Introductions

The objective is to study extensively the consumer behavior of shoppers in Bata India
showroom, a well known multi-brand retail showroom, and Adidas, an exclusive branded
outlet. The study intends to extract commonalities and differences exhibited by shoppers of
both Adidas and Bata India by performing a thorough observational study of shopper
behaviour. Based on prior assessment of the several factors that may affect consumer
behaviour, the study gleans the effects of all such factors independently and its conjoint
effects. For instance, the time of purchase, showroom setting, selling style of showroom
salesmen etc. are some of the several factors that affect the shopper behaviour. Further,
understandably so, the factors may have dependencies and common effect which will have
desired/undesired effects on consumer behaviour. An analysis of such factors and their effect
will have implication for the design, process and marketing of such showrooms. Apart from
shedding light on several factors and their impact on shopper behaviour, the study compares
the consumer behaviour in a multi-brand outlet such a Bata where both high end and low end
brands are available vis--vis the consumer behavior in a shop such as Adidas, an exclusive
high end brand retail showroom.

Location and Layout

The two showrooms are markedly different in their intended target groups, positioning,
variety of goods, prices, showroom setting , sales-style, store operating procedures etc. While
Bata targets the low income group of consumers by offering various products, such as shoes,
apparels, belts etc. Adidas targets the high income consumers who can afford to buy products
in the range of upwards of Rs 2000. Adidas is mainly for the sport-lovers and enthusiasts, and
has a limited number of products on display. A mannequin wearing a sport-jersey, shorts and
adidas shoes faces the only window facing the road. On the other hand, almost the entire
showroom of Bata is visible from the road outside and provides customers with a good view
of the stock inside.
Showroom Visibility
The Bata showroom uses an array of lights to keep the showroom bright and visible to the
passersbys; the focus is more on displaying the variety of products inside. Adidas on the
other hand has little visibility although its situated on the main road, and does not look as lit-
up as the Bata showroom. The display of the showroom, with its black and white colors is
more visible than the display board of Bata.
Product Range and Categories
The Adidas group has four brands in its strong portfolio Reebok, Adidas, Rockport &
Taylor made meant for different segment customer groups. Adidas uses
differentiated targeting strategy to target young adults, adults as well as children who have
passion for fitness & sports. Although it targets customers in the age group of 13-40 years but
majority of its customers are of 15-30 years of age who hail from upper middle class or the
luxury class of customers. The showroom features all kinds of sports goods such as shoes,
sandals, footballs, jackets, wind-cheaters, water-bottles etc. The showroom also sells highly
exclusive sport memorabilia such as Ferrari jackets, EPL jerseys and footballs etc.
Bata, on the other hand, with its extra wide portfolio of products, reaches out to multiple
segments of consumers. Bata showroom not only sells footwear of all kinds, formal wear,
informal, casual etc. but also other apparels such as belts, wallets, and socks. Bata also caters
to the high end consumers through brands such as Hush Puppies.

Both showrooms are situated in Bistupur main road, with close proximity to cafes, bus stand,
auto stand and hospitals. The road is frequented by shoppers visiting the nearby market,
hospitals, restaurants etc. As both the showrooms are on the same road and very close to each
other, it can be safely assumed that locational factors will play a minimal role. Both
showrooms dont have their own designated parking spaces but the location of the Adidas
showroom is such that cars can be parked quite easily not far from where the showroom is.
The Bata showroom is in a slight more congested part of the road and consumers coming in
their own vehicles are bound to be hassled by the lack of parking space.

Shopping Environment
Adidas showroom is designed as per the standards set by the parent company. As is the case
with all Adidas showrooms, proper lighting is given to all racks and display stand with clearly
labelled products. The racks in the showroom are separated on the basis of category of
products such as Running Shoes, Winter Wear, Basketball Shoes, Sports Jerseys etc. The
showroom is moderately lit-up using concealed lightings, with all logo signs lighted to an
extra degree. The showroom keeps a limited number of products on display; not all sizes of
tshirts and sandals are kept on display. When the customer requests for a particular size, the
store-salesmen retrieves the products from a store-room. The showroom also has a trial room
towards one corner of the space.
 View of the Adidas store arrangement

The billing counter is right at the center of the showroom layout. The store accepts both card
and cash as payments. The posters on the walls feature sports and athletics related icons
clicked while working out. The Adidas showroom employs three in-store sales persons.

