A Comparative Analysis of Customer Preferences for Different Spices Brands

“A comparative analysis of customer preferences for different spices brands (i.e.) MDH and CATCH in Delhi region.”

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements  for the award of the degree of 

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

To Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi

Guide: Mrs. Anju Dagar

Submitted by: Lubhawana sundhir   0751371707

Institute of Information Technology & Management  New Delhi-110058 Batch (2007-2010)

CERTIFICATE

I Ms.Lubhawana Sundhir Sundhir roll no.0751371707,certify no.0751371707,certify that the project report (BBA-310) entitled “A comparative analysis of customer preferences pref erences for  different spices brands (i.e.) (i.e.) MDH and CATCH in Delhi region.” is done by me and it is an authentic work carried out by me at Institute of Information Technology and Management. The matter embodied in this project work has not been submitted earlier for the award of any degree or diploma to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature of the student Date:

Certified that the Project Report (BBA-310) ( BBA-310) entitled “A comparative analysis of customer preferences for different denim wears brands (i.e.) Levi Strauss & Co. and Lee in Delhi region.” done by by Ms. Lubhawana Sundhir, Roll No. 0751371707, is completed under my guidance. Signature of the guide: Date: Name of the guide: Mrs. Anju Dagar  Designation:

Address: Institute of Information Technology & Management,  New Delhi-110058 Countersigned

Director/Project Coordinator 

CERTIFICATE

I Ms.Lubhawana Sundhir Sundhir roll no.0751371707,certify no.0751371707,certify that the project report (BBA-310) entitled “A comparative analysis of customer preferences pref erences for  different spices brands (i.e.) (i.e.) MDH and CATCH in Delhi region.” is done by me and it is an authentic work carried out by me at Institute of Information Technology and Management. The matter embodied in this project work has not been submitted earlier for the award of any degree or diploma to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signature of the student Date:

Certified that the Project Report (BBA-310) ( BBA-310) entitled “A comparative analysis of customer preferences for different denim wears brands (i.e.) Levi Strauss & Co. and Lee in Delhi region.” done by by Ms. Lubhawana Sundhir, Roll No. 0751371707, is completed under my guidance. Signature of the guide: Date: Name of the guide: Mrs. Anju Dagar  Designation:

Address: Institute of Information Technology & Management,  New Delhi-110058 Countersigned

Director/Project Coordinator 

ACKNOWLEGDEMENT I take great pleasure in acknowledging ackn owledging my institute, Institute of Information Technology and Management for giving me an opportunity to do this project. I express e xpress my gratitude to my project guide, Mrs. Anju Dagar , who has been a source of inspiration and guidance in preparation of this project report and without which this project would n ot have been completed.

Lubhawana Sundhir  0751371707 6th Semester 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TITLE OF THE PROJECT - A comparativ comparativee analysis analysis of customer customer preferences preferences for 

different spices (i.e.) MDH and CATCH in Delhi region.

ORGANIZATION/COMPANY – 

MDH SPICES

Mahashay dharam pal, the son of the founder, shifted to Delhi and opened up his shop at Ajmal Khan Road, Karol bagh under the banner "Mahashian Di Hatti of Sialkot (Deggi Mirch wale)". The name Mahashian Di Hatti means "the Shop of the Magnanimous" Mag nanimous" in Punjabi. The company initially relied on hand-ground spices, but has since shifted to automated machines, with a capacity of producing 30 tonnes of packaged spices in a day. There are over 45 products available in over 100 different packages.

CATCH SPICES

Part of DSP group. Catch Spices is India’s foremost spices brand known for its matchless product quality and innovative approach. Catch spices are ground using the unique state-of-the-art Low Temperature Grinding (LTG) technology, which prevents the

evaporation of volatile & delicate oils from spices. Catch Spices thus retain the original aroma and wholesome flavour of authentic spices. The complete assortment comprises of a variety of salt and pepper sprinklers and a diverse range of whole, ground and blended spices. Catch Spices are packed in food grade metal-lined cartons, flexible laminates and convenient composite cans available in a variety of pack sizes.

FUNCTIONAL AREA – Marketing

OBJECTIVE

1. To study the customer preferences of MDH and CATCH spices. 2. To conduct comparative study of customer preferences for both the brands.

SCOPE

The functional area of our study is marketing. Geographical area to be covered under my project is Delhi region. Age group of the respondents is from 18 and above.

