In Delhi there are many colourful markets that carry a vast and exciting range of handicrafts to attract the money of visitors and tourists in particular. There are also the ‘state emporia', run by the government, that have goods at fixed and reasonable prices, and for the well off there are shopping arcades at larger hotels that often have quite exclusive boutiques.
However, it is the street stalls and bazaars that reflect the colour of local life and where the bargaining for goods takes place. The shopping experience in Delhi offers a variety of outlets, goods and markets. Shops, bazaars, smart boutiques and department stores offer a variety of goods and produce ranging from food and handicrafts to designer clothes and electronic items.
At market locations, stalls sell newspapers, magazines, music cassettes and best-selling books. There are also a large number of book and music shops and some stock a wide variety of books by international publishing houses. Opening hours for shopping are usually from 10.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., although the smaller markets keep longer hours and the government-run emporia close an hour earlier. Shopping centres in the New Delhi area are closed on Sundays but in some other areas the closing days are Monday or Tuesday. Different parts of the city have their own weekly holiday, too.
The larger stores accept international credit cards such as VISA, American Express and Diners and usually display signs prominently within the shop. Bargaining is commonplace when shopping in India and, at the smaller markets, prices are quoted by stallholders on the expectation that customers will haggle. Local shoppers may indulge in long and often acrimonious discussions with shopkeepers about price and quality. The trend, however, seems to be that more retail outlets are labelling their wares with clearly indicated prices.
Questions
1. Indicate the kind of research in consumer behaviour that you feel would be beneficial to an organisation interested in marketing each of the following products:
(a) tables and chairs
(b) cookers, refrigerators and washing machines
(c) cars
(d) package tours of Europe and America
(e) wristwatches
(f) textbooks
(g) mobile phones.
2. Indicate how you would research the growth in the use of credit cards and the pricing of retail goods in general.
3. How would you research the prime mechanisms used by retailers in the bazaars and the markets to market their goods?