Research Management Assignment Mall Culture in Bangalore

Table of Contents In tr odu ctio n St ate me nt o f th e P robl em Re vie w o f Previ ou s S tu di e s Sc ope of the Stud y Ob je ctiv e of th e Stu dy Ope ra tio na l D efiniti o n s o f Con ce pts Meth od olo gy Sa mpli ng Pla n To ols f or Ga the ri ng Data Time Bu dg et Fin anci al Bu dg et Pre sen tati on an d A na lysi s of D at a M a ll s F re que nt ed Pre fe ren tial Rea so ns Fr equ en cy of Vi sits Activiti es Enj oy ed Exp en ditu re Ad va nta ge s of Ma lls Situ atio na l P refe ren ce s Tr end o f West er ni zatio n Time Spe nt in Ind ividu al Sh op s Ad ve rs e E ffe ct s o n I ndivi dua l S ho ps Pri ce of Goo ds Thr ea t to th e M al ls Co ns tr ucti on of Mo re Ma lls Ma ll Timin gs Ad diti on al Fe atur es In te rp re tati on and Con cl usi on 2

Introduction Bangalore has a lot of places to visit and see. There are loads of individual sh ops that cater to specific needs. There are restaurants at almost every road in Bangalore. Theatres like Rex, Urvashi, Symphony etc., play the latest movies. Bu t people want all of it under one roof. These places fail to satisfy people. Hen ce a lot of malls have cropped up. Bangalore has a variety of malls situated in different places. Garuda Mall on Magrath Road, Eva Mall on Brigade Road, Forum o n Hosur Road, Total Mall, Sigma Mall on Cunningham Road, etc attract loads of pe ople mainly youngsters everyday. Since there are few places that attract Bangalo reans, the Malls have cashed on this. It has ushered in a different culture. Wha t attracts the people to malls? How often and why do they visit it? What are the advantages of malls? All these questions and more have to be answered to get an insight into the peoples behavior towards malls. We would understand why malls h ave become so popular in these few years in Bangalore. This is our precise inter est in conducting this research. 3

Statement of the Problem We are studying the effect of mall culture in Bangalore. Various issues relating to this problem among others are: Do people prefer malls that are close by or o ffer a wide variety? When do people visit malls? How much do they spend per visi t? Review of Previous Studies There have been studies that have been conducted before. But this research is co nducted independently without basing it on any other research. Hence it is a pri mary research. Scope of the Study A complete study of mall culture in Bangalore is totally unimaginable. Bangalore is home to lakhs of people, and has a dozen malls or so. Hence we have limited our study to the most famous malls like Forum, Garuda and Sigma and the responde nts that were studied were the students of Christ College, families and friends. Objective of the Study The reason why we are conducting this research is to study the effect of mall cu lture in Bangalore, i.e., to investigate the impact of malls on people in Bangal ore. 4

Operational Definitions of Concepts The concepts in our research are quite clear but to deal away with ambiguity, th e following concepts are defined: Proximity = the distance one is willing to tra vel/ close Weekends = Saturday and Sunday Gaming = Video arcades or Internet caf es in malls like Reliance Webworld offer a wide variety of games. Special occasi ons = Birthdays, Anniversaries any occasion that people deem special and importan t. Branded = good offered from a known source having high quality and value. Egclothes from United Colors of Benetton. Acquaintance = someone you know but are not very close to Time pass movie = a movie that offers a few laughs and thrill s but didnt do well at the box office. Box office movie = a movie that has got bo x office acclaim. Westernization = the culture of the west Methodology There are various techniques to collect information. We have used the survey met hod through the distribution of questionnaires. Sampling Plan Since the population of Bangalore is so huge and it would be impossible to colle ct information from so many people weve limited our study to the students in Chri st College and other institutions, family members and friends. Tools for Gathering Data We have used questionnaires to gather relevant data. These questionnaires were h anded put personally to the respondents. 5

Time Budget Stages Initial review of literature and selection of problem Formulation of the selecte d problem and the preparation of the research plan Construction of tools and pre testing Field work experimentation and collection of data Processing and analysi s of data Planning and report-writing work Drafting and finalizing the report Time period 1 day 2 days 10 days 2 days 3 days 2 days Financial Budget We didnt have any major expenses. Printing the questionnaires amounted to Rs. 200 . 6

