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Varun Supermarket Retail (P) Ltd.’s Marketing Research (B): Analysing the Profile of Target Customers through Cluster Analysis

CASELET, MARKETING RESEARCH
ET Cases, 3 Pages
AUTHOR(S) : R. Muthukumar and Dr. Nagendra V. Chowdary

Case Preview

Varun Supermarket Retail (P) Ltd.’s Marketing Research (B): Analysing the Profile of Target Customers through Cluster Analysis

 

As suggested by his uncle and mentor Vijay Kumar (Vijay), Varun Kumar (Varun), Founder of Varun Supermarket Retail (P) Ltd. (VSRPL), a supermarket store, assigned a marketing research project to two students – Mercy Mathews (Mercy) and Priyanka M (Priyanka) – as their internship project to avert the decrease in sales and drop in  repeat customers. As committed, the interns were nearing the completion of their project.

Meanwhile, Vijay was curious to get an update on the internship project assigned to Mercy and Priyanka. Around mid-June 2016, he called Varun to know the status of the project.

Vijay: Hello Varun, what is the status of the market research project that was given to the interns?

Varun: A survey was performed and the interns are analysing the data regarding the feedback based on – products, price, advertising, delivery, payments, etc.

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Assignment Questions

I. According to you, what is cluster analysis and how is it different from other related techniques (ANOVA, multiple regression and discriminant analysis)?
II. List and elaborate the steps to conduct cluster analysis.
III. ............

Teaching Note Preview

Varun Supermarket Retail (P) Ltd.’s Marketing Research (B): Analysing the Profile of Target Customers through Cluster Analysis

 

Synopsis

The objective of the two-caselet series’ is to introduce the students/participants to the concept and importance of factor analysis and cluster analysis in  marketing research. While the Caselet (A) is meant to sensitize the students to identify the factors influencing customers to visits the store and make purchases  through factor analysis, Caselet (B) can be used for understanding and classifying the target customers through cluster analysis. Based on the marketing  research problem, the interns Mercy Mathews (Mercy) and Priyanka M (Priyanka) designed a questionnaire and collected data on customers’ lifestyle and  perceptions from 50 customers. The interns wanted to map the profile of the target customers in terms of lifestyle, attitude and perceptions with the help of  cluster analysis.

Prerequisite Conceptual Understanding

  • Naresh K. Malhotra and Satyabushan Dash, “Cluster Analysis”, Marketing Research An Applied Orientation, 6th Edition, Pearson Education, 2010 – To understand the concept of cluster analysis

 

Case Positioning and Setting

This caselet can be used in MBA Program – Marketing Research Course – To introduce the concept of cluster analysis

Assignment Questions

  • I. What is cluster analysis? According to you, how is it different from other related techniques – ANOVA, multiple regression and discriminant analysis?
  • II. List and elaborate the steps to conduct cluster analysis.
  • III. Will performing cluster analysis help Varun to find a solution to his dilemma. If yes, how? If no, why?

 

Preamble to this Caselet Analysis

This caselet’s purpose is to introduce the students/participants to the concept and process of Cluster Analysis. Building on from the previous chapters (of  defining an appropriate Marketing Research Problem), this caselet provides scope to recommend a solution to the marketing research problem. Accordingly,  this caselet in the light of VSRPL’s sales conundrum was orchestrated. The classroom analysis and discussion was done as shown in Exhibit (TN)-I......

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Product code: MR-2-0020, MR-2-0020A

Abstract

Second in the two-caselet series, this caselet provides scope to discuss, understand and perform cluster analysis in the backdrop of Varun Supermarket Retail (P) Ltd.  (VSRPL)’s problem of sudden decrease in sales and repeat customers. As suggested by his uncle Vijay Kumar (Vijay), Varun Kumar (Varun), the Founder of VSRPL took help of two students – Mercy Mathews (Mercy) and Priyanka M (Priyanka) and assigned a project to help solve the problem. Meanwhile, when Vijay called Varun to know  the status of the project, he suggested that it is important to understand target customers. Varun shared the discussed details with the interns. As they were nearing the  completion of their internship, they decided to discuss the developments with their Professor. After discussing with their Professor, the interns designed a questionnaire  and collected data on customers’ lifestyle and perceptions from 50 customers. The students wanted to map the profile of the target customers in terms of lifestyle,  attitude and perceptions with the help of cluster analysis.



Pedagogical Objectives

  • To understand the concept and importance of cluster analysis
  • To learn how to perform cluster analysis
  • To identify a solution to VSRPL’s decreasing sales problem and fall in repeat customers using cluster analysis

Case Positioning and Setting

This caselet can be used in MBA Program – Marketing Research Course – To introduce the concept of cluster analysis



This Case Pack Includes:
- Abstract
- Caselet
- Teaching Note (**ONLY for Academicians)
- Supplement


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