1.

1 Introduction
The field of retail store operations concerns all of the activities that keep a store functioning
well each day. In the best-run stores, everything is carefully considered, planned, and
executed. Operations includes many aspects, such as store design, display placement,
customer service, money and credit handling, shoplifting prevention, premises maintenance,
staff management, inventory optimization, and dealing with the entire supply chain that leads
to having products in the store.
Retail operations can encompass everything about how a store operates each day. If we think
about it linearly, we can see examples of responsibilities. Start with choosing the store’s
location and designing the store. Then think about how the store plans, orders, and adjusts its
product inventory: How it prices items and displays them in the store, under what lighting, in
what arrangement, and with what signs. How it treats its customers throughout the store
experience, from entry to exit. How it handles cash and credit. How it handles returns and
refunds. How it handles price markdowns and sales. How it manages its staff and maintains
its premises. How it handles data about customers, products, sales, and revenue. All of this
can fall under the field of retail operations.
In larger retail businesses, some of the functions may fall outside of what they call their
operations department. For example, they may have departments for finance and/or
accounting, marketing, human resources, and IT. Sometimes those departments exist at the
corporate level but less so at individual stores, where more jobs may fall under operations. At
smaller stores, nearly every position may fall under operations. It all depends on the
definitions of the individual business. For the purposes of this article, we’ll take the widest
view of retail operations as a field.
Retail can fall under goods or services. Some stores are both. A retail clothing store is mostly
goods. A dry-cleaner offers a service. A tire store sells both a product (tires) and service
(installation).
Traditionally, the term store meant a brick-and-mortar store, but increasingly people blur the
distinction, even referring to online stores. The term retail clearly applies to both physical
stores and online operations. Each year, more and more sales are made online as consumer
habits continue to change, and as the nature of competition changes.
The next six sections provide a more detailed overview of responsibilities that may fall under
the field of retail store operations:
 Design
  Customer Service
 Cash, Fraud, and Internal Controls
 Product Inventory
 Administration
 Store Management

2. Objectives
 To enhance store management that includes customer service, shoplifting prevention.
 To enhance staff management to make optimum utilization of available employees.
 To enhance sales strategy for profit maximization.
 To provide employee engagement activities and employee retention.
 To provide proper employee welfare for employee motivation.
2.1 Scope
The store focus on B2B as well as B2C business transaction. B2B, which stands for
business-to-business, is a process for selling products or services to other businesses. B2C,
which stands for business-to-consumer, is a process for selling products directly to
consumers.
The retail store has direct hand over their customers.
2.2 Limitations
The duration for study was limited. The reporting was done to the store manager and was no
direct contact with owner or CEO of the company. The company was very much attached to
the traditional techniques of management that has decreased the speed of operations at store
that affected management activities of the store. The customer service was limited that
affected sale of the company. Due to lack in skilled manpower the company created
loopholes for the competitors to enter in the market.
3. Industry Profile
3.1 Introduction
Companies in retail sector sell a wide range of products to consumers and businesses, from
food and apparel to hardware, household goods, and office supplies. India is the fifth largest
preferred retail destination globally. The country is among the highest in the world in terms
of per capita retail store availability. India’s retail sector is experiencing exponential growth,
with retail development taking place not just in major cities and metros, but also in Tier-II
and Tier-III cities. Healthy economic growth, changing demographic profile, increasing
disposable incomes, urbanisation, changing consumer tastes and preferences are the other
factors driving growth in the organised retail market in India.
 The Indian retail industry has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast-paced
industries due to the entry of several new players.
 Retailing in India accounts for over 10% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) and around 8% of the employment.
 The Indian retail market is expected to grow to US$1.1 trillion by 2020, while the
modern retail market in India is expected to double in size over the next three years.
 The retail sector in India is dominated by the unorganized retail trade, where
unorganised trade forms around 93% of the overall trade. This is in contrast with the
developed countries where the organised retail industry accounts for almost an average
of more than 80% of the total retail trade. This highlights a lot of scope for further
penetration of organized retail in India.
 The sector can be broadly divided into two segments: Value retailing, which is
typically a low margin-high volume business (primarily food and groceries) and
Lifestyle retailing, a high margin-low volume business (apparel, footwear, etc). The
sector is further divided into various categories, depending on the types of products
offered.
 Transition from traditional retail to organised retail is taking place due to changing
consumer expectations, growing middle class, higher disposable income, preference
for luxury goods, change in the demographic mix, etc. This is further intensified with
the convenience of shopping with online stores (online shopping), multiplicity of
choice under one roof (Shop-in-Shop), and the increase of mall culture, etc. These
factors are expected to drive organized retail growth in India over the long run.
 The online retail is growing at rapid pace. Online retail in India is expected to be at par
with the physical stores in the upcoming few years, driven by robust investment and
rapid increase in the number of internet users.
 The overall retail market in India is expected to grow at 12% growth rate per annum,
driven by growing urbanization, rising income, younger demographics and rising
aspirations of the middle class. Modern trade is going to expand as twice as fast at
20% per annum and traditional trade is expected to grow at 10% .
4. Company Profile
4.1 Company History