Presentation and Analysis of Data The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions, the responses to which have been gr aphed and analyzed below. Malls frequented Which mall do you visit most frequently? 70.00 % of respondents 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 Forum Garuda Mal ls Sigma Others 3.33 4.67 27.33 64.67 The above graph depicts the malls frequented by the respondents. Of the 150, res pondents, it has been found that 64.67% frequent Forum Mall, 27.33% frequent Gar uda Mall, 3.33% frequent Sigma Mall, and 4.67% frequent other malls such as Eva Mall etc. It is apparent from the above graph that the majority of the responden ts frequent Forum Mall. This allows for two deductions. One is that Forum Mall i s favoured by most people for its cleanliness, spaciousness, and wide variety of products and services. The second deduction is that it may be indicative of the sampling error made by circulating questionnaires mostly among students of Chri st College. Preferential Reasons The graph, subsequent, depicts the reasons why the respondents frequent some malls and not others. 7

Why do you prefer the above mall? 45.33 46.00 50.00 % of respondents 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 7.33 1.33 Proximity Variety Cheaper Reasons Others Of the 150 respondents, 45.33% frequent their favourite mall due to it proximity to their home or workplace; 46%, due to the variety of goods and services offer ed; 4.33% as they think its cheaper; and 7.33% for other reasons such as a shortc ut to go home etc. As is apparent from the graph, proximity and wide variety of goods are the top reasons for respondents to visit certain malls. It may be assu med that if malls were built such that they were easily accessible and had a wid e variety of goods, more people would visit such malls. Frequency of visits How often do you visit malls? Rarely Frequency Monthly Fortnightly Weekends Daily 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 22.00 25.00 30.00 35.00 40.00 45.00 11.33 12.00 12.00 42.67 % of respondents The above graph depicts the frequency with which the respondents visit malls. Of the 150 respondents, 11.33% visit malls rarely; 12%, monthly; 12%, fortnightly; 42.67%, on weekends; and 22%, daily. 8

It is apparent from the above graph that most of the respondents visit malls on the weekends, i.e., Saturday and Sunday. Surprisingly, 22% of the respondents vi sit malls daily. It can thus be concluded that since the opening of malls, peopl e have been spending more of their time there than they would have in individual shops had there been no malls. Activities Enjoyed You go to malls mainly to/for: Spend Quality time Special Occasions Activities Movies Eat Gaming Kill time Shop ping 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 2.20 13.41 20.73 20.00 25.00 21.22 8.54 23.17 10.73 % of respondents The above graph depicts the activities enjoyed by the respondents in malls. Of t he 150 respondents, 10.73% visit malls to spend quality time with their friends and family; 8.54%, to celebrate special occasions; 23.17%, to watch movies; 21.2 2%, to eat; 2.20%, to play games; 13.41%, to kill time; and 20.73%, to shop for clothes, accessories, books, music etc. It can be deduced from the above graph t hat most people visit malls mainly to watch movies, eat and to shop. It can thus be assumed that malls make a huge income from the provision of these three serv ices. If they were improved, it would attract more customers. Another deduction is that people do not see malls as gaming centres. This poses two choices to a b uilder. He can, either, have a small corner for gaming, as it does not draw much crowd. Or, he can set up an exclusive gaming mall. This new trend could change the perspective of the customers. Expenditure The graph, subsequent, depicts the average amount spent by customers in malls on various activities. 9

How much do you spend per visit to the mall? 17% 11% > 100 100 - 500 23% 49% 500 - 1000 1000 < Of the 150 respondents, 11% spend less than Rs. 100 per visit, 49% spend Rs. 100 Rs. 500 per visit, 23% spend Rs. 500 Rs. 1000, and 17% spend more than Rs. 1000 per visit. The above graph portrays the amount of expenditure made in malls. It can be deduced that people spend a larger amount of money in malls than they do in individual shops. This could be due to two reasons. One is the obvious reaso n that malls showcase expensive products. Another reason may be that people may indulge in impulse buys, being overwhelmed by the wide variety of products and s ervices offered. Advantages of Malls In your opinion, the advantages of malls are: 5% 26% 34% All shopping together Wide choice Branded goods Others 35% The above graph depicts the advantages of malls according to the respondents. 10

