PROJECT REPORT ON

WOMEN: BLUE EYED CUSTOMER OF

INDIAN MARKET
SUBMITTED BY

MUSTAFA.A.BOOTWALA
T.Y.B.M.S. [Semester V]

BCCA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

SUBMITTED TO

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
ACADEMIC YEAR
2008 - 2009
NAME OF PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR

PROF. MEHTAB. AHMED

DATE OF SUBMISSION
OCTOBER, 2008

DECLARATION
I MR. MUSTAFA .A. BOOTWALA OF BCCA
INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
(SEMESTER V) HEREBY DECLARE THAT I HAVE
COMPLETED THIS PROJECT ON WOMEN: BLUE
EYED CUSTOMER OF INDIAN MARKET, IN THE
ACADEMIC YEAR 2008-09. THE INFORMATION
SUBMITTED HEREIN IS TRUE AND BEST OF MY
KNOWLEDGE.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the first place I would like to record my gratitude to Prof.
Mehtab Ahmed for his supervision, advice, and guidance from
the very early stage of this project as well as giving me
extraordinary experiences through out the work. Above all and
the most needed, he provided me unflinching encouragement
and support in various ways. His truly intuition has made him
as a constant oasis of ideas which exceptionally inspire and
enrich my growth as a student. I am indebted to him more
than he knows.
I am tempted to individually thank all of my friends who have
joined hands in the preparation of project report and how to
make it the best. However, because the list might be too long
and by fear of leaving someone out, I will simply say thank you
very much to you all.
I cannot finish without saying how grateful I am with my
family: grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and nephews all
have given me a loving environment where I could complete
my project.

Lastly, and most importantly, I wish to thank my mother. She

has always supported and encouraged me to do my best in all
matters of life.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and
a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may
know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of
God is (one who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full
knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). [Quran
49:13]
Since the beginning of time women are considered the
Inferior sex and men automatically the superior despite of the
words written in our holy book that in the eyes of God the
highest placement always belongs to the one who is pious and
most righteous.

I have been asked many times what I thought about women as

good citizens, and I take this opportunity to give answer,
which may refer to all women. We could have no good citizens
without good women. The home is our first school, and the
home life and home instruction are first and the most lasting.
Every home has a woman in it, and some homes have good
women in them. Women are like men--some are good and some
are bad. We can have no good home without good women, and
we can have no good citizens without good homes; therefore,
good women are essential to good citizenship. I believe that
the best interests of our country and its institutions demand
that women have the largest liberty consistent with the
demands of the home, to exercise their influence upon the
social and moral, and educational and political interests of
childhood and manhood. And once for all, let me say that I am
in favor of human rights for every individual of every race, of
every condition, regardless of sex, and would secure to each
citizen the right of personal liberty of life and the pursuit of
happiness. I am not only in favor of women being the queen of
the home, but I am willing she shall exercise her regal power
in the political world.
In short, women should be defined the same as men. Women
should be allowed to do whatever they desire in their heart,

just like any men do. I see no reason other than ignorance that
we should keep these rules in place.
Because this subject crosses many disciplines and studies, my
enquiry will be only on a broad basis. It will consider whether
progress in furthering the role of women in society has been of
some benefit to the individual woman. Theories of progress
may be enshrined in new laws but are only valid if they are
experienced in the life of people, and more precisely in the life
of women. Having been part of a movement in one form or
another, I have come to the question if any claim of progress is
related to the need of the individual woman. It is true to say
that not all women have the same need. The need of the
woman who stays at home, raising children will differ widely
from the high flyer minded careerist. Nonetheless, in the
extensive field of equal opportunities, (employment, to name
one), it would be good to know that access is given to both on
equal measure according to the true value of respective
abilities. It also would be good to know that the woman at
home is recognised as a valued member of society just as
much as the one who deals on the stock market.
This project explains the above executive summary in
detail and explains the statement as to why be women looked
upon as a blue eyed customer in Indian market which includes
various surveys that gives brief idea about the statement.

INDEX

Sr. No.

Page
Nos.

Contents
INTRODUCTION

1.1

Etymology

1-2

1.2

Age & Terminology

2-3

1.3

Culture & Gender Role

1.4

Women Studies (O.E.C.D) Countries

5-6

CHANGING CUSTOM OF WOMEN

7-9

Last 200 Years

9-11

INDIAN WOMEN

12
12

3.2

Ancient Indian Women

Medieval Indian Women

3.3

Modern Indian Women

13-14

3.4

The Main Problems Of Indian Women

14-15

3.5

Women Achiever

15-18

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

19-23

WOMEN AS CONSUMERS

24-26

5.1

Women And Word Of Mouth

26-27

MARKET SURVEY ON WOMEN CUSTOMER

28

6.1

General Market Survey (Mumbai)

29-32

6.2

General Market Survey (Surat)

33-35

2
2.1
3
3.1

12

6.3

Cosmetic Survey

36-38

6.4

Jewellery Survey

39

6.5

Clothes Survey

40

6.6

Daily Bazaar Survey

41

FORMAL CONCLUSION

42

ANNEXURES

43-50

BIBLIOGRAPHY

51

INTRODUCTION
A woman is an adult female human being. The term
woman (irregular plural: women) usually is used for an adult,
with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or
adolescent. However, the term woman is also sometimes used
to identify a female human, regardless of age, as in phrases
such as "Women's rights".

ETYMOLOGY
Symbol of the planet/Roman goddess Venus, also used to
indicate the female gender among animals which reproduce
sexually
In Old English the words wer cnd wyf (also waepman and
wifman) were what was used to refer to "a man" and "a
woman" respectively, and "Man" was gender neutral. In
Middle English man displaced wer as term for "male human",
whilst wifman (which eventually evolved into woman) was
retained for "female human". ("Wif" also evolved into the word

"wife".) "Man" does continue to carry its original sense of

"Human" however, resulting in an asymmetry sometimes
criticized as sexist.
A very common Indo-European root for woman:
Gwen-, is the source of English queen (Old English cwn
primarily meant woman,)
In Danish, (with the modern spelling kvinde),
As well as gynecology (from Greek gyn),
Banshee fairy woman (from Irish bean woman, s fairy)
And zenana (from Persian zan).
The Latin fmina, whence female, is likely from the root in
fellre (to suck).
The symbol for the planet Venus is the sign also used in
biology for the female gender. It is a stylized representation of
the goddess Venus's hand mirror or an abstract symbol for the
goddess: a circle with a small equilateral cross underneath
(Unicode: ). The Venus symbol also represented femininity,
and

in

ancient

alchemy

stood

for

copper.

Alchemists

constructed the symbol from a circle (Representing spirit)

above an equilateral cross (representing matter).

