PERCEPTUAL ANALYSIS AND BUSINESS
PERFORMANCE: A STUDY FOR
PANTALOONS’ PRIVATE LABEL BRAND
“ANNABELLE”
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LIMITED
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PANTALOONS FASHION AND RETAIL
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Mentor: Dr.SushilRaturi
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(Associate Professor)
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AVANI BIRLA
MUM13MM07
2013-2015
MASTERS OF FASHION MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF FASHION MANAGEMENT STUDIES
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY
MUMBAI, INDIA
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DECLARATION
I, Avani Birla, hereby declare that the Project entitled “PERCEPTUAL ANALYSIS AND
BUSINESS PERFORMANCE- A STUDY FOR PANTALOONS’ PRIVATE LABEL
BRAND ‘ANNABELLE’ ” is my original work and no part of the project has been copied
from any other reports or any other were carried by someone else and this have been
submitted for any other degree/award. However, any material taken from any other published
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sources has been suitably referred and acknowledged at various places.
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Name: Avani Birla
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Roll No. : MUM13MM07
Date: 19.05.2015
Batch: 2013-2015
Centre: Mumbai
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am grateful to NIFT for providing me an opportunity to do research work on
“PERCEPTUAL ANAYLSIS AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE- A STUDY FOR
PANTALOONS’ PRIVATE LABEL BRAND ‘ANNABELLE’ ”. I express my whole
hearted thanks to my guide Dr.SushilRaturi for his encouragement and moral support in
organizing my work and giving me valuable tips for making it presentable.
I am indebted to Ms. Garima Dubey, my industry mentor who has guided and supervised me
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throughout this study. I have no words to express my gratitude to her.
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I will be failing in my duty if I do not mention the name of my CC Ms. LipiChoudhary and
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other faculty for their help in my report.
Yours Sincerely,
NIFT, Mumbai
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Date of submission: 19.05.15
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Master of Fashion Management
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Avani Birla
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
TITLE
PAGE
NUMBER
1
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
INTRODUCTION
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
COMPANY PROFILE
BRAND PROFILE
MERCHANDISE GRID
BRAND INSPIRATION GRID
KEY STRATEGIC
IMPERATIVES
GENERAL RANGE
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION,PERCEPTION
AND EXPECTATION & SELL
THROUGH
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
ANNABELLE RANGE
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
PROBLEMS & SUGGESTIONS
CUSTOMER SURVEY
ANALYSIS
SALES PERFORMANCE OF
ANNABELLE AS COMPARED
TO OTHER NATIONAL
BRANDS OF PANTALOONS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ANNEXUREQUESTIONNAIRE
REFERENCES
1,2
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16-21
21,22
23
24-35
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4.1
5
5.1
6
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2.7
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2.6
2-5
6,7
7,8
9-14
15
35-37
38-47
48
49-51
52,53
54,55
56
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this project, entitled “Perceptual Analysis and Business Performance- A study
for Pantaloons’ private label brand ‘Annabelle’ “, was to cover the following objectives:
1. To study the existing process of range development for the season of AW’15
2. To study the customer’s perception about the brand Annabelle in terms of:

Satisfaction

Expectation

Competition
3. Comparison of the sales and sell through analysis of Annabelle with national brands
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like Van Heusen and Allen Solly.
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The range development process was covered in a detailed manner, with each step being
explained elaborately, the reason being that the company wanted this process to be
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documented. Certain problems which were faced while executing this process have been
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brought to light.
Next, a customer survey was conducted with a sample size of 100 across four stores Pantaloons
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in Mumbai. The purpose of conducting this survey was to understand how the customers felt
about the brand, their level of satisfaction, their frequency of purchasing from this brand, how
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they compared this brand with other national brands which were also sold at Pantaloons.
The collection of Annabelle was rated fairly well with all four parameters, i.e., price,
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Following are some of the conclusions that were brought forward by the survey:
fit, style and quality being given an average rating of 3 which indicates that customers
are satisfied with the brand.

Price and quality have been given higher ratings indicating that they are the USP of the
brand, which is, good quality products at reasonable prices.

When compared to other national brands of Pantaloons, Annabelle was the preferred
formal wear brand among the respondents

Annabelle is the most preferred brand over brands like Allen Solly and Van Heusen in
terms of providing quality products at very reasonable prices. Even though the other
brands are more well-known, are more advertised, at times provide better quality
products but also come at prices which justify the quality, might have better designs
and styles, yet, Annabelle’s performance is better than these brands because it provides
value for money along with good quality products.
Lastly, the performance of Annabelle with two national brands, Allen Solly and Van Heusen,
was compared in terms of sell through. It was observed that Annabelle was the best performing
brand out of the three brands (at Pantaloons stores only). The reason being, which came out
during the customer survey, was that all the three brands dealt with women’s formal wear but
Annabelle emerged out to be more popular because of the quality products it provided at very
reasonable prices as compared to the national brands which also provided similar products but
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at a higher price.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
The women’s wear market in India has the potential to grow into Rs 65,572 crore market
sizes by 2015. Maturing at the rate of 15.2 per cent, as compared to the growth of the total
apparel sector at 14.7 per cent, women’s wear has enjoyed a steady 32 per cent market share.
In fact, it is the segment that currently shows the highest growth rate among all major apparel
segments.
Perception is the process by which organisms interpret and organize sensation to produce a
meaningful experience of the world. Perception has strategy implications for marketers,
because consumer make decisions based on what they perceive, rather than on the basis of
objective reality. Consumers often judge the quality of the product or service on the basis of a
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variety of informational cues; some are intrinsic to the product (e.g., color, size. etc), while
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others are extrinsic (e.g., price, store image, style, smartness, brand image, service
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environment). In the absence of the direct experience or other information, consumer often
rely on price is an indicator of quality of the product they carry, as well as the decisions of
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consumers as to where to shop.
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Firstly, this report examines consumer’s perception towards one of the private label women’s
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wear brand of Pantaloons, “Annabelle”, in terms of preferences, frequency of purchase,
factors influencing the customer while purchasing this brand, other brands preferred for
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purchase of formal wear, etc. This survey has been conducted in order to gauge a customer’s
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perception towards the brand, how happy she is with the brand as compared to other
competitive brands that deal in the same category, i.e., formal wear, whether her perception
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about the brand meets her expectations, etc.
Secondly, this report also covers the entire range development process which is followed by
the company when planning and executing a range for a particular season. The company
wanted a documented, step by step process of range development.
And lastly, a brief analysis has been done in terms of Annabelle’s sales and sell through
performance and its comparison with other national brands like Van Heusen and Allen Solly
which are also being sold in Pantaloons.
Following are the objectives of the project:
1. To study the existing process of range development for the season of AW’15
2. To study the customer’s perception about the brand Annabelle in terms of:

Satisfaction
1

Expectation

Competition
3. Comparison of the sales and sell through analysis of Annabelle with national brands
like Van Heusen and Allen Solly.
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 COMPANY PROFILE:
Aditya Birla Group:
A US $40 billion corporation, the Aditya Birla Group is in the League of Fortune 500
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companies. In 2011, the Aditya Birla Group was ranked Number 4 in the Global 'Top
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Companies of Leaders' survey and ranked Number 1 in Asia Pacific.
The company is anchored by an extraordinary force of over 120,000 employees belonging to
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42 different nationalities and operates in 36 countries – Australia,Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil,
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Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast,
Japan, Korea, Laos, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Poland, Russia,
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Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand,
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Turkey, UAE, UK, USA and Vietnam.
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Over 50% of the company's revenues flow from its overseas operations.
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Around the world, Aditya Birla Group is known for:
A metals powerhouse, among the world's most cost-efficient aluminium and copper
producers. Hindalco-Novelis is the largest aluminium rolling company. It is one of the
three biggest producers of primary aluminium in Asia with the largest single location
copper smelter
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No.1 in viscose staple fibre