Saikrupa Super Market Private Limited is a Private incorporated on 03 December 1998. It

is classified as Non-govt company and is registered at Registrar of Companies, Pune. Its
authorized share capital is Rs. 500,000 and its paid up capital is Rs. 411,000. It is inolved
in Non-specialized retail trade in stores.
Saikrupa Super Market Private Limited's Annual General Meeting (AGM) was last held
on 29 September 2018 and as per records from Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), its
balance sheet was last filed on 31 March 2018.
Directors of Saikrupa Super Market Private Limited are Vinodkumar Kisanlal Baheti,
Dhanesh Udhav Kekade, Balkisan Bansilal Karwa, Ramankishor Vishnudas Mundada,
Suryakanta Shivdas Baheti..It has total 5 branches located in Solapur and more than 300
employees working strength.
Products served are grocery and staples, daily essentials, FMCG, toys and games, home
and personal care, dairy and frozen.
4.2 Vission
Sai Super Market is a one-stop supermarket chain that aims to offer customers a wide range
of basic home and personal products under one roof. Each Sai Super Market store stocks
home utility products - including food, toiletries, beauty products, garments, kitchenware, bed
and bath linen, home appliances and more - available at competitive prices that our customers
appreciate. Our core objective is to offer customers good products at great value.
4.3 Mission
At Sai Super Market, we research, identify and make available new products and categories
that suit the everyday needs of the Indian family. Our mission is to provide the best value
possible for our customers by entering in online market as well as expanding our business in
other areas of India as well.
4.4 Ratings
The Saikrupa Super Market Pvt. Ltd have total five branches in Solapur city which is rated
according to their branches by Justdail website where the first two branches are rated 4.1/5
while third branch is rated as 3.7/5, fourth and fifth branches are rated as 2.7/5.
The ixigo website gives 3/5 ratings for the overall company branches of the company.
4.5 Global Presence
In India, Maharashtra
 Executive Office: Bharti Vidyapeth, Solapur
 Registered Office: Pune
 Branches Active:
1) Sath Rasta, Solapur
2) Bharti Vidyapeth, Solapur
3) Akkalkot Road, Solapur
4) Vijapur Road, Solapur
5) Avanti Nagar, Solapur

4.6 Other Details

Industry Analysis
 Contributes around 10% to the GDP of India.
 Generates around 8% employment in India.
 Total retail industry is a market of US $600B and one of the top 5 retail market in the
 world.
 Supermarket contributes approx.4.1% of the Industry.

Retail Industry

Organised Unorganised

Contributes around Contributes around

$60B i.e. 10% of total 90% of total

Challenges:
1) Lack of trained workforce.
2) No increase in margins.
3) Supply chain bottlenecks.
4) High cost on real estates to establish new stores.
5) Rapid change in customer preferance.
6) Increase in competition.

SWOT FOR SAI SUPER MARKET

STRENGTH
-Presence in all Prime Location.
-Medical benefit to all Employees.
-Whatsapp, telephonic orders and
loyalty bonus.
WEAKNESS
-No stores outside Solapur.
-No bulk purchase like D-MART.
-Not adequate parking space is
available.

OPPORTUNITY THREAT
-Go outside Solapur in remote -WAL MART
areas. -D-MART ready
-Online retail.

Threat of new entrant (Moderate)

 No Entry barriers/No Exit Barriers.
 Cost of Investment to start a retail store is not too high.
 Forward integration although plausible is not preferred by many in the region.
Competitive rivalry (High)
 Industry growth has been consistent over the years.
 High Degree of Competition due to low switching costs for customers.
 The market Comprises of some organized and Many unorganized players (Dmart, Big
Bazaar, smaller Retailers, unorganized Kirana Shops).
  Thus Competitive Rivalry here is highly fragmented.
Bargaining power of the buyers (High)
 High Price Sensitivity.
 Little to No switching costs for buyers.
 Large variety of Options for Customers to choose from.
Threat of Substitution (low)
 Threats of Product Substitution is low.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Low)
 Low Switching costs for Retailers.
 No concentration of suppliers.
 Commodity nature of some products further reduces the bargaining power of
Suppliers.
Recruitment :
Recruitment process of Store Manager is as below:

The first place to find talent is to ask the people that work at your organization.