Of the 150 respondents, 34%situations, which would you prefer? In the following feel that malls allow them to do all their shopping (groceries, clothes, food et c.) together, 35% emphasize the wide choice of Perfect outfit 26% can purchase br anded goods, and 5% cite other products, 32.00 32.00 21.33 14.67 advantages such as good collections of books and music etc. Treat Situations 43.33 18.00 13.33 25.33 This is invaluable information. It helps builders when deciding whether to build 68.67 8.00 8.00 15.33 Box-office hit movie a mall or not. It is apparent that p eople do favour malls and feel that they have Mall 20.00 8.67 8.00 many advantag es. It shows that 63.33 people are not averse to malls. Time-pass movie Shop Either 55.33 23.33 16.00 Gift for it also However, family/friend points to the trend that more and more 5.33 peopleCant say favour branded goods. A product that is labelled United Colors of Benetton or 29.33 50.00 16.67 4.00 Gift for acqu aintance Tommy Hilfiger seems to carry more importance. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Situational Preferences % of respondents The above graph depicts respondents preferences in different situations. 6 differ ent situations have been identified. When buying a perfect outfit, of the 150 resp ondents, 32% favoured malls; 32%, individual shops; 21.33%, either of the two; a nd 14.67% were undecided. When giving a birthday or anniversary treat, 43.33% fa voured malls; 18%, individual shops; 13.33%, either of the two; and 25.33% were undecided. When wishing to watch a box-office hit movie, 68.67% favoured malls; 8% , individual theatres; 8%, either of the two; and 15.33% were undecided. When wi shing to watch a time-pass movie, 63.33% favoured malls; 20%, individual theatres; 8.67%, either of the two; and 8% were undecided. When buying gifts for close fa mily or friends, 55.33% favoured malls; 23.33%, individual shops; 16%, either of the two; and 5.33% were undecided. When buying gifts for acquaintances, 29.33% favoured malls; 50%, individual shops; 16.67%, either of the two; and 4% were un decided. The above statistics expound that in spite of the high prices charged b y malls, they are still preferred when watching movies, giving treats and buying gifts. It is remarkable that most people would prefer a mall to watch a film wh ether it is doing well at the box-office or not. People prefer malls when buying gifts for close friends and family. Regardless of cost, most people prefer the safer, cleaner and more accessible malls to individual shops and theatres. The r easons for such preferences have already been presented. 11

Trend of Westernization Do you feel malls have contributed to a trend of westernization? 50.00 % of respondents 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 Of course Somewhat May be 13 .33 7.33 46.00 33.33 Not really Responses The above graph depicts the opinion of the respondents as regards malls developi ng a trend of westernization. Of the 150 respondents, 46% felt that malls have a definite role in contributing to a trend of westernization, 33.33% felt that ma lls play a sizeable role, 13.33% felt that malls may have contributed to this tr end, and 7.23% felt that malls have had very little contribution. Thus, it is ap parent that in spite of the advantages cited by the respondents, they do feel th at malls have had a definite hand in contributing to a trend of westernization. It can also be turned around, and be said, that though people feel that malls pr omote westernization, they still visit them, as malls provide so many advantages . Time Spent in Individual Shops 12

The time spent by you in various individual shops after the openeing of malls ha s: Remained same Responses 22.67 47.33 Increased Decreased 0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 % of respondents The above graph depicts the variation in time spent in individual shops after ma lls opened up in the city. Of the 150 respondents, 47.33% felt that they spend t he same time as they always did, 22.67% felt that they spend more time in indivi dual shops, and 30% felt that they spend lesser time. It can be deduced that the amount of time spent in individual shops has not changed very dramatically for a majority of the respondents. It may be assumed that individual shops therefore maintain a regular stream of their clientele and have not experienced a dramati c fall in their market. Adverse Effect on Individual Shops Do you think malls have adversely affected local shops? No, they share an equal market Resposes No, its an incentive Yes, they have to put in more capital Yes, they will die 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 20.00 25.00 3 0.00 35.00 23.33 25.33 31.33 % of respondents The above graph depicts the opinion of the respondents on the adverse effects of malls on individual shops. Of the 150 respondents, 23.33% felt that individual shops share an equal market with malls, 25.33% felt that malls are incentives fo r the individual shops to do better, 31.33% felt that individual shops have to p ut in more 13