No.1 in carbon black
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The fourth-largest producer of insulators

The fourth-largest producer of acrylic fibre
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Among the top 10 cement producers

Among the best energy-efficient fertiliser plants
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The largest Indian MNC with manufacturing operations in the USA
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In India, they are known for:
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The largest fashion (premium branded apparel) and lifestyle player
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The second-largest manufacturer and largest exporter of viscose filament yarn
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The largest producer in the chlor-alkali sector
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Among the top three mobile telephony companies
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A leading player in life insurance and asset management
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Among the top two supermarket chains in the retail business
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The largest manufacturer of linen fabric
Rock solid in fundamentals, the Aditya Birla Group nurtures a culture where success does not
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come in the way of the need to keep learning afresh, to keep experimenting.
Vision: To be a premium global conglomerate, with a clear focus on each of the businesses.
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Mission: To deliver superior value to our customers, shareholders, employees and society at
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large.
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Values:
Integrity : Acting and taking decisions in a manner that is fair and honest. Following the
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highest standards of professionalism and being recognised for doing so. Integrity for us
means not only financial and intellectual integrity, but encompasses all other forms as are
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generally understood.
Commitment : On the foundation of Integrity, doing all that is needed to deliver value to all
stakeholders. In the process, being accountable for our own actions and decisions, those of
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our team and those in the part of the organisation for which we are responsible.
Passion : An energetic, intuitive zeal that arises from emotional engagement with the
organisation that makes work joyful and inspires each one to give his or her best. A
voluntary, spontaneous and relentless pursuit of goals and objectives with the highest level of
energy and enthusiasm.

Seamlessness : Thinking and working together across functional groups, hierarchies,
businesses and geographies. Leveraging diverse competencies and perspectives to garner the
benefits of synergy while promoting organisational unity through sharing and collaborative
efforts.

Speed : Responding to internal and external customers with a sense of urgency. Continuously
striving to finish before deadlines and choosing the best rhythm to optimise organisational
efficiencies.
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Pantaloons:
Pantaloons is one of the fastest growing lifestyle apparel retail destination in India constantly
innovating designs, concepts and products by infusing the latest trends in fashion and
clothing styles. A chain of stores for every Indian, Pantaloons has a repertoire of lifestyle
brands to cater to every consumer needs across multiple occasions. The warm and
personalized service offered by every store truly brings out the unique value proposition of
the
format.
Pantaloons was launched amidst much fanfare in Gariahat, Kolkata in 1997. Over the years,
the brand has undergone several transitions therefore re-inventing itself to bring forth
compelling trends and styles for men, women and kids. It started as a discount format,
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moving to a family concept store and finally evolved into a fashion destination with a sharp
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focus on bringing the latest in fashion.
Pantaloons retails over 200 brands which comprises a mix of exclusive brands, licensed
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brands, international brands and more in apparel as well as accessories leaving the consumer
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spoilt for choices. The greatest asset of Pantaloons is our exclusive brands that keep
customers coming back to our stores. What sets these brands apart is that each of the designs
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are crafted keeping the consumer’s fashion sensibilities and fashion needs in mind.
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Brands at Pantaloons:
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Pantaloons offers a wide range of brands for men, women and kids with choices across
categories including western wear, ethnic wear, formal wear, party wear, active wear and
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accessories making it a one stop destination for all the fashion needs of the consumers.
The women’s section houses our exclusive brands that offer different collections for a wide
range of occasions:
Ethnic wear exclusive brands include the mix-n-match range by Rangmanch, fusion wear by
Akkriti and occasion wear by Trishaa.
Western wear exclusive brands include Ajile for the fitness conscious, trendy casual wear by
Honey, smart formals and evening wear by Annabelle.
The men’s section houses a plethora of options that includes our range of exclusive brands as
well as India’s favorite brands.
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Western wear exclusive brands include edgy casuals by SF Jeans, preppy British sports
inspired collection by Byford, sports luxe by Ajile and party wear by F Factor.
Formal wear section offers a range of crisp and well-tailored collection by popular
international brands like Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England and Louis Philippe.
The kid’s section has something to offer for all age groups starting from 1 month old toddlers
to 12 year old tweens. The portfolio of brands includes infant wear by Chirpie Pie, ethnic
wear
by
Akkriti,
casual
wear
by
Chalk
and
Poppers.
In an endeavour to meet the consumer’s ever-changing fashion needs, Pantaloons has
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introduced new brands that include:
Candies, New York, for young fashionistas who like to flaunt their style.
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San Frisco Jeans Co, that offers the latest edgy styles in denim wear for young men
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and women.
Byford, established 1919, a British inspired sports lifestyle brand that offers polished
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peppy collection.
Alto Moda, high fashion brand for plus sized people
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Poppers, a bubbly and cheerful kids wear brand for young boys and girls.
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In addition to this vast range of brands, Pantaloons also has a well-established repertoire of
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partner brands such as Lombard, Bare Denim, Bare Leisure, JM Sport Classic, RIG, Turtle,
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Spykar, Lee Cooper, 109F, AND, Chemistry, Global Desi, Biba, Giny & Jony and Barbie.
With a chain of 97 fashion stores across 46 cities and towns, Pantaloons is constantly
extending its footprint into the rest of modern India. It spans a retail space of 1.7 million
square feet which is amongst the largest in India.
Voted as ‘India’s Most Trusted Apparel Retail Brand’ in the prestigious Brand Equity
Survey 2014, Pantaloons continues to nurture consumer trust
and confidence.
Pantaloons is now an integral part of the prestigious Aditya Birla Group, a USD 40 billion
Indian multinational operating in 36 countries across the globe with over 120,000 employees.
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2.2 BRAND PROFILE: ANNABELLE
Annabelle is one of Pantaloons’ private label brands which deals in women’s formal and
evening wear.
 Key items:
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Top wear
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Dresses
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Jackets- career

Winter coats & jackets
 Retail Price:
Career Tops - 699-1299
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9 to 9 tops - 799-1199
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Dresses (9 to 9)- 1199-1699
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Jackets - 2599-2799

Knits Basic - 249-899
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Trouser core -499-1299
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Age Range- 22 – 32 years
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Professionals / socially active
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Conscious & confident
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Understated fashion
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Respects the place and blends in occasion
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Follows the dress code
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 Brand Attributes:
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Smart yet feminine work wear.
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Attention to fits and colors. ”Less is more”
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Classy and neat finish cuts down monotony of regular or occasion wear
 Tagline and Key Words:

Sophisticated

Modern

Classy and Chic
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 Inspiration Brands:

