its horizons to include trendy accessories like fragrances,
footwear, handbags, watches, sunglasses, and much more in order to further increase the
customer's countless options that express style, attitude, and comfort. Pantaloons has a
network of 81 fashion stores spread over 40 cities and towns, and it is continually expanding
into other parts of contemporary India. Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited ["ABNL"] has taken over
a Pantaloons that was once under the Future Group's management.
A $40 billion Indian multinational with approximately 136,000 workers operating in 36
nations around the world, the famous Aditya Birla Group includes ABNL. Through its
extensive assortment of more than 100 prominent brands for the discerning fashionista, the
company gives its customers an amazing and comprehensive one-stop shopping experience.
Pantaloons' motto of "fresh fashion" is truly embodied in the 81 beautifully designed stores
that are dispersed throughout the nation. They offer a wide selection of stylish and current
goods.
A typical Pantaloons store has a brand portfolio that spans a wide range of classy designs in a
spacious retail space of roughly 28,000 square feet. The line consists of ready-to-wear
western and ethnic clothing for men, women, and children, as well as a wide selection of
accessories. The women's department carries the finest ethnic clothing from RangManch,
Trishaa, and Akkriti in addition to the private labels Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, Rig,
Annabelle, Honey, and Ajile. There are other well-known labels including Lee Cooper, Biba,
and W. Lombard, Rig, Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, and JM Sport are among the private labels
for men's western clothing, in addition to trendy names like Urbana, Scullers, John Miller,
and Indigo Nation. Akkriti offers a large variety of ethnic clothing. In addition to domestic
brands like Barbie and Disney, kids can select from private labels like Bare Denim, Bare
Leisure, Rig, or delight in exclusive brands like Lee Cooper Juniors, Chalk exclusive, Chirpy
Pie & Bare. They might choose traditional clothing from Akkriti to achieve the ethnic look.
Pantaloons provides a lot more than just clothing. Customers can choose from a wide
selection of timepieces from a number of well-known international brands, including Tommy
Hilfiger, Esprit, Kenneth Cole, Citizen, Timex, and Titan. There are also stylish sunglasses
by Polaroid, Guess, Police, Scott, I Dee, and Allen Solly. A nice selection of lady's purses
from Lavie, Caprese, Fiorelli, and Fastrack are on display in the accessory and beauty
sections. Along with a large selection of exotic perfumes, items from color cosmetics
manufacturers including Bourjois, Chamber, Deborah, Faces, Revlon, Maybelline, and
Lakmé are also offered. Pantaloons, with its enormous portfolio of lifestyle wear brands, is
concentrated on growth while still producing cutting-edge clothing. The warm,
individualized service provided by Pantaloons completes the brand's essential promise. The
Aditya Birla Group, which has employees from 42 different nationalities and ranks well
among the
Fortune 500 corporations worldwide, is credited with anchoring the business and penning
one amazing success story after another. ABNL and Future Group, two massive
conglomerates, will collaborate to find operational efficiencies for the company's supply
chain, back-end, and other key value drivers.
Pantaloons, with its enormous portfolio of lifestyle wear brands, is concentrated on growth
while still producing cutting-edge clothing. Pantaloons is known for its friendly, attentive
service, which completes the brand's essential promise.
 CUSTOMER

Pantaloons is a leading retail outlet of clothing in India. It is into core sales. It serves its
customers offline as well as in online. So, it is a B2C business. It caters its services to all the
groups irrespective of their age and profession.
The main purpose is to fulfill the needs of the customers. It provides various products of
different brand and also has the non-apparels product with a discounted price, which helps
the customers to get it on a one stop. Customers don’t have to go somewhere else. It is said
to be the plus point of a pantaloons.
It also serves its customers online at a lower price which helps it to increase its sales not only
offline but also offline.
Pantaloons is a brand which serves its customers in every possible way. Pantaloons also
focuses on earning the loyal customers through providing offers at the special occasions, etc.
it continuously keeps the customers updated about the offers and the new collections that are
available.
 COMPETITORS

There are several brands in the market which are competing for the same set of customers.
Below are the top 7 competitors of Pantaloons:
• SHOPPERS STOP
• VISHAL MEGAMART
• WESTSIDE
• WILLS LIFESTYLE
• JABONG
• MYNTRA
 PANTALOONS ENVIRONMENT

Environment of pantaloons refers to both internal and external environment.