Showroom Lighting
The Bata showrooms is more brightly lighted than the Adidas showrooms with each
separation of product racks done on the basis of brands. Also, all Mens products are towards
the left side of the showroom and the womens towards the right side. The showroom
displays atleast 8 different brands with almost all sizes and colours on display. Due to the
number and variety of products on display and additional stools and seats for seating, the
showroom looks a bit congested. The showroom has windows on all sides, the customers
have a clear view of the bus stand and auto stand in front.
 A typical Bata showroom
Seating
Additionally, there are 3 small ground level seats to enable customers to try out products.
There is no trial room in the showroom as the shop doesnt sell any clothes or garments. The
billing counter is again at the center of the showroom, a straight walk from the main door.
The counter is slightly away from the wall to accomodate space for goods to be sold at POS.
The items displayed in the display rack behind the counters includes socks, belts, wrist bands,
shoe polish etc. The showroom has strategically places such items as these are usually not
items for which customers enter shops, but may buy once reminded of by its display. The
items are distributed on the display rack on either side of the billing counter. The billing
counter accepts both card and cash as payments.

Merchandising
The showroom also has special racks for the hanging display of sandals, loafers and flip-
flops. The few posters on the walls feature kids in Batas power sandals, and girl children
wearing flip-flops. Product brand on display include Naturalizer, Hush Puppies, North Star,
Marie Claire, and many more. The price range starts from around Rs 400 for the Bata brands
such as Power sandals to around 7000 for the Hush Puppies formal shoes. The Bata India
retail showroom employs 5 sales-men. The salesmen can usually be seen tagging a particular
customer helping him or her with his/her needs. The sales person is usually with the shopper
to show him around the showroom, help him with his or her choice, to explain about the
products and to reassure the consumer of his or her choice.

Scheduling of Visits

Objective
The scheduling of visits was carefully planned so as to observe the different facets of
consumer behavior on display. To inquire on the effect of timing of the day on product
purchase, visits were made at different times of the day morning (10 a.m. to 12), noon ( 12
p.m. to 3 p.m.), evening (3.30 p.m. to 6) and evening( 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.). With the view of
getting enough observation, visits were made weekly twice, on a weekday and a weekend, at
all timings in the slots mentioned above. The assumption was that the consumer might exhibit
different shopper behavior if given more time to purchase, as would be expected on a
relatively free weekend day. Efforts were made to visit the showrooms just prior to occasions
such as Rakhi (Monday, 7th Aug) and Independence Day( 15th Aug, Tuesday) with the
presumption that walk-ins would be more than on an average day, enabling more observation
and a probable change in willingness to spend.

Methodology of Observation
The observations were noted down by both members of the group, at times independently and
together post quick discussions at other times. While one person in the team concentrated
mainly on the consumer who needed the products, the other person made observations on
other people (who entered the showroom along with the consumer), who seemed to offer
advice or who were decision makers or gatekeepers. A careful observational study of their
facial expressions, body language, perceived overall attitude, attitude towards objects,
openness to advice from Bata/Adidas salesmen, etc. was performed leading to a thorough
qualitative analysis on consumer behavior in both the showrooms.

Insights from Observations

Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior
Timing of the Day
The number of walk-ins were far fewer in the morning of weekdays than in the evenings.
While there were a few women customers during the daytime, the walk-ins reduced
drastically during the lunch time, from around 12 in the noon to around 1.30 pm. The walk-
ins usually picked up again during 3-5 p.m. time slot. School-kids were seen visiting during
the after-lunch hours for purchasing small items such as shoe polish, socks etc. When
accompanied by parents, the group comprising the child and the parent, took more time in
selecting items and purchased items such as sandals, shoes etc. The average time for a
purchase was approximately 15 minutes.