ANN TAYLOR

WALLIS

ZARA

VAN HUESEN
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M&S

MANGO

Wardrobe by Westside
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Code by Lifestyle
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 Competitors:
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 Brand Icon: Sonam Kapoor
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2.3 MERCHANDISE GRID: ANNABELLE PRODUCT-PRICING MIX:
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1. CAREER WEAR (17%)
 Core: Shirts
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MRP: 699-899
 Fashion: Tops
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MRP: 699-1499
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 Fashion Basics: Shirt
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MRP: 699-999
2. EVENING WEAR (38%)
 Fashion Basics:
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Tops
MRP: 799-1299
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Dresses
MRP: 1299-1499
 Fashion:
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Tops
MRP: 799-1399
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Dresses
MRP: 1199-1699
 Fashion Signature:
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Tops
MRP: 999-1299
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Dresses
MRP: 1699-1799
3. BOTTOMS (13%)
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MRP: 1299
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 Fashion Basic:
MRP: 1299
Treggings
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Trousers
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 Fashion:
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MRP: 1199-1499
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MRP: 1199
Trouser
MRP: 999-1699
4. WINTER WEAR (16%)
 Fashion
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Light winter wear
MRP: 999-1499
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Heavy winter wear
MRP: 1299-4299
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5. JACKETS/SUITS (0.5%)
 Core
MRP: 1499-2999
 Fashion Basic
MRP: 1699-2699
 Fashion
MRP: 1299-2199
2.4 BRAND INSPIRATION GRID-ANNABELLE:
40% of the range comprises of career and business casuals and 60% comprises of 9 to 9 and
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evening wear.
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Key silhouettes/ Must haves: Crisp shirts, sleeve variation in career wear, tunic length tops,
Mock- double layers, easy fluid shirts, tops, tunics.
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In bottom wear: leggings, PVL pants, cotton sateen pants, fashion trousers.
In dresses: shift dresses, Ponte dresses, fitted structured dresses, blouson dress.
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Print direction: Subtle yet impactful, solids combined with subtle prints, cheerful and
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bright inter play of polka and stripes, conversational and animal print variations.
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business casual range.
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Embellishment: Career- No embellishment in career tops, textured fabrics could be used in
9 to 9- subtle use of laces, interesting self textured fabrics could be used in 9 to 9.
Eveningwear: sequins, glitterati, delicate westernized zariwork for signature.
Color palette: A compact color palette of black, whites, neutrals- few highlight colors to be
used to break the monotony. Evening wear to have hues of mid tones and deeps. Metallic
gold and black to be used in signature.
Fabrics: Fabrics to be used will include synthetics, synthetic blends, viscose rayon's, viscose
elastane, PC blends, ponte, lace fabrics, 100% mill made cotton with 50s compact yarn in
business casual and Ponte Fabric but with lesser composition of elastane.
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End use: The purpose of this range is to provide an attire which women can wear to work or
for an evening out with friends.
Benchmark brands: M&S, VERO MODA, VAN HUESEN, Forever New(Signature).
DO’s:

It is necessary to keep a check on the fits especially in career wear

Business casual range to have interesting trim/fabric details

An optimal base of fabric quality needs to be established which will further be used
for all seasons
Play with interesting yet subtle prints

Try combining solids essentially while layering a look

Embellishment should be of good quality and last for a long time

The range should provide value for money

Fabric quality should not be compromised

Range must be balanced covering all silhouettes within the palette.

Color palette must be very tight, with Black, Beige and Ecru present in all stories.

90% of the range (including 9 to 9) should comprise of easy commercial silhouettes.

Color stories to be clear within each story and to cover solids and prints alike

Range to be planned as coordinates with one bottom coordinating with at least three
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There can be only two stories in a season with the color palette from each story to
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tops as well as layering pieces like shrugs.
flow from hit 1 to hit 2
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DONT’s:

No ankle length trousers. All trousers need to be full length.

Career wear color palette and theme to be independent of season stories

Too shiny a fabric not to be used for evening wear. In case of satin, use only matte
quality

Deep necks and big armholes in silhouettes to be avoided
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CAREER WEAR:
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BUSINESS CASUAL:
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EVENING WEAR (BASIC):
EVENING WEAR ( 9 TO 9):
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SIGNATURE:
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BOTTOMS:
13
PD
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CARDIGANS:
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2.5 KEY STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES FOR THE BRAND:
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE PRODUCT MIX
EXECUTION STRATEGY
1. To offer a complete 40% career wear and 60% Fabric should be stretchable
career
wear
and evening wear
and crease free with easy
eveningwear(9AM to
maintenance.
9PM)solution
prints should appeal to a
appealing
to
wide
Colors
and
wide range of customers
range of consumers
2. Fashion quotient to be Evening
wear
tops
and Exclusive
signature
collections which will help
Solly, Van Heusen –
make the brand more fashion
which are aspirational
forward.
brands for Pantaloons
This will also help tap the
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at par with Allen dresses
consumers
Allen
Solly/Van
Heusen
Core
career
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3. Brand Identity
current customer base
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customers in addition to the
dresses
and shoots as an exclusive brand
range.
Windows and in store display
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signature dresses
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eveningwear
dresses, To portray the brand in photo
to be brand specific
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4. To make Annabelle 40% dresses across evening Eveningwear
as dress destination
wear
contribution
increased up to 45% in
option plan.
Different
silhouettes
and
fabric embellishments to be
used for the dresses
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2.6 GENERAL RANGE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:
The following flow chart depicts a general process of range development. It is not necessary
for every company to follow the exact process, but this provides a basis for the development
process:
Range Development
Forecasting
Story Making
Look
Formal Look
Jeanswear
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Casual Look
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Research
Fabric Selection
Sampling
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Product Development
Docketing
Trim Selection
Presentation
Sample Selection
Order Placement
Costing
TNA
Approvals
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Product/Range development is the process of market and trend research, merchandising
design, and development of the final product.
Merchandisers or product managers, designers, and their assistants are all involved in the
development of a line or collection of the fashion manufacturers’ product.
Product/Range development is the process of market and trend research, merchandising
design, and development of the final product.
Line development is the creation of a line, also referred to as a collection( a group of garment
styles that is presented by apparel companies to their customers for sale and delivery during a
specific time period.

Buyer strategy
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Buyer(his own ranges)
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Season selected
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It basically depends on the :
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Research:
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In this the designers along with the manufacturers go for research on the basis of preferences
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done by the buyer. They research their target market to learn buying habits and preferences.
Manufacturers and retailers ask consumers directly about their preferences.
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Consumer reactions are compiled and tabulated to find preferences for certain garments or
accessories, colors, or sizes, and so on, or preferences for particular retailers. This
information can be used to create new products to fit specific consumer tastes. Methods of
questioning consumers can be formal or informal. Buyers and sales associates may talk with
customers in the store. Manufacturers may hire market research companies to make inquiries
by telephone or mail and to hold consumer focus group meetings
Every manufacturer and retailer researches its own sales records. Rising sales statistics show
what styles have passed their peak. Overall weak sales show that a style is not meeting
consumer needs for fashion, quality or fit.
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Fashion Forecasting:
Designers, merchandisers and buyers must learn to predict trends, which are new directions
in fashion. It would be impossible to ask consumers what they will want to wear a year
or two in advance – they would not know themselves. Designers, merchandisers and retailers
must work so far ahead of the selling season to produce or stock the fashions their customers
will want, they must learn to anticipate customers’ wants and needs – to be fashion
forecasters of the future.
Fashion forecasting involves:
1. Studying market conditions – consumer’s buying behavior is influenced by society,
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economics, technology, and the environment
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3. Researching sales statistics to establish sales trends
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2. Noting the life-styles of the men, women, or children who are the customers
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4. Evaluating the popular designer collections to find fashions (colors,silhouettes,
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fabrications, lengths) that suggest new directions or “trends”
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5. Surveying fashion publications, catalogs, and design services from around the world
6. Observing “street fashions”(what people are wearing) and what celebrities are wearing
Story making:
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7. Keeping with current events, the arts, and the mood of the public
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In this the designers have to look for all the factors that need to be taken into part when
forecasting a new product. Say if they go for a women’s garment then they have to look for
all the added accessories to it, which has to be in tune with the product to be forecasted. This
in tune has to be season based, else its of no use. Based on the work, they need to decide the
graphics for print, embroidery, styling, etc. Color palette is done on the basis of color
selection.
Product Development:
Merchandisers or product managers and designers are all involved in the development of a
line or collection.