AGE AND TERMINOLOGY

A young woman:
Womanhood is the period in a female's life after she has
transitioned from girlhood, at least physically, having passed

the age of menarche. Many cultures have rites of passage to

symbolize a woman's coming of age, such as confirmation in
some branches of Christianity, bat mitzvah in Judaism, or even
just the custom of a special celebration for a certain birthday
(generally between 12 and 21).
Currently in the English language there is no commonly-used
word for a woman who has passed menopause, although
historically a woman in the third part of her life was known as
a crone, which was originally not a pejorative term. The three
ages of woman were historically known as "maiden, matron,
and crone" and are sometimes quoted as "maiden, mother and
crone". This could perhaps be rendered in modern English as
"little girl", "woman of reproductive age" and "older lady".
The word woman can be used generally, to mean any female
human, or specifically, to mean an adult female human as
contrasted with girl. The word girl originally meant "young
person of either sex" in English; it was only around the
beginning of the 16th century that it came to mean specifically
a female child. Nowadays girl sometimes is used colloquially to
refer to a young or unmarried woman. During the early 1970s
feminists challenged such use, and use of the word to refer to
a fully grown woman may cause offence. In particular,
previously common terms such as office girl are no longer
used.

10

Conversely, in certain cultures which link family honor with

female virginity, the word girl is still used to refer to a nevermarried woman; in this sense it is used in a fashion roughly
analogous to the obsolete English maid or maiden. Referring
to an unmarried female as a woman may, in such a culture,
imply that she is sexually experienced, which would be an
insult to her family.
In some settings, the use of girl to refer to an adult female is a
vestigial practice (such as girls' night out), even among some
elderly women. In this sense, girl may be considered to be the
analogue to the British word bloke for a man, although it again
fails to meet the parallel status as an adult. Gal aside, some
feminists cite this lack of an informal yet respectful term for
women as misogynistic; they regard non-parallel usages, such
as men and girls, as sexist.
There are various words used to refer to the quality of being a
woman. The term "womanhood" merely means the state of
being a woman, having passed the menarche; "femininity" is
used to refer to a set of supposedly typical female qualities
associated

with

certain

attitude

to

gender

roles;

"womanliness" is like "femininity", but is usually associated

with a different view of gender roles; "femaleness" is a general
term, but is often used as shorthand for "human femaleness";
"distaff"

is an archaic

adjective

derived

from women's

conventional role as a spinner, now used only as a deliberate

11

archaism; "muliebrity" is a "neologism" (derived from the

Latin) meant to provide a female counterpart of "virility", but
used very loosely, sometimes to mean merely "womanhood",
sometimes "femininity", and sometimes even as a collective
term for women

CULTURE AND GENDER ROLE:

In many prehistoric cultures, women assumed a particular
cultural role. In hunter-gatherer societies, women were
generally the gatherers of plant foods, small animal foods, fish,
and learned to use dairy products, while men hunted meat
from large animals.
In more recent history, the gender roles of women have
changed greatly. Traditionally,

middle-class women were

typically involved in domestic tasks emphasizing child care,

and did not enter paid employment. For poorer women,
especially working class women, this often remained an ideal,
as economic necessity compelled them to seek employment
outside the home. The occupations that were available to them
were, however, lower in prestige and pay than those available
to men.
of As changes in the labor market for women came about,
availability employment changed from only "dirty", long
houred factory jobs to "cleaner", more respectable office jobs
where more education was demanded, women's participation
in the U.S. labor force rose from 6% in 1900 to 23% in 1923.

12

These shifts in the labor force led to changes in the attitudes

of women at work, allowing for the "quiet" revolution which
resulted in women becoming more career and education
oriented.
Women's movements advocate equality of opportunity with
men, and equal rights irrespective of gender. Through a
combination of economic changes and the efforts of the
feminist movement, in recent decades women in most societies
now

have

homemaker.

access
Many

to

careers

observers,

beyond

including

the

traditional

feminist groups,

maintain that women in industry and commerce face ceilings.

These changes and struggles are among the foci of the
academic field of

WOMENS STUDIES (Education & Employment)

OECD Countries:
Education:
The gender gap in OECD countries has been reduced over the
last 30 years. Younger women today are far more likely to have
completed a tertiary qualification: in 19 of the 30 OECD
countries, more than twice as many women aged 25 to 34 have
completed tertiary education than women aged 55 to 64 do. In
21 of 27 OECD countries with comparable data, the number of
women graduating from university-level programmes is equal

13

to or exceeds that of men. 15-year-old girls tend to show much

higher expectations for their careers than boys of the same
age.
While women account for more than half of university
graduates in several OECD countries, they receive only 30% of
tertiary degrees granted in science and engineering fields, and
women account for only 25% to 35% of researchers in most
OECD countries.
How are historians to remedy the silence about women in
many traditional accounts of history?
The first solution was to locate the great women of the past,
following the lead of much popular historiography that focuses
on "great men". The problem here is that just as the "great
men" approach to history sidelines and ignores the lives of the
mass of people, focusing on great women merely replicates the
exclusionary historical approaches of the past.
But, since it has proved to be possible to find some degree of
oppression everywhere, it tended to make women merely
subjects of forces that they could not control. On the other
hand,

historians'

focus

on

oppression

revealed

that

investigating the structures of women's lives was crucial.

In recent years, while not denying the history of oppression,
historians have begun to focus on the agency of women. All

14

human beings are subject to some degree of social forces that

limit freedom, but within those limits people are able to
exercise greater or lesser degrees of control over their own
lives. This insight applies equally to women even in oppressive
societies.

CHANGING CUSTOM OF WOMEN

THE FIRST LADY ON EARTH EVE
Adam and eve was the first human being on earth:

15

Adam (Hebrew: , m, "dust; man; mankind"; Arabic: ,

dam; Ge'ez: ) Eve (Hebrew: , aww, "living one";
Arabic: , aww; Ge'ez: , Hiywan) were, according to
the religious books the Torah, the Bible and the Qur'an, the
first man and woman created by God.Adam and Eve appear in
many books besides Genesis, such as the Quran, the Life of
Adam and Eve, the Talmud, and Gnostic texts. Jewish tradition
sometimes includes reference to other wives of Adam's. Paul of
Tarsus presents Jesus Christ as a "new Adam" who brings life
instead of death. The serpent of the Garden of Eden in
Christian theology represents Satan, and the fall (the eating of
the forbidden fruit) establishes original sin. Muslims regard
Adam as the first prophet.
Marriage of Adam and Eve:
The biblical story of Adam and Eve is told in the book of
Genesis, chapters 1, 2 and 3, with some additional elements in
chapters 4 and 5.
In Genesis 1 God creates humans "male and female" in His
image, and gives them dominion over the living things He has
created, and commands them to "be fruitful and multiply."
Genesis 2 opens with God fashioning a man from the dust and
blowing life into his nostrils. God plants a garden (the Garden
of Eden) and sets the man there, "to work it and watch over