Factors influencing internal environment:
• The target is been set for the week, followed by pitching to
our existing client or new client followed by the sales of
product and then logistics team take care of it.

• The work culture is very tough as its sales. Every

department is under control of store manager. There is a
daily target of sales that the store has to meet. The team
work is very strong and they share very professional
bonding. Every morning a meeting is organized discussing
on how the performance is going on and how we have to
more efficiently perform satisfying customers and also to
meet the store target, the meeting is conducted by
Department managers and the Admin people to keep
updated.

• Customer satisfaction is the main motive of the organisation

at the end.

• As they are into sales, they are strict towards their target and
deadline. They are helpful towards their employees in any
situation with ideas, innovation. They provide ideas, ways to
pitch client by taking any sessions but at the end of the day
target has to be fulfilled.

• Store is there in mall occupying an huge area of two floors

for offices and logistics to carry out the functions. The POS
(point-of-sale) is done by software used by company to keep
track of sales and the payment process.
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

SWOT ANALYSIS:

STRENGTHS

• Development and innovations are high in Pantaloons with

regards to its products and consumer preferences and
lifestyle changes which keeps it ahead of its competitors
• It follows a competitive pricing strategy, convenience and a
wide range of products
• Pantaloons is financially very much strong which helps to
deal with any problems, ride any dip in profits and out
perform their rivals
• Pioneer in the retails industry with a huge market cap in
retail industry.

WEAKNESSES

• Pantaloons do not function internationally, which keeps him

away from international market
• Lack of providing standard carry bags
• Pantaloons sell products across many sectors so as to where
it lacks the opportunity of focusing on particular
competitors.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Population of the country is high so there is scope for

market for kept on increasing
• Online shopping is very much in trend so there is an
opportunity for growth
• Organized retail are less penetrated, so it acts as a great
opportunity for growth

THREATS

• A slow economy or financial slowdown may bring a major

impact on retail
• Consumer lifestyle could lead in the change of buying
behavior
• Price wars between competitors could also effect
• The actions and policies of competitors may bring a major
threat.
 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP)
SEGMENTATION: People looking for good quality affordable apparel
TARGETING : Middle and Upper middle class people
POSITIONING : Pantaloons is a highly fashionable brand with affordable
prices

BRANDS IN PANTALOONS JAMSHEDPUR

Ethnic and Western:

• People, Honey, Candies’, Rangmanch, Akkriti, W, Marigold,
Vanheusen Women, Anabelle, Bare denim, Kraus, Jealous 21, SARIS,
SF Jeans Co, Dreamz, Ajile, Global Desi, Aurelia, Biba, Allen Solly,
Zink London, AND, Latin Quarters.

Men:
• 7 Alt, Bare Denim, Celio, United Colors Of Benetton, Spykar, Levi’s,
Pepe Jeans, Urban Ranger, Street Armor, People, Turtle, Indigo Nation,
Peter England, Theme, Allen Solly, Louis Philippe, Byford, US Polo
Assn., Ajile, Indus Route, SF Jeans Co.

Kids:
• Infant (0-2 years), Boys (2-7 years), Boys (7-14 years), Girls (2-7
years), Girls (7-14 years), Doodle, Gini & Jony, Coolsters

Non Apparels:
• Shoes, Backpacks, Beauty Products, Jewellery’s, belts, Wallets, Tie,
Deodorants, Side Bags, etc.
 ASSIGNMENT PROFILE