Merchandising:
18
Merchandising is planning to have the right merchandise at the right time in the right
quantity and at the right price to meet the needs of the company’s target customers.

Cost merchandising:
Based on costs for the last season’s styles, merchandisers establish price points for
garments to be designed.

Scheduling: The merchandiser sets up a schedule of deadlines for styling, finished
samples and production to meet the required shipping dates.

Seasons: Each season, the design and merchandising departments of each division are
responsible for a creating a new line, the seasonal collection. Work on a new line
approximately begins eight months before the selling season.

Fabric: Designers and merchandisers first select fabrics for each group in the line and
Color: Designers must consider their customers and provide colors that are both
ia

l
specific fabrics for each style.

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appealing and flattering.
Line: After selecting the fabric, the designer must consider the other elements of good
io
design. Line refers to the direction of visual interest in a garment created by
ud
construction details such as seams, openings, pleat, gathers, tucks, topstitching and
trims.
Shape: It is used to describe the outline of the whole garment

Designing a sample garment: The first sample garment or prototype is the test to see if
a design is successful.
F
St

PD
 The first pattern: The pattern is made in a sample size, the one used for testing
and selling purposes.
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sk
 The designer work sheet: Records are kept on all styles as they develop. Each
designer fills out a work sheet containing information that guides the
production department in figuring costs and in ordering trims.
Docketing:
It’s a style sheet made by designer, with all designs of the product, trims ,accessories, for
sampling purposes. This sheet is given to the production department people mainly the
sample tailors who initially go for preparing the garment before production starts in bulk
19
Sampling:
To test the forecasted design, the designer orders a 3-5 yard cut of a fabric to make a sample
garment. They initially order enough for many samples, perhaps100 yards or more. They
commit to a fabric order even before having a collection to show. Once fabrics have been
selected, the designer can begin to create styles.
Presentation:
In this the style the design that the designer has made is given a shape by the sample tailors
under the manufacturer’s brand name. And when the buyer’s come, they go through the
sample designs. It happens they may like the style and ask for production, some may even
ia
they wish they may ask for slight variations in fabric, trims, color ,etc.
l
reject it. If they accept they may ask for bulk production with the same style and color but if
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Sample selection:
io
During this process he can select any design, fabric, trim, and colors.
ud
For fabric – fabric type, quality, quantity, sources etc.
For trims – threads, elastics, interfacings, laces, embroidery, ribbons, braids and cords,
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zippers and buttons, labels, hangtags, etc.
Order placement:
PD
F
The style is finalized here and the manufacture starts with the proto sample.
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When everything is finalized then the order is placed by the buyer or retailer. This then starts
in bulk and the company tries to complete the order in allocated time.
Costing:
The production cost of a garment is mutually determined by the manufacturer and contractor.
Costing is an exact calculation by the sourcing department and the contractor, using actual
figures for materials and labor, based on how long it takes to make an entire garment.
Time and Action Plan:
This is planned by PPC (pre-production and control) department , where a pre-planned format
is planned starting from the production floor to the shipment.
20
Approvals:
When all the above things are done, all the approvals are passed from all departments, like
quality, production, planning, merchandising, etc. Then finally the buyer gives a nod and the
company plans for shipment in whichever mode it has been asked.
2.7 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, PERCEPTION AND EXPECTATION & SELL
THROUGH:
Customer Satisfaction:
It is a term frequently used in marketing. It is a measure of how products and services
ia
l
supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is
defined as "the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported
Tr
experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction
io
goals."
ud
Customer satisfaction depends on the product’s perceived performance relative to a buyer’s
expectations. If the product’s performance falls short of expectations, the customer is
St
dissatisfied. If performance matches expectations, the customer is satisfied. If performance
A highly satisfied customer:
F
exceeds expectations, the customer is highly satisfied and delighted.
Stays longer

Buys more as the retailer introduces new products and upgrades existing brands

Talks favorably about the retailer and its merchandise

Pays less attention to competing brands and advertising and is less sensitive to price

Offers products/service ideas to the retailer

Costs less to serve than new customers
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PD

Customer Perception:
In consumer behaviour, perception refers to the way stimuli are interacted and integrated by
the consumer. Although there are numerous definitions in literature explaining perception
from a consumer behaviour perspective, the one used by Walters and Bergiel (1989) provides
21
particular clarity on the topic: “The entire process by which an individual become aware of
the environment and interprets it so that it will fit into his/her frame of reference”.
A brand is a perceived image that resides in the minds of consumers. It is the aura that
surrounds a product or service that communicates its benefits and differentiates it from its
competitors for the consumer. Thus a brand is been defined as, “an identifiable product,
service, person or place, augmented in such a way that the buyer or user perceives relevant
unique added values that match their needs most closely”
Customer Expectation:
Customer expectation refers to the total perceived benefits a customer expects from a
company’s product or service. If the actual experience customers have the products exceeds
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l
the expectation, they are typically satisfied. If the actual performance falls below the
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expectation, they are typically dissatisfied
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Sell through:
A calculation, commonly represented as a percentage, comparing the amount of inventory a
ud
retailer receives from a manufacturer or supplier against what is actually sold to the
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consumer.
Manufacturers often create promotions or special advertising in an effort to increase the sell-
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PD
F
through rate of its products at the retail level.
22
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Types of data collected:
For the purpose of this project, both primary as well as secondary data was collected.
Primary data, which is the data obtained through the direct efforts of the researcher, can be
collected through surveys, questionnaires and direct observation. The data that is collected is
unique to the research and no one else can access it until the researcher publishes it.
For this project specifically, primary data was collected with the help of a questionnaire. This
questionnaire was specific to the brand “Annabelle” and included questions related to the
ia
l
frequency of purchase, the factors influencing purchase, other competitive brands purchased,
Tr
etc.
Secondary data, which is data that has already been collected and readily available from
io
other sources, was also collected from various internet sources and articles.
ud
Sampling:
St
A sample size of 100 was used to conduct the survey which consisted of only women
belonging to the age group of 18 to 40 years.
PD
F
Area of survey:
The survey was conducted in 4 Pantaloons stores of Mumbai, which are located in Lower
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sk
Parel, Malad, Ghatkopar and Kurla.
23
CHAPTER 4: ANNABELLE RANGE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The following flow chart depicts the steps undertaken in order to develop the range of a
particular season. The season under consideration over here is AW’15.
• OPTION PLAN
STEP 2:
• RANGE PRESENTATION
STEP 3:
• RANGE CLOSURE
STEP 4:
• HANDOVER TO SOURCING
STEP 5:
• COSTING
STEP 6:
• PC:MRP
STEP 7:
• FIT SAMPLES
STEP 8:
• PRE PRODUCTION SAMPLES
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ud
St
F
PD
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STEP 9:
l
STEP 1:
• PRODUCTION
STEP 10:
• SHIPMENT SAMPLES
STEP 11:
• INWARD IN WAREHOUSE
STEP 12:
• INWARD IN STORES
24
1. The first step when developing a range is preparation of the option plan. This option
plan is prepared by the buyer for that brand and the same is shared with the designers.
Below is the option plan for AW’15. The following factors are taken into
consideration when preparing an option plan:
MRP range