16

it," permitting him to eat of all the trees in the garden except
the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, "for on the day you
eat of it you shall surely die." Then God creates the animals,
attempting to find a help mate for the man; but none of the
animals are satisfactory, and so God causes the man to sleep,
and creates a woman from his rib. The man names her
"Woman" (Heb. ishshah), "for this one was taken from a man"
(Heb. ish). "On account of this a man leaves his father and his
mother and clings to his woman." Genesis 2 ends with the note
that the man and woman were naked, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3 introduces the Serpent, "slier than every beast of
the field." The serpent tempts the woman to eat from the tree
of knowledge, telling her that it will not lead to death; she
succumbs, and gives the fruit to the man, who eats also, "and
the eyes of the two of them were opened." Aware now of their
nakedness, they make coverings of fig leaves, and hide from
the sight of God. God, perceiving that they have broken His
command, curses them with hard labour and with pain in
childbirth, and banishes them from His garden, setting a
cherub at the gate to bar their way to the Tree of Life, "lest he
put out his hand ... and eat, and live forever."
Genesis 4 and 5 give the story of Adam and Eve's family after
they leave the garden: they have three children, Cain, Abel
and Seth, as well as other sons and daughters, and Adam's

17

lifespan is 930 years. ("The woman" is given the name Eve in

the closing verses of Genesis 3, "because she was the mother
of all living"; Adam gets his name when the initial definite
article is dropped, changing "ha-Adam", "the man", to "Adam".
After EVE who was the creator of the human race, women
are treated as slaves for many years and there struggle is
given below briefly:
A woman, a dog, and tree, the more you a walnut beat
them the better they be.
Late 16TH century
A woman and a ship ever want mending.
Late 16TH century; 2ND century B.C in Latin
A womans work is never done.
Late 16TH century
A womans place is in the home
Mid 19TH century
It goes on and on for many more years.
And for the last 200 years

LAST 200 YEARS:

Women have fought for their rights. Their struggle is sometimes
called the women's movement, although the term includes
different campaigns. The first wave of organized feminism
the fight for women's rights - appeared during the 1800s, and
was concerned with legal rights, and the right to vote. During

18

the 1960s, a new wave of protest - the women's liberation

movement - appeared that made women's rights a global issue.
By the 1990s, the women's movement had gained many
victories and changed society.
Early stirrings
In the 18th century, women had no rights they were the
property of their husbands or fathers. Inspired by the French
Revolution, women began to challenge this
situation
Mary Wollstonecraft
In

1792

an

English

woman,

Mary

Wollstonecraft (1759-97), wrote Vindication of

the Rights of Women. She deplored the fact
that married women were kept at home "confined in cages,
like the feathered face", and called for an end to their
oppression During the 1800s, middle-class women, such as
Madame

Bodichon

(formerly

Barbara

Leigh

Smith)

campaigned for a married woman's right to keep her own

property, and for the right to education and meaningful work..
Madame Bodichon (1827-90)
Votes for women (Fight for the vote)
From the 1840s, America and British women focused on
fighting for the vote, because they believed that only by
voting could they improve their situation. The Cause, as it

19

became known, was a long struggle involving hundreds of

thousands of women. National Union of Womens Suffrage
Societies (NUWSS)
Women's liberation movement
In the late 1960s, the women's liberation movement exploded
on to the political scene. Increasing numbers of women
around the world challenged oppression and traditional
female roles. They demanded an end to all forms of sexual
discrimination, and campaigned around issues such as equal
pay,

job

opportunities,

healthcare,

childcare,

abortion,

sexuality, violence towards women, and racism.

Equal rights
During the 1970s, the women's liberation movement was
a major political influence in many countries. It forced
the introduction of legislation that ensured equal rights
for women by banning sex discrimination at work and in
education. However, though this legislation established
women's rights to equal opportunities, inequalities still
existed.

Miss World contest, 1970

Demonstrations, in 1970, feminists demonstrated at
the

Miss

World

beauty

contest,

protesting

that

it

20

degraded women. The contest continued on a stage

covered

in

protesters.

flour

and

other

After

this

event,

debris
which

thrown
was

by

the

televised

worldwide, more women began to meet in groups to

discuss how sexism affected their lives, and to plan
changes.
International Women's Day
In 1908, socialists in the USA set aside one day for
women' suffrage demonstrations. In the 1970s, feminists
revived the idea, and today women worldwide celebrate
8 March.
Silver wattle, the Women's Day emblem
TIME LINE
1830s

Anti-slavery

campaign

stimulates

growth

of

womens movement, USA

1848 First-ever womens rights convention, Seneca Falls,
USA.
1869 Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton from
National Woman Suffrage Association, USA
1893 New Zealand women are the first to gain the vote.
1968 Women workers at ford, UK, strike for equal pay.
1970 Australian Germaine Greer writes The Female
Eunuch; it calls for women's liberation.
1975 Equal rights laws passed, UK.

21

INDIAN WOMEN
Once the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru said,
"you can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status
of its women". This is absolutely true. Woman of any nation is
the mirror to its civilization. If women enjoy good status it
shows that the society has reached a level of maturity and
sense of responsibility while a decadent image conjures up if
the opposite is true. The story of Indian women is as old as the
history of Indian civilization.
Ancient Indian Women:
The status of women of Vedic era began to decline with time.
Gender inequality started creeping into the society. Slowly
women's status degraded to such an extent that they were not
given the freedom, which was available to even Sudras (lowest
caste of ancient Hindu society). They were not given the basic
rights. They were debarred from religious practices. They
began to lose their political freedom as well. As Vedic age
progressed, the status of women became worst. And till the
time of 'Smirits' (religious scripture of Hindus) the condition
became so bad that women were not allowed free access to

22

education they were given education related to just domestic

purposes.
Medieval Indian Women:
Medieval India was not women's age it is supposed to be the
'dark age' for them. Medieval India saw many foreign
conquests, which resulted in the decline in women's status.
When foreign conquerors like Muslims invaded India they
brought with them their own culture. For them women was the
sole property of her father, brother or husband and she does
not have any will of her own. This type of thinking also crept
into the minds of Indian people and they also began to treat
their own women like this. One more reason for the decline in
women's status and freedom was that original Indians wanted
to shield their women folk from the barbarous Muslim
invaders. As polygamy was a norm for these invaders they
picked up any women they wanted and kept her in their
"harems". In order to protect them Indian women started
using 'Purdah', (a veil), which covers body. Due to this reason
their freedom also became affected. They were not allowed to
move freely and this lead to the further deterioration of their
status. These problems related with women resulted in
changed mindset of people. Now they began to consider a girl
as misery and a burden, which has to be shielded from the
eyes of intruders and needs extra care. The plight of women

23

in medieval India and at the starting of modern India can be

summed up in the words of great poet
Rabindranath Tagore:
"O Lord Why jave you not given woman the right to conquer
her destiny?
Why does she have to wait head bowed,
By the roadside, waiting with tired patience,
Hoping for a miracle in the morrow?"