The project report that I have chosen to carry out falls under business report.
My work profile is a management intern where we have to deal with customers
and carry out the sales process. Pantaloons is a retail store of clothing fulfilling
the needs of the customers, So, I decided to make a report on the operational
functions that the store carries out. The store that I use to visit is located in
P&M Hi-Tech City Centre Mall, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. It falls under the
large store as per the classification of Aditya Birla Retail.
The team of Pantaloons is very much active at the work place. The first thing
after opening of the store, the assigned staff of pantaloons and we also have to
first provide the apparels that were ordered online, then at the same time we have
to attend the customers to fulfil what they need. Sometimes customers don’t use
to find what they want, then we have to give convince them to go for the similar
kind of products what are available in the store.
The retail store is mainly of sales, so our first priority was customer satisfaction.
As per the retail single quantity bills are very much tried to avoid so as to reduce
the number of single quantity bill, we use to convince the customer to go for
some other products through some offers. In this process, the single quantity bill
is avoided and at the same time the sales is also increased.
Pantaloons targets the middle class and upper middle class segment, with
regards to all the age group and professionals engaged in different sectors.
Pantaloons focuses on the urban area market Apart from all the other activities
of the store, we try to convince the customer to take the premium membership
of Pantaloons which is known as Insignia. It is a paid membership where
customer gets additional benefits from that of other customers. Convincing
customers to take insignia was our main motive as a marketing professional.
Customer satisfaction along with the insignia membership was very much
appreciated by the seniors. Service were provided for the customers who come
with their baby’s for shopping by taking care of them so that customer can
freely shop without any hesitation. Customer reviews were taken so as to
improve and provide better facilities in the future.

Job Description:
Fulfilling the needs of the customers, convincing customers to become insignia
member of pantaloons, updating them about the offers that are going on through
calling, doing PI count, checking Variety Target (VT) report, segregation of stocks
brand wise and article number and other such similar kind of activities.
Job Role: Marketing Intern.
Assigning Authority Name: Mr. Anil Kumar
Singh Contact Details: 8229802803
Email-ID: ANIL.SINGH@ABFRL.ADITYABIRLA.COM
Designation: Store Manager
 DETAILS OF ASSIGNMENT

LOYALITY PROGRAMME:
Pantaloons is a leading retails outlet chain of clothing in India, It targets the
customers of middle and upper middle class people, there is no such boundaries
in targeting a particular group. It caters its services to all the age groups and the
professionals. There are two loyalty programmes that Pantaloons facilitate.

Greencard Membership:
It is a card less, phone number-based membership. It is a membership wherein
the customer gets automatically registered as soon as he does the first
purchase. It should be noted that the purchase is not bound of any certain
amount. The key benefit of this membership is that it is free of cost and in
return a certain amount of point gets accumulated to the registered phone
number depending upon the amount of purchase the customer has made. The
accumulated points can be redeemed in the next purchase. This is a
membership which is absolutely beneficial to the customers. However, the
accumulation of points requires a great time span and this sometimes leads to
unawareness of the membership points that customer has accumulated in his
number. Adding to the previous statement, on the contrary, staff at the billing
counter, updates the customer by stating the amount of points balance in his/
her phone number which if the customer wants can be redeemed. And also, the
points are being updated prior to the expiry of those points to the customer.
The validity of these points is 365 days from the date of purchase. The details
of points are as below:
Rs.50=1 point= 25 paise
The above equation means that the shopping of Rs.50 will award the customer
1 point and the value of one point is 25 paise which means the customer is
getting a discount of 0.5%.

In the Green Card membership customers are classifies into four different
categories:

• 1 Star Customer: Customer who purchases more than 2000 but less than
8000 falls under this category. By making a purchase that is less than Rs.
2000 will make the customer a green card member but he/ she will not get
the points credited to his/ her registered phone number until and unless he/
she does not make a purchase of Rs.2000 or more. As soon as he/ she
become a 1-star member, he/ she will get 1% of the entire shopping
(greater than or equal to Rs.2000 but should be less than Rs.8000)
converted into points and the credited points can be redeemed later on.

• 3 Star Customers: Customers who does a shopping of more than Rs.8000

but less than Rs.20000, falls under this category. As soon as he does the
 shopping worth ranging between the required slabs, he/ she will instantly
get 3% of the shopping done converted into points.
Let us take an example to understand the technicalities of the offer.