capital to compete, and 20% felt that eventually the individual shops would die out. It is apparent from the above graph that although a majority of the people feel that malls have adversely affected individual shops, they are optimistic ab out their survival. However, it is interesting to note that although a majority of the respondents had said that they spent the same time in shops (in the previ ous question), only 23.33% felt that shops share an equal market with malls. Pri ce of Goods You think the products and services offered in malls are, on an average: 24.00 51.33 20.67 4.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 Very expensive Expensive Moderately priced Very Cheap 0.00 Price % of respondents The above graph depicts the opinion of the respondents of the price charged in m alls on various goods. Of the 150 respondents, 24% felt that the products offere d in malls are very expensive; 51.33%, that they are expensive; 20.67%, that the y are moderately priced; and 4% felt that they are very cheap. Two deductions ca n be made from the above statistics. One is that the people who visit malls are of the middle and upper income groups, and therefore do not feel the pinch. The other is that although people do find malls expensive, they still feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Threat to the Malls The graph, subsequent , depicts the opinion of the respondents of the threat posed by discount stores such as Big Bazar. 14

Do you think discount stores like Big Bazar are threats to these malls? 20% 12% Yes No Cant say 68% Of the 150 respondents, 12% feel that discount stores are a threat to malls, 68% feel that they are not, and 20% are undecided. The above graph portrays the sen timents of the people as regards malls and discount stores. It can be assumed th at a majority of the people prefer malls to discount stores like Big Bazar. This d oes not indicate, however, the market share of the two. It can thus be deduced t hat malls and discount stores share an equal market. Construction of More Malls You want more malls to be built in and around Bangalore: 45.00 40.00 35.00 30.00 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 43.33 % of respondents 23.33 14.67 10.00 8.67 Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Neither Disagree agree nor disagree Responses The above graph depicts the opinion of the respondents as regards the constructi on of more malls in and around Bangalore. Of the 150 respondents, 14.67% strongl y support the construction of more malls, 43.33% support construction, 10% oppos e construction, 8.67% strongly oppose it, and 23.33% are undecided. 15

It is apparent from the graph that although people support the construction of m ore malls in and around Bangalore, they are, to an extent, satisfied with the ex isting malls. More malls would give people new places to eat and shop at. Howeve r, the absence of more malls does not seem to trouble them. They are not dissati sfied with the current number of malls. Mall Timings Are you satisfied with the current mall timings? Yes, must not increase consumerism Responses Yes, dont go too early or too late No, must be open for a shorter time period No, must be open longer 0.00 10.00 2 0.00 7.33 27.33 30.00 40.00 50.00 16.67 48.67 % of respondents The above graph depicts the opinion of the respondents as regards current mall t imings. Of the 150 respondents, 16.67% are satisfied with the current mall timin gs as they do not wish to promote consumerism, 48.67% are satisfied as they do n ot go to malls very early or stay too late, 7.83% wish them to be open for a sho rter time period, and 27.33% wish them to be open longer. It is apparent from th e graph that not many people are concerned about consumerism. This is because a majority of them are well-balanced and spend little time in malls. Most of the p eople are satisfied with current mall timings. If there is any dissatisfaction, it is that some wish malls to be open longer. Additional Features The graph, sub sequent, depicts the additional features or improvements that the respondents wo uld like in malls. 16

What additional features or improvements would you like in a mall? 15% 4% Lounge Wireless Connectivity Special programmes Others 21% 60% Of the 150 respondents, 60% wanted a lounge to relax in; 21%, wireless connectiv ity; 15%, special programmes every week; and 4% cited other improvements such as better restrooms. It is apparent from the above graph that a majority of the pe ople feel the lack of a lounge area to sit in and relax. There are no places cur rently in malls in which to relax. People are compelled to go to coffee shops in malls to spend time. However, they are not allowed to sit in coffee shops witho ut buying anything to eat. Most people would like a lounge area in which to be a ble to meet and talk with friends and do work on their laptops. 17