Product

Sale value

Options required per category

Current market trend
tops
Annabel
le
Core 45's PC Solid 2
and
detailing 1.
to
1-
be S/SLv
worked
shirt and
on. Basic 1 LS shirt
699-
6
799
4
10
fit
to 2. lab dip
remain as around 8
Career
current
colors.
season.
Will
Will
tops
be
not select 4.
story
specific.
1. will do
1. Sleeve
Career
tops
Core 45's PC Y/D
2
699
6
2
8
details
4
stripes
only.
and
2
Fit checks.
as is
2. Should
be
25
repeats
updates
Best
seller
Product direction
cost/ brand DNA
Value
sleeve
PD
de
sk
Career
addition
Tr
Tot. Options
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Oct 15 hit 3
Sep 15 Hit2
ud
Aug 1 Hit1
approx. cost
MRP
St
Only
F
No. of styles
Attributes
fashion
Fabric quality-
Core
MCC
MC
/
Fashion
basics/
impacting
ia
l

Refer
pics
attache
d
commerci
al colors.
Need
desk
looms in
8
stripes
and
4
checks
options to
choose
from.
1. 1 style
in
each
l
hit.
d
2
799
2
2
ia
Printe
neutral
commerci
al colors.
ud
3. Style to
St
F
Cotton Solid 1
Career
Tops
799
2
sleeve and
2
4
Basic Sateen
de
sk
Tops
n
be s/s
PD
Career
Fashio 50's
Fashio
n
Basic
100%
Cotton
Prints
to be in
4
io
tops
Core 45's PC
Tr
Career
2.
placket
1. Update
details
of
our
only to be Satin
worked
Shirt.
on
add small
trim
Solid 1
699
details/
2
stitching
details,
1.
Sleeveles
s style.
etc
Business 1. Need 5
Career
tops-
Fashio
Busine n
ss
Casual
Basic
50's
Compa
ct
Y/D
7
999
8
4
12
casual
styles
range
hit 1 and
needs
to 2 in Hit 2.
have a lot 2.
Cotton
of
Need
one solid
interrestin and
26
in
g
trim balance
details
y/d.
like
contrast
fabric,
herringbo
ne
tapes,
etc
1. 3 styles
in Hit 1.
Will
do
colorways
in Hit 2.
Will
l
2.
need
buttons,
y/d stripes
6
799
4
10
be
can options. 2
used. for
Silhouette hit.
s
to
simple.
St
4.
F
Basic
slv top.
18
799-
8
999
crepe
27
4
12
L/S
Gold buttons, 1.
Refer
tabs, can be shirt
pics
body,
used.
attache
Silhouettes to basic s/s
d
top,
be simple.
Sleeveles
and repeats
additio
Value
Tot options
48
Oct 15 hit 3
Sep 15 Hit2
cost
Aug 1 Hit1
Approx
styles
MRP
of
4
2
plain 3/4
32
No.
Attributes
basics/
Fabric
fashion
qualityggt/ BSY
Solids
options of
block.
PD
tops
Evening
less
2
color
Poly ggt/
9 to 9 Fashion Wt
be 3.
options of
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sk
Fashion
Core
/
e
MCC
MC
Annabell
each
brand
Best seller
DNA
updates
3
4
impacti
Product
ng
cost/
direction
Basic
Jersey d
tabs,
699-
n
n
Viscose solid/y
ud
Tops
Fashio
io
Career
Tr
ia
gold
s top and
Long
shirt
body to
be
covered.
2.
Can
do color
options
as color
blocks
also.
1.
Will
do
9
ia
l
styles in
less
tops
Basic
Amaliya
AOP
14
799999
be in colors
12
6
of the season
18
Viscose
Animal
be
sould
included
here.
PD
crepe/
Sleeveles Refer
s styles. pics
3. Need attache
a peasant d
body in
3
will be in
viscose
de
sk
tops
Fashion Amaliya
2
styles
jersey.
Use
details 1.
Will
like
lace, do
7
metal
ggt/ BSY
9 to 9
do
4.
less
crepe/
Can
range.
Poly ggt/
Wt
2.
the
F
Jersey
and
prints
St
crepe/
ud
ggt/ BSY
9 to 9 Fashion crepe/
2
AOPs should
io
Wt
3 in Hit
Tr
Poly ggt/
Hit 1 and
styles in
trims(buttons hit 1 and
Solid/AO
P
10
899-
8
1199
4
12
Mix
match
Viscose
fabrics,
Jersey/
tabs). 3
styles
and in hit 2
of 2.
Will
do
2
embellishme tunic
Ponte
9 to 9 Fashion- Poly ggt/ Solid/AO
20
tops
Dresses Wt less P
ggt/ BSY
and
nt.
styles.
need 10 easy 1. Need Refer
999-
14
1499
8
22
dresses.
options
28
4 4 options pics
of in
Shift attache
crepe/
evening wear shape.
d
Viscose
dresses. Can 2. can do
Jersey/
use
Ponte
belts,
lace, 6
slight sleeveles
embellishme s styles.
nt, etc.
3. Only 2
options
for
Rs.1499.
Poly
1.
Can
Satin/Pol
do
2
y ggt/ Wt
9 to 9 Signatur less ggt/ Solid/AO
tops
e- Tops BSY
P
Can use lace,
899-
8
6
1299
2
8
embellishme
ia
Poly
tops
less ggt/ Solid/AO
e-
BSY
Dresses
P
1299-
6
Hit 1.
1699
crepe/
2
6
52
78
embellishme
nt
St
Viscose
4
Can use lace,
ud
9 to 9
y ggt/ Wt
io
Satin/Pol
Signatur
AOPs in
Tr
Jersey
Will
need two
l
Viscose
styles.
2.
nt
crepe/
S/less
26
Annabell
Core
e Jackets
PVL-
as
AW14
e Jackets basic
Solid 1
2799
2
2
en
Solid 1
2599
2
2
Waistcoa basic
AW14
as
style
as
SS14
Annabell
Fashion PVL-
style
Same
Jackets
e-
as
Same
Solid 1
1299
2
2
style
SS14
ts
29
as
Same style
as SS14
Same style
as SS14
Same style
as SS14
nd
ates
DN
and
addi
Pro
tion
duct
imp
dire
acti
Best
ctio
ng
selle
n
cost/
r
bra
upd
rox.
Aug
cost
1
Sep
Hit1
15
Oct
Hit2
15
Tot
hit 3
optn
Val
s
ue
Same
SS14
Annabel Annabell Fashion Cotton/Sate
le
cs/
ityAttr
fash
ibut
No.
ion
es
of
MR
style
P
s
app
basi
qual
hion
ric
Fas
Fab
e
Cor
C
MC
MC
/
de
sk
PD
F
Jersey
1. Will do
Annabell
ewaterfall
Fashion Viscose
basic
Solid 1
Jersey
899999
4
4
can
use
lace
in
999
waterfall
two styles.
1
basic
waterfall
and
one
with lace
back.
1.
Needs
to be an
easy
Fashion
Annabell -
Jaquard/
which can
Signatu Textured
waterfall re
Solid 1
2299
1
be paired
1
with
fabric
l
e-
Jacket
of
ia
Jacket
AW14
/ y/d
2
Annabell
Annabel
le
Trouser
basic
en
de
sk
e Trs
e Skirts
Core
Solid 1
PD
Annabell Fashion Cotton/Sate
PVL-
as
AW14
Solid 1
Annabell
e Skirts
basic/
Ponte
ps
signature.
Same
4
4
style
as
SS14
Same
1499
4
2
6
style
as
SS14
Same
999
2
in
11
2
style
AW14
as
Same style
as SS14
Same style
as SS14
Same style
as AW14
1. Can do
Fashion
s
1499
the
dresses/To
Tr
io
as Solid
F
e Trs
Core
PVL-
St
Annabell
ud
11
any
Solid 2
Fashion
899/99
9
2
2
a
PU+Ponte
skirt.
1. 1 style
Poly twill/
Annabell
e Trs
Fashion
Moss
crepe/ 30's
in
AOP 2
1199
4
2
6
each
hit.
2. Prints to
Rayon
be
in
colors that
30
sit
with
the 9 to 9
tops.
1. Fashion
Annabell
e Trs
shape- not
Fashion Moss crepe Solid 2
1199
2
2
too loose,
4
needs
to
be slim.
1.
1.
Needs
to
be
Can inline with
have
the
tops
e Trs
Signatu
Self
Solid 2
1699
2
2
textured
4
ud
Leggings
Fashion
Lycra
de
sk
Annabell
Viscose
e
Tregging
s
basic/
Ponte
each
Solid 1
Solid 1
2.
and
3. The fit
classy.
needs
be
St
Core
F
e
but need in
style
minimal Hit
to
slim
and chic.
499
2
2
1299
4
4
PD
Annabell
(if reqd), one
to keep it Hit 1 and
io
re
ia
Annabell -
detailing 2. Can do
Jaquard/
Tr
Fashion
l
surface offer.
Fashion
26
8
121 52
same style
as SS14
same style
as SS14
34
171
2. Once the option plan is shared with the designers, they make a range presentation.
They make the tech packs for all the styles and get samples of those styles made by
the vendors. Once these samples are ready, a tentative range is prepared and
presented. The range consists of all the styles and options give in the option plan.
31
3. After the range presentation is done, the range is closed, wherein, the buyer and
designers sit together and decide which styles need to be selected for the final range,
which depends on the number of options decided in the option plan, the styles, MRP
and the current market trend. They also decide how many options (i.e. different colors
and prints) each style will have, if there needs to be any change in the fabric or
embellishments and any other modifications are required.
Also, during this time, apart from the option plan which was prepared by the buyer,
another option plan is prepared by the planning team wherein they give the budget for
the season for each category, i.e., how much can be bought, how much needs to be the
l
sell thru, what should be the rate of sale per week, what will be the shelf life of the
ia
merchandise, etc.
PD
F
St
ud
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Tr
Below is the option plan for AW’15 for the category “Career wear tops”:
On the basis of these option plans, the range is closed.
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4. After the closure of the range, the fits start, wherein all the samples are tried on
mannequins. These samples need not necessarily be of the same colour or fabric or have
the exact embellishments decided during the range closure. The sole purpose of fits is to
check how the garment’s fit is on the mannequin and not the aesthetics. The buyer,
designers and technical team are a part of this process. Any changes to be made in the
garment are noted down and mentioned in their tech packs.
5. Once the fits are done, the tech packs for each sample is made after which the process of
handovers start. Here, the buyers handover the samples to the sourcing team and brief
them as to what fabric the garment needs to be made in, how many quantities are
required, what embellishments need to be used, what the MRP of the garment will be etc.
32
The cost is negotiated so that the garment can be made at the least cost and the required
margin and MRP can be put.
6. Once the handovers are done, the sourcing team discuss with their vendors as to at what
best cost can the garment be made keeping in mind the style, design, quantity, etc. The
vendors fulfilling these criteria are asked to make the pre-production samples. Below is a
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sk
PD
F
St
ud
io
Tr
ia
l
sample cost sheet which is sent to the vendors:
7. The pre-production samples are basically the final garment that will go to the stores. The
fabric, colour, embellishments and other trims are exactly the same as required. The
changes that were noted down during the fits are incorporated in the PP samples. Not
only do the PP samples need to have the exact fit but also be aesthetically correct with
the right fabric, colour and trims.
33
8. Once the PP samples are approved, the production starts full-fledged. The lead time for
production is generally 2 months.
9. Once the production is complete, a sample of all the garments is checked. These samples
are called shipment samples. These samples are checked before they are sent to the
warehouse. These are what will go to the stores. They also have the all the tags and
labels attached.
10. After this, the merchandise is sent to the warehouses which take around 10 days.
Pantaloons has three warehouses:
l
a. Bhiwandi- for the west and south zone
ia
b. Jhajjar- for the north zone
Tr
c. Barasat- for the east zone
io
11. After the inward at the warehouses, the merchandise is sent to all the stores across India.
ud
This process takes around 10 days.
Not all the merchandise is sent at once. The range is introduced in two parts (example for
St
AW’15):
Hit 1: the first part of the range hits the stores around 15th august