24

Modern Indian Women:

The status of women in modern India is a sort of a paradox. If
on one hand she is at the peak of ladder of success,
on the other hand she is mutely suffering the violence
afflicted on her by her own family members. As
compared with past women in modern times have
achieved a lot but in reality they have to still travel a
long way. Their path is full of roadblocks. The women
have left the secured domain of their home and are
now in the battlefield of life, fully armored with their
talent. They had proven themselves. But in India they
are yet to get their dues. The sex ratio of India shows
that the Indian society is still prejudiced against
female. There are 933 females per thousand males in
India according to the census of 2001, which is much
below the world average of 990 females. There are
many problems which women in India have to go
through daily. These problems have become the part
and parcel of life of Indian women and some of them
have accepted them as their fate.
THE MAIN PROBLEMS OF INDIAN WOMEN INCLUDE:
Malnutrition/ Poor Health
Maternal Mortality
Lack of education & power
Mistreatment

25

 Overworked
Marriage
Dowry.
Female infanticide/feticides
Divorce
The statistics testifies to the brutalities afflicted on
women folk
Social Indicator
Infant Mortality Rate, per 1000 live
births
Maternal Mortality Rate, per 100,000
live births

Indi Worl
a

73

60

570 430

Female Literacy, %

58

77.6

Female School Enrollment

47

62

Earned Income by females, %

26

58

Underweight Children, %

53

30

Total Fertility Rate

3.2

2.9

Women in Government, %

Contraception usage, %

44

56

Low birth weight babies, %

33

17

Though there are problems in the lives of Indian women but

they are always ready to fight all the odds and enjoy their life

26

to the full they have their own talent, hobbies, and they
socialize
According to Indian customs.
Current Scenario
Some Bright Spots

India has world's

largest number of professionally

qualified women.

India has largest population of working women in the

world.

India has more number of doctors, surgeons, professors

than the USA.

Women Achiever
With the help of these social reformers women of India slowly
started recognizing her true potential. She started questioning
the rules laid down for her by the society. As a result, started
breaking barriers and earned a respectable position in the
world. Today Indian women have excelled in each and every
field from social work to visiting space station. There is no
arena,

which

Whether

remained

it is politics,

unconquered
sports,

by Indian

entertainment,

women.

literature,

technology everywhere we can hear applauses for her.

Politics
Women of India are highly active today in this area. Sarojini
Naidu, Vijaylakshami Pandit, Sucheta Kriplani were the

27

torchbearer for the women of India. Mrs.Vijay Lkshami Pandit

was the first Indian woman to hold a post in the cabinet. Thus
paving the way for other women. The most important name in
the category of women politicians of recent times is Mrs Indira
Gandhi. She was the one who made world stop and notice the
talent and potential of Indian women. She was the first women
Prime Minister of independent India. Today her daughter-in
law Mrs Sonia Gandhi is following her footsteps and leading
the

Indian

National

Congress.

Other women who have made their name in politics of India

are Shiela Dixit, Uma Bharti, Jayalalitha, Vasundhra Raje and
Mamata Banerjee.
Sports
Indian women have achieved great laurels for the nation in
every sport. Whether it is cricket or hockey India have national
women team for every game. Indian women cricket team has
won Asia Cup of 2004 and 2005 and made country proud.
Some women sports icons of India are:

P.T. Usha (Athletics)

Kunjarani Devi (Weight lifting)

Diana Edulji (Cricket)

Sania Mirza (Tennis)

Karnam Malleshwari (Weight lifting)

28

Art and Entertainment

This arena is full of Indian women. We have many names to
boast of like M.S. Subbulakshmi, Indian Nightingale Lata
Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhosle as famous singers. Madhu Bala,
Rekha, Aishwarya Rai as Bollywood queens. Today Indian
woman is a painter, an actor, a singer, and a beauty queen.
Literature
In past women of India used to write, but their work did not
get the recognition. Today they are getting their dues.
Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, Kiran Desai, Shobhaa De, Jhumpa
Lahiri are famous names in Indian literature. Not just in India
now these women are recognized all over the world. Arundhati
Roy has been awarded with the Booker Prize of 1997 for her
work "God of Small Things". Kiran Desai has been given
Booker Prize of 2006 and Jhumpa Lahiri got
recognition in the form of Pulitzer Prize.
Corporate Divas
Kiran Majumdar Shaw is the undisputed corporate queen of
India. She is the richest Indian woman. She is the MD of
Biocon India. She is the wealthiest entrepreneur of India Kiran

29

wanted to become a doctor but could not get admission in

medical colleges but even then she did not lose courage and
went on to become India's first woman 'Brew Master' and
subsequently corporate queen. Other names in this list include
Vidya Mohan Chhabaria, Chairperson of Jumbo Group, Naina
Lal Kidwai, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of HSBC
Securities and Capital Market, Sullaijja Firodia Motwani and
Mallika Srinivasan.

Social saints
The Indian saint of today's times Mother Teresa is the name
which every Indian whether rich or poor is familiar with. She
was the person who used to consider the smile of her
countrymen as her wealth. She worked for those whom even
their own families have deserted. She did not care whether
she

is

in

the

company

of

person

suffering

from

communicable disease or whether it is day or night. Whenever

or wherever one needed her she was present. She opened
various homes for these people most famous of which is
'Normal Friday". It is open to everyone irrespective of caste,
creed or religion. Another important names working for the
cause of people includes Aruna Roy who worked for the save
RTI Campaign and Medha Patekar who is associated with
Narmada Bachao Andolan.

30

Universal Queens
Indian women have not just made their mark on earth but they
have

engraved

their

name

in

the

whole

universe by flying to space. Kalpana Chawla,

who was the member of Colombia Space
Shuttle, which exploded on its way back, was
the first Indian women astronaut who visited
space

station.

And now following

on her

footsteps another woman of Indian origin Sunita Williams has

become the second one to be the member of International
Space Station crew.
Indian women have mastered anything and everything which a
woman can dream of. But she still has to go a long way to
achieve equal status in the minds of Indian men.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer behavior is the study of how people buy, what they
buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends elements from
psychology,

sociology,

socio-psychology,

anthropology

and

economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision

processes/buyer decision making process, both individually
and

in

groups.

consumers

such

It
as

studies

characteristics

demographics,

of

individual

psychographics,

and

31

behavioural variables in an attempt to understand people's

wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from
groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society
in general.
Belch and Belch define consumer behavior as The process
and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting,
purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and
services so as to satisfy their needs and desires.
Basic model of consumer decision making
The basic model of consumer decision making also referred to
as EKB model (Engel, Kollat & Blackwell, 1969):
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Problem

The

recognition
Information

becomes motivated to solve a problem.

