A STUDY ON SATISFACTION OF CUSTOMER BUYING SPORTS EQUIPMENT

IN DECATHLON

CHAPTER 1

1.1INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

A sports industry is developing one of the biggest in the world. More & more people are
participating in sport & recreational activities throughout a wide spectrum of activities.
Indian sports goods retail industry has grown significantly over the years. Technology,
coupled with few government initiatives, leading to cost-effective production techniques,
would be the prerequisites for this highly evolving industry.

The Indian sports goods retailing sector is becoming intensely competitive as more and more
players are vying for the same set of customers and is witnessing a radical transformation.
The increase in the number of retailers across the country indicates that sports industry will
boom in a big way in the near future. The new entrant in retailing in India signifies the
beginning of retail revolution. Retailing of Sports Goods Market in India is growing due to
the rise in per capita income, changing lifestyle, and consumer preferences. India has been a
manufacturing hub for various sports products and brands sourcing which has tremendously
increased.

They have become a considerable line of business. An excellent example is the athleisure
trend (the overall athleisure category is growing at a rate of 20% to 25% annually in India)
Clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in different settings, such
as at the workplace, at school or at other casual or social occasions. Trends like this and the
uniqueness of sports products and sports customers require appropriate sports retail settings
to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. In other words, the context of sport and retailing
is faced with several peculiarities distinguishing it from other lines of business, these
peculiarities have to be taken into consideration when creating a positive customer experience
in a sports retail store.

Many sports brands use online and offline channels as complementary strategies and an
increasing fraction of customers shop both online and offline. Nevertheless, there is no
denying that online business in contrast to offline business has been increasing every year
also in the sports industry but retailers with offline stores have begun to realise that they have
a physical advantage over pure online players and that it is important to utilise this chance. In
particular, an offline channel may complement an online channel in terms of service quality –
that is, by highlighting the possibility of a rich, multisensory brand experience and the
salespeople’s ability to improve the service experience. For customers in India, the main
reasons for not shopping online are the chance to see the product before purchasing it and to
get support from salespeople in case of lacking skills and knowledge. All these aspects
highlight the importance of satisfaction.

Sport retail stores are an essential part of sport industry serving as a vital link between sport
equipment manufactures and sport enthusiasts. Decathlon is a well-known global sports retail
store that offers an extensive range of sports equipment, apparel and accessories at affordable
prices. The company’s commitment to provide quality products and excellent customer
service has earned them a significant market share in the sports retail industry. However, with
the increasing competition in the sports retail sector, it is essential for decathlon to understand
its customers experiences in their stores. This study aims to explore insights into customer
experience in Decathlon retail store.

Bestsellers brands for sportswear at decathlon are:

 Quechua.
 Domyos.
 Kalenji.
 Nabaiji.
 Forclaz.
 Inesis.
 Newfeel.
 Kipsta.

Industry analysis

Indian sports retail sector is developing rapidly and many people are taking part in one or the
other sport activity to be fit. Improvement in technology, change in government regulations
and competition might be the factors for a firm to be transforming over a period of time and
increase economies of scale. India has been the hub for manufacturing of goods and services,
so as many industries have their home-grown manufacturing. People don’t prefer the same
king of clothing for casual wear and sport wear, the fitting and the material used are different
in each of them. People are moving towards trend and companies are coming up with unique
qualities for satisfying customer in various ways. Not only through offline mode, even on
online businesses are becoming so advanced with providing coupons and discount to attract
new segment of the market.

There are many companies that are performing extraordinary in sport retail sector, decathlon
being one among them and they have entered into indian market as faster than expected,
people prefer the brand as it provides the same quality of products at a very lower price. Well
trained staff who are very attentive and helpful in helping the customers also makes it a
delight, when we look at their staff, the hiring is done on the basis of their fitness level, so
that they can show the trial of every sport and equipment in the store. There are around 800
stores across the world and are yet expanding more of it. They have the largest reseller
market, they also accept all variants of sport brands for them to display at the decathlon store
and make them accessible for the customers at a very lower price.

When we look at decathlon as an industry, we can say that its

Strengths:

 They have various stores around 800 all around the world, with wide range of
products with at a very affordable price.
 The design and the manufacture is controlled by them itself.
 They focus more on customers and how to enhance their experience.

Weakness:

 Few segments consider decathlon as a budget brand, where in they hesitate to buy
from here.
 Their target segment is very small, as it won’t seek to the premium segment of the
market.

Opportunities:
  They can increase to expand their reach on all e commerce websites and impress
customers beyond physical stores.
 Rising demand in health and fitness will lead to more customers demanding sport
products, so coming up with something innovative will help them.
 Moving towards sustainability as the trend moves towards eco-friendly environment.