METHODOLOGY 1. PRIMARY DATA

Data observed or collected directly from first hand experience. Method which I will use to collect primary data is •

Questionnaire

1. sample size would be 100

2. SECONDARY DATA

Published data or data collected in the past by some other party. Sources of secondary data collection are as follows:•

Magazines

•

Internet

TOOLS

Use of software like Ms Word, Ms Excel Simple statistical analysis

CONTENTS

S No.

Topic

Page No.

1.

Certificate (s)

-

2.

Acknowledgement

-

3.

Executive Summary

-

4.

List of tables

-

5.

List of Figures

-

6.

List of Symbols

-

7.

List of Abbreviations

-

8.

Chapter-1 : Introduction

1-10

9.

Chapter-2 : Data Analysis

11-20

10.

Chapter-3 : Summary and Conclusions

21-22

11.

References / Bibliography

12.

Appendices

23 24-25

LIST OF TABLES

Table No.

Title

1.

Table 1.

2.

Table 2.

Page No.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure No.

Title

Page No.

1.

Fig. 1

11

2.

Fig. 2

12

3.

Fig. 3

13

4.

Fig. 4

14

5.

Fig. 5

15

6.

Fig. 6

16

7.

Fig. 7

17

8.

Fig. 8

18

9.

Fig. 9

19

10.

Fig. 10

20

LIST OF SYMBOLS

S No.

Symbol

1.

%

Nomenclature

Percentage

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

S No.

Abbreviated Name

Abbreviation

1.

Ltd.

Limited

2.

Yrs.

Years

CHAPTER -1

INTRODUCTION

MDH MASALAS

Mahashay Chuni Lal started the enterprise in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) on April 13, 1919. In a few years, the spices became very famous and they came to be known as "Deggi Mirch Wale" (the Pot Chilli People), after the name of one of their famous spice mixtures. After the partition India, Mahashay dharam pal, the son of the founder, shifted to Delhi and opened up his shop at Ajmal Khan Road, Karol bagh under the banner  "Mahashian Di Hatti of Sialkot (Deggi Mirch wale)". The name Mahashian Di Hatti means "the Shop of the Magnanimous" in Punjabi. The company initially relied on hand-ground spices, but has since shifted to automated machines, with a capacity of producing 30 tonnes of packaged spices in a day. There are large fully automatic manufacturing plants at Delhi, gurgaon (Haryana), Nagaur (Rajasthan), Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Amritsar (Punjab). It has now a network of over 1000 wholesalers and over 4 lakh retail leaders in India. It was ranked 490th among the unlisted Indian companies in 2000-01. MDH pioneered the marketing of powdered spice mixtures in handy attractive packages. In the last few years, the Exports Division of the company has started exporting the spices to several countries including UK, other European countries, Canada, United States , Japan and switzerland. There are over 45 products available in over 100 different  packages. The more famous ones are Chana Masala (for chickpeas), Sambar Masala (for sambar), Kitchen King (for vegetables), Chunky Chaat Masala (for chaat), Garam Masala ("hot spice", multi-purpose) and Chicken Masala. In addition to spices, it also manufactures incense sticks, ayurvedic tooth powder and havan samagri, a mixture for Hindu ritual sacrifices. MDH has been awarded by :The institute of trade and development's ITID Quantity Excellence Award,1994-95. Arch of europe Gold Star for Excellence and Quality, 1999

CATCH MASALAS

CATCH spices are part of DSP group.Catch Spices is India’s foremost spices brand known for its matchless product quality and innovative approach. Catch spices are ground using the unique state-of-the-art Low Temperature Grinding (LTG) technology, which prevents the evaporation of volatile & delicate oils from spices. Catch Spices thus retain the original aroma and wholesome flavour of authentic spices. The complete assortment comprises of a variety of salt and pepper sprinklers and a diverse range of whole, ground and blended spices. Catch Spices are packed in food grade metal-lined cartons, flexible laminates and convenient composite cans available in a variety of pack sizes. Lending exquisite flavours and tantalizing aromas to every kitchen across the nation………..Catch Spices.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

•

To study the customer satisfaction towards different spices in Delhi region.

•

To study which of MDH and CATCH is preferred most by the customers.

•

To find out the reasons for a brand switch.

•

To understand consumers purchase pattern and triggers for purchase.

•

To compare the market share of MDH and CATCH.

•

To know the taste and preferences of consumers.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

•

•

To carry out market survey of customer preferences for MDH and CATCH. 

For this purpose geographical area selected is Delhi Region.



Consumers between age group of 18yrs and above are the respondents.



Data collected through a questionnaire that is attached as Appendix A.

To analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the company. 

