MARKETING OF PERISHABLE GOODS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE

TO FRUITS AND VEGETABELS IN THANJAVUR DISTRICT

QUESTIONNAIRE TO RETAILERS / STREET VENDORS

I. PERSONAL PROFILE OF RETAILERS / STREET VENDORS

Name of the shop (if any)

: -----------------------------------------

1. Gender

1. Male
2. Female

[
[

]
]

2. Age (in years)

1. Upto 30
2. 31 40
3. 41- 50
4. 51 and above

[
[
[
[

]
]
]
]

3. Marital Status

1.Married
2. Unmarried

[
[

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]

4. Literacy Level

1. Upto HSC
[
2. Diploma/ ITI
[
3. U.G Degree
[
3. P.G Degree
[
4. Professional Degree [

]
]
]
]
]

5. Annual Income (in Rs.)

1. Upto 1.00,000
[
2. 1,00,001-2,00,000 [
3. 2,00,001-3,00,000 [
4. 3,00,001 and above [

]
]
]
]

1. Yes
2. No

]
]

6. Are you a member in any traders Union?

[
[

II. BUSINESS PROFILE OF THE RETAILER / STREET VENDORS

7. Are you a first generation businessman?
1. Yes
2. No

[
[

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]

8. How did you conceive the business idea for selling fruits and vegetables?
1
2
3

Success of others sellers

[
Self interest
[
Ideas of family members/others [

]
]
]

9. For how long do you deal in this line of business?

1. 0-5 years
[
2. 5-10 year
[
3. 10-15 years
[
4. 16 and above
[

]
]
]
]

10. What is your investment?

1. Upto 50,000 1,00,000
2. 1,00,000- 1,50,000
3. 1,50,000 2,00,000
4. Above 2,00,000

[
[
[
[

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]

11. Do you have own warehouse?

1. Yes
2. No

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[

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]

12. Do you have own building for your shop?

1. Yes
2. No

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[

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]

13. What is the major source of funds?

1 Banks / Financial Institutions
2 Private money lenders
3 Relatives / friends
4 Own fund

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[
[
[

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]

14. Have you suffered from loss in your business in the past years?
1 Yes
[ ]
2 No
[ ]
15. If Yes, What was the reason for such loss?
1 Increase of operating Expenses
2 Decline of Sales
3 Decline in price
4 Heavy Competition

[
[
[
[

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]

16. How do you take steps to retain the customers?

1. By credit sales
2. By price reduction
3. By offering free door delivery
4. Any other

[
[
[
[

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]
2

17. Do your customers bargain with you for reduction of price?

1. At times
[ ]
2. Always
[ ]
3. Never
[ ]
18. From whom you usually purchase the vegetables/fruits?
1. From farmers
[ ]
2. From wholesalers
[
3. From commission agents
[ ]
4. From all the sources
[ ]

19. What type of relationship / contact that you maintain with your neighboring shops?
1. Amicable Relationship
[ ]
2. No Relationship
[ ]
20. Do you purchase from your neighbouring shops in emergency times?
1. Yes
[ ]
2. No
[ ]
21. What is the major problem in the credit purchase?
1. Shorter credit period
[ ]
2. Strict terms & conditions
[ ]
22. Who are your regular customers?
1. Monthly salary earning persons [
2. Daily wages earning labourers [
3. Both
[

]
]
]

III. SELLING PRACTICES OF THE RETAILERS / STREET VENDORS

23. Which is the most convenient point to sell vegetables and fruits?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Vegetable market
Selling in street
Super market/department stores
Uzhavar santhai
Others

[
[
[
[
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]

24. What is the profit margin usually you fix in your business?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Upto 15%
16% - 30%
31% - 45%
Cannot be pre determined

]
[
[

]
]

25. What is the major problem in the cash sales?

1. Slow movement of goods
[
2. No repeated purchases by the customers [
3. More selling expenses
[

]
]
]

26. What is the effect of credit sales?

1. Bad debts
2. Loss of customers

]
]

[
[

27. What is the maximum period allowed for the credit sales?
1. 15 days
[ ]
2. 30 days
[ ]
3. Not Applicable
[ ]
28. How do you recover the bad debts?
1. By reminding repeatedly
2. By sending representatives

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[

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]

29. What is the benefit to business from the credit sales?

1. Business expands
2. More customers available
3. Others

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[
[

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]

IV. PERCEPTION TOWARDS THE DIFFICULTIES OF RETAILERS /

STREET VENDORS
1. Strongly disagree
2.Disagree
3.Slighlty Disagree
4. Neither Agree Nor Disagree
5.Slightly Agree 6. Agree 7.
Strongly Agree

S.N
o
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39

Difficulties

Low profit margin

Promotional cost
Bad debts
Competition
Price level changes
Non availability of laborers
Loss due to perishability of goods
Loss due to time
Pre-determination of demand
Increase of operating expenses
4

40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

Lack of finance
Govt. Restriction
Credit sales
Employee turnover
Entry of Big players
Market premises
Transportation and distribution cost
Product quality
Packaging
Attitudes of the customers
Absence of warehousing

V. ATTITUDES OF RETAILERS / STREET VENDORS TOWARDS

MARKETING OF PERISHABLE GOODS
1. Strongly disagree
2.Disagree
3.Slighlty Disagree
4. Neither Agree Nor Disagree
5.Slightly Agree 6. Agree 7.
Strongly Agree

Sl. No.
51
52
53
54
55
56

57
58
59
60
61
62
63

Attitude Statement
PRODUCT
Our product quality is good
We have a very good brand image
Our customer service is good
In our shop, availability of goods is at any time
If our product is not good, we will change the
products
PRICE
Price fluctuations affect my business seriously
Reduction of price is beneficial to my business
because turnover will increase
Sometimes, enormous price increase will
affect my profitability
I am willing to reduce price/ offer concessions
for my regular customers
I wish to grant credit for my regular customers
PROMOTION
I am willing to maintain always customer
friendliness
I am sentimentally attached with the
favorite/regular customers

64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77

When my customers bargain for low price I

tolerate it.
Our business have good promotional strategies
We have Clean & spacious atmosphere
We have availability of staffs to offer help,
individual attention to loyal customers
We have good advertisement strategies
PLACE
We have good channels of distribution
We have timely service system to the
customers
Transportation cost is affects the profit of the
business
Middlemen earns more profit
GENERAL ATTITUDES
My business has a bright future
I am willing to recommend this business to my
sons
This business has long life
I treat the ups and down in this business as
equal.
I observe recent trends in this line of business
carefully

VI. SATISFACTORY DIMENSIONS IN RELATION TO YOUR BUSIENSS

1. Highly dissatisfied 2. Dissatisfied 3. Slightly Dissatisfied 4.neutral
5.Slightly satisfied 6.Satisfied 7.Highly satisfied.

Sl.No
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86

Sub Dimensions

Profitability
Standard of life
Financial position
Market conditions
Family support
Bank assistance
Present price level of product

Customer relationship
Overall satisfaction