• 5 Star Customer: Customers who does a shopping of more than

Rs.20,000 but less than Rs.40,000, falls under this category. As soon as he
does the shopping worth ranging between the required slabs, he/ she will
instantly get 5% of the shopping done converted into points. Let us take an
example to understand the technicalities of the offer.

• 7 Star Customer: Customers who does a shopping of more than

Rs.40,000, falls under this category. As soon as he does the shopping
worth ranging between the required slabs, he/ she will instantly get 7% of
the shopping done converted into points.

The points that the customers get with every purchase are all valid for only 1
year from the date of purchase after that it expires. So, customers can redeem
the point before the due date. There certain terms and conditions that needs to
be followed while redeeming the points. The points can only be redeemed if
the point’s value stand Rs.150 & above, below that points cannot be redeemed.

INSIGNIA MEMBERSHIP:
It is the premium membership of Pantaloons where customers get additional
benefits apart from the other benefits that are get by other customers. As a
management trainee of Pantaloons we were continuously told to brief the
benefits of the membership to customers and get the insignia membership
done. It is a card less, phone number based, paid membership. There is a one-
time charge of Rs.1,499 only, against which the customer will get the
following benefits for next 365 days:
1. The customer will get 10% discount on each and every product. Also,
if there is some prevailing discount or offers, the customer will get
additional 10% discount on total bill amount.
2. The customer will get free carry bags.
3. This membership will be valid across all stores of Pantaloons in India.
4. The customer will get an option of free delivery up-to certain location.
5. There is no minimum or maximum billing limit for this membership
after the registration. Even if the customer makes a purchase of Rs.100
even then he/ she will be eligible for the 10% discount.
6. This membership once taken can be used by the relatives and friends of
the registered customer. The only requirement will be OTP (One Time
Password) sent to the registered mobile number.
7. The normal exchange policy is 30 days but if a customer is an insignia
member, then he/ she gets the exchange period of up to 90 days.
Pantaloons E-gift Card:
It’s always a joy to see someone’s face light up when you give them a gift.
And now, there’s an easier way to give the perfect gift, every time! It’s the all-
new Pantaloons’ gift card. It is actually, the entire store in one card as it allows
you to choose from the store’s entire collection with a one-year validity and no
cap on spending on each shopping spree, you get the freedom to shop as per
your convenience, even during sales. The unique benefit of partial redemption
you can shop as much as you want and also save the rest for later. When the
customers asks for Gift vouchers or Gift Cards, we had to first inform to the
Customer Service Desk. Then they had to inform the Admin department, after
the approval they provide the gift vouchers in the form of a card and update
them by processing it through the website for the usage. Cards are then handed
over to the customers after receiving the bill amount.

Updating Customers for EOSS:

EOSS means End of Season sale. There exists a program, known as “Mission
Happiness” which is a trademark program created to engage with customer
using a physical screen at stores and then follow up feedback and surveys by
the call centre. This has helped Pantaloons to understand and dive deep into
analytics around customer needs.

It is a multi-tier intelligent feedback system where every set of feedback has

defined follow up questions to pinpoint an exact case which led to a bad or a
good experience of the customer. Every month we have to call customers and
tell them about the offers and the upcoming sale that are on the coming few
days so that they are updated and feel free to visit the store and enjoy the
offers.

