AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON ORGANIZED RETAIL OUTLET AND CONSUMER PERCEPTION TOWARDS RETAIL STORES IN TIRUCHIRAPPALLI CITY

The Indian Retail Industry is divided into Organized and Unorganized Sectors. Traditional markets are making way for organized formats such as Departmental Stores, Hypermarkets, Supermarkets and Specialty Stores. Indian Retail Industry contributes over 10% of the country's GDP. Strong income growth, changing lifestyles, and favorable demographic patterns, suggest that by 2020, the Modern Retail Industry in India will be worth US$ 275-400 billion. This study was undertaken, considering three competitive Retail Chain Outlets, Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh and Marks Spencers, to evaluate the consumers' opinion and preferences towards these outlets. The study also highlights the pros and cons of the outlets considered and the level of satisfaction compared to the Local Retail Outlets.