For this purpose secondary data from website and the dealer is collected.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1. METHODOLOGY USED FOR DATA COLLECTION:

1.1 Research Design: A Research Design is a plan structure and strategy of 

investigation so as to obtain answers to record, study and control variance. •

It should be object oriented, reliable, varied and general. This does not mean that it is near fact gathering studies. The study is of greater use as collection of  data is done with definite purpose of preplanned design with people for a certain period of time to data collect data.

•

Questionnaire is used to collect data from the customers in Delhi region.

1.2 Sampling: Before the research begins, a sample is to be determined. It is infact

the small representation of a large whole. Hence, of studying every case which might logically be included in investigation, only a small portion is selected. Sampling Technique: The sampling method adopted is convenience sampling.

This is a method of selecting units from “N” units of population in such a manner  that every of the possible sample has an equal chance of being selected. Sample Size: In this project sample size was taken only 100.

1.3 Sources Of Data Collection: It refers to the collection of information. For any

research to succeed raw facts must be collected in a form which helps in effective

 production of results and meeting the objectives of the study. There are basically two sources of data collection: Primary Data: is a term for data collected on source which has not been

subjected to processing or any other manipulation. Raw data can beinput to a computer

program or

used

in

manual

analysis

procedures

such

as

gathering statistics from a survey. In this project Questionnaire is used as a source of primary data. Secondary Data: They are those, which has already been collected by someone

else. In this project website, brouchers are used as a source of secondary data.

2. METHODOLOGY USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS:

2.1Tool Of Analysis: The commonly used methods used for analyzing are percentage

methods, pie charts, graphs etc. In this project report Pie-Charts and Bar Diagrams are used. A pie chart (or a circle graph) is circular chart divided into sectors, illustrating  proportion. In a pie chart, the arc length of each sector (and consequently its central angle and area), is proportional to the quantity it represents. Together, the sectors create a full disk. It is named for its resemblance to a pie which has  been sliced. The circle of pie charts represents 100%. The circle is subdivided into slices representing data values. The size of each slice shows what part of 100% it

represents. Pie charts can be used any time you want to show what percent a  particular item represents of data series.

Bar Diagrams are: Method of presenting data in which frequencies are displayed along one axis and categories of the variable along the other, the frequencies being represented by the  bar lengths. They are often used for qualitative or categorical data, although they can be used quite effectively with quantitative data if the number of unique scores in the data set is not large. It is represented by plotting the number of times a  particular value or category occurs in a data set, with the height of the bar  representing the number of observations with that score or in that category.

2.2Data Interpretation: It plays an important role in research report. The major and

important part lies on data interpretation. Findings can be interpreted in different ways and discussion between researchers and managers; it will help to bring about the best interpretation on the basis of  analysis

CHAPTER -2

DATA REDUCTION AND PRESENTATION

QUES 1: what is the reason for your preference for readymade masalas as compred to homemade masalas?

EASY TO USE

32

BETTER TASTE

30

MORE NUTRIOUS

20

ECONOMICAL

19

Reasons for Preferrence(

easy to u Better ta More nut Economi

According to 32% people readymade masalas are easy to use as compared to homemade masalas, 30 % of people prefer readymade masalas because of better taste, 20% of them use readymade masalas as they think they are more nutritious and 19%of them use readymade masalas because they think they are more economical as compared to homemade masalas.

QUES 2: Which brand of masalas do you prefer?

MDH

46

CATCH

33

HOMEMADE

14

OTHERS

7

Preferrence(%)

MDH CATCH HOMEM OTHERS Its being seen that 46% people use MDH masalas, 33% of people use CATCH Masalas whereas 14% of people prefer to use homemade masalas and remaining 7% people use other brands like EVEREST and DCM.

QUES 3: When is the consumption more?

SUMMER

14

WINTER

37

ROUND THE YEAR

49

consumption(%)

summer

winter

round th As depicted in the chart 14% people use masalas more in summers, 37% people use Masalas more in winters as they believe that they give more heat to body whereas 49% of them use them equally throughout the year.

QUES 4: Are you satisfied with the variety offered by your preferred brand?

YES

69

NO

31

variety offered(%)

 YES

69% of people are satisfied with the variety of masalas offered by their preferred brand and 31% of people are of the view that some more variety of masalas should be introduced like dalchini masala and some are of the view that a variety of nonveg masalas needs to be introduced.

QUES: 5 rate the following brands.