Core Sales:
It is the primary and the most important part of the store. All the other
processes end at this only. If the organization runs any promotional campaign,
taking extra ordinary care of customers, displaying and assortment of products
in a colourful and attractive way or any other operation the only purpose is to
boost sales. Here, at pantaloons each and every person have first learned to
sale based on which he is promoted or designated with the post. Even the store
manager who is the head of a store come out of his/ her comfort zone to make
sale if the targets are not achieved or if the store is overcrowded.
How the targets are achieved and how the sales growth is evaluated?
Each Store gets a yearly target for the store in general which are then divided
into the five worlds of Pantaloons. Then the departmental managers of each
department divide the yearly targets into daily targets that are as below:
YTD-Year Till Date
MTD- Month Till Date
WTD- Week Till Date
TD- Till Date
Every morning before the store opens, a briefing session is held by the
managers. In this briefing session of half an hour, previous day’s performance
in terms of sale is evaluated for each department and also the targets for
present day are provided. The target of present day is evaluated on the basis on
previous day achievement that is if the target is under achieved then the deficit
of previous day is added back to the present days target and then the targets
are given but if the target is over achieved then the staffs are applauded and
motivated to sale more in the present day.
Each staff within the department are also assessed on their performance on
daily basis, at the end of the day that is the staffs get a CACC tracker in which
they are required to mention the number of customers attended, number of
customers converted, number of quantity sold and also if the customer have
been pitched for insignia and got himself/ herself enrolled in the program.

Many people get in to the store just to spend their idle time which leads to
increase in foot prints and decrease in conversions. Hence, to deal with such
customers the company has come up with a program called ‘Samvaad’ which
is a practice of converting non-buyers to buyers.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Inventory Management is a process where in one needs to keep track of the
stocks by counting it. It also includes the refilling of stock on the floor and
also to make sure if all the stock has hard tag or not. It may seem to be less
important but this is very important as now a days Pantaloons is trying to go
eco-friendly. Hence, they avoid giving paper bills until and unless it is
specifically asked by the customers. So, the security at the entrance do not
check the bills. Thus, all the responsibility as well as the liability of each
product are transferred to the staffs associated to their respective sections
because if any product is without a hard tag then someone can easily steal it
which will incur loss to the store and the company. Therefore, it is very
essential to check whether each and every product has a hard tag or respective
tags or not. The techniques that was followed by us in the Pantaloons to check
the stocks are as follows.
Variety Target:
It is a process that help to keep a track on the stock. This process is done only
for Pantaloons in-house brands. Earlier, it used to happen that a set of 20 or 22
pieces of a particular type used to come in bulk. Due to limited space in
warehouse, the stock cannot be hold for too long. This often leads to a
situation wherein old stock are displayed and new stock are mistakenly left.
So, in order to deals with such irregularity, the company comes up with an
idea of ‘Variety
Target’. Variety target is a report wherein the list of latest stock that the head-
office thinks that could attract the customer more efficiently, boost the sales
and in the report, it is also mentioned that what is the number of stocks sent by
the head office and the only thing that is to be mentioned by the staff is the
number of stocks actually displayed on the business area. Also, VT only
includes those stock that the store has to mandatorily displayed and even after
displaying all the stock mentioned in the VT, if the business area is not filled
then it is the responsibility of the staff to display the old stock that forms valid
families and are not yet sold. Here, valid families refer to a set of a product
which has all the size available in it that is excess small (XS), small (S),
medium (M), large (L), extra-large (XL) and extra-extra-large(XXL). The
reason behind keeping the valid families is that if the customer comes for the
purchase, then he/ she must find the merchandise of his/ her size. Thus, all the
above should be taken care off while displaying of stocks. VT is exercise on
weekly basis.
Physical Inventory (PI):

It is a process where in the stock of a particular Pantaloons Brand is counted

irrespective of the price range. The only thing one needs to keep in mind is
that the product is same that is if we are counting Kurtis then we have to only
count Kurtis and then match it with the counted data according to the season
wise and matching with the article number of the apparel, sent by the head
office. If the data match, then it is good but if it does not match then one need
to find out the missing stock. PI is done on monthly basis. While doing PI if
any shrinkage has taken place it could be easily found out. So, to avoid such
things it is done and also to keep the stocks data.

Global Count (GC):

This is similar to that of PI. The only difference between the two is PI is for
PT brands and GC is for NPT brands. Both are done on monthly basis and also
the end objective of the two is same.
There is basic three exercise that the warehouse does:
Inward: It is a stock that has already reached to the store and it is in the process
of acceptance. In transit: It is a stock that has departed from the distributer but
has not yet reached the store. Outward: it includes those stock that has become
obsolete, defective and those which are not getting sold. Thus, this stock is
sent back to the office.