The consumer searches for information

search
Information
evaluation
Decision
Post-purchase
evaluation

consumer

perceives

need

and

Motivation

Perception
required to make a purchase decision
The consumer compares various brands Attitude
and products
formation
The consumer decides which brand to
Integration
purchase
The consumer evaluates their purchase
Learning
decision

Problem Recognition:
Problem recognition is that result when there is a difference
between one's desired state and one's actual state. Consumers

32

are motivated to address this discrepancy and therefore they

commence the buying process.
Sources of problem recognition include:
An item is out of stock
Dissatisfaction with a current product or service
Consumer needs and wants
Related products/purchases
Marketer-induced
New products
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated
with problem recognition is motivation. A motive is a factor
that compels action. Belch and Belch (2007) provide an
explanation of motivation based on Maslow's hierarchy of
needs and Freud's psychoanalytic theory.
Information Search:
Once the consumer has recognised a problem, they search for
information on products and services that can solve that
problem. Belch and Belch (2007) explain that consumers
undertake both an internal (memory) and an external search.
Sources of information include:
Personal sources
Commercial sources

33

 Public sources
Personal experience
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated
with information search is perception. Perception is defined as
'the

process

by

which

an

individual

receives,

selects,

organises, and interprets information to create a meaningful

picture of the world'
The selective perception process Stage Description Selective
exposure consumers select which promotional messages they
will expose themselves to. Selective attention consumers
select which promotional messages they will pay attention to
Selective comprehension consumer interpret messages in line
with their beliefs, attitudes, motives and experiences Selective
retention consumers remember messages that are more
meaningful or important to them
You should consider the implications of this process on the
development of an effective promotional strategy. First, which
sources of information are more effective for the brand and
second, what type of message and media strategy will increase
the likelihood that consumers are exposed to our message,
that they will pay attention to the message, that they will
understand the message, and remember our message.
Information evaluation:

34

At this time the consumer compares the brands and products

that are in their evoked set. How can the marketing
organization increase the likelihood that their brand is part of
the

consumer's

evaluate

evoked

alternatives

psychological

benefits

(consideration)

in

terms

that

they

of

the
offer.

set?

Consumers

functional
The

and

marketing

organization needs to understand what benefits consumers are

seeking and therefore which attributes are most important in
terms of making a decision.
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated
with the alternative evaluation stage is attitude formation.
Belch and Belch (2007, p.117) note that attitudes are 'learned
predispositions' towards an object. Attitudes comprise both
cognitive and affective elements - that is both what you think
and how you feel about something. The multi-attribute attitude
model explains how consumers evaluate alternatives on a
range of attributes. Belch and Belch (2007) identify a number
of strategies that can be used to influence the process
(attitude change strategies). Finally, there are ranges of ways
that consumers apply criteria to make decisions. Belch and
Belch (2007) explain how information is integrated and how
decision rules are made including the use of heuristics. The
marketing organisation should know how consumers evaluate
alternatives on salient or important attributes and make their
buying.

35

Purchase decision:
Once the alternatives have been evaluated, the consumer is
ready to make a purchase decision. Sometimes purchase
intention does not result in an actual purchase. The marketing
organization must facilitate the consumer to act on their
purchase intention. The provision of credit or payment terms
may encourage purchase, or a sales promotion such as the
opportunity to receive a premium or enter a competition may
provide an incentive to buy now. The relevant internal
psychological

process

that

is

associated

with

purchase

decision is integration.
Post purchase evaluation:
The EKB model was further developed by Rice (1993) which
suggested there should be a feedback loop, Foxall (2005)
further suggests the important of the post purchase evaluation
and that the post purchase evaluation is key due to its
influences on future purchase patterns.
Internal influences:
Consumer

behavior

is

influenced

by:

demographics,

psychographics (lifestyle), personality, motivation, knowledge,

attitudes, beliefs, and feelings.
External influences:

36

Consumer behavior is influenced by: culture, ethnicity, family,

social class, reference groups, and market mix factors.
Category: Consumer behaviour
Consumer behaviour also called as Consumer Psychology is a
branch of applied Psychology, marketing and Organizational
Behaviour. It examines consumer decision making process and
ways in which they gather and analyze information from the
environment. See the consumer behaviour article for an
overview. Consumer behaviour is a multidisciplinary field
which is integral to Industrial Psychology and aspects of
household economy studied in microeconomics. Consumer
behaviour also means the actions shows by consumers while
making decision to select household and consumer items.

37

WOMEN AS CONSUMERS
One of the major contributions that we all make to the
economy is through buying things. Women's role as care
givers has meant that women play an especially prominent
role in buying things that provide sustenance for home and
family. Studies show that women are responsible for buying
80% of household goods. Although it is often played down, it is
clear that women have a great deal of influence in the
economy as consumers, in other words, a lot of spending
power. Even the non-monetary part of consumption is part of
the economy. Shopping for the goods that we need to survive
takes time and attention. Buying food and clothes and school
supplies and home furnishings often means watching out for
sales and discounts. Comparison shopping, searching through
coupons, and finding the best deal, is also time-consuming.
Shopping is work and is part of the unpaid labour not counted
in the formal economy. But whether or not it's recognized as
work, shopping is an activity fraught with contradictions and
challenges.
Contradictions of Consumption
As consumers, women live under a good deal of pressure.
Many women must find ways to feed their families on a limited
budget. They search for a balance between affordability,
nutrition,

and

availability,

countered

with

the

personal

38

preferences of their families. Women who are working outside

of the home face the added problem of time constraints.
Certain purchases may be made to save time and energy when
women

are

squeezed

between

work

and

family

responsibilities. Stopping for fast food seems easier than

rushing home to cook dinner for the family after a long day at
work.
Women are also often responsible for clothing themselves and
their families and are faced with similar demands in this task.
Added to that is the pressure to look good and to be 'in style.'
Some items, such as brand name clothes, serve as status
symbols and communicate to other people what kind of image
we want to present. The pressure to own such items can be so
intense that even if people can't afford to, they may sacrifice
their needs to buy certain things. Think of the teenage son or
daughter who 'has to have' a certain brand of running shoe.
Women in the workforce face the demands of proper
workplace attire as well.
Increasingly, women take responsibility for buying larger
items such as houses and cars. And women are also often
responsible for buying gifts on behalf of their families. When
kids go to birthday parties, it is usually the mother who
purchases and wraps the gift. It often works the same way
when a couple attends a wedding or anniversary. Women are

39

faced with endless choices and decisions in their lives as

consumers.
Experience:
Each of us experiences the economy differently according to
our unique identities and life stories. Age, race, sexuality,
class, geography, ability, life experiences, spirituality - these
factors and others make us different from each other and
therefore influence our place in the economy.
We don't believe the things that make us different are
determinants of how we should or will experience the
economy. However, we do believe that we must be honest
about how different groups of women have and do experience
the economy. This will help us work towards a world in which
all women are equal.

Raya is 12 years old. She is part of the global economy. The

things she touches and uses every day connect her to nearly
every corner of the earth.

Dorothy.
Dorothy is 72 years old. Today she is part of the global
economy too. But when Dorothy was Raya's age her life

40

revolved around the local economy. Nearly everything she used came
from the land around her.

