A Study Of Grocery Shopping Behaviour In India

Though the Indian retail industry contributes (14 percent of GDP) to the growth of the economy and employs about 42 million people, organized retailing accounts for just 4-5 percent. Food and grocery constitutes 54 percent of the retail market. Noticing the huge growth potential, a number of companies are keen on entering the retail business but are constrained by a knowledge gap about the market in general and consumers in particular. It is observed that not much research has been done to determine parameters shoppers consider important when shopping for groceries. To fill the existing gaps in literature and address managerial concerns, the present study makes an attempt (i) to analyse the influence of Store Attributes on Store Patronage with respect to Grocery Shopping. To analyse the influence of store’s attributes on store patronage and buying behaviour and (ii) to analyse the association between select demographic factors (gender, income, age and marital status) on store choice. A survey (store intercept) method was employed to elicit primary information from 591 grocery shoppers. Results show that Store Attributes (independent variables) influence Store Patronage (dependent variable) although the impact varied from one variable to another. Results of the study also point out Indian consumers increased appreciation for the value of time