ATTRIBUTES

MDH

CATCH

HOMEMADE

LOCAL

QUANTITY

30

25

40

5

QUALITY

42

30

26

2

PRICE

25

30

39

6

INGREDIENTS 40

30

25

5

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

   Y    T    I    T

   Y    T    I    L   A

   E   S    T    I  C    N    R    E

Its being seen that 40% of people prefer homemade masalas in case of quantity followed by MDH (30%) and then CATCH (25%). Thus, both the brands should increase their quantity of masalas offered to people available in different packaging. MDH leads with 42% in case of quality offered by them to its customers. We can see that there is not much quality difference between CATCH and homemade masalas i.e.30% and 26% respectively, which is much lower than that of MDH. Therefore CATCH should increase its quality standards in order to enjoy a good market share. Homemade masalas represents 39% i.e. according to 39% of people they are the cheapest source. 30%people consider that the prices of CATCH are reasonable. People are not much satisfied with the prices of MDH . As depicted in the diagram according to 40 people out of 100 the ingredients are MDH are nutritious followed by CATCH by 30 % of people. 25% people homemade QUES: 6 Do advertisements affect your purchases?

TO GREATER EXTENT

6

TO GREAT EXTENT

14

NEUTRAL

28

TO LESS EXTENT

33

TO LESSER EXTENT

19

advertisements(%)  To greater extent  To great e Neutral  To less e Interpretation As depicted in the chart purchases of 42% of people is not influenced by the advertisements. 28% of people are of the neutral view and 20% are highly influenced by the advertisements.

QUES: 7 which of the brand is easily available in the market?

 To lesser extent

MDH

64

CATCH

35

accesibility(%)

MDH

Interpretation It’s clear from the chart that the accessibility of MDH masalas is more than that of  CATCH as 64% of people are in favour of former and 35% in that of latter. Therefore CATCH should increase its distribution channel in order to increase its accessibility in the market.

QUES: 8 which promotion technique attracts you more?

C

FREE SAMPLES

46

FREE GIFTS

36

DISCOUNT

18

Promotion technique(%)

free sa free gifts discoun As seen in the chart major portion i.e. 46% of the people are influenced by the free samples of masalas, 36% by discounts offered on them and 18% of them by free gifts offered with masalas. Thus, all the brands should promote and create their awareness by distributing free samples.

QUES: 9 According to you which brand promotes more?

MDH

71

CATCH

29

Brand Promotion (%)

MDH

CATC

According to 71% of people MDH promotes well in the market whereas only 29% of  them are favour of CATCH masalas. Thus, CATCH should improve its promotion techniques in order to make people aware of their brand in the market and increase their market share.

QUES: 10 Advertisement of which masala does you remember the most?

MDH

67

CATCH

28

OTHERS

5

advertisement(%)

MDH CATC OTHE Interpretation As depicted in the chart 67% of people are in favour of MDH brand, 28% of them in favour of CATCH and rest remaining of other brands like Everest and DCM. Thus, CATCH should improve its marketing strategy in case of advertisements in order to attract people.

QUES: 11 Is your preference affected by the brand ambassador?

YES  

21 NO

SOMETIMES

51 28

Band ambassador(%)

 YES NO SOMET As seen above purchases of 21% of people is affected by the brand ambassador of  the brand whereas 51% of them are not at all affected by the brand ambassador of  their brand.

QUES 12: Which of more is important in the promotion of a particular brand?

BRANDNAME

20

ENDOSRER

9

QUALITY

33

PRICE

28

Preferrence(%) BRA END QUA Interpretation Its being seen in the chart that the larger percentage of the people i.e. 33% prefer their brand because of the quality offered by their brand then followed by the people who prefer their brand due to prices at which they are available in the market ,28%. It is being seen that only 20% of purchases of people is affected by the brand name and then lastly 9% with that of endorser.

PRIC

CHAPTER – 3 DATA ANALYSIS

•

Ease of access

In this attribute out of 100 correspondents, 64 people are in favour of MDH i.e. according to them MDH masalas are easily available in the market whereas only 35 are in favour of CATCH. Therefore CATCH needs to increase its distribution network so as to increase its accessibility in the market and have a good market share. •

QUANTITY OF MASALAS OFFERED

On the basis of this attribute the quantity of masalas made at home is maximum i.e. 40 people opted for homemade masalas. There was not much variation seen in case of MDH and CATCH both of them as 30 of the correspondents were in favour of MDH and 25 in favour of CATCH out of total 100 . Thus, both the  brands need to increase the quantity of masalas offered by them in different  packaging. •

QUALITY OF MASALAS

According to this attribute a major differences have been seen, out of 100 correspondents 42 of them are in favour of MDH such that they are satisfied with the quality of masalas offered by them whereas there are only 35 people who are satisfied with the quality offered by CATCH brand. Thus , CATCH needs to increase their quality standards so as to increase their sales and be good in opinion of people.