WOMEN AND WORD OF MOUTH

Women are three times more likely to share personal stories
with a friend than men. Ask any woman how she found her
hairdresser, doctor, or favorite wine, and she is likely to tell
you that it was from a friend. Women are natural word of
mouth spreaders. They are wired that way with four times as
many connections between the left and right hemispheres of
the brain, women tap deeply into that area that is responsible
for bonding and connecting with others.
Increase womens word of mouth
heres the wrong way to do it: Sign up three friends and well
give you a 15% discount. This feels like you are asking her to
sell out her friends. Instead, change the offer to You and
every one of your friends who signs up will get a 15%
discount. Now she has special access to a discount that she
can pass along to friends. Youve made her the hero. She can
offer value to her trusted network. She has just increased her
trust and standing.
Women for referrals; good idea, or bad idea
this is tricky. Because women are such great referrers, it
seems logical. If you are doing business with her, and she

41

values your relationship, it may seem perfectly acceptable to

ask her for a list of friends who might benefit from your
services. But that may not be a good idea, even if she thinks
youre the best thing since Starbucks drive-thru. She is the
gatekeeper of her relationships. Shes not being stingy, shes
being protective. A better idea might be to give her a few of
your business cards and say, if you know of anyone who might
benefit from my service, feel free to give them my card.
If women talk more than men, how do we avoid bad word of
mouth from them
the duh answer is, meet or exceed expectations. The other
answer is, communicate clearly and often. If something goes
wrong, explain to her exactly why, and then do your best to
make amends. Basic, fundamental communication can go very
far to deflect bad word of mouth.
Delight women
give her the personal touch. It does not have to be fancy or
extravagant (though thats always appreciated). A personal
thank you note mailed the old-fashioned way may be enough to
get her attention and touch her heart. Remember her kids
names, and even more importantly, the names of her pets.
Give her a gift she can pass along to family members. A
financial advises or for my friend Holly knows Holly has two
dogs. Every visit, he sends Holly home with two dog biscuits.

42

He even knows their favorite Sausages. Holly likes his work

but what really endears him to her are the Sausages. Its a
personal touch that makes life better for those she loves.

MARKET SURVEY ON WOMEN

CUSTOMERS
OBJECTIVE:
To find and study views, preferences, likes, dislikes, relating to
different markets and different products.
It was my goal that through the study of different markets and
different products relating to women customers, I would clear
my perception towards women customers purchasing habit
and the key information that why they are called blue eyed
customer of Indian market.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY / TECHNIQUES:
A Primary research was conducted using the Quantitative,
Qualitative and brand oriented research technique. The
instrument used was a structured questionnaire, the method
being face-to-face interview.
Survey conducted in different malls and departmental stores
in Mumbai and Surat through a questionnaire by visiting
personally.
Participants:

43

 Women customers in Mumbai malls and departmental

stores.
Women customers in Surat malls and departmental stores
Sample Size:
The survey was conducted in Mumbai.
The survey was conducted in Surat.
So that a complete picture of the women customers could be
obtained, I used a number of study techniques to gather the
necessary information I would need in my analysis.
The survey consisted of questions that measured different
aspects, such as which are the various brands they purchase
from where they make there purchases and overall feelings of
the women customers about the products.

GENERAL SURVEY RESULT (Mumbai)

The Results of the Survey Conducted is represented as below:
1. Where do you like

p e rc e n t a g e

shopping?

B a n iy a s h o p

D e p a rt m e n t a l s t o re s

S h o p p in g m a lls

INTERPRETATION: Most of
the

women

departmental

store

prefer
over

44

shopping mall and baniya shop because of wide range and bargaining
power.
2. Name of the Shopping Malls or Departmental store or Baniya shop

20%
10%

10%

5%

10%

5% 5%

10%

15%15%
5% 5%

5% 5% 5%

0%
percentage
subhiksha
family bazar
farhaan stores

food bazar
babu bhai jagjivandas
anmol

shoppers stop
sarkar bandar
city center

big bazar
pheonix mill

artria

center one

3.

Purchases

whether regularly or
temporarily made by
women customers?
INTERPRETATION:
It is seen that 70% of
the
customers

women
are

regular purchaser and rest are temporary.

4.

Do

according

you

purchase
to

your

budget, liking or advice?

45

INTERPRETATION: From interviewing the participants, 75% of them

are purchasing according to there liking rest 25% as per there budget
and 0% advice given.
5. Whom do you make
purchases for?
INTERPRETATION:
25% of the customers
responded

that

they

buy the products for

themselves
remaining

and

the

75%

said

that they purchase for their family.

6. Does new fashion appeal to you?

INTERPRETATION: More than 90% of the customer responded that
new fashion does appeal to them as women customers are majorly
influenced by the bollywood actor or actresses.
7. Criteria of purchase (quality, quantity, price, experience)?

46

INTERPRETATION: 70 % of the customer responded that they focus on

the quality criteria, while other 5% responded that they purchase the
products according to the quantity, other 5% on price and last 20% on
experience criteria respectively.
8. Are you a :) fussy
customer

or

b)

flexible customer?

INTERPRETATION: 90% of the participant replied that they are flexi

customer and rest
10% replied fussy customer

9. Which retail center

do you patronize?
INTERPRETATION:
90% of the participant
replied that they are
flexi

customer

and

rest
10%

replied

fussy

customer

47

10. Are you brand conscious or brand loyal?

INTERPRETATION: Majority of the women customers replied that they
are brand conscious and brand loyal except few customers who fall
among 20% of the customers.
11. Who is your icon as a shopper?
INTERPRETATION: Most of the unmarried customers responded the
answer to the question as mummy and myself while others who were
married majorly responded their husband as their icon as a shopper.
12. Do you feel secure to shop in Mumbai?
INTERPRETATION: Majority of the women customers replied that they
do feel secured to shop in Mumbai. Keeping the bad memories of bomb
blast out of the mind.
13 Why do you think that women are called the blue eyed customer of
Indian market?
INTERPRETATION: These are some of the answer given by the
participant:
Women are called the blue eyed customer of India because:
Women shop till they drop dead.
Women are quasi buyers and they are very selective
Women influence almost every section of society and women heard
widely.
Women are suspicious buyers.
Women are the integral part of the society.
Women are the one who influence the market.
Without it nothing can be brought at home.

48

GENERAL SURVEY RESULT (Surat)

The Results of the Survey Conducted is represented as below:
0%

1. Where do you like shopping?

20%

INTERPRETATION: Most of the women

Banya Sp

customers
prefer shopping Malls as customers can

50%

Dept Store
Shop Malls

get any product under one roof at the

30%

lowest possible time and due to transparency of items which customers

do not get in Baniya shop or Departmental stores as in case of
Shopping malls.
50
40

2. Name of the Shopping

30

Malls

20

store or Baniya Shop?

or

Departmental

10
0
Chanta Bazar

Dhiraj & Sons

Iscon Mall

3. Purchases whether regularly or temporarily made

by

INTERPRETATION: It is seen that 50 % women

customers do make regular purchase and 50%

50

Regularly
Tem porarily

50

women customers do make temporary purchase.