Whatsapp Calling:

During the Covid-19 pandemic, all the fashion retailers have been heavily
impacted. However, each fashion retailer has adapted with the situation in
their unique way. Pantaloons has chosen to continue its business during covid-
19 via what’s app. Basically, the customer get a promotional message via
what’s app which includes the option of shopping via what’s app and also if
the customer likes the service, they can refer to those customers who have
never done its shopping from Pantaloons. The hidden marketing technique
here is referral from word of mouth. There is a standardized message format as
to how to respond/ talk to customer via what’s app. via what’s app, the
customer is first asked what he need (after greeting). As soon as he/ she text
his/her need, a catalogue is made according to his/ her need and sent to the
customer. If he chooses any one among the catalogue then it is delivered on
the basis of urgency or regular delivery time. If the customer does not like any
of the product from the given catalogue, then he/ she if comfortable can get a
shopping experience through the video call and the rest remains the same.

SAMVAAD:

It is a programme run by Pantaloons to know about the shopping experience of

Customers and also to know the hospitality that the customers are getting
during their shopping time till the time they leave the store. It is a video
feedback that a customer gives to the store. According to the reviews that the
customers are giving store can update their facility and provide what customer
actually needs from the store.

BODFS:

Pantaloons actively has its footprints on online as well. It has partnered with
Myntra, Ajio and Flipkart and also Pantaloons has its own website as well as
application.
Execution of order process is called BODFS (Buy Online Delivery From
Store). Under this process as soon as the warehouse manager get the order
request, he asks the staff of the respective department to find the stock out and
give it within two hours. It might seem easier but the issue starts when the
stock is in the back end and that too in the cartons. And as I talked earlier
about the limited warehouse spaces, and to check each carton until the staff
finds out the stock. This is indeed another most cumbersome process which
can take a lot of time if the staff is not aware about all the product and the
place in the store where it could be found. The job starts from 10:30 a.m. and
ends at 08:00 p.m. The first thing that we used to do after opening the store is
to first find the product that are ordered online and provide it to the warehouse
so as to complete the further process of delivery to the customer as soon as
possible.

Store Display Manual:

Store Display Manual is a display guide sent from the head office of the
Pantaloons to every store. It is a manual where it is mentioned that which
colour apparel is to be put in which sequence and in which wall from
displaying on the table to the wall. If the same colour apparel is not available
at the store then the next best option is to be selected and displayed. It is done
on every 15 days. The display that you will see in one Pantaloons store the
same can be seen at the other Pantaloons outlet as well.
 WORK PROCESS:
The first thing after visiting the store that was told to me at the store at the very
first day was to lookout the whole store. It was for to identify that how many
brands Pantaloons has in-house. Identification of Pantaloons and Non-
Pantaloons brand was very much important and also to know the different
departments in the store. The type of products available with different
varieties.

After few days of joining, I was assigned to a department manager of Men

Section. He handed over me a brand to look after and deal with the customer
and try to sell the products of that particular brand. From keeping the new
stocks in the display, putting hard tag, fold it with paper and selling it, it was
all done.

One meeting was held with all the management trainees and we were told
about the insignia programme that is driven by the Pantaloons and the
importance of it. We all were given a target of minimum 2 insignia members
to be made each day along with other works that were going on. We were
trained as how to identify the customers and approach them for taking insignia
membership. The benefits that the customer gets by enrolling into insignia
membership.

Every week we were provided with the Variety Target report and were asked
to verify it with the article no. or EAN no. of the clothing tag. If there is
shortage it means either some items have been sold or are in transit. It is all
mentioned in the report.

Pantaloons provide some special offers to the customers according to their

month as a cash back reward points. This programme is called Mission
Happiness. The details of the customers are given and we had to call the
customers according to the data that we have and pitch them about the offer
that Pantaloons is offering on their birth month and ask them to visit the store.

We were trained on how to do billing, sometimes during the lunch time and tea
break, the staffs in the cash tills were unavailable due to which customers had
to wait for their turn as there are shortage of billing staffs. We had to take over
the cash tills, so that customers don’t had to wait for much time. At the same
time we had to pitch insignia membership details by looking at the bill value
that they are having.