•

PRICE

In this attribute out of 100 correspondents, 39 are in case of homemade masalas , they consider homemade masalas more economical as compared to MDH and CATCH brands.30 people are in favour of CATCH and 25 in favour of MDH . there is not much difference in the price preference of both the brands thus both of  them needs to reduce their prices. •

BRAND PROMOTION

In this attribute out of 100 correspondents, 71 are in favour of MDH and only 29 in favour of CATCH .a huge difference has been seen here, CATCH needs to improve its brand promotion techniques so as to make people aware of their   brand. It has also been examined that people remember the advertisements of  MDH more than that of CATCH. Thus it needs to work upon its television advertisements and adopt more sales promotion techniques like discounts, free samples, free samples etc.

Thus, overall MDH is proved a better brand as compared to CATCH in respect to sales revenue, access to market, quality offered by them, ingredients used by them and marketing techniques which includes brand promotion techniques like hiring  brand ambassadors , offering free samples and free gifts .

Chapter – 4 Summary & Conclusion

1. RESULTS OF THE STUDY •

MDH is the most preferred brand by the customers.

•

The taste,quality,ingredients etc. of MDH spices attracts most of the Customers to buy MDH spices.

•

People are very much attracted by the advertisements and promotional techniques used by MDH.

•

The prominent reason for preference for MDH is the the taste and quality offered by them.

•

Overall customers are satisfied with the brand MDH.

2. LIMITATIONS •

The research was mainly restricted to north Delhi region and that’s why the result of our study is not so prominent.

•

The sample size taken by me is 100 due to shortage of time.

•

The people were not serious in filling up the questionnaire and followed a very casual approach which has affected the analysis to some extent.

•

The indifference of the respondents affected the survey.

3. SUGGESTIONS & SCOPE FOR FURTHER STUDY •

Large sample size could have make results more prominent and good.

•

Area extension could have add as a key factor in making result more comparable.

4. SUGGESTIONS: For MDH:

MDH seems to be satisfactory in accordance to taste and quality but needs to reduce its price and increase its quantity.

For CATCH: •

Lee needs to work upon many aspects so as to increase its market share.

•

Lee needs to bring in variety to its collection.

•

The company needs open up new stores so as to be easily available to customers.

•

Also requires to improve on its marketing strategies.

References and Bibliography

Websites refferd

•

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

•

WWW.MDHMASALA.COM

•

WWW.CATCHMASALA.COM

APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE Hello! I Jayant Chadha, a student of BBA and I am required to submit a project on “A Comparative study of consumer preference for spices offered by MDH and Everest in  North Delhi region.” For this purpose, I am conducting a survey. Will you please take a few minutes to answer some questions? I assure you that your answers are meant only for the survey and will be kept completely confidential. PERSONAL DETAILS  

Name

-

…………………………………….

Age

- 15-25

25-35

More than 35

Gender

- Male

Female

Occupation

- Student

Housewife

Business

Service

Others(please menion)______________  1. What is the reason for your preference for readymade masalas as compared to homemade masalas? Easy to use

Better Taste

Economical

More Nutritious

All of them

2. Which brand of masalas do you prefer? MDH

Everest

Homemade

If other,(please specify)__________  3. When is the consumption more? Summer

Winter

Round the Year 

4. Are you satisfied with the variety offered by your preferred brand? Yes

No

5. If no to the above question, mention the variety of flavors that co uld be offered by your   preferred brands Dal Makhni Flavour Pav Bhagi Flavour Chicken Flavour Paneer Tikka Flavour 

6. Rank the following brands in terms of stated factors (on the scale of 1 to 4 1= Most Preferred 2= Preferred and 3=Some What preferred and 4=Least Preferred S.NO

ATTRIBUTES

1.

Quantity

2.

Quality

3.

Price

4.

Ingredients

5.

Availability

6.

Packaging

MDH

EVEREST

HOMEMADE

LOCAL

7. Do advertisements affect your purchases? Yes

No

If Yes Then To What Extent

8. Which of the brand is easily available in the market? MDH

Everest

9. Which promotion technique attracts you more? Free samples

Free gifts

Discounts

Any other__________ 

10. According to you which brand promotes more? MDH

Everest

11. Advertisement of which spice brand do you remember the most? MDH

Everest

Others

12. Is your preference affected by the brand ambassador? Yes

No

Sometimes

13. Who is more important for you in the promotion of a particular brand? Brand name Price

Endorser

Quality of a product

all of them

14. Any other suggestion regarding the brand_____________________________