The Indian customer is credited as being 'value'conscious. I think this is a ploy used by retailers and manufacturers who use the term value when they actually mean price. Discount retailers are showing the way here. The customer - do you think she is sure what is good value?
We are used to awarding the contract to L1 the lowest bidder. We are happy to buy a 2 litre pressure cooker for the lowest price without comparing the steel used, materiel used for making the handles, functionality or aesthetics of design. When I see this even in institutional purchases it pains me. Are we imagining that customers are aware about how to look for value? Do let me know what you think
You are in a way right in your perception that the Indian consumer is price conscious rather than value conscious for the reason that he/ she is not quite aware of what value to expect ( or the extrinsic quality ).. But that was a true till about 5-8 years back.. But due to the opening of international travel, free trade, and similar products made elsewhere widely available here for comparison, media advertising, product features on websites and comparison of product features - I tend to believe that the Indian consumer is well informed than he was before especially the younger generation... The examples would be mobiles, ball point pens, clothes, electronic goods, cars and the likes.. Ashok Kumar
ReplyDeleteThanks Prof Ashok Kumar for your inputs. What you say is true for what Mr.Kishore Biyani calls India 1 and India 2..however for India 3 the case is different. Do observe how steel/plastic containers are picked up in a discount departmental store for example. Of course there is also a audience looking for top quality stainless steel cookware made from salem steel which is difficult to find in modern retail! Thanks Sir for your comment
ReplyDeleteI have always belived in india that higher the price, the better the product. I am a middle class consumer but i look forward to a quality. When i go to a departmental store like big bazzaar i go with the expectation that i wont get a quality product. if a product like pressure cooker bought from such departmental store last more than an year, then i would say it meets above my expectation. The perception of values differs from customers and how deep is his/her pocket. You brought it rightly, there is a class of customers for whom its a customer delight to go to big bazaar, but some not venture to buy a steel product from there, because they have a perception that it does not meet its merrit. great article
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