Interpretation and Conclusion It is apparent from the research conducted that the majority of the respondents frequent Forum Mall. This allows for two deductions. One is that Forum Mall is f avoured by most people for its cleanliness, spaciousness, and wide variety of pr oducts and services. The second deduction is that it may be indicative of the sa mpling error made by circulating questionnaires mostly among students of Christ College. As is apparent from the research conducted, proximity and wide variety of goods are the top reasons for respondents to visit certain malls. It may be a ssumed that if malls were built such that they were easily accessible and had a wide variety of goods, more people would visit such malls. It is apparent from t he research that most of the respondents visit malls on the weekends, i.e., Satu rday and Sunday. Surprisingly, 22% of the respondents visit malls daily. It can thus be concluded that since the opening of malls, people have been spending mor e of their time there than they would have in individual shops had there been no malls. It can be deduced that most people visit malls mainly to watch movies, e at and to shop. It can thus be assumed that malls make a huge income from the pr ovision of these three services. If they were improved, it would attract more cu stomers. Another deduction is that people do not see malls as gaming centres. Th is poses two choices to a builder. He can, either, have a small corner for gamin g, as it does not draw much crowd. Or, he can set up an exclusive gaming mall. T his new trend could change the perspective of the customers. The research presen ts the amount of expenditure made in malls. It can be deduced that people spend a larger amount of money in malls than they do in individual shops. This could b e due to two reasons. One is the obvious reason that malls showcase expensive pr oducts. Another reason may be that people may indulge in impulse buys, being ove rwhelmed by the wide variety of products and services offered. The research help s builders when deciding whether to build a mall or not. It is apparent that peo ple do favour malls and feel that they have many advantages. It shows that peopl e are not averse to malls. However, it also points to the trend that more and mo re people favour branded goods. A product that is labelled United Colors of Benetto n or Tommy Hilfiger seems to carry more importance. The statistics expound that in spite of the high prices charged by malls, they are still preferred when watchin g movies, giving treats and buying gifts. It is remarkable that most people woul d prefer a mall to watch a film whether it is doing well at the box-office or no t. People prefer malls when buying gifts for close friends and family. 18

Regardless of cost, most people prefer the safer, cleaner and more accessible ma lls to individual shops and theatres. The reasons for such preferences have alre ady been presented. It is apparent that in spite of the advantages cited by the respondents, they do feel that malls have had a definite hand in contributing to a trend of westernization. It can also be turned around, and be said, that thou gh people feel that malls promote westernization, they still visit them, as mall s provide so many advantages. It can be deduced that the amount of time spent in individual shops has not changed very dramatically for a majority of the respon dents. It may be assumed that individual shops therefore maintain a regular stre am of their clientele and have not experienced a dramatic fall in their market. It is apparent from the research conducted that although a majority of the peopl e feel that malls have adversely affected individual shops, they are optimistic about their survival. However, it is interesting to note that although a majorit y of the respondents had said that they spent the same time in shops (in the pre vious question), only 23.33% felt that shops share an equal market with malls. T wo deductions can be made from the statistics. One is that the people who visit malls are of the middle and upper income groups, and therefore do not feel the p inch. The other is that although people do find malls expensive, they still feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The research showcases the sent iments of the people as regards malls and discount stores. It can be assumed tha t a majority of the people prefer malls to discount stores like Big Bazar. This do es not indicate, however, the market share of the two. It can thus be deduced th at malls and discount stores share an equal market. It is apparent that although people support the construction of more malls in and around Bangalore, they are , to an extent, satisfied with the existing malls. More malls would give people new places to eat and shop at. However, the absence of more malls does not seem to trouble them. They are not dissatisfied with the current number of malls. It is apparent that not many people are concerned about consumerism. This is becaus e a majority of them are well-balanced and spend little time in malls. Most of t he people are satisfied with current mall timings. If there is any dissatisfacti on, it is that some wish malls to be open longer. It is apparent that a majority of the people feel the lack of a lounge area to sit in and relax. There are no places currently in malls in which to relax. People are compelled to go to coffe e shops in malls to spend time. However, they are not allowed to sit in coffee s hops without buying anything to eat. Most people would like a lounge area in whi ch to be able to meet and talk with friends and do work on their laptops. 19

Thus is the mall culture in Bangalore. 20