Threats:

 There is increasing competition in the market, and preferences of consumers keep

changing which will lead to fluctuations in demand.
 There might be duplicate copies of the products which might affect the brand
reputation and trust from the consumer side.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Decathlon being a well-known sports company with a large selection of items, the goal of a
survey is to know the happy consumers are with decathlon's products and what variables
contribute to that satisfaction in the shivamogga city. A renowned sports retail business,
decathlon offers a broad selection of athletic products and equipment to meet the demands of
various customers. Despite its widespread use and wide range of available products,
maintaining a competitive edge in the market requires an awareness of the elements that
affect customer satisfaction. So that to raise customer satisfaction levels, it is important to
comprehend the elements that lead to consumer discontent and identify opportunities for
development.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 To study consumer satisfaction towards decathlon products with reference towards

shivamogga city.
 To measure consumer satisfaction based on factors such as product quality,
functionality, durability, and performance.
 To determine the extent to which decathlon products meet consumer expectations and
fulfill their needs.
 To assess the impact of factors such as pricing, availability and customer services.
  To compare consumer satisfaction levels across different product categories offered
by decathlon with another sports store.

1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Type of research

Descriptive research is a survey method that focuses on describing and documenting the
characteristics, behaviours, patterns, and trends of a particular phenomenon or subject of
interest. The primary goal of descriptive analysis is to come up with a detailed and accurate
snapshot of the existing situation, without attempting to manipulate or control variables.

Sources of Data collection

Primary data

The primary data are collected with a specific goal in mind, to evaluate customer purchasing
behaviour. Through the structured questionnaire was sent to respondents in Shivamogga so
that to get first-hand information. The firsthand information were possessed from respondents
of consumers who visit the store.

Secondary data

Secondary data is information that is easily accessible from a variety of sources, such as
websites, journals, papers, magazines, etc.

Sampling method

Random sampling was made based on accessibility and availability by sending a

questionnaire using Google Forms at our convenient level. Random sampling was employed
from the population; it is done when a customer randomly visits the decathlon outlet.
Population and sampling units

In order to understand consumer’s satisfaction towards product of the decathlon and services,
research and survey activities for people of Shivamogga are conducted.Sampling units-
Research was done on both male and female candidates who have purchased products in
decathlon.

Sample size

Sample size is the amount of sampling units chosen from population of customers who visit
Decathlon store for purchasing the sports goods; here the sample size is 250. As much we
desire the respondents up to expectation is performed the quantity is appropriate According to
its limitations 250 respondents are chosen as sample size for the study. there will around 50-
100 people visiting Decathlon store in the weekends , the response was taken by 30-40 people
in weekends the response of 250 people was covered within 10 days . Due time constraint,
survey will be done only for 250 sample size.

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 The study will focus on decathlon's customers in a specific geographic area.

 The study will cover a range of products and services offered by decathlon.
 The study will include both online and offline customers.
 The study will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods,
including surveys, interviews, and customer feedback analysis.

1.6 TOOLS AND DATA ANALYSIS

The questionnaire is carefully designed to meet the requirements of the research. The
questionnaire focuses on two parts. The first part is the demographic aspects of the
respondents and the second part focuses on the insights of customer perception in offline
shopping at decathlon.To understand the customer perceptions, most of the questions in the
second part were provided to be ranked between a scale of strongly agree to strongly
disagree.

The entire data has been analysed using SPSS software. The tools used for analysis in SPSS
software for this research is
  Chi-square analysis

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

 The study may suffer from sample bias if the participants are not representative of the
general population or the specific target audience of Decathlon products. For
example, if the study only includes participants who are already fans of Decathlon,
the results may not accurately reflect the opinions of the general population.
 The time limitations of the study were only 3 months.
 The study may only focus on certain aspects of customer satisfaction, such as product
quality, pricing, and customer service, while ignoring other important factors, such as
marketing, advertising, and brand image.
 The study may have a small sample size, which can limit the generalizability of the
findings.
 There may be external factors that affect customer satisfaction, such as changes in the
economy or competitors' actions, that are not accounted for in the study.

1.7 CHAPTER SCHEME

CHAPTER 1: The study deals with “A STUDY ON SATISFACTION OF CUSTOMER

BUYING SPORTS EQUIPMENT IN DECATHLON “Objectives Of Study, Scope Of
Study, Statement Of The Problem And Limitations Of Study”.

CHAPTER 2: The study deals with “REVIEW OF LITERATURE “

CHAPTER 3: The study deals with “INDUSTRY OVERVIEW”

CHAPTER 4: The study deals with “ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION”

CHAPTER 5: The study deals with “FINDING, SUGGESTION AND CONCLUSION”.