4. Do you purchase according to your budget, liking
or advice?
INTERPRETATION:
From

Purchase factors

interviewing

participants,

50%

they

the

buy

say

the
that

products

according to the budget, while

60
40
20
0
Budget

liking

Advice

49

50% say that they buy as per their liking factors while there was 0% to
advice given.
5. Whom do you make purchases for?
INTERPRETATION: 30%
of

the

customers

100

Self

responded that they buy

the

products

themselves

for

and

Fam ily

50

the

remaining 70% said that

they purchase for their family.
6. Does new fashion appeal to you?
INTERPRETATION: More than 80% of the customer responded that
new fashion does appeal to them as women customers are majorly
influenced by the bollywood actor or actresses.
7. Criteria of purchase (quality, quantity, price, experience)?
INTERPRETATION: 40 % of the customer responded that they focus on
the

quality

criteria,

Quality

while

other

20%

responded

that

Quantity
40

Price

30

Experience

20

they

purchase

10

the

products

Price
Quality

according to the quantity, other 20% on price and last 20% on experience
criteria respectively.

50

8. Are you a :) fussy customer or

b) flexible customer?
INTERPRETATION: 40% of the
customer responded that they
are Fussy customers while 60%
of them are flexible customer.

14%

9.

Which

center

do

retail

Chauta Bazaar

18%

Bombay Market

14%

Textile Market

you

patronize?

Big Bazaar
26%

14%
14%

Radhey Market
Vishal Mega Mart

10. Are you brand conscious or brand loyal?

INTERPRETATION: Majority of the women customers replied that they
are brand conscious and brand loyal except few customers who fall
among 10 % of the customers.
11. Who is your icon as a shopper?
INTERPRETATION: Most of the unmarried customers responded the
answer to the question as mummy while others who were married
majorly responded their husband as their icon as a shopper.
12. Do you feel secure to shop in Surat?
INTERPRETATION: Majority of the women customers replied that they
do feel secured to shop in Surat keeping the bad memories of terrorism.
13. What attracts you to make repeat purchase from the same retail
outlet?
INTERPRETATION:

The answer replied was cheap price and majorly

quality of the product and discounts offered.

51

14. Why do you think that women are called the blue eyed customer of
Indian market?
INVERPRETATION: These are some of the answer given by the
participant

Women are so treated because women are the one who

purchase the product as per their previous experience.

Women take longer time for the next purchases depending

upon the quality and price of the product.

Women know very well how to handle there home.

Women makes purchases according to there family needs.

Women are having flexi time to purchase.

Women knows the basic needs of men and children for

e.g.: clothes and toys

Women only know what is needed in our home

COSMETIC SURVEY RESULT (Mumbai)

The Results of the Survey conducted for women customers
represented as below:

1. HAIR CARE
Hair color
INTERPRETATION:
Mostly

women

customers are not using

52

hair color they might be using something else but 35% of women
are using garnier.

Shampoo

And

others
INTERPRETATION:
shampoo and others
Others

are

conditioner

and

1)
2)

shower gel

oil
INTERPRETATION:
women

mainly

parachute
hairs

thats

for

trust
there

why

70%

women are using it.

2. FACE CARE
Face wash and cream

53

INTERPRETATION: All of the women customers are very

conscious about there look and therefore they mostly use
branded item like Himalaya, Lakme.

Soap
INTERPRETATION:
Lux is one of the favorite
brand among the women
customers.

Color

cosmetic

and

nail paint
INTERPRETATION:
More over women
have

color

cosmetic
occasionally,

and

more than 60% uses lakme.

Skin Care
INTERPRETATION: skin
care

consist

of

body

54

lotions which are used seasonally moisturizer seasonal and daily

both.

4. Perfume
INTERPRETATION:
interviewed

ladies

are

attracted

towards attar because it is

non-alcoholic

JEWELLERY SURVEY RESULT

55

The Results of the Survey conducted for women customers

represented as below:
1. What type of ornaments you like?

INTERPRETATION:

more

over

women

wear

ornaments

occasionally and like always gold is there best type to have.

2. Which kind of ornaments do you wear?
Mostly womens are interested in wearing bangals, rings, chain
and

50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

percentage

bangals

15%

rings

15%

chain

20%

earrings

40%

earrings.

56

INTERPRETATION:

Mostly a women customer makes purchases

twice in a year + festivals.

CLOTHES SURVEY RESULT

The Results of the Survey conducted for women customers
represented as below:
1. Type of clothes

2. Do you get your clothes from?

Tailor

or

Readymade

INTERPRETATION: Most
womens dont wear clothes
according to the season.
And the favorite colors as
clothes are
Blue & green
Purple
Black and white
White
Blue & tomato

57

DAILY BAZAAR SURVEY RESULT

The Results of the Survey conducted for women customers
represented as below:
Which brands do you prefer?
Salt:

Tata 80%

Captain cook

Oil:

Gemini

20%
Sunflower

Soybean 20%

Ghee:

40%
Dalda 40%

40%
Gemini 20%

Sagar

Flour:

Chakki

aashirwaad

Tea

80%
Super dust

20%
Tata

Assa

Societ

Liber

Waghba

5%

premium30%

y 20%

ty

kri 15%

Homemade 20%

20%

Masala

Milin

Home made

powder
Masala

10%
70%
Home made 100%

paste
Biscuit

Priya

Milk

gold20%
Buffalo milk

Rice

30%
Kolam 40%

20%
10%
Rajasthani 20%

Britannia 45% Parle-G 35%

Gokul 10% Amul taza 60%
Basmati 20%

Kohinoor 20%

Surti kolam
20%

Butter
Cheese
Jam

Amul 100%
Amul 60%
Cheddar 30%
Malas 70% Kissan 30%

Laughing cow 10%

58

Bread

Britannia

Wibs 50%

Sharbat
Pickle
Papad

50%
Davar 30%
Malas 20%
Lijjat 40%

Hamdard 50% Malas 20%

Praveen 20%
Home made 60%
Home made
Jodhpuri 30%

Washing

Tide 50%

30%
Ariel 30%

Surf excel 20%

powder
Soap for

Vim bar

Clean mate

Vim liquid 30%

utensils
Soap
Shampoo

40%
Lux 40%
Oriflame

30%
Cinthol 40%
Pantene 20%

Breeze 20%
Sunsilk 25%

Sauce

20%
Maggi 60% Kissan 40%

Nyle 35%

FORMAL CONCLUSION
I believe most people know that there is a difference in
behavior between men versus women when shopping. Ever
wonder why?