Hit 2: the rest of the range comes to the stores between 15th September and 1st
PD
October
F

All the sale done during these two hits are on full price which generally happens over 14-17
de
sk
weeks, after which the end of season sale (EOSS) takes place between December and January
(4-6 weeks).
Observation:
•
No process or system can be perfect
•
Although the process of range development at Pantaloons is near perfect , there are
certain minor bottlenecks which, if worked upon, can make the process even better
•
No one person or team is accountable for the slowing down of the process, but each and
every person working towards developing a range should reflect upon these constraints
and work towards removing them
•
Some inputs were taken from all the buyers as to whether they face any problems during
the entire development process
34
•
Some of the difficulties are mentioned here and suggestions have been made so that the
process can be made smoother and more efficient
4.1 Problems and suggestions:
1. Better co-ordination between designers:

Brands having more than one designer face problems due to lack of coordination
between them

Each designer works on a different category which sometimes result in uncoordinated
looks

During the range presentation this problem is very prominent when the different styles
cannot be coordinated
This problem can be overcome if designers start working together and the each category
l

Tr
ia
is designed keeping the other categories in mind
io
2. Difference between the original design and final outcome:
Sometimes, the final garment is not the same as the original design

Reasons being:
ud

St
 Non-availability of required fabric at the time of development, leading to use of fabric
which is available at that time, which can be of better or poorer quality
F
 Non-availability of proper trims and print techniques
PD
 All this leads to the same fabric and trims being used at all steps with lesser scope of
changing them due to risks like delays or non-availability of fabric for bulk production

de
sk
 Leading to less variety at stores and standard fabrics and trims being used every season
Hence, all the right fabrics and trims should be approved at the very beginning and
experiments with new fabrics
3. Selection of shoot styles:

Shoot styles are those styles which would be advertised on various types of media across
the country

The problem which occurs in this process is that many a times buyers are asked to select
these styles before the quantities of that particular style has been decided upon

This leads to re-selection of new styles incase the previously selected ones are dropped

For instance, a particular style has been chosen as the shoot style. But when the time
comes, only 800 quantities for that style has been decided which means that the style will
35
not go to every store and would go to only the top few stores. In such a case, that style
cannot be advertised across the country as a customer might be expecting that style to be
present at every store

In such a situation, that style needs to dropped and another one needs to selected

This process, therefore, becomes cumbersome leading to repetition of work

Hence, in order to avoid this, shoot styles must ideally be selected only once their
quantities have been finalised

Also, there should more involvement of buyers rather than the designers when it comes
to selecting shoot styles as a proper knowledge about the product, its MRP, how many
stores it would go to, etc is required apart from the aesthetics of the product and the
A problem that keeps occurring is that during handover to the sourcing team everything
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4. Need for a better system to make work more organized:
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buyers are more aware about these factors, hence, their involvement should be more.
that needs to be handed over is never together which leads to delays
What is required is a proper folder (hard/ soft) with each style’s tech packs and CADS
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that should be maintained by the designers and the same should be shared with the
buyers
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This will ease out the process of handovers, and avoid last minute running around
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5. Smoothening the process of range presentation:
Since the range presentation of all the worlds, i.e, women’s, men’s and kids, is done at

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the same time, this sometimes leads to overload of work for the technical team
Once the range presentation is over, all the samples are sent to the technical team, who
make the tech packs for each sample

This leads to excessive work load for them and possibility of error increases as the work
is done in a rush