Purchase Groups
Most of children who came accompanies by parent knew exactly what they wanted. As soon
as they entered the showroom, the salesman guided them to the exact rack where the product
demanded was displayed. The parents clearly had a huge role to play as decision makers.
While the children were open with their preferences, the parent, usually the mother, usually
decided on which all products the child would try out before purchasing. The choice of
shoes/sandals usually depended on the price of the products, quality (usually tested out by
feeling the outside of the product, shoe insoles etc.), and brand. The above evaluative criteria
varied depending on the products. Price and comfort often seemed to be the only two criteria
while selecting formal shoes. Singly adults or adult groups usually came in the evenings,
usually on their way home from work, and took more time to arrive at decision.

Brand Consciousness
Customers rarely asked for the brand, while trying formal shoes, but always asked for the
price even before trying out the shoes. It was seen that customer quickly identified the display
section where the low-price brands were kept. Once a customer tried out a particular product
from a low-price section in the showroom, further perusal of products was done in the same
or nearby sections. In the case of Bata showroom, this seemed logical as segregation of
products were on the basis of brands, and products of a particular brand were price in and
around the same price point.

Price Consciousness
Based on our observations in Bata showroom, customers can be broadly segmented into two
categories - consumers for whom price is the primary, and in some cases the only criteria of
decision making. Such consumers usually asked for a particular product in a particular price
range on entering the shop. The salesmen usually took the consumers straight to the sections
where brand in the desired price range are kept. The consumers try out products from these
section and arrive at their final choice after much deliberation. Such consumers can rarely be
persuaded into buying a higher quality brand for a higher price.

Pre-decided Consumers vs Consumers open-to-suggestions

While almost all low-income consumers fall into this category, several high-income
consumers also reside in this category due to situational circumstances. A case in point is
certain mothers who come with their children to buy sport shoes for schools. When the sales-
person tries to sell a higher brand to such consumer groups, the mothers can be seen
reasoning with the sales-person and the child at the same time that sport shoes used in schools
are in for a rough-ride and hence will be damaged sooner or later.

The second kind of consumers are the ones who are more open to suggestions and have more
evaluative criteria other than just price. Several factors such as brand, femininity/manliness of
the brand, price, comfort while wearing the sandals or shoes, the type of sole etc. Such
consumers enjoy the process of shopping, seeking advice and information from peers or the
in-store sales man, and trying out products several times before purchasing. These consumers
can be seen posing in front of the mirror with the trial-product and constantly seeking words
of re-assurance from the members of their purchase group. The sales-men are also highly
involved in the sale and play a huge role in their final purchase. The sales-person has to
always be on his toes for answering questions, checking for alternative size stocks, doling out
advice. The customer is happy to receive advices, whether they be solicited or not.

The purchase group size was usually 2-3, with the child coming with her mother usually,
rarely with her father. The shopping time was significantly more for groups than for single
persons. Shoppers almost always came with a purpose in mind, rarely just to for window
shopping. Consumers seemed to know exactly what to expect in the Bata showroom as was
evidenced by the questions they asked- there were no questions about an upcoming product
or past product that was a big success. Bata has the advantage of offering products of all
kinds and for all price ranges. Sometimes the purchase group is an entire family coming on a
weekend. As expected, family purchase groups usually come only on weekends and spend a
lot of time going through the products. It is probably the only time customers look around for
products they didnt intend to buy.
POS Merchandising
The display counter behind the billing center helps immensely in the case of family
purchases. The family members are usually reminded of a need to purchase certain products
on seeing the items kept in the rack behind the billing counter. The cashier is also enthused to
showcase the products and recommend the purchase of a few when a family as a whole
comes to the case counter. The products kept behind the counter are low price items and
customers dont mind buying an item or two for future use if not for an immediate
consumption. As is clearly noted, the dynamics of a group purchase is completely different
from a purchase by a single person. Also noted are cases when one of the family members
reminds another member of the same group of a product he or she has been wanting to buy.
The group then leaves the counter and goes back to have a look at the products they have in
mind.