We had to do account not open. It means the stocks that are present in the store
from many days and are not sold or very less amount is sold than the present
amount. We had to display those stocks at front so that customer can also look
after that product and the stocks that are on hold for long time can be cleared
out.
Outward is done every month to clear out the stocks that are on hold for very
long time or to shift it from one store to another or to return it back. A list is
provided to us and according to that we had to get it out through EAN no. or
article no. and keep it in the different boxes as mentioned. The boxes are then
handed over to the warehouse department.

The sales takes place in Pantaloons every two times a year one at the June and
other at November. Where customers gets a huge discounts of minimum 30%.
Before the sale there are very much preparation is done. The stocks arrives at a
huge quantity than we have to check them all and segregate it according to the
seasons of the apparel.

Coding sheets are provided to us to do coding on the products that are going to
be on sale. We use to check the EAN no. and the season and match it up with
the sheet and look the offer price and then do the coding on it. After the coding
is done, we had to tag them with the sale offer price so that customer finds it
easy to buy and don’t have any confusion.

SAMVAAD Programme is a good very initiative taken by the Pantaloons. It is

where customers are first dealt and after all the billing are done, they were
asked to give a small feedback of the customer service, the collections that
Pantaloons has got, etc. these feedbacks are utmost valuable for the store to
improve their work process and other such things what customers are actually
looking for.

Apart from all these activities our main activity was sales. The targets were
given to us on daily basis and we had to try to achieve those target.
 FINDINGS AND INFERENCES
The study shows that while mapping, market potential of Pantaloons product is
more in urban areas where there is more purchasing power of people. As the
target market of Pantaloons is middle and upper middle class people, it is
observed that with this target market, purchasing power of urban people are
more hence they can easily avail the product for themselves., The other reason
is also that the awareness is less in such areas compared to urban areas like
Kolkata, some city in Bihar and Jharkhand.

DURATION OF THE PROJECT- 8 weeks (From 16th may to 16th July).

CONCLUSION KEY

LEARNINGS-
HOW TO PITCH OUR PRODUCT BY DOING “COLD CALLS”
HOW TO DEAL WITH CUSTOMERS
HOW TO KEEP DATA UPDATED
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING SALES
HOW TO DO OUTWARD
HOW TO DO VT
TAKING FEEDBACK FROM THE CUSTOMERS
PITCHING INSIGNIA AND TELLING THEM ABOUT THE BENEFITS
THAT THEY WILL GET.
DIFFERENTIATING THE PRODUCTS ACCORDING TO THE SEASON
PUTTING TAGS OF OFFER PRICES
PUTTING HARD TAGS
DISPLAYING THE PRODUCTS ACCORDING TO THE STORE DISPLAY
MANUAL
KNOWING THE CONVERGENCE RATE THROUGH FOOTFALL AND
NO. OF BILLS
 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMENDATIONS
People Buy Benefits
People don’t buy products; they buy the results that product will give. Start
your process of identifying your ideal customer by making a list of all of the
benefits that your customer will enjoy by using your product or service.

Identify the Problem Clearly

What kind of problem does your customer have that you can solve? If you
have identified your customer correctly, these people will pay you to solve
their problem.

• Sometimes the problems are obvious and clear and vice-versa

• Sometimes the problems do not exist for the customer. If the problem
does not exist, the customer will not buy your product.

Develop Your Competitive Advantage

You define your competitive advantage, the reason for buying your products
or services, in terms of the benefits, results or outcomes that your customer
will enjoy from purchasing your product or service that they would not fully
enjoy from purchasing the product or service of your competitor.
Focus on the benefits of what makes your product better than others.

Use Content and Social Media Marketing To Your Advantage

There are so many more ways to get your product to your customers than ever
before. What’s the best part? They’re all free. You can use social media such as
Facebook, Twitter, and your blog to your advantage. By building relationships
with your customers through these channels you can access more people than
ever.
Some of the benefits of content marketing include:

• More access to qualified leads.

