Friday, January 25, 2008

Marketing myopia at Marks and Spencer India (Kolkata)

Sometimes brand value leads to the downfall of a successful regimen of a company. The way marketing myopia hits even the most successful retailer is highly ridiculous. These retail giants talk of all short of theories and concepts but when it comes to application in foreign lands, all strategic functions fails miserably.
The recent store which claims to be the biggest Marks and Spencer store in India, (located in Kolkata-near Exide, Avani Heights) fails miserably on account of store layout and planning. I have never come across such a disaster in planning and implementation of store layout ever in my life.
The store covers clothings, accessories and beauty products with a slice of hygiene products for both men and women. The merchandise ranges between Rs.899 to Rs. 12999(for complete suits). As far as the traditional and well established rule goes, we all know that higher the product value of the product, higher is the time spent on taking a purchase decision. Well Marks and Spencer seems to break all the management theories by driving away customers from spending their time in a section and expects to do good by paying lefty sum on the ambiance and store management.
The mens department are the most inefficiently handled with the layout followed to present the merchandise looking like as if presented by street hawkers who lack space to display their items !
If you ever visit the store you will find the average space between two gondolas to be approximately 12 inches..Now i wonder how does a person feels when he is looking for a L, XL, or a XXL size of clothing for himself, trapped between the gondolas. As far as my research and finding goes, it is seen that whenever an object touches the backside of a person(specially the hip) , he/she immediately leaves from that particular point and looks for something else no matter how attractive the merchandise may be. There were several other such faults with the layout and presentation of the items which i found to be not at par with the other brand outlets on the same complex (Next, Body Shop and Guess also operate from the same mall)
Now guess how will it feel when you are with your friends, associates, family on a shopping and your clothes getting caught between the gondolas?
On a casual talk with the store manager about this space problem while shopping, it was addressed to me that "Marks and Spencer" sells with its name and all other things are irrespective and meaningless... Now thats what we call -Myopia..
Is a brand name more powerful than the consumers?
Can a brand name be so powerful that it can change the age old shopping behaviors of people?
Well with so many questions in my mind i came back...waiting for time and the information of the revenue generated by them in future to justify their act and strategies..

1 comment:

http://debashishbramha.blogspot.com/ said...

Dear Prakash, Have you given any suggestion to St Michael regarding this observation that you have made.
This can be very useful in order to
raise their revenus, they can work out smartly on this and can take your suggestion M&S has also opened another Outlet in SouthCity
Mall, .
Regards,
Debashish Brahma.