In order to make this process more efficient, the range presentation for each world
should be done within a week’s gap of each other so that there is sufficient time for the
technical team to finish their work for each world with ease and without any rush
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CHAPTER 5: CUSTOMER SURVEY
A customer survey, pertaining only to the brand “Annabelle”, was conducted in order to
understand how much a consumer is satisfied with the brand and what she perceives of
Annabelle as compared to other competitive brands.
A questionnaire was prepared in order to survey a sample size of 100 customers.
The survey was conducted in four stores of Pantaloons in Mumbai.
37
1. Upon asking to rate the collection of Annabelle on the basis of four parameters, following
was the response: (5 being the highest, 1 being the smallest)
5
4
3
2
1
Price
28
30
35
7
0
Fit
18
25
38
15
4
Style
20
27
36
10
7
Quality
25
32
39
3
1
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120
Tr
100
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80
1
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2
3
4
St
60
5
F
40
0
FIT
STYLE
QUALITY
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PRICE
PD
20
From the above graph it can be deciphered that all four parameters have been majorly given a
rating of 3, which means that the consumer is satisfied with the collection, but not highly
satisfied.
Price and quality have been rated on the higher side, suggesting that the current pricing
strategies that the brand is adopting and the quality of products being made are meeting the
consumer’s needs.
The fit and style of the products can be slightly worked upon as few consumers gave them a
rating of 1 and 2.
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2. When asked what they shopped the most from Annabelle, following were the responses:
CATEGORY
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
Office Wear
38
Evening/Party Wear
52
Accessories
10
60
50
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40
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30
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No. of respondents
20
0
Evening/Party
Wear
Accessories
F
St
Office Wear
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10
PD
As we can see from the above responses, a majority of respondents have said that they buy
Annabelle’s evening wear.
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Even though Annabelle is primarily a formal, office wear brand, a part of its collection is
dedicated to evening wear which includes semi-formal tops and dresses. Given the response
of the customers, Annabelle should now not only concentrate on its core category, which is
office wear, but also on its evening wear category which is gaining popularity amongst its
consumers.
3. When asked which product they bought the most from the office wear category, following
were the responses:
CATEGORY
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
39
Shirts
35
Trousers
22
Skirts
7
Dresses
20
Jackets/Blazers
16
40
35
30
25
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20
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No. of respondents out of
100
15
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10
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5
PD
F
St
ud
0
As we can see, shirts are being bought by most customers which is a positive response
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because a large portion of Annabelle’s office wear category consists of shirts.
Trousers and dresses are performing fairly well which can be further improved if the number
of options in these categories is increased.
4. When asked which product they bought the most from the evening wear category,
following were the responses:
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CATEGORY
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
Tops
58
Casual trousers
11
Skirts
5
Dresses
26
70
60
50
ia
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40
No. of respondents out of 100
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30
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20
0
Casual trousers
Skirts
Dresses
F
St
Tops
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10
PD
From the above chart it is very clear that tops are doing very well in this category as 58 out
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100 respondents have said that they purchase tops.
Dresses are the second best performing category, and can be further improved if more styles
and options are added in the coming seasons.
5. When asked to choose the brand which they prefer when shopping for formal wear(only
in Pantaloons), following were the responses:
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BRANDS
NO .OF RESPONDENTS
Annabelle
65
Van Heusen
21
Allen Solly
14
70
60
50
40
No. of respondents out of 100
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30
Tr
20
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10
Van Heusen
Allen Solly
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Annabelle
ud
0
From the above response, it can be seen that customers go for Annabelle over other
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competitive brands as 65 out 100 said that when looking for formal wear they prefer
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Annabelle.
6. Customers were asked to choose the parameters which they thought was best fulfilled by
one of the three brands- Annabelle, Allen Solly and Van Heusen. Following are the
responses:
ANNABELLE ALLEN
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VAN
SOLLY
HEUSEN
1. Value for money
58
27
15
2. High quality product
29
37
34
3. Well-known brand name
18
40
42
4. Trendsetter
21
35
44
5. Good designs and styles
27
34
39
6. Good fit
35
33
32
& 14
42
44
7. Effective
marketing
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advertising
120
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100
ud
80
60
St
40
20
Allen Solly
Annabelle
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PD
F
0
Van Heusen
From the above graph we can see that Annabelle is best known providing value for money
products as compared to other brands which are slightly higher priced.
Annabelle also provides a slightly better fit as compared to the other two brands.
Van Heusen is thought of as a trendsetting brand, which is advertised and marketed
effectively, hence people are well aware about it.
When it comes to an effectively marketed brand, Annabelle scores low and hence, the brand
is not very well known to everyone.
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Since Annabelle is best known for providing value for money it sometimes needs to
compromise on the quality of fabric and trims, which is evident from the above response as
Allen Solly and Van Heusen have fared better in this parameter.
Lastly, designs and styles of Allen Solly and Van Heusen have been rated slightly better than
Annabelle, which if worked upon can be improved.
7. Upon asking the frequency of shopping, following were the responses:
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
Once a month or less
8
Every 2-3 months
27
Every 4-5 months
44
Once in 6 months
21
45
35
F
30
No. of respondents out of 100
PD
25
20
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0
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40
5
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50
10
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FREQUENCY OF SHOPPING
Once a month
or less
Every 2-3
months
Every 4-5
months
Once in 6
months
Annabelle introduces its range in two parts called hits. For instance, for the season of AW’15
the first hit is on 15th August and the second hit will be between 15th September and 1st
October. This strategy works in favour of the brand as we can see from the above responses
that a majority of people shop every 3-5 months, which means they would want to see
something new in the store whenever they visit. Through the “two hits” strategy that the
44
brand has adopted it can satisfy its customers with new products whenever they visit the
store.
8. When asked what was their basket size whenever they came to shop the following
response was generated:
1
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2-4
49
More than 5
13
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60
Tr
50
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40
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30
St
20
No. of respondents above 100
0
2-4 pieces
More than 5 pieces
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1 piece
PD
F
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Although a majority of customers responded that they bought 2-4 pieces in one shopping trip,
there were also a lot of them who bought only one piece. So efforts should be made to
increase the basket size of these customers.
9. The following graph shows the different professions that the respondents belonged to:
PROFESSION
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
Student
38
Working professionals
45
45
Homemaker
11
Any other
6
50
45
40
35
30
25
No. of respondents out of 100
20
15
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10
Tr
5
0
Working
Homemaker
professional
Any other
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Student
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From the above chart we can see that the majority of the brand’s customer base consists of
women who are either students or working professionals, which are exactly those who the
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brand caters to and are the target customers of the brand.
10. Following chart shows the age brackets under which the respondents fall:
AGE BRACKET
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
16-25
29
46
25-30
42
30-35
25
35 and above
4
45
40
35
30
25
No. of respondents out of 100
20
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15
Tr
10
5
25-30
30-35
Above 35
St
ud
16-25
io
0
As we can see, majority of the respondents fall under the age bracket of 16-35, which is
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somewhat close to who the brand actually target.
5.1 Analysis:


The collection of Annabelle was rated fairly well with all four parameters, i.e., price, fit, style
and quality being given an average rating of 3 which indicates that customers are satisfied
with the brand.
Price and quality have been given higher ratings indicating that they are the USP of the
brand, which is, good quality products at reasonable prices.
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
The survey brought to light that an increasing number of customers are going for the
evening wear category that the brand is offering. On the basis of this, the brand should start
increasing the number of styles and options that it offers in the evening wear category in
order to attract more customers.
Even though the evening wear category is gaining popularity, the formal wear category,
which is the brand’s core category, is still doing fairly well.
In the office wear category, shirts were the most popular amongst the respondents after
which were trousers and dresses
In the evening wear category, tops were bought the most after which were dresses. The sale
of dresses can tried to be improved by offering more styles
When compared to other national brands of Pantaloons, Annabelle was the preferred formal
wear brand among the respondents
Annabelle is the most preferred brand over brands like Allen Solly and Van Heusen in terms
of providing quality products at very reasonable prices. Even though the other brands are
more well-known, are more advertised, at times provide better quality products but also
come at prices which justify the quality, might have better designs and styles, yet,
Annabelle’s performance is better than these brands because it provides value for money
along with good quality products.
Majority of the respondents shop every 3-5 months, which means that the brand needs to
ensure that every time a customer visits the store, she finds something new
Majority of the respondents comprised of students and working professionals falling under
the age group of 16-35.
CHAPTER 6: SALES PERFORMANCE OF ANNABELLE AS COMPARED TO
OTHER NATIONAL BRANDS OF PANTALOONS
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A comparison is done between Annabelle, Van Heusen and Allen Solly on the basis of their
respective sell through in order to understand which one is the best performing women’s
formal wear brand at Pantaloons.
Although there is sufficient data on Annabelle, it was difficult to get as much data for Van
Heusen and Allen Solly.
The comparison is done of two seasons, i.e., SS’14 and AW’14
1. SS’14 sell through comparison:
Inward Quantity
Sale Quantity
Full Season Sell
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Category
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ANNABELLE:
33,781
29,891
Tops- Career
66,708
57,995
87%
Jackets & Suits
805
677
84%
Tops- Evening
81,020
72,959
90%
1,61,522
89%
St
88%
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ALLEN SOLLY:
PD
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1,82,314
ud
Trousers
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Through
Inward Quantity
Sale Quantity
Full Season Sell Through
30699
24269
79%
Inward Quantity
Sale Quantity
Full Season Sell Through
32304
24391
76%
VAN HEUSEN:
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SELL THROUGH
90
85
80
SELL THROUGH
75
70
65
ALLEN SOLLY
VAN HEUSEN
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ANNABELLE
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From the above data we can see that Annabelle’s performance, in general, has been
exceptional with a sell through of 89%. And it has also done better than other competitive
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brands.
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2. AW’14 sell through comparison:
Sale Quantity
Full Season Sell
Through
34,313
21,836
64%
Trousers
9,717
3,638
37%
Tops- Career
38,126
24,465
64%
Jackets & Suits
1,199
550
46%
Tops- Evening
1,02,731
76,591
75%
Winter Wear
43,099
33,966
79%
2,29,185
1,61,046
70%
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T-shirts leisure
Inward Quantity
PD
Category
F
ANNABELLE:
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ALLEN SOLLY:
Inward Quantity
Sale Quantity
Full Season Sell Through
34851
21812
62%
Inward Quantity
Sale Quantity
Full Season Sell Through
41352
27093
65%
VAN HEUSEN:
SELL THROUGH
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72
Tr
70
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68
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66
64
St
62
SELL THROUGH
F
60
ANNABELLE
ALLEN SOLLY
VAN HEUSEN
PD
58
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It can be observed that the sell through of Annabelle has significantly dropped during this
season, but still remains higher than its competitors:
From the above data it can be seen that Annabelle performs better than Allen Solly and Van
Heusen which was earlier gauged through the customer survey as well. A major contributing
factor towards this is Annabelle’s price points, which is way below than what the others
offer.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this project, entitled “Perceptual Analysis and Business Performance- A study
for Pantaloons’ private label brand ‘Annabelle’ “, was to cover the following objectives:
4. To study the existing process of range development for the season of AW’15
5. To study the customer’s perception about the brand Annabelle in terms of:

Satisfaction

Expectation

Competition
6. Comparison of the sales and sell through analysis of Annabelle with national brands
like Van Heusen and Allen Solly.
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The range development process was covered in a detailed manner, with each step being
explained elaborately, the reason being that the company wanted this process to be
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documented. Certain problems which were faced while executing this process have been
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brought to light.
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Next, a customer survey was conducted with a sample size of 100 across four stores
Pantaloons in Mumbai. The purpose of conducting this survey was to understand how the
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customers felt about the brand, their level of satisfaction, their frequency of purchasing from
this brand, how they compared this brand with other national brands which were also sold at
The collection of Annabelle was rated fairly well with all four parameters, i.e., price,
PD
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Pantaloons. Following are some of the conclusions that were brought forward by the survey:
fit, style and quality being given an average rating of 3 which indicates that customers

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are satisfied with the brand.
Price and quality have been given higher ratings indicating that they are the USP of
the brand, which is, good quality products at reasonable prices.

When compared to other national brands of Pantaloons, Annabelle was the preferred
formal wear brand among the respondents

Annabelle is the most preferred brand over brands like Allen Solly and Van Heusen in
terms of providing quality products at very reasonable prices. Even though the other
brands are more well-known, are more advertised, at times provide better quality
products but also come at prices which justify the quality, might have better designs
and styles, yet, Annabelle’s performance is better than these brands because it
provides value for money along with good quality products.
52
Lastly, the performance of Annabelle with two national brands, Allen Solly and Van Heusen,
was compared in terms of sell through. It was observed that Annabelle was the best
performing brand out of the three brands (at Pantaloons stores only). The reason being, which
came out during the customer survey, was that all the three brands dealt with women’s formal
wear but Annabelle emerged out to be more popular because of the quality products it
provided at very reasonable prices as compared to the national brands which also provided
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similar products but at a higher price.
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ANNEXURE
QUESTIONNAIRE
This questionnaire is part of a survey undertaken to analyse how a customer perceives the
brand ‘Annabelle’ and what is her level of satisfaction with the brand.
1. How would you rate the collection of Annabelle on the following parameters?(on a
scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest)?
1
2
3
4
Tr
ud
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2. What do you shop the most from Annabelle?
a. Office wear
b. Evening/Party wear
c. Accessories
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PRICE
FIT
STYLE
QUALITY
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PD
F
St
3. In Annabelle office wear, which product do you buy the most?
a. Shirts
b. Trousers
c. Skirts
d. Dresses
e. Jackets/Blazers
4. In Annabelle evening wear, which product do you buy the most?
a. Tops
b. Causal trousers
c. Skirts
d. Dresses
5. Which brand do you prefer when looking for formal, office wear?
a. Annabelle
b. Van Heusen
c. Allen Solly
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5
6. The following grid consists of certain parameters. Kindly tick the brand which you
think fulfils that parameter
ANNABELLE
ALLEN SOLLY
VAN HEUSEN
St
Tr
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7. How often do you shop for apparel for yourself?
a. Once a month or less
b. Every 2-3 months
c. Every 4-5 months
d. Once in 6 months
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11. Value for
money
12. High quality
product
13. Well-known
brand name
14. Trendsetter
15. Good designs
and styles
16. Good fit
17. Effective
marketing &
advertising
PD
F
8. In one shopping trip, how many products do you buy?
a. 1
b. 2-4
c. More than 5
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9. What is your profession?
a. Student
b. Working professional
c. Homemaker
d. Any other (please mention)
10. Which age bracket do you fall under:
a. 16-25
b. 25-30
c. 30-35
d. 35 and above
Name:
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REFERENCES
1. http://www.adityabirla.com/about-us/vision-and-values
2. http://pantaloons.com/company/
3. http://retail.about.com/od/retailglossarys/g/sell-through.htm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_satisfaction
5. http://www.scribd.com/doc/29554589/Range-Development#scribd
6. http://www.apexjournal.org/jbamsr/archive/2014/June/fulltext/Laskar%20and
%20Abbas.pdf
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7. Reports provided by the company
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