• More channels to sell your product. 
Lower costs to acquire customers.

Sometimes, You Will Have To Cold Call

Cold calling potential prospects can be frustrating and hard. Whether you are
doing it in person or on the phone, it is your job to warm up a potential
customer. Especially if your product is new, you may have to generate interest
by calling your customers.
 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMENDATIONS
People Buy Benefits
People don’t buy products; they buy the results that product will give. Start
your process of identifying your ideal customer by making a list of all of the
benefits that your customer will enjoy by using your product or service.

Identify the Problem Clearly

What kind of problem does your customer have that you can solve? If you
have identified your customer correctly, these people will pay you to solve
their problem.

• Sometimes the problems are obvious and clear and vice-versa

• Sometimes the problems do not exist for the customer. If the problem
does not exist, the customer will not buy your product.

Develop Your Competitive Advantage

You define your competitive advantage, the reason for buying your products
or services, in terms of the benefits, results or outcomes that your customer
will enjoy from purchasing your product or service that they would not fully
enjoy from purchasing the product or service of your competitor.
Focus on the benefits of what makes your product better than others.

Use Content and Social Media Marketing To Your Advantage

There are so many more ways to get your product to your customers than ever
before. What’s the best part? They’re all free. You can use social media such as
Facebook, Twitter, and your blog to your advantage. By building relationships
with your customers through these channels you can access more people than
ever.
Some of the benefits of content marketing include:

• More access to qualified leads.

• More channels to sell your product. 
Lower costs to acquire customers.

Sometimes, You Will Have To Cold Call

Cold calling potential prospects can be frustrating and hard. Whether you are
doing it in person or on the phone, it is your job to warm up a potential
customer. Especially if your product is new, you may have to generate interest
by calling your customers.
Try the 100 Calls Method When You Start Selling
This is a method I developed when I first began selling to overcome fears of
being rejected. Reach out to 100 customers as fast as you can. You don’t really
care about your sales results, only the number of people you contact. You will
become fearless when selling your product.

Pick the Right Price

Do market research on your competitors to determine the right price. If you
have a high-priced product, be prepared to over-deliver quality to your
customers. Price can be determined by
“perceived value” of your product. If you can make your product seem
superior to your competitors, you can charge a higher price.

Learn Proper Negotiation Techniques

Skilled negotiators are usually quite concerned about finding a solution or an
arrangement that is satisfactory to both parties.
They look for what are called “win-win” situations, where both parties are
happy with the results of the negotiation.
The Best Negotiators Have These 3 Qualities

1. They ask good questions to find out exactly what you need.
2. They are patient.
3. They are very well prepared.

Make Effective Presentations

In selling it is important to make a creative and compelling sales presentation
to your customers. One of the many ways is to create an effective presentation
by using PowerPoint.

Focus on Keeping Your Customer for Life

“Once a customer, always a customer.”
Once a customer has purchased your product, this should not be the end of
your relationship with them. Focus on keeping a strong relationship with your
customer. This will only create more trust and add value to your product.

Give Your Customers the Inside Scoop

If you are going to have a sale on your product soon, tell your customers about
it. They will be happy to hear about it, and it will build trust with them. They
may even buy more because of it.
Your Sales Message Should Be Clear
Pick out one or two benefits of your products and state those clearly in the
sales headline. Make it clear to your customers EXACTLY what your product
is going to do for them. Be specific. If your product has multiple benefits,
create sales messages for different customers that they can relate to.

Training
There is a lack of trainers to give training to the new joiners. The new joiners
should be given proper training at the beginning so that they don’t feel
burdened and do their work properly, easily and efficiently.

Incentives of INSIGNIA
Insignia is an important drive that Pantaloons run and everyone tries to
convince the customers to enrol for Insignia Membership. At the same time,
the staffs that puts their effort for this they don’t get any incentives for they
have made. So, the staffs should be encouraged with incentives or other gifts
for the hard work and effort they put.
REFERENCES

Google
Pantaloons.com
MBAskool.com
THANK
YOU