Publish the job requirement via Newspapers and pamphlets advertising.

Publish the job requirement via Newspapers and pamphlets advertising.

Publish the job requirement via Newspapers and pamphlets advertising.

Best Candidate is hired on trial basis.

Finally the candidate is hired if the job is suitable for him in trial period.
Exploration of HR Practices

Some of the HR Policies of Sai Super Market are listed below:

1) Recruitment and Selection policy.
2) Policy regarding Hours of work.
3) Policy regarding Dress code.
4) Policy with regard medical assistance-sickness benefits, ESI and company medical
benefits.
5) Policy regarding transport and allowance.
6) Policy regarding training and development.
7) Advance against salary.
8) Performance evaluation and salary increase.
9) Meal periods and break periods.

Problems in HR practices:
1) Lack of skilled manpower.
2) Threat of Poaching.
3) Stress in work culture.
4) Lack of formal education in retail management.
5) Retention of existing employees.

4.7 Service Profile:

Sai Super Market is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and
household products, organized into sections and shelves. It is larger and has a wider selection
than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more limited in the range of merchandise than
a hypermarket or big-box market.
The supermarket typically has aisles for meat, fresh produce, dairy, and baked goods. Shelf
space is also reserved for canned and packaged goods and for various non-food items such as
kitchenware, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. Some supermarkets
also sell other household products that are consumed regularly and some sell a much wider
range of non-food products: DVDs, sporting equipment, board games, and seasonal items
(e.g., Christmas wrapping paper in December).
The supermarket occupies a large amount of floor space, usually on a single level. It is
usually situated near a residential area in order to be convenient to consumers. The basic
appeal is the availability of a broad selection of goods under a single roof, at relatively low
prices. Other advantages include ease of parking and frequently the convenience of shopping
hours that extend into the evening 9pm.
The supermarket are chain stores, supplied by the distribution centers of their parent
companies thus increasing opportunities for economies of scale. Supermarkets usually offer
products at relatively low prices by using their buying power to buy goods from
manufacturers at lower prices than smaller stores can. They also minimise financing costs by
paying for goods at least 30 days after receipt and some extract credit terms of 90 days or
more from vendors. Certain products (typically staple foods such as bread, milk and sugar)
are very occasionally sold as loss leaders so as to attract shoppers to their store. Supermarkets
make up for their low margins by a high volume of sales, and with of higher-margin items
bought by the attracted shoppers. Self-service with shopping carts (trolleys) or baskets that
reduces labor cost.

5.Research Methodology:

 Survey of all the branches and Warehouse was done to understand the detail
functioning of the market.
 Inventory handling was understood and the key operations of market were practiced.
 Survey of competitor market was done to understand sale strategy.
 Customer Feedback was taken to enhance customer service.

5.1 Research Findings:

GAP Idendification was done through survey which are as follows:

1) Lack of display placement for products needed.
2) Lack of parking space for customer for their vehicle in two branches.
3) No online services for customers.
 4) Customers were not aware of the offers available in market for purchasing products
which made slow sale.
5) Poor POS system.
6) Lack of fringe benefits for employees.
7) Poor security to prevent shoplifting.

6. Data Analysis:

Analysis of two major competiors:

1) Dmart
 Dmart is a one-stop supermarket chain that aims to offer customers a wide range of
basic home and personal products under one roof.
 Dmart was started by Mr. Radhakishan Damani and his family to address the growing
needs of the Indian family.
 From the launch of its first store in Powai in 2002, Dmart today has a well-established
presence in 149 locations in India.
 The supermarket chain of Dmart stores is owned and operated by Avenue
Supermarkets Ltd. (ASL).
 The company has its headquarters in Mumbai.
 Dmart has its employees in two shifts.
 Regional head and store managers are directly recruited from head office Mumbai.
 Solapur has 2 Dmart branches.

2) Big Bazar
 It was founded in 2001.
 Big bazar is present in 250+ locations in India.
 Big Bazaar is an Indian retail store that operates as a chain of hypermarkets, discount
department stores, and grocery stores.
  The retail chain was founded by Kishore Biyani under his parent organization Future
Group, which is known for having a significant prominence in Indian retail and
fashion sectors.
 The Big Bazaar group family includes over 35,000 employees.
 Solapur have 1 Big bazar branch in prime location.

Sustainable Competative Advantage:

Core Competencies:
 Understanding of Local Culture and Market over the years
 Locations (Owing to optimally spaced stores covering all parts of the city)
 Product line’s length, width and depth (From FMCG ,Personal Care to Grocery)
 Multi Channel Distribution( Brick & Mortar , Online Store, Home Delivery)
 In-house Branding of Grocery
 Can run Operations Efficiently at Lower Costs.