Salespersons intuitively understand the role of the decision makers and gatekeepers in a
purchase group. For instance, when a child walks in asking for a product, the sales-person
confirms the kind and brand of the product required from the mother. As noted, the chances
of impulse buying behavior are quite high in the Bata showroom. There are many low-price
items such as sandals or bulk packaged items such as socks which the consumers may
purchase impromptu.

Adidas
The dynamics of shopper behavior is quite different from that in a Bata India showroom. The
walk-ins are far lower in number as compared to the walk-ins in a Bata showroom, but the
purchase value usually far exceeds the average value of purchase from a Bata showroom. The
shoppers in Adidas showroom usually has a specific requirement in mind and rarely expect
discounts on the products.

Customer Profile
Consumers are usually youngsters in the age group of 15-40 or elderly men who are sports
enthusiasts or fitness oriented. As there are very few products in the showroom, consumers
need little assistance from the salesperson. The salesman knows this and keeps a distance
from the customer when he goes through the products in the showroom. Interestingly, the
consumer is highly knowledgeable about the products he required, even sometimes to the
extent of searching information online and coming to the store. An evidence of this is seen
when the customer approaches the salesman to inform that what he saw or read on the
internet about the product in question was a different.

Showrooming
Customers, usually the tech-savvy youngsters also take to showrooming at times. When the
customer likes a product in the showroom, sometimes the consumer go through the popular e-
commerce websites just to make sure the product is not available in those sites at a lower
price. The consumer cancels the purchase on seeing the same product online only if the price
is significantly lesser than the showroom price. Parents who are not tech-savvy also seem to
be inclined towards the showrooming behaviour ; they ask their tech-savvy children to
confirm the price of the products online.

Discounts and Promotions

It is also seen that consumers are thrilled to purchase Adidas products on discount, although
they expect no discounts. The off-season sales of brand outlets such as Adidas seems to be
popular amongst all sections of Adidas consumers for some consumers come into the store
just to ask when the next off-season sale is. Consumers are usually wary of any discount sign
thats put; they always expect additional caveats to messages such as Flat 30% discount.
Consumers willing to purchase product only if given a discount ask for the section having
discount soon after entering the shop. Some even leave instantly if they come to know there
are no discounts.
The price tags of all Adidas products are usually inside the products. Almost all consumers
know this and fish out the product tag before even thinking of trying out the product.

Information Seeking and Evaluation of Alternatives

All Adidas showroom concentrate a lot on proving the perfect experiential shopping
experience for its consumers. For the same reason, the average shopping time of consumers is
quite high for the purchasers. Also noteworthy is the fact that there are almost an equal
number of consumers who leave instantly on knowing a product theyre looking for is not
available.
Trials are important aspect of the shopper experience of all Adidas consumers. Consumers are
product-savvy but still seek additional technical information from the salesmen. Information
asked could range from what kind of shoes is needed for basketball, to why running shoes
cant be used for walking.

Additional Insights
The consumers who spend more than the initial 1 min in the showroom go on to look at and
feel other products in the showroom. As the consumer know the prices are quite high,
checking the price tag inside the products is the first thing a consumer does. Most of the
purchase in the Adidas showroom are shoes and jackets. Consumers enjoy the shopping
process for certain products such as walking shoes. On wearing the shoes, the consumers
walk around the showroom to get a feel of the product. The assurance of buying a brand item
such as Adidas seems to be strong as there are very few questions on the quality of products,
the make or build, how long it might last etc. The consumers know the price is quite high but
they also feel the products are for a long term use. The influence of reference groups,
purchase groups, decision makers and gatekeepers remain similar to that of Bata showroom
shoppers.
The elderly who come to the showroom are extra-specific about the product they require.
They rarely wait a long time before purchasing. Repeat purchase is also more prevalent
amongst this age group.