Why is it that women enjoy the shopping

experience, and take their time perusing around the different

areas of the store, while men try to avoid the shopping
experience? Is there a retail strategy that exists that can
address the gender differences? According to this, women
react more strongly to personal interaction, whereas for men,
the utilitarian aspects of the shopping experience such as
proximity of parking spots, length of checkout line, etc. are
most important.

59

One of the people interviewed for this article mentioned that

women are gatherers and men are hunters. Consequently,
women have better peripheral vision than men, and would
benefit them as gatherers. Men are interested in finding the
right product, and want quick answers, and being able to leave
the store quickly. Women on the other hand, prefer to have a
more personal interaction with the sales associate with more
eye contact, support and collaboration during the buying
process.
Retailers need to have their sales associates adapt to not only
gender

differences

amongst

the

customers,

but

also

differences in demographic and psychographic makeup. Sales

associates need to be an engager, expediter and educator.

ANNEXURES
INTERVIEW SHEET FOR WOMEN
CUSTOMERS
NAME:
AGE GROUP:
EDUCATION:
MARITAL
STATUS:

18 to 21 __ 22 to 40 __ 40 & Above __
SINGLE __ MARRIED __

60

WHERE DO YOU
LIKE SHOPPING:
WHY:
SPECIFIC NAME
OF THE
MARKET:
PURCHASES:
DO YOU
PURCHASE
ACCORDING:
YOU PURCHASE
FOR:

DOES NEW
FASHION
APPEAL TO YOU
CRITERIA OF
PURCHASE
ARE YOU A

BANIYA SHOP __ DEPARTMENTAL STORES __

SHOPPING MALLS __

REGULARLY __ TGMPORARILY __
BUDGET __ WHAT EVER YOU LIKE __ ADVISE __
YOURSELF / FAMILY
HUSBAND __ MOTHER __ FATHER __ DAUGHTER
__ SON __ FRIENDS __ NEIGHBOUR __
COLLEAGUES __ OTHERS __

QUALITY __ QUANTITY __ PRICE __ EXPERIENCE

FUSSY CUSTOMER __ FLEXIBLE CUSTOMER __

WHICH RETAIL CENTER DO YOU PATRONISE?

ARE YOU BRAND CONSCIOUS AND BRAND LOYAL?
WHO IS YOUR ICON AS A SHOPPER?
DO YOU FEEL SECURE TO SHOP IN MUMBAI?
WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO MAKE REPEAT PURCHASES FROM
THE SAME RETAIL OUTLET?
WHY WOMEN IS CALLED BLUE EYED COSTOMER OF INDIAN
MARKET?

INTERVIEW SHEET FOR WOMEN

CUSTOMERS

61

NAME:
AGE GROUP:
EDUCATION:
MARITAL
STATUS:
WHERE DO YOU
LIKE SHOPPING:
WHY:
SPECIFIC NAME
OF THE
MARKET:
PURCHASES:
DO YOU
PURCHASE
ACCORDING:
YOU PURCHASE
FOR:

DOES NEW
FASHION
APPEAL TO YOU
CRITERIA OF
PURCHASE
ARE YOU A

18 to 21 __ 22 to 40 __ 40 & Above __
SINGLE __ MARRIED __
BANIYA SHOP __ DEPARTMENTAL STORES __
SHOPPING MALLS __

REGULARLY __ TEMPORARILY __
BUDGET __ WHAT EVER YOU LIKE __ ADVISE __
YOURSELF / FAMILY
HUSBAND __ MOTHER __ FATHER __ DAUGHTER
__ SON __ FRIENDS __ NEIGHBOUR __
COLLEAGUES __ OTHERS __

QUALITY __ QUANTITY __ PRICE __ EXPERIENCE

FUSSY CUSTOMER __ FLEXIBLE CUSTOMER __

WHICH RETAIL CENTER DO YOU PATRONISE?

ARE YOU BRAND CONSCIOUS AND BRAND LOYAL?
WHO IS YOUR ICON AS A SHOPPER?
DO YOU FEEL SECURE TO SHOP IN SURAT?
WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO MAKE REPEAT PURCHASES FROM
THE SAME RETAIL OUTLET?
WHY WOMEN IS CALLED BLUE EYED COSTOMER OF INDIAN
MARKET?

62

1. A COSMETIC SURVEY ON WOMAN

CUSTOMER
1. Hair care
BRAND

YES

NO

HAIR COLOUR:
SHAMPOO:
CONDITIONER:
SHOWER GEL:
OIL:
2. Face care
TYPE OF SKIN:
FACE WASH:
SOAP:
CREAM:
HOW MANY TIMES A DAY?
1 __
2 __
3 __
OR MORE __
COLOUR COSMETIC:

63

DAILY __
ALTERNATE DAYS __
WEEKLY __
OCASSIONALLY __
3. Nail paint
4. Skin care
BODY LOTIONS:
SEASONAL __
DAILY __
MOISTURIZER:
SEASONAL __
DAILY __
5. Perfume
CRITERIA OF PURCHASE:
FREGNENCE:
LIGHT PERFUME:
ATTAR:

64

1. B JEWELLERY SURVEY ON WOMEN

CUSTOMER
Do you like to wear ornaments?
OCCASIONALLY __
DAILY __
WEEKLY __
NO __
What type of ornaments you like?
PEARL __
DIAMOND __
GOLD __
SILVER __
IMITATION __
Do you have any allergy from any of the ornaments?
YES __
NO __

65

Which kind of ornaments do you wear?

YES

NO

BRAND

PAYAL
BANGALS
RINGS
WATCH
BRACELET
NECKLACE
CHAIN
CHAIN+PENDANT
EARINGS
HOW MANY TIMES YOU MAKE PURCHASES IN A YEAR?

66

1.
C CLOTHES SURVEY OF WOMEN
CUSTOMER
What type of clothes do you like to wear?
TRADITIONAL __
WESTERN __
COMBINATION __
From were do you purchase your clothes

Do you get your clothes from?

Tailor

yes__

no__

Where:

Ready made

yes__

no__

Where:

67

Do you wear clothes according to season?

Yes __

no__

Your favorite color?

1. D DAILY BAZAR SURVEY OF WOMEN

CUSTOMER
From were do you purchase your bazaar and eatables

Which brand do you prefer?

Salt
Oil
Ghee
Flour
Tea
Masala powder
Masala paste
Biscuit
Milk
Rice
Butter

68

 Cheese
Jam
Sharbat
Soap for utensils
Soap

BIBLIOGRAPHY
REFERENCE BOOK: ILLUSTRATED OXFORD DICTIONARY.
(Quotations and Proverbs)
WHITAKERS WORLD OF FACTS.
(Russell Ash)
D.K ILLUSTRATED FAMILY ENCYCLOPEDIA.
SEARCH ENGINE: www.google.com
WEB SITES:

WOMEN ERA .COM

ENCYCLOPEDIA.COM
YAHOO.COM
WIKIPDEIA.COM
INDIAN WOMEN .COM
WOMEN CONSUMERS .COM
ADAM AND EVE.COM

69

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