Competative Advantage:
• First Departmental Retail chain in Solapur
• Only Chain to cover all parts of the City
• Strong Relationships with Farmers & Suppliers
• Owner’s Involvement in Day to Operations and Purchase’s
• Lower Prices than Competition (without any trade off’s in quality)
• Seasonal Offers and Sale Days are more tailored to local faith, beliefs and taste.
• In-house Grocery available in other stores & shops too adding to the Brand Equity of
the Retail Chain
• Provide an integrated Experience across all channels of Distribution
• Whatsapp orders make it easy for people reluctant to order on websites, thus bridging
the gap with the Customer
• Faster Delivery Catering to all Major Areas in the City.
In the case of Retail Industry (Departmental stores), a Sustainable competitive advantage is
fairly difficult to maintain for smaller Chains and Stores.
Sai Super market , the company has brilliantly turned its core competencies into its
competitive advantages and is still growing in Market Share even after the entry of National
Players like Dmart and Big Bazaar.
To build a Sustainable competitive advantage it is crucial Sai Super Market prevent
Imitation and innovate as the market slowly becomes more dynamic in future.

Value Chain Analysis:

• Inbound logistics - Inventory , stock , unpacked groceries
• Operations –Packing of staples, Store management, Selling of Goods within stores
and online
• Outbound logistics - home delivery to customers, and dispatching of In-House
Groceries to other independent shop’s for selling
• Marketing – hoardings, newspapers, FM Radio, customer loyalty cards, offers on
festivals, seasonal offers, jute carry bags(free)

7. Observations:

GAP Idendification was done through survey which are as follows:

1) Lack of display placement for products needed.
2) Lack of parking space for customer for their vehicle in two branches.
3) No online services for customers.
4) Customers were not aware of the offers available in market for purchasing products
which made slow sale.
5) Poor POS system.
6) Lack of fringe benefits for employees.
7) Poor security to prevent shoplifting.
8.Recommendations to the firm

Sai Super Market needs creative HR practices to manage a huge workforce in a competitive
environment to enhance the competency and retention of their employees.
1) There are other players like Dmart chasing for same talent. Hence Sai Super Market
should maintain their goodwill in the overall employment market by communicating
its attributes like direct involvement of owner in recruitment in a positive way that
distinguishes the company from the other competitors.
2) It needs to find the right talent that is willing to commit over the long-term.
3) To hire more skilled employees they can recruit directly from colleges based on their
academic record and performance.
4) They can also have two shifts of workers like Dmart so that there is less workload.
5) They can provide more Attractive compensation package to its employees which
includes both direct (salaries, commission and bonuses) as well as indirect payments
(paid vacations, health and life insurance and retirement plans) to avoid poaching
from competitors like Dmart.
6) The problem of attrition is very common nowadays. Retaining is more challenging for
Sai Super Market than hiring. Hence, they must examine different strategies through
which they can boost the morale of their employees to work for them.

9.Conclusion:

The Human Resource Management practices are vital for the growth and development of
business. These practices have significantly evolved the retailing sector. The retailers,
especially organized retailers like Sai Super Market are nowadays placing a greater emphasis
on the HRM practices which includes recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, training
and development, compensation, career planning, etc. Apart from this we are facing some
problems relating to human resource like lack of skill, lack of formal education in retailing,
workforce attrition, threat of poaching and complicated human resource environment. It
means that the HRM practices in the SAI SUPER MARKET needs greater attention in the
near future to make it more competitive for players like DMART and Big Bazar.
10. Contribution to Host Organisation:

 After the detail research methodology and research findings the GAP Identification
was reported to HR Manager which helped in knowing their drawbacks in market and
few of them were overcome which are as follows:
 Company products like Himalaya, Rin, Whisper, Lakme and Patanjali were given
their respective sales person to enhance the sales.
 Staff Management was enhanced through maintaining the shifts of work timings.
 Display was enhanced through advertising products in market on TV screen.
 Customers were notified offers through periodic announcement in store.
 Sales person were trained and training was evaluated through examination.
 Customer’s contact numbers were noted to enhance customer service.
 Fringe Benefits is about to enhance to retain employees working more than five years
in market.
 POS system is planning to update for inventory handling.

11. Bibliography:

http://www.saisupermarket.in
https://www.smartsheet.com/retail-store-operations
https://www.equitymaster.com/research-it/sector-info/retail/Retailing-Sector-Analysis-
Report.asp
https://www.dmartindia.com/about-us
https://blog.compliantia.com/2014/01/28/store-execution-purpose-scope-and-best-practices/